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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Comparison Of Need And Supply Of Syringes For Therapeutic Injections In Pakistan, Adnan Ahmad Khan, Momina Saleem, Huma Qureshi, Rashid Jooma, Ayesha Khan Nov 2012

Comparison Of Need And Supply Of Syringes For Therapeutic Injections In Pakistan, Adnan Ahmad Khan, Momina Saleem, Huma Qureshi, Rashid Jooma, Ayesha Khan

Section of Neurosurgery

Objectives: To determine the extent of shortfall in syringes by measuring the need from nationally validated sources and comparing it with position on the supply side. This was done in order to contribute to the ongoing national discussions that have focused on increasing syringe supply to curtail syringe reuse.
Methods: Using 'Injections received' data from the Pakistan Demographic Health Survey 2006-7 (N: 5429) and the National Hepatitis Survey (N: 47,043), the study estimated the number of injections received in Pakistan. We matched these against the local syringe production figures from the syringe manufacturers' association and import figures from the Federal …


Neurosurgical Electives: Operating Room Survival Guide, M Shahzad Shamim, Zain A. Sobani Jul 2012

Neurosurgical Electives: Operating Room Survival Guide, M Shahzad Shamim, Zain A. Sobani

Section of Neurosurgery

No abstract provided.


Prospective Case Control Evaluation Of Epidural Midazolam For Improving Pain And Ambulation After Microdiscectomy, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, S. Ather Enam, Muhammad Zubair Tahir, Mueenullah Khan Jun 2012

Prospective Case Control Evaluation Of Epidural Midazolam For Improving Pain And Ambulation After Microdiscectomy, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, S. Ather Enam, Muhammad Zubair Tahir, Mueenullah Khan

Section of Neurosurgery

Objective: To evaluate midazolam as an epidural analgesic in patients undergoing single-level microdiscectomy.
Methods: This prospective case control study was carried out at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from January 20 to September 20, 2007, on patients undergoing microdiscectomy. Cases (group A) received midazolam with saline, while controls (group B) received saline only, placed intra-operatively over involved nerve root. Post-operatively, patients were monitored for various variables. Data was analysed using SPSS 13.0 and groups were compared using student's t-test for continuous variables and chi square for categorical variables. P-value <0.05 was considered significant.
Results: Patients in group A ambulated earlier (p = 0.005) …


Phenytoin Versus Leviteracetam For Seizure Prophylaxis After Brain Injury - A Meta Analysis, Syed Nabeel Zafar, Abdul Ahad Khan, Asfar Ayaz Gauri, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim May 2012

Phenytoin Versus Leviteracetam For Seizure Prophylaxis After Brain Injury - A Meta Analysis, Syed Nabeel Zafar, Abdul Ahad Khan, Asfar Ayaz Gauri, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Section of Neurosurgery

Background: Current standard therapy for seizure prophylaxis in Neuro-surgical patients involves the use of Phenytoin (PHY). However, a new drug Levetiracetam (LEV) is emerging as an alternate treatment choice. We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to compare these two drugs in patients with brain injury.
Methods: An electronic search was performed in using Pubmed, Embase, and CENTRAL. We included studies that compared the use of LEV vs. PHY for seizure prophylaxis for brain injured patients (Traumatic brain injury, intracranial hemorrhage, intracranial neoplasms, and craniotomy). Data of all eligible studies was extracted on to a standardized abstraction sheet. Data about baseline …


Protecting Pakistan's Health During The Global Economic Crisis, Rashid Jooma, A Khan, A A. Khan Mar 2012

Protecting Pakistan's Health During The Global Economic Crisis, Rashid Jooma, A Khan, A A. Khan

Section of Neurosurgery

The world is facing an unprecedented global economic crisis, with many countries needing to reconsider their level of health care spending. This paper explores the many consequences of the global economic turndown on Pakistan's health, including reduced government and donor spending and increased poverty with the consequent diversion of funds away from health. Nevertheless, these challenges may provide opportunities not only to mitigate the adverse effects of the economic crisis but also to institute some much-needed reforms that may not receive political support during more affluent times. Our suggestions focus on setting priorities based on the national disease burden, prioritizing …


Designing The First Ever Health Insurance For The Poor In Pakistan - A Pilot Project, Rashid Jooma, Sabeena Jalal Jan 2012

Designing The First Ever Health Insurance For The Poor In Pakistan - A Pilot Project, Rashid Jooma, Sabeena Jalal

Section of Neurosurgery

Several developing countries lack a medical insurance system with universal coverage, so access to medical services is not easy, principally for people living in poverty. One of the biggest issues for designing healthcare systems in developing countries is how to include those not formally employed. Therefore, it is important to implement targeted interventions so that the most in need are not left out. The World Health Report 2000 distinguishes four functions for the health system to fulfill: (i) the provision of health services; (ii) the creation of the necessary investment and training resources for health; (iii) health financing; and (iv) …