Medical Pharmacology Commons^™

Experience Of Using Anti-Cd 20 Therapies In Multiple Sclerosis Patients In Kenya, Eunice Nyambane, Tejal Patel, Jacqueline Mavuti, Juzar Hooker, Dilraj Sokhi

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ocrelizumab (OCR) and rituximab (RTX) in multiple sclerosis.

Methods: This was a retrospective single-centre study. Ocrelizumab- and rituximab-treated patients were identified through the multiple sclerosis (MS) registry maintained at Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi (AKUHN), Kenya. Adult patients aged 18–65 years old who fulfilled the McDonald 2017 diagnosis criteria and received treatment with either rituximab or ocrelizumab between January 2016 and June 2025 were retrospectively evaluated. Data collected at baseline included age, gender, first symptoms, disease duration since onset, MS phenotype, treatment duration, previous …

Studies On Antihyperlipidemic And Endothelium Modulatory Activities Of Polyherbal Formulation (Pol4) And Its Ingredients In High Fat Diet-Fed Rats, Abdul Malik, Malik H Mehmood, Muhammad S Akhtar, Anwar Gilani

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

A compound herbal formulation (POL4) is used traditionally in interior parts (Distt. Badin) of Sindh, Pakistan, for the treatment of metabolic disorders like diabetes and hyperlipidemia. This study is aimed to determine the effectiveness of POL4 and its ingredients in hyperlipidemia and associated endothelial dysfunction and hypertension. POL4 is composed of equal proportion of Nigella sativa, Cichorium intybus, Trigonella foenum graecum and Gymnema sylvestre mixed in powdered form. Chronic (6 to 7 weeks) administration of POL4 and its ingredients mixed in diet caused a notable attenuation in total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, atherogenic index, C-reactive protein and glucose, …

Polypharmacy In Elderly: A Cautious Trail To Tread, Saniya Raghib Sabzwari, Waris Qidwai, Seema Bhanji

Department of Family Medicine

Polypharmacy has now increasingly come into focus as the recipient of healthcare in old age worldwide. In elderly it is associated with frequent adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and drug-drug interactions resulting in significant morbidity. Geriatrics is still an emerging specialty in South Asia, especially in Pakistan, where multiple reasons for polypharmacy exist. An extensive literature review of articles using key words like \'polypharmacy,\' \'elderly\' was conducted. The recently updated Beers Criteria of classification of inappropriate drugs in the elderly was reviewed in detail. Articles of relevance to polypharmacy and evaluation of guidelines for appropriate interventions to minimise inappropriate drug prescribing …

Role Of Garlic Usage In Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: An Evidence-Based Approach, Waris Qidwai, Tabinda Ashfaq

Department of Family Medicine

Introduction:.Rapidly growing prevalence of cardiovascular disease is a major threat for the developed as well as developing world warranting urgent need of intervention. Complementary and alternative medicines are gaining popularity among general population because of their safety profile and easy administration. Garlic, in particular, is considered to be one of the best disease-preventive foods because of its potent and widespread effects. This study was done to find out the role of garlic usage in cardiovascular disease prevention.

Methodology : .Major databases including Google, PubMed,MEDLINE, and Cochrane library view were used for the literature search. Clinical trials conducted on humans assessing …

Rational Use Of Antibiotics--A Quality Improvement Initiative In Hospital Setting, Sidrah Nausheen, Rabia Hammad, Ambreen Khan

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Objectives: To minimise irrational use of antibiotics by implementing guidelines for antibiotic usage in obstetrics and Gynaeocology.
Methods: The observational study was conducted from January to December 2010 at the maternity unit of Aga Khan Hospital for Women and children, Kharadar, a secondary care facility in Karachi, Pakistan. Data was collected from medical records related to the study period. Prophylactic antibiotics were given according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommendation 2009. Surveillance was done by surgical site infection rates and infectious morbidity. Data was analysed on SPSS 13.
Results: Therapeutic antibiotic use was rationalized, reducing the use …

Studies On Bronchodilator And Cardiac Stimulant Activities Of Urginea Indica, Samra Bashir, Saima Abbas, Aslam Khan, Anwar H. Gilani

