Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Postpartum Endometritis And Infection Following Incomplete Or Complete Abortion: Case Definition & Guidelines For Data Collection, Analysis, And Presentation Of Maternal Immunization Safety Data, C E. Rouse, L O. Eckert, F M. Muñoz, J S A. Stringer, S Kochhar, L Bartlett, M Sanicas, D J. Dudley, D M. Harper, Fyezah Jehan

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Abstract are not provided by the author/publisher

Time To Clarify State Obligations And Accountability On Ncds With Human Rights Instruments, Kent Buse, Wafa Aftab, Sadika Akhter, Linh Bui Phuong, Haroun Chamli, Minakshi Dahal, Sarah Hawke, Nousheen Pradhan

Community Health Sciences

No abstract provided.

Deworming Children For Soil-Transmitted Helminths In Low And Middle-Income Countries: Systematic Review And Individual Participant Data Network Meta-Analysis, Vivian Andrea Welch, Alomgir Hossain, Elizabeth Ghogomu, Alison Riddle, Simon Cousens, Michelle Gaffey, Paul Arora, Robert Black, Donald Bundy, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Intestinal parasites affect millions of children globally. We aimed to assess effects of deworming children on nutritional and cognitive outcomes across potential effect modifiers using individual participant data (IPD). We searched multiple databases to 27 March 2018, grey literature, and other sources. We included randomised and quasi randomised trials of deworming compared to placebo or other nutritional interventions with data on baseline infection. We used a random-effects network meta-analysis with IPD and assessed overall quality, following a pre-specified protocol. We received IPD from 19 trials of STH deworming. Overall risk of bias was low. There were no statistically significant subgroup …

Eel Fish Bite: An Impending Emergency In Arabian Sea, Sadia Zafar, Zafar Fatmi

Community Health Sciences

No abstract provided.

Occupational Health Outcomes Among International Migrant Workers, Kristine Husøy Onarheim, Dianne Egli-Gany, Wafa Aftab

Community Health Sciences

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Linear Growth Faltering Among Children With Moderate-To-Severe Diarrhea In The Global Enteric Multicenter Study, Rebecca L. Brander, Patricia B. Pavlinac, Judd L. Walson, Grace C. John-Stewart, Marcia R. Weaver, Abu S. G Faruque, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Dipika Sur, Samba O. Sow, M Jahangir Hossain

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD) in the first 2 years of life can impair linear growth. We sought to determine risk factors for linear growth faltering and to build a clinical prediction tool to identify children most likely to experience growth faltering following an episode of MSD.
Methods: Using data from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study of children 0-23 months old presenting with MSD in Africa and Asia, we performed log-binomial regression to determine clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with severe linear growth faltering (loss of ≥ 0.5 length-for-age z-score [LAZ]). Linear regression was used to estimate associations with ΔLAZ. A …

The Epidemiological Burden Of Obesity In Childhood: A Worldwide Epidemic Requiring Urgent Action, Mariachiara Di Cesare, Maroje Sorić, Pascal Bovet, J Jaime Miranda, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Gretchen A. Stevens, Avula Laxmaiah, Andre-Pascal Kengne, James Bentham

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: In recent decades, the prevalence of obesity in children has increased dramatically. This worldwide epidemic has important consequences, including psychiatric, psychological and psychosocial disorders in childhood and increased risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) later in life. Treatment of obesity is difficult and children with excess weight are likely to become adults with obesity. These trends have led member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) to endorse a target of no increase in obesity in childhood by 2025.
Main body: Estimates of overweight in children aged under 5 years are available jointly from the United Nations Children's Fund …

Rethinking Community Based Strategies To Tackle Health Inequities In South Asia, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Abhay Bang, Kaosar Afsana, Bishal Gyawali, Mohammed Shafiq Mirzazada, Renuka Jayatissa

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

No abstract provided.

