Medical Specialties Commons^™

Status Epilepticus In Children: An Update, Nida Akhtar, Anwarul Haque, Khalid Ahmed

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

No abstract provided.

Audit On Preoperative Midazolam And Level Of Sedation, Sanam Muhammad, Shahla Siddiqui

Department of Anaesthesia

We wished to observe by carrying out a prospective clinical audit, the level of sedation and time interval of all adult elective surgery patients. We enrolled adult ASA I-III patients who came for elective surgery to the Aga Khan University Hospital preoperative surgery suite for 3 months. Hundred patients were enrolled. The majority of patients got 7.5 mg of PO Midazolam. Our median Ramsay sedation score was 2 and the Median drug to door time was 52.35 minutes. 11 patients were reportedly 'drowsy' in the recovery room one hour after surgery was completed. These were mostly the same patients who …

Comparison Of Outcomes Of Enteral Feeding Via Nasogastric Versus Gastrostomy Tubes In Post Operative Patients With A Principle Diagnosis Of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of The Oral Cavity, Zain-Ul-Abedeen Sobani, Shehzad Ghaffar, Beenish Nisar Ahmed

Section of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery

OBJECTIVES: Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity has a profound impact on a patient's nutritional intake, 40-50% of head and neck cancer patients have a markedly impaired nutritional status at the time of their initial presentation. Studies show that patients who have better nutritional status have fewer complications and a better survival rate. Therefore, enteral nutritional support plays an important part in their management. Due to the lack of relevant data, surgeons help patients make informed decisions regarding their mode of nutritional support and perform gastrostomy or place nasogastric tube depending on the patient's preference. This study addresses the …

Characterization Of Invasive And Colonizing Isolates Of Streptococcus Agalactiae In East African Adults, Charlotte Huber, Francis Mcodimba, Valentin Pflueger, Claudia Daubenberger, Gunturu Revathi

Pathology, East Africa

Ninety-five colonizing isolates and 74 invasive isolates of Streptococcus agalactiae from Kenyan adults were characterized by using capsular serotyping and multilocus sequence typing. Twenty-two sequence types clustering into five clonal complexes were found. Data support the view that S. agalactiae isolates belonging to a limited number of clonal complexes are invasive in adults worldwide.

Endovascular Approach As Primary Treatment For Traumatic Carotid Cavernous Fistula: Local Experience From Pakistan, Rana Shoaib Hamid, Tanveer Ul Haq, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Syed Faraz Kazim, Basit Salam

Department of Radiology

Objective: To evaluate the technical success, complications and outcome of endovascular management of post traumatic carotid cavernous fistula (CCF) in patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital in Karahci.
Methods: Descriptive case series of 26 patients of post traumatic CCF treated by endovascular techniques was carried out at Radiology and Neurosurgery departments of Aga Khan University hospital between January 2010 to March 2010. Medical records and radiology reports were retrospectively reviewed from November 2000 to December 2009. The diagnosis was primarily clinical and was confirmed in all cases by CT or MRI. Endovascular procedures were performed under general anaesthesia through …

My Patient's Brain Mri Has Cerebral Microbleeds--What Does This Finding Mean, Shaista Anwar Siddiqi, Ayeesha Kamran Kamal

Section of Neurology

No abstract provided.

Male Gender Preference, Female Gender Disadvantage As Risk Factors For Psychological Morbidity In Pakistani Women Of Childbearing Age - A Life Course Perspective, Farah Qadir, Murad M. Khan Dr., Girmay Medhin, Martin Prince

Department of Psychiatry

Background: In Pakistan, preference for boys over girls is deeply culturally embedded. From birth, many women experience gendered disadvantages, less access to scarce resources, poorer health care, higher child mortality, limited education, less employment outside of the home and circumscribed autonomy. The prevalence of psychological morbidity is exceptionally high among women. We hypothesise that, among women of childbearing age, gender disadvantage is an independent risk factor for psychological morbidity. Methods: A cross-sectional catchment area survey of 525 women aged 18 to 35 years living in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The effect of gender disadvantage was assessed as a latent variable using …

Severe Propylthiouracil-Induced Hepatotoxicity In Pregnancy Managed Successfully By Liver Transplantation: A Case Report, Evan Sequeira, Sikolia Wanyonyi, Raj Dodia

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Introduction: Propylthiouracil-induced severe hepatotoxicity is a relatively rare occurrence, with very few cases reported in the literature. The management of this complication in pregnancy can be a challenge because of the effects of the various treatment options on the fetus.

