Medical Specialties Commons^™

Impact Of Pregnancy On Cancer Survival: Experience At A Tertiary Care Hospital, Dur-E- Shahwar, Sheikh Irfan, Zaheena Islam, Lumaan Sheikh

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Objectives: To assess the overall survival of pregnant women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy or became pregnant thereafter.
Methods: A retrospective medical record review of 90 patients who were diagnosed with cancer when pregnant or who became pregnant thereafter between 1996 and 2015 in Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
Results: A total of 90 patients were analyzed. The malignancies that expectant mothers had were, breast cancer 38 (42.2%), hematological cancers 29 (32.2%), brain cancer 10 (11.1%), and other malignancies 13 (14.4%) that included thyroid cancers, gestational trophoblastic disease and synovial tumor of foot. We observed only four deaths out of …

Pregnancy After Embolization For Arteriovenous Malformation: An Uncommon Successful Outcome, Arshia Javed, Sana Sheikh

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Uterine arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an uncommon but fatal condition and can cause bleeding from abnormal connection between artery and vein. Pregnancy after embolization of uterine AVM is very uncommon, and there are increased risks of spontaneous abortion and growth retardation. We report a case of pregnancy after bilateral uterine artery embolization for AVM and its successful outcome..

Off-Label Use Of Direct Oral Anticoagulants In Patients Receiving Surgical Mechanical And Bioprosthetic Heart Valves, Ankur Kalra, Sajjad Raza, Baqir Hasan Jafry, Harley E. King, Joseph A. Lahorra, Lars G. Svensson, Samir R. Kapadia

Medical College Documents

This cohort study assesses direct oral anticoagulant use in patients with surgical prosthetic heart valves in the United States and evaluates differences in preoperative and postoperative profiles in patients discharged while receiving direct oral anticoagulant vs warfarin.

Covid-19 And Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Presentation And Management, Ayesha Butt, Natasha Bahadur Ali

Medical College Documents

No abstract provided.

Inferior Vena Cava Collapsibility Index Versus Passive Leg Raise For The Assessment Of Fluid Responsiveness In Non-Intubated Spontaneously Breathing Septic Patients, Anne-Marie Githaiga

Master of Medicine in Anaesthesiology

Background: Sepsis can cause deleterious organ deterioration due to deranged patient’s response to infection. Rapid fluid loading at diagnosis is part of standard treatment. While inadequate fluid administration may lead to tissue hypoperfusion and organ failure, excessive fluid administration may cause fluid overload and pulmonary oedema. Predictive tools of fluid responsiveness are therefore required to guide fluid resuscitation. The Passive Leg Raise (PLR) manoeuvre can predict fluid responsiveness in non-intubated patients with sepsis-induced hypotension but is challenging to perform in clinical practice. The Inferior Vena Cava Collapsibility Index (IVCCI) on the other hand is a non-invasive test that can be …

Fetal Heart Rate Development During Labour, Jarle Urdal, Kjersti Engan, Trygve Eftestøl, Solveig H. Haaland, Benjamin Kamala, Paschal Mdoe, Hussein Kidanto, Hege Ersdal

Faculty of Health Sciences, East Africa

Background Fresh stillbirths (FSB) and very early neonatal deaths (VEND) are important global challenges with 2.6 million deaths annually. The vast majority of these deaths occur in low- and low-middle income countries. Assessment of the fetal well-being during pregnancy, labour, and birth is normally conducted by monitoring the fetal heart rate (FHR). The heart rate of newborns is reported to increase shortly after birth, but a corresponding trend in how FHR changes just before birth for normal and adverse outcomes has not been studied. In this work, we utilise FHR measurements collected from 3711 labours from a low and low-middle …

Morel-Lavallée Lesion In A 35-Year Female, Amir Humza Sohail, Muhammad Talha Liaquat, Mohammed Sachal Sohail, Muhammad Salman Khan, Hazim Hakmi

