Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Rates And Risk Factors For Preterm Birth And Low Birthweight In The Global Network Sites In Six Low- And Low Middle-Income Countries, Yamini V. Pusdekar, Archana B. Patel, Kunal G. Kurhe, Savita R. Bhargav, Vanessa Thorsten, Ana Garces, Robert L. Goldenberg, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Sarah Saleem, Fabian Esamai

Community Health Sciences

Background: Preterm birth continues to be a major public health problem contributing to 75% of the neonatal mortality worldwide. Low birth weight (LBW) is an important but imperfect surrogate for prematurity when accurate assessment of gestational age is not possible. While there is overlap between preterm birth and LBW newborns, those that are both premature and LBW are at the highest risk of adverse neonatal outcomes. Understanding the epidemiology of preterm birth and LBW is important for prevention and improved care for at risk newborns, but in many countries, data are sparse and incomplete.
Methods: We conducted data analyses using …

Maternal Mortality In Six Low And Lower-Middle Income Countries From 2010 To 2018: Risk Factors And Trends, Melissa Bauserman, Vanessa R. Thorsten, Tracy L. Nolen, Jackie Patterson, Adrien Lokangaka, Antoinette Tshefu, Archana B. Patel, Patricia L. Hibberd, Sarah Saleem, Saleem Jessani

Community Health Sciences

Background: Maternal mortality is a public health problem that disproportionately affects low and lower-middle income countries (LMICs). Appropriate data sources are lacking to effectively track maternal mortality and monitor changes in this health indicator over time.
Methods: We analyzed data from women enrolled in the NICHD Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research Maternal Newborn Health Registry (MNHR) from 2010 through 2018. Women delivering within research sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, India (Nagpur and Belagavi), Kenya, Pakistan, and Zambia are included. We evaluated maternal and delivery characteristics using log-binomial models and multivariable models to obtain relative …

Determinants Of Infant And Young Complementary Feeding Practices Among Children 6-23 Months Of Age In Urban Pakistan: A Multicenter Longitudinal Study, Shabina Ariff, Kamran Sadiq, Javairia Khalid, Laila Sikanderali, Batha Tariq, Fariha Shaheen, Gul Nawaz Khan, Atif Habib, Sajid Bashir Soofi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Suboptimal feeding practices have a negative impact on children's health and growth in the first 2 years of life and increase their risk of undernutrition, morbidity, and mortality. The aim of the study was to assess the factors that influence infant and young child feeding practices among urban mothers in a hospital setting at Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods: A longitudinal multi-center cohort study was conducted in four countries, MULTICENTER BODY COMPOSITION REFERENCE STUDY (MBCRS) to produce normal body composition reference data in healthy infants from 3 months to 24 months of age. Repeated anthropometric (weight, length and head circumference) and …

Non-Communicable Diseases Among Adolescents: Current Status, Determinants, Interventions And Policies, N Akseer, S Mehta, J Wigle, R Chera, Z J. Brickman, S Al-Gashm, B Sorichetti, A Vandermorris, D B. Hipgrave, N Schwalbe, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Background: Addressing non-communicable disease (NCDs) is a global priority in the Sustainable Development Goals, especially for adolescents. However, existing literature on NCD burden, risk factors and determinants, and effective interventions and policies for targeting these diseases in adolescents, is limited. This study develops an evidence-based conceptual framework, and highlights pathways between risk factors and interventions to NCD development during adolescence (ages 10-19 years) and continuing into adulthood. Additionally, the epidemiologic profile of key NCD risk factors and outcomes among adolescents and preventative NCD policies/laws/legislations are examined, and a multivariable analysis is conducted to explore the determinants of NCDs among adolescents …

Newborn Screening For Congenital Hypothyroidism: Improvement In Short-Term Follow-Up By Audit And Monitoring, Hafsa Majid, Sibtain Ahmed, Imran Siddiqui, Khadija N Humayun, Hussain Karimi, Aysha Habib Khan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective: Newborn screening for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) at our hospital during this study was by measurement of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in serum samples. This audit was conducted over a 2 year period, to determine the compliance of reporting of results greater than the screening cutoffs for serum TSH. Gaps of non-compliance were identified, and re-audit was undertaken after the corrective actions were taken.
Results: The critical limit was defined as serum TSH (≥ 20 µIU/ml) following consultation with a pediatric endocrinologist. All results above this limit were reported urgently to physicians. During the audit period, 27,407 tests were performed, …