Case presentation: We report a rare case of fulminant hepatic failure in a 36-year-old gravida 2 black woman of African descent that occurred at 17 weeks gestation following propylthiouracil treatment for Graves’ disease. Her liver failure was managed by liver transplantation and thyroidectomy. Her pregnancy was continued to term, though with not so favorable early childhood sequelae.

Conclusion: This case …

Cranioplasty After Decompressive Craniectomy: An Institutional Audit And Analysis Of Factors Related To Complications, Zain A. Sobani, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Syed Nabeel Zafar, Mohsin Qadeer, Najiha Bilal, Syed Ghulam Murtaza, Ather Enam, Muhammad Ehsan Bari

Section of Neurosurgery

Background:Although a relatively simple procedure, cranioplasties have been associated with high complication rates. Keeping this in perspective, we aimed to determine the factors associated with immediate and long-term complications of cranioplasties at our institution.
Methods: A retrospective review of Patient records was carried out for Patients having undergone reconstructive cranioplasties at our institution during the last 10 years (2001-2010). All case notes, records, and investigations were reviewed and the data were recorded in a predesigned questionnaire. Complications were recorded along with existing comorbids and measures taken for their prevention and management. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed …

Isolated Adult Hypoganglionosis Presenting As Sigmoid Volvulus: A Case Report., Irfan Qadir, Muhammad Musa Salick, Abrar Barakzai, Hasnain Zafar

Department of Surgery Docs

Introduction:Isolated hypoganglionosis is a rare cause of intestinal innervation defects. It is characterized by sparse and small myenteric ganglia, absent or low acetylcholinesterase activity in the lamina propria and hypertrophy of the muscularis mucosae, principally in the region of the colon and rectum. It accounts for 5% of all intestinal neuronal malformations. To the best of our knowledge, only 92 cases of isolated hypoganglionosis were reported from 1978 to 2009. Isolated hypoganglionosis usually manifests as enterocolitis or poor bowel function, and is diagnosed in infancy or childhood. We report the first case of isolated hypoganglionosis presenting with sigmoid volvulus …

B-Cell Lymphoma Of The Brainstem With Central Neurogenic Hyperventilation, S. Ather Enam, Rushna Ali

Section of Neurosurgery

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the brainstem is a rare entity. Central Neurogenic Hyperventilation (CNH), an associated manifestation of this disease, is an even rarer event. We report a case of an immunocompetent individual who presented to us with tachypnea and facial nerve palsy. Neuroimaging showed a Cerebellopontine angle tumour which on histopathology showed feature consistent with a Non-Hodgkin's B-Cell Lymphoma. The patient went on to develop severe respiratory alkalosis with findings consistent with CNH. Chemotherapy with Methotrexate was started and high dose Dexamethasone was added to the regimen a month later. Radiologically, the tumour size decreased by 50% but the patient's …

White Coat Hypertension Is Not A Benign Entity: A Cross-Sectional Study At A Tertiary Care Hospital In Pakistan, Saniya Siraj Godil, Halima Tabani, Aamir Hameed Khan, Aysha Almas

Section of Cardiology

Objectives: To determine the frequency of White Coat Hypertension in patients undergoing ambulatory blood pressure monitoring at a tertiary care center and to compare ambulatory blood pressure profiles of normotensives, white coat hypertensives and hypertensives.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted which included all adult patients undergoing ambulatory blood pressure monitoring over a 3-year period. Those patients with incomplete data, less than 85% successful BP readings and inadequate number of daytime and nighttime readings were excluded from the study. The data on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring comprised of demographics, blood pressure, pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure readings at …

Use Of Traditional Chinese Medication For Post-Stroke Recovery, Shaista Anwar Sidddiqi, Ayeesha Kamran Kamal

Section of Nephrology

No abstract provided.