Department of Radiology

Morel-Lavallée lesion is a post-traumatic degloving cyst, usually filled with blood, lymph or necrotic tissue, which mostly develops in the area around greater trochanter. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment is essential to prevent further complications, such as compression of surrounding structures. X-rays have limited use and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the modality of choice in diagnosing the lesion. We report a case of a 35-year female presenting with left thigh pain after a fall from motorcycle almost 21/2 years ago. Ultrasound and MRI confirmed the presence of Morel-Lavallée lesion involving the left pelvis and upper thigh. Given the chronicity …

Racial And Geographic Disparities In Influenza Vaccination In The U.S. Among Individuals With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: Renewed Importance In The Setting Of Covid-19, Mahmoud Al Rifai, Umair Khalid, Arunima Misra, Jing Liu, Khurram Nasir, Miguel Cainzos-Achirica, Dhruv Mahtta, Christie M. Ballantyne, Laura A. Petersen, Salim S. Virani

Office of the Provost

Introduction: The importance of receiving an annual influenza vaccine among patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is well established. With the rapid community spread and the possibility of another wave of COVID-19 infections in the fall, receiving an influenza vaccine is of particular importance to mitigate the risk associated with overlapping influenza and COVID-19 infections.
Methods: We utilized cross-sectional data from the 2016 to 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a nationally representative U.S. telephone-based survey of adults 18 years or older. Race/ethnicity was our exposure of interest. We assessed the relative difference in influenza vaccination by race/ethnicity for …

Almond Protects The Liver In Coronary Artery Disease: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial, Humaira Jamshed, Jamshed Arslan, Fateh Ali Tipoo Sultan, Hasan Salman Siddiqi, Muhammad Qasim, Anwarul Hassan Gilani

Section of Cardiology

Objective: To compare the effect of Pakistani and American almonds on serum concentration of liver enzymes in coronary artery disease patients.
Methods: The randomised controlled trial was conducted at the Cardiology Clinics of Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from February to July, 2012, and comprised patients who were randomised into intervention PA and AA groups and the control NI groups. Subjects in the intervention groups were provided Pakistani and American varieties of almonds 10g/day respectively with instructions to soak them overnight, remove the skin and eat them before breakfast for 12 weeks. The control group underwent no intervention. Serum concentrations …

Finger Drop Sign In Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Iqra Athar, Neelma Naz Khattak, Haris Majid Rajput, Mazhar Badshah, Zukhruf Zayian, Tashfain Shifa

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a post-infectious, immune-mediated disease that causes a rapidly progressing poly-radiculoneuropathy resulting in weakness and areflexia. It has several variant forms like AIDP, AMAN and AMSAN,

Common Peroneal Neuropathy In Harvesting Farmers, Harwindar Kumar, Syed Muhammad Anwar Shah, Jamita Kor, Sadaf Qazi, Jasvindar Kumar

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

In Pakistan harvesting season occurs from April to May and again from October to December. Thirteen farmers with a history of foot drop were studied in neurophysiology laboratory of Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) during the period from March 2019 to December 2019. All the patients had nerve conduction study (NCS) while in some of the patients, electromyography (EMG) was also done to determine the duration of injury and to rule out other differential diagnoses.

A Case Of Acute Psychosis Following Dengue Fever, Waleed Shahzad, Omer Ismail Khalid, Neelam Sarwar, Muhammad Hassan, Tehmina Inayat, Mazhar Badshah

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Dengue fever has been infecting millions of people all around the world specially the rural areas of South East Asia according to World Health Organization. It is caused by an Arbovirus and transmitted by the bite of an infected female Aedes aegyptii mosquito. Dengue commonly presents with fever and thrombocytopenia; rare presentations include acute pancreatitis, dengue hemorrhagic stroke and encephalopathy. Common psychiatric complications of dengue fever include anxiety, depression, manic episodes and catatonia. We present a rare case of a 51 year old man who presented with an acute episode of psychosis including over talkativeness, irritability, authoritative and disinhibited behavior, …

Intra-Carpal Tunnel Steroid Injections Are Superior To Nsaids In Management Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Saba Zaidi, Shafaq Abbas

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is caused by the compression of median nerve in carpal tunnel. Carpal bones make the floor of the carpal tunnel and the transverse carpal ligament forms the roof. Components include median nerve and the flexor tendons. The pain may be localized to the wrist or may radiate to forearm, arm or rarely shoulder. Effectiveness of treatment by intracarpal corticosteroid injection in comparison with NSAID has never been investigated. The objective of this study was to determine if corticosteroid injections for carpal tunnel syndrome are effective compared to NSAID.