Transversus Abdominis Plane Block As A Sole Anesthetic Technique For Open Appendectomy In Patient With Treacher Collins Syndrome: A Case Report, Khalid Maudood Siddiqui, Muhammad Asghar Ali, Bushra Salim

Department of Anaesthesia

Patients with Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS) present serious challenges to anesthetist in securing of airway; upper airway obstruction and difficult tracheal intubation are considered complex entity in these patients. This case report describes the significance of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block as a sole anesthetic choice in appendectomy where airway management can be avoided. A 17-year-old boy, known case of TCS, presented with acute appendicitis underwent emergency laparotomy. Surgery was successfully performed by TAP block with dexmedetomidine infusion. Open appendectomy can be performed successfully in certain circumstances under TAP block with adjunctive use of dexmedetomidine infusion where airway handling is …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Against The Growing Threat Of Covid-19 Among Medical Students Of Pakistan, Khola Noreen, Zil-E Rubab, Muhammad Umar, Rehana Rehman, Mukhtiar Baig, Fizzah Baig

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background: On account of the COVID-19 pandemic, many changes have been implicated in university medical students. We are cognizant that pandemic can be controlled with dedicated contributions from all involved in the healthcare profession. Therefore, it is important to know the pandemic and application of knowledge by the medical students to formulate a further line of management in Pakistan.
Objective: We aimed toinvestigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding COVID-19 and its impact on medical students of Pakistan.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in June 2020 by a validated self-administered questionnaire. The survey instrument was tailored from a …

Trends And Determinants Of Newborn Mortality In Kyrgyzstan: A Countdown Country Case Study, Mahdis Kamali, James E. Wright, Nadia Akseer, Hana Tasic, Kaitlin Conway, Saman Brar, Cholpon Imanalieva, Gerrit Maritz, Arjumand Rizvi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Background: Kyrgyzstan has made considerable progress in reducing child mortality compared with other countries in the region, despite a comparatively low economic standing. However, maternal mortality is still high. Given the availability of an established birth registration system, we aimed to comprehensively assess the trends and determinants of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health in Kyrgyzstan.
Methods: For this Countdown to 2030 country case study, we used publicly available data repositories and the national birth registry of Kyrgyzstan to examine trends and inequalities of reproductive, maternal, and newborn health and mortality between 1990 and 2018, at a national and subnational …

Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices Towards Covid-19 Among Pakistani Residents: Information Access And Low Literacy Vulnerabilities, Zafar Fatmi, Shafaq Mahmood, Waqas Hameed, Ibtisam Qazi, Muhammad Siddiqui, Anny Dhanwani, Sameen Siddiqi

Community Health Sciences

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has accentuated the need for speedy access to information. Digital divide and socio-demographic disparity create an information hiatus and therefore unhealthy practices with regard to dealing with COVID-19, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Aims: We assessed knowledge, attitudes, practices and their determinants regarding COVID-19 in Pakistan during March-April 2020.
Methods: 905 adults ≥18 years (males and females) participated: 403 from a web-based survey; 365 from an urban survey; and 137 from a rural survey. Frequency of adequate knowledge, attitudes and practices for the three populations was determined based on available global guidelines. Multivariable logistic regression …

Clinicopathological And Immunohistochemical Study Of 29 Cases Of Solid-Pseudopapillary Neoplasms Of The Pancreas In Patients Under 20 Years Of Age Along With Detailed Review Of Literature, Nasir Ud Din, Shabina Rahim, Jamshid Abdul-Ghafar, Arsalan Ahmed, Zubair Ahmad

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Pancreatic Solid Pseudopapillary Neoplasms (SPNs) are rare low-grade malignant tumors with a marked preponderance for young females. Objective was to describe the morphology, differential diagnosis, and prognosis of SPNs in patients under 20 years of age and present a detailed review of literature.
Methods: A total of 29 cases in patients under 20 years of age reported as SPN during the period January 2014 to December 2019, were included in the study. These included 19 resection specimens, 4 incision biopsies and 6 cases received as blocks for second opinion. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) slides as well as immunohistochemistry (IHC) …