Road Traffic Injuries In Rawalpindi City, Pakistan., Umar Farooq, Junaid Ali Bhatti, M. Siddiq, M. Majeed, N. Malik, Junaid Razzak, M. M. Khan

Department of Emergency Medicine

Data on road traffic accident (RTA) injuries and their outcome are scarce in Pakistan. This study assessed patterns of RTA injuries reported in Rawalpindi city using standard surveillance methods. All RTA injury patients presenting to emergency departments of 3 tertiary care facilities from July 2007 to June 2008 were included. RTA injuries (n = 19 828) accounted for 31.7% of all injuries. Among children aged 0-14 years females suffered twice as many RTA injuries as males (21.3% versus 11.4%), whereas this trend reversed for the age group 15-24 years (41.9% versus 21.7%). One-fifth of injuries were either fractures or concussion. …

Malignant Psoas Abscess Or Pseudomyxoma Extraperitonei, Amber Mehmood, Kiran Ejaz, Turab Ibrahim Pishori

Department of Emergency Medicine

Primary adenocarcinoma of appendix is an uncommon gastrointestinal malignancy. Similarly, Psoas abscess is an entity, which sometimes requires extensive work-up to reach a diagnosis. Combined presentation of these two rare conditions is not only exceptional, but also diagnostically challenging. We present a case of a lady who presented with recurrent UTI secondary to right sided ureteric obstruction, referred right hip joint pain resulting from a Psoas abscess, which eventually turned out to be a consequence of metastatic adenocarcinoma of appendix, causing pseudomyxoma extraperitonei, with simultaneous intraperitoneal deposits.

Respiratory Dyskinesia--An Under-Recognized Side-Effect Of Neuroleptic Medications, Mukesh Mohan Bhimani

Department of Psychiatry

Respiratory dyskinesia is an under-recognized side effect of neuroleptic administration. There are only few studies that have addressed the prevalence of respiratory dyskinesia in patients with tardive dyskinesia. Our case report highlights the need to regularly examine patients on antipsychotics for any evidence of dyskinetic movements including respiratory musculature. Since RD is underrecognized and misdiagnosed, early detection can improve long term prognosis as treatment options are few and usually of only limited effect. A 62-year-old Asian male, retired civil engineer, had more than 20 years history of depressive illness, developed antidepressant induced hypomania, and was given risperidone upto 1 mg …

Labrad : Vol 37, Issue 2 - September 2011, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi

LABRAD - Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Radiology Archives

• Biochemical Bone Profiles Available at Clinical Laboratory of Aga Khan University Hospital
• Ionized Calcium Determination in Clinical Labortory
• Parathyroid Hormone Disorders and Issues of Testing
• Tubular Maximum Reabsorption Rate of Phosphate to Glomerular Filtration Rate (TmP/GFR)
• LABRAD Quiz
• Renal Osteodystrophy: A Disturbed Metabolic Aspect of Renal Failure
• Osteopenia and Osteoporosis in Beta Thalassemia Major
• Role of β2 Microglobulin in Multiple Myeloma
• Update on Microbiological Diagnosis of Bone and Joint Disorders
• Bone Sarcomas: Role of Histopathology in Diagnosis

Evolution Of Foetal Echocardiography As A Screening Tool For Prenatal Diagnosis Of Congenital Heart Disease, Nuruddin Badruddin Mohammed, Anandakumar Chinnaiya