Post Herpes Nmdar Encephalitis In A 8 Month Old Girl, Farida Jan, Shahnaz H Ibrahim

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Patients with Herpes Simplex virus Encephalitis are seen to have a relapse of symptoms namely seizures and choreoathetoid movements along with impairment of consciousness1. Though infective relapse is a possibility requiring extended antiviral therapy2, immune mediated mechanism is most probable.3 Although there is a similarity of symptoms between relapsing HSVE and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antibody encephalitis, the most likely culprit is the latter.

Guillain‐Barre Syndrome In Covid-19: A Literature Review, Imran Ahmad, Farooq Azam Rathore

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) can result in several neurological complications including Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). It is an acute parainfectious paralytic neuropathy. This review summarizes the demographic features, clinical presentation, diagnostics workup, and management strategies of COVID-19 associated GBS reported in the literature. We searched Medline, PubMed Central, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar using pre-defined keywords. We included all kinds of manuscripts in the English language only. Demographics, clinical features, diagnostic workup, management, and outcomes were documented in the datasheet. We identified 24 cases of COVID-19 associated GBS. Most were reported from Italy, followed by the USA. The majority were males (18/24) …

Demonstrating Competence In Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancratico Graphy (Ercp): Recently Credentialed Operator's Performance For Deep Biliary Cannulation Over 1 Year Period From A Tertiary Care Hospital In Pakistan, Om Parkash, Umar Bhatti, Hasnain Zafar, Saeed Hamid

Section of Gastroenterology

Objective: To measure the success rate of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography biliary cannulation of a recently credentialed endoscopist at a tertiary hospital.
Methods: The clinical audit was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital. Karachi, and comprised data of all patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography under the care of a single operator during 2016. Data was retrospectively extracted from patient charts by an assistant blinded to the study. Data extracted included demographics, admission type, details and indication for the procedure, diagnosis, cannulation outcome, duct clearance, complications, follow-up surgical intervention, radiological imaging and mortality post-endoscopy. Data was analysed using SPSS 19. …

Levonorgestrel Intrauterine System Embedded Within Tubal Ectopic Pregnancy: A Case Report, Dorothy Makena, Ingrid Gichere, Khadija Warfa

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: The presence of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system embedded within an ectopic pregnancy is a rare occurrence. Tubal migration of an intrauterine device is not well understood and has not been extensively studied in literature.

Case presentation: A 34-year-old African woman, para 1, gravida 2, presented with symptoms of ruptured ectopic pregnancy. She underwent a laparoscopy where a ruptured left ectopic pregnancy was found with a levonorgestrel releasing intrauterine system inserted 2 years prior embedded within the tube. A left salpingectomy was performed with removal of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system. The patient recovered well and proceeded to have an intrauterine …

Early Detection Of Cervical Cancer In Western Kenya: Determinants Of Healthcare Providers Performing A Gynaecological Examination For Abnormal Vaginal Discharge Or Bleeding, Emily Mwaliko, Guido Van Hal, Stefan Van Dongen, Peter Gichangi, Barasa Otsyula, Violet Naanyu, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: In western Kenya, women often present with late-stage cervical cancer despite prior contact with the health care system. The aim of this study was to predict primary health care providers’ behaviour in examining women who present with abnormal discharge or bleeding.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). A sample of primary health care practitioners in western Kenya completed a 59-item questionnaire. Structural equation modelling was used to identify the determinants of providers’ intention to perform a gynaecological examination. Bivariate analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between the external variables and intention. …

Comparison Of Two Different Methods In The Removal Of Oil-Based Calcium Hydroxide From Root Canal System: A Triple-Blinded Randomised Clinical Trial, Momina Motiwala, Sheikh Bilal Badar, Rabia Ghafoor