An Artificial Intelligence-Based, Personalized Smartphone App To Improve Childhood Immunization Coverage And Timelines Among Children In Pakistan: Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Abdul Momin Kazi, Saad Ahmed Qazi, Sadori Khawaja, Nazia Ahsan, Rao Moueed Ahmed, Muhammad Ayub Khan Mughal, Hussain Kalimuddin, Yasir Rauf, Mehreen Raza, Saima Jamal

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: The immunization uptake rates in Pakistan are much lower than desired. Major reasons include lack of awareness, parental forgetfulness regarding schedules, and misinformation regarding vaccines. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and distancing measures, routine childhood immunization (RCI) coverage has been adversely affected, as caregivers avoid tertiary care hospitals or primary health centers. Innovative and cost-effective measures must be taken to understand and deal with the issue of low immunization rates. However, only a few smartphone-based interventions have been carried out in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to improve RCI.
Objective: The primary objectives of this study are to …

Focal Cortical Dysplasia With Prolonged Ictal Asystole, A Case Report, Ahmad Wali, Fowzia Siddiqui

Section of Neurology

Introduction: Cortical dysplasia carries significant morbidities such as seizures and delayed milestones. Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) causes refractory epilepsy with various seizure types depending on the location and extent of the dysplasia. FCD in the temporal region and the insular cortex may cause ictal bradycardia (IB) and ictal asystole (IA). Video EEG (VEEG) with simultaneous EKG recording can better diagnose these cardiac abnormalities in FCD. We describe a case of refractory epilepsy. The patient's clinical seizures were usually followed by syncope. VEEG revealed frequent seizures some of which were associated with prolonged ictal asystole.
Results: A 15 years old female …

Molybdenum Cofactor Deficiency Causing Neonatal Seizures And Global Developmental Delay, Sundal Aziz, Javeria Raza Alvi, Tipu Sultan

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

ABSTRACT: Molybdenum cofactor deficiency is a rare degenerative brain disorder with autosomal recessive inheritance. It presents early in neonatal life with seizures, feeding difficulty and spasticity, sometimes misdiagnosed as neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Neuroimaging findings are consistent with loss of white matter and volume along with cystic encephalomalacic changes. Most of the patients have mutations in the MOCS1 and MOCS2 genes causing imbalance in the sulfur-containing amino acid metabolism leading to progressive neurological damage and early childhood death in majority of cases. We report a case of a 7 months old child, product of non-consanguineous marriage with history of neonatal …

Burden Of Ileal Perforations Among Surgical Patients Admitted In Tertiary Care Hospitals Of Three Asian Countries: Surveillance Of Enteric Fever In Asia Project (Seap), September 2016-September 2019, Saqib Hamid Qazi, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Irum Fatima Dehraj, Rozina Thobani, Afshan Akhtar, Abdul Momin Kazi, Aneeta Hotwani, Najeeb Rahman, Junaid Mehmood, Farah Naz Qamar

Section of Paediatric Surgery

Background: Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) and can lead to systemic illness and complications. We aimed to characterize typhoid-related ileal perforation in the context of the population-based Surveillance of Enteric Fever in Asia Project (SEAP) in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.
Methods: Between September 2016 and September 2019, all cases of nontraumatic ileal perforation with a clinical diagnosis of typhoid were enrolled from 4 tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, 2 pediatric hospitals in Bangladesh, and 2 hospitals in Nepal. Sociodemographic data were collected from patients or their caregivers, and clinical and outcome data …

Response To Comments On Aisha Sheikh Et Al (J Pak Med Assoc. 70: 1477, 2020) Changing Prevalence Of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus During Pregnancy Over More Than A Decade, Aisha Sheikh, Lumaan Sheikh

Section of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism

No abstract provided.