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Congenital cardiac anomalies are the most common anomalies, with an estimated incidence of about 4-13 per 1000 live births. Proper perinatal and neonatal management is dependent upon accurate prenatal diagnosis. Approximately 10% of foetuses with cardiac abnormalities have identified risk factors; hence, most of the anomalies occur in pregnancies without prenatal risk factors. Foetal echocardiography allows for prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease and serves as a routine screening tool for congenital heart defects. Advanced technology, has not only allowed more accurate and early detection of cardiac abnormalities but has also improved the care and outcome of selected foetuses with …

Elderly Patients And Their Health In Pakistan: Current Status, Issues, Challenges And Opportunities, Waris Qidwai, Tabinda Ashfaq

Department of Family Medicine

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Computed Tomography For Identifying Mechanical Bowel Obstruction In A Pakistani Population, Omair Shakil, Syed Nabeel Zafar, Ziaur Rehman, Sarah Saleem, Rehmatullah Khan, Khawaja Muhammad Inam Pal

Section of General Surgery

Objective: To retrospectively review our experience of CT scan in cases with a final diagnosis of surgically confirmed mechanical bowel obstruction.
Methods: It is a retrospective analytical study, done from 2003 to 2008. All adult patients having undergone laparotomy in addition to a preoperative abdominal CT scan over a 5 year period were identified through the medical records and their case notes reviewed. Taking surgery to be the gold standard for diagnosing mechanical bowel obstruction, we compared results of the CT with operative findings to determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of CT scans. The data was …

Phase Iii Study Of Doxorubicin/Cyclophosphamide With Concomitant Versus Sequential Docetaxel As Adjuvant Treatment In Patients With Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2–Normal, Node-Positive Breast Cancer: Bcirg-005 Trial, Wolfgang Eiermann, Tadeusz Pienkowski, John Crown, Saeed Sadeghi, Miguel Martin, Arlene Chan, Mansoor Saleh, Sandeep Sehdev, Louise Provencher, Vladimir Semiglazov

Haematology and Oncology, East Africa

Purpose: Anthracyclines, taxanes, and alkylating agents are among the most active agents in treatment of adjuvant breast cancer (BC), but the optimal schedule for their administration is unknown. We performed an adjuvant trial to compare the sequential regimen of doxorubicin with cyclophosphamide (AC) followed by docetaxel (ie, AC>T) with the combination regimen of TAC.

Patients and Methods: Women with node-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–nonamplified, operable BC were stratified by number of axillary nodes and hormone receptor status and were randomly assigned to adjuvant chemotherapy with six cycles of TAC (75/50/500 mg/m2 every 3 weeks) or four cycles …

Isolated Cryptococcal Osteomyelitis In An Immunocompetent Patient, Irfan Qadir, Farheen Ali, Umair Zafar Malik, Masood Umer

Department of Surgery Docs

bstract

Cryptococcosis is a rare infection in HIV-negative individuals. While the lungs and the central nervous system are most commonly infected, skeletal cryptococcosis is uncommon and isolated osteomyelitis due to Cryptococcus neoformans is quite rare. To our knowledge, only 47 cases of isolated cryptococcal osteomyelitis have been reported from 1974 to 2005. We report a case of isolatedcryptococcal osteomyelitis in an immunocompetent patient, who received 12 weeks of fluconazole with complete recovery.

Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma Of The Base Of Tongue, Zain-Ul-Abedeen Sobani, Montasir Junaid, Shehzad Ghaffar, Anwar Suhail

Section of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery

Mucoepidermoid carcinomas are thought to arise from the reserve cells of salivary gland ducts. Minor salivary glands are located all around the oral cavity and base of the tongue; however few cases of MEC of the base of the tongue have been reported in literature and no guidelines are available for its management. Here we would like to present the case of a 71 year old male with mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the base of the tongue successfully treated with surgical excision and neck dissection. Regular clinical follow up showed no signs of recurrence at 9 months post excision.