Section of Dental-Oral Maxillofacial Surgery

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of rotary master apical file (RMAF) with ultrasonic activation of endodontic file (UAF) in the removal of silicon oil-based calcium hydroxide (SOBCH) from the canal.
Methods: Ethical review committee approval and informed consent was obtained. 60 cases with necrotic teeth in which silicon oil-based intracanal medicament (Metapex) was to be placed were randomised in one of the two groups using sealed envelopes containing assignment codes for medicament removal: RMAF and UAF group. After standard protocol of coronal access, cleaning and shaping, silicon oil-based SOBCH was placed using a Lentulo spiral. A periapical radiograph was taken …

Angioembolisation For The Treatment Of Pseudo-Aneurysm Of Internal Maxillary Artery, Muhammad Azeemuddin, Anosha Khan, Atif Hafeez Siddiqui, Asad Shakil, Basit Salam, Raza Sayani

Department of Radiology

Pseudo-aneurysm of internal maxillary artery, following a road traffic accident, is a rare clinical scenario. The consequence of pseudo-aneurysm may be spontaneous rupture of the arterial wall, which may eventually lead to life-threatening hemorrhage. We report a case of a 20-year male who presented with recurrent epistaxis. CT scan was performed, which revealed a pseudo-aneurysm of the internal maxillary artery; this was successfully treated by angioembolisation. Similar cases of traumatic pseudo-aneurysms have been reported, however, none presented with recurrent epistaxis after management of pan-facial fractures. Key Words: Epistaxis, Pseudo-aneurysm, Angioembolisation, Pan-facial fracture.

Knowledge About Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Machine Usage Among Nurses At A Tertiary Hospital In Tanzania, Wilson Paulo Lomnyack, Tumbwene Mwansisya, Stewart Mbelwa, Kahabi Isangula, Zephania Saitabau Abraham

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Introduction: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) provides an air pressure that maintains the patency of the airway in patients with a variety of breathing problems. Nurses provide the hour to hour management of patients who require CPAP. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of nurses about CPAP machine usage at the tertiary hospital in Tanzania which serves the largest number of patients who require CPAP.

Method: A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from March to June 2019 at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) and Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) where 149 nurses who consented …

Association Between Preterm-Birth Phenotypes And Differential Morbidity, Growth, And Neurodevelopment At Age 2 Years: Results From The Interbio-21st Newborn Study, Jose Villar, María C. Restrepo-Méndez, Rose Mcgready, Fernando C. Barros, Cesar G. Victora, Shama Munim, Aris T. Papageorghiou, Roseline Ochieng, Rachel Craik, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Importance: The etiologic complexities of preterm birth remain inadequately understood, which may impede the development of better preventative and treatment measures.
Objective: To examine the association between specific preterm-birth phenotypes and clinical, growth, and neurodevelopmental differences among preterm newborns compared with term newborns up to age 2 years.
Design, setting, and participants: The INTERBIO-21st study included a cohort of preterm and term newborn singletons enrolled between March 2012 and June 2018 from maternity hospitals in 6 countries worldwide who were followed up from birth to age 2 years. All pregnancies were dated by ultrasonography. Data were analyzed from November 2019 …

Effectiveness Of Cidofovir In Treating Natalizumab-Associated Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (Pml), Salman Mansoor

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Natalizumab (Nz) a monoclonal antibody has been in medicinal use for treatment of Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) since 2004. Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) is one of its serious risks which is a demyelinating disorder of brain associated with John Cunningham Virus (JCV). There have been 801 cases up till December 2018 which were reported with its use1. Lack of prospective trials and retrospective studies due to small number of these cases there is no consensus on Nz-associated PML treatment. To date there is no cure for this condition and there is a debate on effectiveness of different modalities2. Cidofovir …

Effect Of Listening To A Relaxing Water Sound For Fifteen Minutes On Traumatic Stress Subjects’ Immediate Stress Levels And Electroencephalograms, S. Farah Jafri, S. Farah Batool, Shamoon Noushad