How Do Pregnant Women Perceive The Role Of The Midwife In Thailand? A Descriptive Study, Sudjit Liblub, Lyn Gum, Maryam Bazargan

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

Background: Midwives are globally recognised as health professionals who specialise in caring for childbearing women with a vital role in maternal and neonatal health care. Despite the midwifery profession being an autonomous profession, there are many struggles to attain recognition within its formal scope of practice in some countries.
Objective: This study was undertaken to explore the views of pregnant women in Thailand regarding the role of midwifes and their selection of intrapartum care providers in order to understand their perceptions about giving birth with a midwife for normal pregnancies.
Design and setting: An online descriptive survey collected the views …

Nursing Education Amidst Covid-19: Obstacles And Way Forward, Farida Bibi Mughal, Nasreen Rafiq, Bibi Hajira Irshad Ali

School of Nursing & Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Burden Of Care As Perceived By Informal Caregivers Of The Patients Receiving Chemotherapy In Tertiary Care Hospital Of Karachi, Pakistan, Asher Ghori, Rubina Barolia, Naghma Rizvi, Ghulam Qadir

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: Almost 32.5 million people are diagnosed with cancer annually. The huge number of cancer patients with deteriorating health renders a far greater number of informal caregivers bearing the burden of care in different forms and magnitude. The main purpose of the study was to explore the types of burden perceived by the informal caregivers and the factors associated with the caregiving burden.
Methods: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted to answer the research questions from April to May 2016. Around 200 informal caregivers were recruited from one of the tertiary hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. The modified ZBIS …

Evolving Nurse Leadership Role In 2020, Nasreen Rafiq, Farida Bibi Mughal

School of Nursing & Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Illness Severity And Outcomes Among Enteric Fever Cases From Bangladesh, Nepal, And Pakistan: Data From The Surveillance For Enteric Fever In Asia Project, 2016-2019, Ashley T. Longley, Caitlin Hemlock, Kashmira Date, Stephen P. Luby, Jason R. Andrews, Samir K. Saha, Isaac I. Bogoch, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Denise O. Garrett, Farah Naz Qamar

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Enteric fever can lead to prolonged hospital stays, clinical complications, and death. The Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project (SEAP), a prospective surveillance study, characterized the burden of enteric fever, including illness severity, in selected settings in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. We assessed disease severity, including hospitalization, clinical complications, and death among SEAP participants.
Methods: We analyzed clinical and laboratory data from blood culture-confirmed enteric fever cases enrolled in SEAP hospitals and associated network laboratories from September 2016 to September 2019. We used hospitalization and duration of hospital stay as proxies for severity. We conducted a follow-up interview …

Healthcare Utilization Patterns For Acute Febrile Illness In Bangladesh, Nepal, And Pakistan: Results From The Surveillance For Enteric Fever In Asia Project, Jason R. Andrews, Krista Vaidya, Shampa Saha, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Caitlin Hemlock, Ashley Longley, Kristen Aiemjoy, Alexander T. Yu, Isaac I. Bogoch, Farah Naz Qamar

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Characterizing healthcare-seeking patterns for acute febrile illness is critical for generating population-based enteric fever incidence estimates from facility-based surveillance data.
Methods: We used a hybrid model in the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project (SEAP) to assess incidence of enteric fever at 6 study hospitals in 3 countries. We recruited individuals presenting to the hospitals and obtained blood cultures to evaluate for enteric fever. For this analysis, we undertook cluster random household surveys in Dhaka, Bangladesh (2 sites); Karachi, Pakistan; Kathmandu, Nepal; and Kavrepalanchok, Nepal between January 2017 and February 2019, to ascertain care-seeking behavior for individuals with …

Challenges For Dementia Care And Research In Pakistan, Fatima Siddiqui, Qurat Khan, Mohammad Wasay

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Dementia is a syndrome characterized by a decline in cognition and memory severe enough to interfere with daily life activities and is one of the major causes of disability and dependency in elderly worldwide with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common cause of dementia (1). 703 million individuals (9% of the world’s population) are more than 65 years of age and this number will double by the end of 2050 reaching 1.5 billion (16% of the world’s population) (2). Ageing has been the fastest in Eastern and South Eastern countries (3). Despite being a global health priority, with significant social …