Association Of Exposure To Civil Conflict With Maternal Resilience And Maternal And Child Health And Health System Performance In Afghanistan, Nadia Akseer, Arjumand Rizvi, Zaid Ahmad Bhatti, Jai K. Das, Karl Everett, Aneesa Arur, Mickey Chopra, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Importance: Current studies examining the effects of Afghanistan's conflict transition on the performance of health systems, health service delivery, and health outcomes are outdated and small in scale and do not span all essential reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health interventions.
Objective: To evaluate associations of conflict severity with improvement of health system performance, use of health services, and child nutrition outcomes in Afghanistan during the 2003 to 2018 reconstruction period.
Design, setting, and participants: This population-based survey study included a sequential cross-sectional analysis of individual-level panel data across 2 periods (2003-2010 and 2010-2018) and a difference-in-differences design. Surveys included …

Kangaroo Mother Care: Opportunities And Implications For Rural Pakistan, Hasan Nawaz Tahir, Zafar Fatmi

Community Health Sciences

Neonatal mortality comprises 40% of total under-5 mortality, globally. Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is one of the most cost-effective interventions to reduce neonatal mortality. KMC does not require highend equipment, intensive care facilities or technical knowledge. A recent meta-analysis reported that KMC may reduce neonatal mortality in preterm and low birth weight neonates up to 36%. A review of enablers and barriers of KMC suggests that KMC can be integrated in maternal health care system by giving awareness, involving family and giving ownership of the intervention to the community. If supported with minimal incentives it would reduce the cost of …

Time To Adopt Developmental Origins Of Health And Disease (Dohad) Science In Pakistan, Rozina Nuruddin, Akbar Shoukat Ali, Nuruddin Badruddin Mohammed

Community Health Sciences

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Health Professionals Regarding Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (Mits) To Identify The Cause Of Death In Stillbirths And Neonates: Results From A Qualitative Study, Anam Shahil Feroz, Anum Shiraz Ali, Mohsina Noor Ibrahim, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Shiyam Sunder Tikmani, Sayyeda Reza, Zahid Abbasi, Afia Zafar, Sameen Siddiqi, Sarah Saleem

Community Health Sciences

Background: Pakistan is considered to be one of the riskiest places in the world for childbirth as measured by its high stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates. Complete diagnostic autopsy remains the gold standard to determine the cause of death (CoD); however, it is not routinely implemented due to religious objections, sociocultural beliefs, limited resources and low demand from physicians and families. Recently, minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) using needle biopsies of multiple tissues to obtain tissue for histological examination and organism identification with PCR has been developed and promoted to determine CoD in low-resource areas. To ensure successful implementation of …

Regional Variation In Chronic Kidney Disease And Associated Factors In Hypertensive Individuals In Rural South Asia: Findings From Control Of Blood Pressure And Risk Attenuation-Bangladesh, Pakistan And Sri Lanka, Liang Feng, Hithanadura Asita De Silva, Imtiaz Jehan, Anuradhani Kasturiratne, Gulshan Himani, Mohammad Abul Hasnat, Tazeen Jafar, Cobra-Bps Study Group

Community Health Sciences

Background: We aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its cross-country variation among hypertensive individuals in rural Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. We also explored the factors associated with CKD in these populations.
Method: We studied baseline data from the Control of Blood Pressure and Risk Attenuation-Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (COBRA-BPS) trial, an ongoing cluster randomized controlled trial on 2643 hypertensive adults ≥40 years of age from 30 randomly selected rural clusters, 10 in each of the three countries. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) /min/1.73 m2 or a urine albumin:creatinine …

Health Expenditure And Utilization Survey Thatta District, 2019, Muhammad Ashar Malik, Wajeeha Raza, Riaz Karimi

Community Health Sciences

No abstract provided.

Resilience And Quality Of Life (Qol) Of Head And Neck Cancer And Brain Tumour Survivors In Pakistan: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study Protocol, Nida Zahid, Wardah Khalid, Khabir Ahmad, Shireen Shehzad, Iqbal Azam Syed, Nargis Asad, Adnan Jabbar, Mumtaz J Khan, Ather Enam

Department of Surgery

Background: Cancer is a devastating disease and has detrimental effects on the quality of life (QoL) of cancer survivors and interferes with their treatment compliance. The aim of the study is to assess resilience and QoL among cancer survivors and to evaluate the important factors affecting their resilience and QoL, with respect to the Pakistani cultural context.
Method and Analysis: A cross-sectional study will be conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. A minimum sample size of 250 head and neck cancers and 250 brain tumour survivors with 10% inflation for non-response rate will be required. The SD …