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

BACKGROUND: Music and calmness are noteworthy stimulators that significantly affect mental health. Listening to relaxing sounds activates the feeling of wellbeing. The present study aimed to analyze the effect of closed eyes brief exposure to a relaxing water sound on Electroencephalogram (EEG) in pre and post-test states. METHODOLOGY: A total of 20 traumatic stress subjects were included to participate in this study. The subjects were requested to be seated with eyes closed while the sound of water flowing was played for 15 min in between (before and after) the EEG recordings. A subsection of the Sadaf Stress Scale (SSS) i.e. …

Covid-19 Vaccines And Cerebral Venous Thrombosis, Sajid Hameed, Mohammad Wasay

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

No abstract provided.

Telemedicine: A New Frontier In Clinical Practice, Munazza Asad, Nooresahar, Saniya Sabzwari

Department of Family Medicine

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the important role of telemedicine as a tool for safe healthcare delivery across the world. While its use was more common in the developed world, the developing world has also adopted this strategy. It is important to develop a clear process and contextual guidance for effective use of this strategy for better patient-doctor interaction and its role in teaching/learning of trainees.

Covid-19 Pandemic And Breast Cancer Management: A Retrospective Observational Clinical Study From Pakistan, Lubna Mushtaque Vohra, Dua Jabeen, Narmeen Asif, Abdul Ahad

Section of General Surgery

Background: COVID-19 outbreak has adversely affected care of breast cancer patients world-wide. There is paucity of available data on cancer management in lower-middle income countries during this pandemic, we sought to determine the institutional approach towards management of breast cancer patients and the outcomes during COVID-19 pandemic at our institution.
Materials and methods: Clinicopathological and treatment record of cancer patients who presented to the Breast Clinic from 15th March to 31^st December 2020 was retrieved from the institutional database for this retrospective clinical observational study.
Results: A total of 292 patients were qualified for the analysis in which 206 …

Association Of Vitamin D Deficiency And Disease Activity In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients: Two-Year Follow-Up Study, Ainan Arshad, Saad Bin Zafar Mahmood, Ahmed Ayaz, Adil A. Manji, Akash Kumar Ahuja

Section of Internal Medicine

Objectives: This study aims to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Pakistani systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and the effect of vitamin D deficiency on the severity and outcomes of SLE.
Patients and methods: This retrospective study evaluated SLE patients presenting to our hospital between January 2009 and December 2018. A total of 98 patients (13 males, 85 females; mean age 39.8±14.9 years; range, 16 to 73 years) with vitamin D levels available at the time of diagnosis were included in the study. Disease activity was measured using SLE disease activity score at the time of diagnosis and …

Knowledge And Attitude Towards Identification And Management Of Sepsis Among Resident Physicians In A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital In Pakistan, Ainan Arshad, Abdul Aziz, Ahmed Ayaz, Syed Maaz Salahuddin, Bushra Jamil

Section of Internal Medicine

This study was conducted to determine the compliance and knowledge of sepsis guidelines among resident physicians in a tertiary care hospital of a developing country. A self-structured validated questionnaire was prepared to evaluate compliance and knowledge of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) guidelines. A total of 76 resident physicians completed the questionnaire; out of these, 51 (67%) were from Internal Medicine department and 25 (33%) were from Emergency Medicine department of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. A total of 71 (93%) participants claimed to be aware of the SSC guidelines but only 20 (26%) considered themselves very knowledgeable on …

Evaluation Of Serum Ferritin For Prediction Of Severity And Mortality In Covid-19- A Cross Sectional Study, Sibtain Ahmed, Zeeshan Ansar Ahmed, Imran Siddiqui, Naveed Haroon Rashid, Maheen Mansoor, Lena Jafri

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Ferritin even though widely recognized as a representative of total body iron stores, its prognostic utility is linked with COVID-19. This study was aimed at evaluation of the association of ferritin with severity in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), hospitalized patients and to test the hypothesis that it is an independent predictor of mortality.
Material and methods: This study was conducted at Chemical Pathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University (AKU), Karachi. Medical records of all in-patients including both genders, and all age groups with documented COVID-19 from 1st March to 10^th August 2020 were reviewed. …