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

This study was designed to evaluate bronchodilator and cardio-tonic effects of Urginea indica to provide rational for these medicinal uses. U. indica bulb extract was studied on rabbit tracheal and guinea-pig atrial preparations mounted in tissue baths under simulated physiological conditions. U. indica inhibited carbachol (1 µM) and K⁺ (80 mM)-induced contractions in rabbit trachea, similar to dicyclomine, suggesting the presence of anticholinergic and calcium channel blocking (CCB) mechanisms in U. indica. Anticholinergic and CCB effects of U. indica were respectively confirmed when it shifted the carbachol and Ca²⁺ concentration-response curves rightwards, similar to dicyclomine. U. indica (0.01-1 …

Over Prescription Of Antibiotics For Adult Pharyngitis Is Prevalent In Developing Countries But Can Be Reduced Using Mcisaac Modification Of Centor Scores: A Cross-Sectional Study., Amber Hanif Palla, Rafeeq Alam Khan, Anwar H. Gilani, Fawziah Marra

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background

Although Group A beta hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) can cause bacterial pharyngitis, the most common etiology is viral; despite this viral etiology, antibiotics are commonly prescribed for this infection in industrialized countries. We investigated the prevalence of GABHS in adult pharyngitis patients from lower socioeconomic settings in Karachi, Pakistan, how often antibiotics are prescribed for pharyngitis and if appropriate agents were used in a developing world setting. Finally, we wanted to see the usefulness of modified McIsaac scores in predicting positive cultures.

Methods

Adult patients were recruited from three local hospital outpatient dispensaries (OPDs). All patients aged 14–65 years who …

Zinc Supplementation As An Adjunct To Antibiotics In The Treatment Of Pneumonia In Children 2 To 59 Months Of Age, Batool A. Haider, Zohra S. Lassi, Amina Ahmed, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Background:Diarrhoeal disorders and acute respiratory infections (ARIs), especially pneumonia, are the most common causes of death in low-income countries. Studies evaluating the impact of zinc supplementation as an adjunct in the management of pneumonia are limited and have shown variable results.
Objectives: To evaluate zinc supplementation, as an adjunct to antibiotics, in the treatment (clinical recovery) of pneumonia in children aged two to 59 months.
Search strategy: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2011, Issue 1), which contains the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) Group's and the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group's Specialised …

Drug Overdose: A Wake Up Call! Experience At A Tertiary Care Centre In Karachi, Pakistan, Muhammad Junaid Patel, Muhammad Shahid, Mehmood Riaz, Waqaruddin Kashif, Syed Imran Ayaz, Muhammad Shoaib Khan, A. Jawwad Samdani, Ayesha L Sorathia, Muhammad Furqan

Department of Emergency Medicine

OBJECTIVE: To study the characteristics of patients admitted with drug overdose caused either by accidental overdose of the prescribed medications or as an act of deliberate self harm (DSH) at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.METHODS: A retrospective case series review was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital from January 2002 to October 2006. Three hundred and twenty four adult patients admitted with drug overdose were included in the study.RESULTS: Our sample group revealed mean age of 36.2 +/- 17.0 years, more females (59%), housewives (34%), and students (20%). Fifty six percent of patients committing DSH were married …

Prescription Of Medicines By Medical Students Of Karachi, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study, Syed Nabeel Zafar, Reema Syed, Sana Waqar, Faria A. Irani, Sarah Saleem

Community Health Sciences

Background: Prescription of medicines by non-doctors is an issue with serious global implications. To our knowledge prescription of drugs by medical and non-medical students has not been studied before. We aimed to determine the practice and attitudes of drug prescription by medical students and: a) how non-medical students respond to this practice, b) How this compares with the attitudes and practices of non-medical students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 600 students randomly selected from 2 medical and 2 non-medical universities. Ethical requirements were ensured and data was collected using self administered questionnaires. The Chi square …

Latent Activity Of Curcumin Against Leishmaniasis In Vitro, Danish Saleheen, Syed Atif Ali, Khalid Ashfaq, Anwar Ali Siddiqui, Ajmal Agha, Muhammad Masoom Yasinzai

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

In this study the anti-proliferative effect of curcumin (curcuma longa) that is the active ingredient of ground dried rhizome has been studied against three local and three reference leishmanial strains, Leishmania major, Leishmania tropica and Leishmania infantum (Pakistani isolate). Curcumin has shown an average IC50 of 5.3mM against promastigotes of various leishmanial strains which is much lower as compared with pentamidine that is one of the basic treatments against leishmaniasis. The main draw back attributed to these assays performed on promastigotes is the heterogeneity of results compared with those obtained with intracellular amastigotes or with in vivo effect. We also …