Prevalence And Correlates Of Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity Among Hypertensive Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study In Rural South Asia—Bangladesh, Pakistan And Sri Lanka, Liang Feng, Imtiaz Jehan, H Asita De Silva, Aliya Naheed, Hamida Farazdaq, Samina Hirani Samina Hirani, Anuradhani Kasturiratne, Channa D. Ranasinha, Md Tauhidul Islam, Ali Tanweer Siddiquee, Tazeen Jafar

Community Health Sciences

Objective: To determinate the prevalence and correlates of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM), and their cross-country variation among individuals with hypertension residing in rural communities in South Asia.
Design: A cross-sectional study.
Setting: Rural communities in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Participants: A total of 2288 individuals with hypertension aged ≥40 years from the ongoing Control of Blood Pressure and Risk Attenuation- Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka clinical trial.
Main outcome measures: CMM was defined as the presence of ≥2 of the conditions: diabetes, chronic kidney disease, heart disease and stroke. Logistic regression was done to evaluate the correlates of CMM.
Results: …

Colostrum And Mature Breast Milk Analysis Of Serum Irisin And Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Proteins-1c In Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Syeda Sadia Fatima, Erum Khalid, Asma Akbar Ladak, Syed Adnan Ali

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background: We aimed to evaluate irisin and SREBP-1c levels in serum, colostrum and mature breast milk in women with and without gestational diabetes (GDM); and to relate them with maternal glucose, lipid profile and weight status of babies.
Methods: GDM positive women (n = 33) and normal glucose tolerant women (NGT) (n = 33) were recruited. Maternal blood samples were collected at 28th week of gestation and later at 6-week post-partum while breast milk samples of the lactating mothers were collected within 72 hours of birth (colostrum) and at 6 weeks post-partum (mature milk). Irisin and SREBP-1c levels were analyzed …

Polio: From Eradication To Systematic, Sustained Control, Oliver Razum, Devi Sridhar, Albrecht Jahn, Shehla Zaidi, Gorik Ooms, Olaf Müller

Community Health Sciences

No abstract provided.

A Study Protocol For An Mhealth, Multi-Centre Randomized Control Trial To Promote Use Of Postpartum Contraception Amongst Rural Women In Punjab, Pakistan, Xaher Gul, Waqas Hameed, Sharmeen Hussain, Ishaque Sheikh, Junaid-Ur-Rehman Siddiqui

Community Health Sciences

Background: Provision of family planning services during the immediate post-partum phase is considered effective and cost-efficient for promoting healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies. This research aims to test the effectiveness of mobile phone-based interventions in promoting use of postpartum contraception. Moreover, it will also test the non-inferiority of text and voice messages compared to interactive phone-based counselling.
Methods: A three-arm, 10-month, multicentre, randomized controlled trial will be conducted at 15 social franchise (SF) health facilities in Punjab province of Pakistan. Pregnant women aged 15-44 years who are in their first or second trimester and have a mobile phone for …

Coronary Heart Disease, Hypertension And Use Of Biomass Fuel Among Women: Comparative Cross-Sectional Study, Zafar Fatmi, Georgia Ntani, David Coggon

Community Health Sciences

Objectives: To explore the associations of hypertension and coronary heart disease (CHD) with use of biomass fuel for cooking.
Design: Comparative cross-sectional study.
Setting: Rural villages in Sindh, Pakistan.
Participants: Women aged ≥40 years who had used biomass fuel for cooking for at least the last year (n=436), and a comparison group (n=414) who had cooked only with non-biomass fuel during the last year were recruited through door-to-door visits. None of those who were invited to take part declined.
Primary and secondary outcome measures: Hypertension was determined from blood pressure measurements and use of medication. CHD was assessed by three …

Including Ultrasound Scans In Antenatal Care In Low-Resource Settings: Considering The Complementarity Of Obstetric Ultrasound Screening And Maternity Waiting Homes In Strengthening Referral Systems In Low-Resource, Rural Settings, David L. Swanson, Holly L. Franklin, Jonathan O. Swanson, Robert L. Goldenberg, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Waseem Mirza, David Muyodi, Lester Figueroa, Farnaz Naqvi, Sarah Saleem

