Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Can We Stop The Stroke Epidemic In Pakistan?, Ismail A. Khatri, Mohammad Wasay

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Helicobacter Pylori: Association With Gall Bladder Disorders In Pakistan, Javed Yakoob, M. R. Khan, Z. Abbas, W. Jafri, R. Azmi, Z. Ahmad, S. Naeem, L. Lubbad

Department of Medicine

Helicobacter species colonise the biliary tract and therefore this study explores the relationship between of Helicobacter pylori and cholecystitis. Bile and gall bladder tissue samples were obtained from 144 Patients who underwent cholecystectomy. Of these, 89 had chronic cholecystitis with cholelithiasis, 44 had gall bladder carcinoma and 11 had gall bladder polyps. Histopathology examination included special staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC), while Helicobacter species (H. pylori, H. bilis and H. hepaticus) were detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequencing and BLAST query of PCR products was undertaken and samples were considered to contain H. pylori if both PCR and IHC …

Intimate Partner Violence In Urban Pakistan: Prevalence, Frequency, And Risk Factors, Tazeen S. Ali, Nargis Asad, Ingrid Mogren, Gunilla Krantz

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important public health issue with severe adverse consequences. Population-based data on IPV from Muslim societies are scarce, and Pakistan is no exception. This study was conducted among women residing in urban Karachi, to estimate the prevalence and frequency of different forms of IPV and their associations with sociodemographic factors.
Methods: This cross-sectional community-based study was conducted using a structured questionnaire developed by the World Health Organisation for research on violence. Community midwives conducted face-to-face interviews with 759 married women aged 25-60 years.
Results: Self-reported past-year and lifetime prevalence of physical violence was 56.3 …

Dengue Fever (Df) In Pakistan., Fridous Jahan

Department of Family Medicine

Dengue is a widespread mosquito-borne infection in human beings, which in recent years has become a major international public health concern. Symptomatic dengue virus infections can present with a wide range of clinical manifestations, from a mild febrile illness to a life-threatening shock syndrome. Both viral and host factors are thought to contribute to the manifestations of disease in each infected. It is important to understand its burden on health care, morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and suspicion of DF in primary care might reduce the complications if handled properly. We must understand the depth of the problem in terms …

Perceptions Of Anti-Smoking Messages Amongst High School Students In Pakistan, Syed M. A. Zaidi, Abdul L. Bikak, Ayesha Shaheryar, Syed H. Imam, Javaid A. Khan

Department of Medicine

Background: Surveys have provided evidence that tobacco use is widely prevalent amongst the youth in Pakistan. Several reviews have evaluated the effectiveness of various tobacco control programs, however, few have taken into account the perceptions of students themselves regarding these measures. The aim of this study was to determine the most effective anti-smoking messages that can be delivered to high-school students in Pakistan, based on their self-rated perceptions. It also aimed to assess the impact of pictorial/multi-media messages compared with written health warnings and to discover differences in perceptions of smokers to those of non-smokers to health warning messages. Methods: …

Association Of Depression With Treatment Outcomes In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study From Karachi, Pakistan, Saman I. Zuberi, Ehsan U. Syed, Junaid A. Bhatti

Section of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism

Background: To assess the associations of depression with glycemic control and compliance to self-care activities in adult Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary-care hospital in Karachi (Aga Khan University Hospital). Equal numbers of depressed and non-depressed Patients were consecutively recruited from the diabetic clinic. Information on demographic and clinical characteristics was collected in face-to-face interviews and from medical records. Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) was used to measure depression. Associations of depressed status (HADS >= 8) with poor glycemic control (Hemoglobin A1c level >= 7%) and compliance to self-care activities were …

Involvement Of Medical Students And Fresh Medical Graduates Of Karachi, Pakistan In Research, Kiran Ejaz, Muhammad Shahid Shamim, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Syed Abid Hussain

Department of Emergency Medicine

OBJECTIVE: To study the involvement in research, of final year medical students and fresh graduates of Karachi, Pakistan and to identify the factors influencing their interest in medical research.

METHODS: A cross-sectional, questionnaire based study was conducted in 2007-2008. Five institutes representing the private and public hospitals in the city were selected by cluster sampling. Final year medical students and fresh graduates were included. Descriptive statistics were charted using SPSS v.16 after double data entry.

RESULTS: Out of 378, 186 (49%) participants had journal reading habits due to the requirement of their institution. Mostly, 157 (41%) undergraduates had already participated …

Validation Of Updated Partin’S Table In Pakistani Patients Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy For Prostate Cancer, Nazim Muhammad, Farhat Abbas, Nuzhat Faruqui, Muhammad Islam, Zubair Ahmad

Section of Urology

Objectives: To establish the usefulness and validity of 2007 Partin’s table in our population with prostate cancer.
Materials and methods: Between January 1998 to June 2009, all patients with clinically localized carcinoma prostate who were treated with intent of radical retro-pubic prostatectomy (RRP) were included. Clinical, operative and pathological data was gathered. All biopsy and final histopathology Gleason scores were re-assigned in a double blind manner. Pre-operative serum PSA, TNM clinical stage and biopsy Gleason scores were plotted on Partin’s table and its predictive value and pathological findings of specimen were compared and analyzed by using Receiver operating characteristic …

Efficacy And Safety Of Quinine Loading Dose In Patients With Severe Falciparum Malaria At A Tertiary Care Hospital In Pakistan, M. Tariq, Taimur Saleem, Hamid Ullah, Vikram Mehraj, Abdul Jawwad Samdani, Syeda Hena Kazmi, Syed Imran Ayaz, Mehmood Riaz, Muhammad Junaid Patel, Mohammed Asim Beg

Section of Internal Medicine

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical outcomes of a loading dose regimen of quinine with a uniform dose regimen in patients with severe falciparum malaria.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 315 patients admitted with severe falciparum malaria and treated with quinine at a tertiary care teaching hospital of Karachi, Pakistan during 1999-2006 was conducted. Group A with 103 patients (32.7%) was given an initial loading dose of quinine while group B with 212 patients (67.3%) did not receive the loading dose. The two groups were compared in terms of reduction of parasite load, resolution of fever, recovery of consciousness and …

Perception And Practices Of Breastfeeding Of Infants 0-6 Months In An Urban And A Semi-Urban Community In Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study, Sumera Ali, Syed Faizan Ali, Ayesha Mallick Imam, Samia Ayub, Abdul Gaffar Billoo

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

OBJECTIVE: To investigate mother's perception and practices about breastfeeding and their socio-demographic correlate in infants equal to or less than 6 months.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 200 mother-infant pairs who visited the health care centers, Bilal Colony (semi-urban) and the Aga Khan University (urban), for their well baby follow-ups and vaccination using convenient sampling. Frequencies and percentages were computed and Chi-square was used to find associations between socio-demographics of mothers and their perception and practices about breastfeeding.

RESULTS: Exclusive breastfeeding was reported by about 54% of the mothers. Thirty-five percent of the mothers gave prelacteal feed, …