Epidemiology Of Staphylococcus Aureus Infections In Kenya: Current State, Gaps And Opportunities, Justin Nyasinga, Geoffrey Omuse, John Njenga, Andrew Nyerere, Shima Abdulgader, Mae Newton, Andrew Whitelaw, Gunturu Revathi

Pathology, East Africa

Staphylococcus aureus has maintained its clinical relevance as a major cause of hospital and community acquired infections globally with a high burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Though reported, the burden of infection, antimicrobial resistance and molecular epidemiology of S. aureus are not well defined in Kenya. This descriptive review evaluated reported data on the detection and characterization of S. aureus infections in Kenya. Published data between 2000 and 2020 were evaluated. S. aureus isolation frequencies varied from 1% in blood specimens to 52.6% among skin and soft tissues infections while MRSA rates ranged from 1% to 84.1%. While penicillin resistance …

Early Marriage And Early Childbearing In South Asia: Trends, Inequalities, And Drivers From 2005 To 2018, Samuel Scott, Phuong Hong Nguyen, Sumanta Neupane, Priyanjana Pramanik, Priya Nanda, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Kaosar Afsana, Purnima Menon

Woman and Child Health

Early marriage (EM) and early childbearing (ECB) have far-reaching consequences. This study describes the prevalence, trends, inequalities, and drivers of EM and ECB in South Asia using eight rounds of Demographic and Health Survey data across 13 years. We report the percentage of ever-married women aged 20-24 years (n = 105,150) married before 18 years (EM) and with a live birth before 20 years (ECB). Relative trends were examined using average annual rate of reduction (AARR). Inequalities were examined by geography, marital household wealth, residence, and education. Sociodemographic drivers of changes for EM were assessed using regression decomposition analyses. We …

A Way To Track Governments’ Response And People’S Mobility Changes In Response To Covid-19 Pandemic, Dongshan Zhu, Shiva Raj Mishra, Salim S. Virani

Office of the Provost

No abstract provided.

Imagining A Lean And Agile Digital Health Ecosystem - A Measure Of Pandemic Responsiveness, Zainab Samad, Sana Mahmood, Sameen Siddiqi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Section of Cardiology

No abstract provided.

Pharmacy Newsletter : December 2020, Pharmacy Department

Department of Pharmacy Archives

Content:

• COVID-19 Pandemic & the Vaccines trial | Global progress
• ToxTok | Hand Sanitizer, How poisonous they are
• Drugs Safety & Management in Lactation
• Amiodarone Induced Thyrotoxicosis (AIT) | A Case
• Myths & Reality | Flu Vaccine

Rigorous Hand Hygiene Practices Among Health Care Workers Reduce Hospital-Associated Infections During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rozina Roshan, Anam Shahil Feroz, Zohra Rafique, Nazleen Virani

Section of Internal Medicine

The experiences of these recent months have left us with as many new questions as they have given us new solutions. The main question that infection prevention and control department is having these days is "Why have hospital-associated infections (HAIs) reduced during COVID-19 pandemic?" What is the one unique strategy that has brought decline in increasing HAIs? Would it be appropriate to say that rigorous hand hygiene practices among health care workers (HCWs) have reduced HAIs in a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan? This commentary is written to understand the effect of rigorous hand hygiene among HCWs on number of …

Validation Of A Swahili Version Of The 9-Item Patient Health Questionnaire (Phq-9) Among Adults Living With Hiv Compared To A Community Sample From Kilifi, Kenya, Paul Mwangi, Moses K. Nyongesa, Hans M. Koot, Pim Cuijpers, Charles R.J.C. Newton, Abubakar Abdillah

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background: Depression remains under-investigated in people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa due to paucity of adequately validated measures. This study aimed to validate an adapted version of the 9-item Pa- tient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) among adults living with HIV compared to those from the community in Kilifi, Kenya.

Methods: Analysis of data from 450 adults living with HIV and 337 adults from the community was conducted examining the reliability, factorial structure, measurement invariance and discriminant validity of interviewer- administered PHQ-9, Swahili version.

Results: Internal consistency of the Swahili PHQ-9 was good overall, in adults living with …

The Year 2020: Loss Of Women And Midwives’ Voices, Rafat Jan, Edwin Van Teijlingen

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

No abstract provided.