Department of Radiology

Recent World Health Organization (WHO) antenatal care recommendations include an ultrasound scan as a part of routine antenatal care. The First Look Study, referenced in the WHO recommendation, subsequently shows that the routine use of ultrasound during antenatal care in rural, low-income settings did not improve maternal, fetal or neonatal mortality, nor did it increase women's use of antenatal care or the rate of hospital births. This article reviews the First Look Study, reconsidering the assumptions upon which it was built in light of these results, a supplemental descriptive study of interviews with patients and sonographers that participated in the …

Identification Of Policy Priorities To Address The Burden Of Smokeless Tobacco In Pakistan: A Multimethod Analysis, Kamran Siddiqi, Ziauddin Islam, Zohaib Khan, Faraz Siddiqui, Masuma Mishu, Omara Dogar, Vandana Shah, Javaid Khan, Subhash Pokhrel, Romaina Iqbal

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Introduction: We assessed the magnitude of smokeless tobacco (ST) use in Pakistan and identified policy gaps to help ascertain short-, medium-, and long-term priorities. We then elicited stakeholders' views as to which of these identified priorities are most important.
Methods: In a multimethod study, we: analyzed Global Tobacco Surveillance System data sets to estimate ST consumption and disease burden; conducted a documentary review to identify gaps in policies to control ST in comparison with smoking; elicited stakeholders' views in an interactive workshop to identify a set of policy options available to address ST burden in Pakistan; and ranked policy …

Protocol For A Process Evaluation Of A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Of The Learning Club Intervention For Women's Health, And Infant's Health And Development In Rural Vietnam, Jane Fisher, Trang Nguyen, Thach Duc Tran, Ha Tran, Tuan Tran, Stanley Luchters, David Hipgrave, Sarah Hanieh, Beverley-Ann Biggs

Population Health, East Africa

Background: Learning Clubs is a multi-component intervention to address the eight common risk factors for women’s health, and infant’s health and development in resource-constrained settings. We are testing in a cluster randomized controlled trial in rural Vietnam whether this intervention improves cognitive development in children when they are aged two. There are few comprehensive process evaluations of complex interventions to optimise early childhood development. The aim is to conduct a planned process evaluation of the Learning Clubs intervention in Vietnam.

Methods: The evaluation will be conducted alongside the Learning Clubs trial using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Four domains will …

Polyhydramnios Among Women In A Cluster-Randomized Trial Of Ultrasound During Prenatal Care Within Five Low And Low-Middle Income Countries: A Secondary Analysis Of The First Look Study, Melissa Bauserman, Robert Nathan, Adrien Lokangaka, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Janet Moore, Daniel Ishoso, Antoinette Tshefu, Lester Figueroa, Sarah Saleem, Waseem Mirza

Community Health Sciences

Background: In many low and low-middle income countries, the incidence of polyhydramnios is unknown, in part because ultrasound technology is not routinely used. Our objective was to report the incidence of polyhydramnios in five low and low-middle income countries, to determine maternal characteristics associated with polyhydramnios, and report pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.
Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of the First Look Study, a multi-national, cluster-randomized trial of ultrasound during prenatal care. We evaluated all women enrolled from Guatemala, Pakistan, Zambia, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who received an examination by prenatal ultrasound. We used pairwise site …

Outcome Of Inadvertent High Dose Bcg Administration In Newborns At A Tertiary Care Hospital, Karachi- Case Series, Sonia Qureshi, Khalil Ahmad, Paras Fatima, Rabia M. Hassan, Farheen Sherali, Naureen Lalani, Fyezah Jehan, Syed Asad Ali, Farah Qamar

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is given to newborns soon after birth. BCG vaccine overdose has been rarely reported. Here we report the outcome of newborns who accidently received high dose BCG at a tertiary care hospital, Karachi. We reviewed records of 26 newborns, who accidentally received intradermal high dose BCG, used for the treatment of urinary bladder cancers and 80 times higher dose than the BCG used for routine vaccination. The incident happened from 14-16th April, 2016 at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. Analysis was carried out using SPSS. A total of 23/26(88.5%) newborns were followed for atleast 3 months …

Pregnant Women In Four Low-Middle Income Countries Have A High Prevalence Of Inadequate Dietary Intakes That Are Improved By Dietary Diversity, Rebecca L. Lander, K Michael Hambidge, Jamie E. Westcott, Gabriela Tejeda, Tshilenge S. Diba, Shivanand C. Mastiholi, Umber S. Khan, Ana Garcés, Sumera Aziz Ali, Sarah Saleem, On Behalf Of The Women First Preconception Nutrition Trial Group

Community Health Sciences

Background: Up-to-date dietary data are required to understand the diverse nutritional challenges of pregnant women living in low-middle income countries (LMIC). To that end, dietary data were collected from 1st trimester pregnant women in rural areas of Guatemala, India, Pakistan, and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) participating in a maternal lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) Randomized Controlled Trial to examine dietary diversity (DD), usual group energy and nutrient intakes, and prevalence of inadequate dietary intakes.
Methods: Two 24-h dietary recalls were conducted in ~240 pregnant women/site (total n = 966) prior to 12-week gestation. Adequate DD was assessed, i.e., ≥5 …

Challenges Of Implementing An Individual Randomized Controlled Trial (Women First: Preconception Maternal Nutrition Study) In A Rural Study Site: A Case Study From Pakistan, Sumera Aziz Ali, Umber S. Khan, Farina Abrejo, Sarah Saleem, Michael K. Hambidge, Nancy F. Krebs, Jamie E. Westcott, Robert L. Goldenberg, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Omrana Pasha

Community Health Sciences

Persistent global disparities in maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with poor maternal nutrition provided the genesis of the Women First (WF) study, an individually randomized controlled trial on preconceptional maternal nutrition. This article describes the challenges that arose in implementing this trial related to nutrition or diet of the mother, in District Thatta-Pakistan. During different phases of the study, we encountered problems in identifying the eligible participants, taking consent from couples, randomizing participants in different arms, conducting biweekly follow-up visits on time, ensuring compliance to the intervention, and measuring the primary outcome within the 24 hours of birth. Each challenge …

Quality Of Life Of Road Traffic Injury Survivors Aged 15-44 Years Suffered From Moderate And Severe Head Injuries In Karachi, Pakistan, S A. Abbasi, Tazeen Saeed Ali, Shafquat Rozi, Uzma Rahim Khan, Rashid Jooma

Community Health Sciences

Background: Most of Road traffic injuries are predicted to be the third leading contributor to the global burden of disease by 2020 and patients end up into head injuries which leave devastating impacts on individual and society. Quality of Life After Brain Injury (QOLIBRI) is a specific tool that measures quality of life in head injury patients.
Methods: This was a cross sectional study among 300 patients aged 15-45 years, attended emergency department of the Aga khan University Hospital. Structured questionnaire included demography, injury details, QOLIBRI, GOSE and WHO Disability Assessment Scale (WHODAS 12 items). Severity of injury was determined …

Factors Associated With Geriatric Morbidity And Impairment In A Megacity Of Pakistan, Saniya Sabzwari, Romaina Iqbal, Zafar Fatmi, Iqbal Azam Syed

Department of Family Medicine

Background: The elderly population is increasing globally. In Pakistan, the elderly comprise 6% of the population that is predicted to triple by 2050. Non-communicable diseases are common health problems of the elderly in Pakistan, however, resulting geriatric impairments and disability are unknown. This study was conducted to determine geriatric impairments and identify associated socio-demographic factors and comorbidities among community dwelling elderly in Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during 2013-2014. Community clusters were selected from all sub-districts of Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan. Data was collected from systematically selected households within these clusters from individuals, aged ≥60 …

Safety And Efficacy Of Bendamustine In The Conditioning Regimen For Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation In Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Lymphoma, Munira Moosajee, Samad Jehangir, Sobia Sawani, Tariq Muhammed, N. Ali, Usman Shaikh, Salman Adil

Section of Haematology/Oncology

Background: Bendamustine is an attractive option for the management of both de novo and relapsed lymphomas. It is being increasingly used in the conditioning regimen for autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT) and can be an alternative to the traditionally-used carmustine. In this study, we aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of bendamustine in the conditioning regimen for autologous SCT in refractory/relapsed lymphomas.
Methods: We designed a descriptive study to evaluate bendamustine in combination with etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan (BeEAM) in the conditioning regimen for autologous SCT.
Results: Fourteen patients (median age, 28 yr) with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) (N=8), non-Hodgkin's …