45 25 Gram Versus 50 Gram Of 25% Albumin In Preventing Renal Impairment After Large Volume Paracentesis In Cirrhosis.Khali, A. B. Khalid, Mumtaz J Khan, A Ghufran, Syed H Shah, Saeed Hamid, Wasim Jafri

Section of Gastroenterology

No abstract provided.

Pulmonary Talcosis 10 Years After Brief Teenage Exposure To Cosmetic Talcum Powder., Amarah Shakoor, Arsalan Rahatullah, Adil Aijaz Shah, Ali Bin Sarwar Zubairi

Department of Medicine

Pulmonary talcosis is a rare but debilitating variant of pneumoconiosis often presenting with isolated non-specific symptoms of progressive exertional dyspnoea or cough. Occupational exposure to talc dust and intravenous drug abuse are well-recognised aetiological factors with only a few cases related to cosmetic talc exposure being reported to date. The authors report a case of a young woman in whom a mere 4 month ritual of inhaling cosmetic talcum powder led to full-blown pulmonary talcosis being diagnosed 10 years later. The importance of a taking a pertinent history relating to environmental exposures in all patients presenting with respiratory symptoms is …

White Coat Hypertension Is Not A Benign Entity: A Cross-Sectional Study At A Tertiary Care Hospital In Pakistan, Saniya Siraj Godil, Halima Tabani, Aamir Hameed Khan, Aysha Almas

Department of Medicine

Objectives: To determine the frequency of White Coat Hypertension in patients undergoing ambulatory blood pressure monitoring at a tertiary care center and to compare ambulatory blood pressure profiles of normotensives, white coat hypertensives and hypertensives.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted which included all adult patients undergoing ambulatory blood pressure monitoring over a 3-year period. Those patients with incomplete data, less than 85% successful BP readings and inadequate number of daytime and nighttime readings were excluded from the study. The data on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring comprised of demographics, blood pressure, pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure readings at …

Setting Research Priorities To Reduce Global Mortality From Childhood Pneumonia By 2015, Igor Rudan, Shams El Arifeen, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Robert E. Black, Abdullah Brooks, Kit Yee Chan, Mickey Chopra, Trevor Duke, David Marsh, Antonio Pio, Eric A. F. Simoes, Giorgio Tamburlini, Evropi Theodoratou, Martin W. Weber, Cynthia G. Whitney, Harry Campbell, Shamim A. Qazi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

No abstract provided.

Presence Of Rd149 Deletions In M. Tuberculosis Central Asian Strain 1 Isolates Affect Growth And Tnfalpha Induction In Thp-1 Monocytes., Akber Kanji, Zahra Hasan, Mehnaz Tanveer, Raunaq Mahboob, Sana Jafri, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Central Asian Strain 1 (CAS1) is the prevalent Mycobacterium tuberculosis genogroup in South Asia. CAS1 strains carry deletions in RD149 and RD152 regions. Significance of these deletions is as yet unknown. We compared CAS1 strains with RD149 and concurrent RD149-RD152 deletions with CAS1 strains without deletions and with the laboratory reference strain, M. tuberculosis H37Rv for growth and for induction of TNFα, IL6, CCL2 and IL10 in THP-1 cells. Growth of CAS1 strains with deletions was slower in broth (RD149; p = 0.024 and RD149-RD152; p = 0.025) than that of strains without deletions. CAS1 strains with RD149 deletion strains …

Vitamin A Supplements For Preventing Mortality, Illness, And Blindness In Children Aged Under 5: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Evan Mayo-Wilson, Aamer Imdad, Kurt Herzer, Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Objective:To determine if vitamin A supplementation is associated with reductions in mortality and morbidity in children aged 6 months to 5 years.
Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Two reviewers independently assessed studies for inclusion. Data were double extracted, discrepancies were resolved by discussion. Meta-analyses were performed for mortality, illness, vision, and side effects. Data sources: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, Global Health, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences, metaRegister of Controlled Trials, and African Index Medicus. Databases were searched to April 2010 without restriction by language or publication status.
Eligibility criteria …

A Randomized-Controlled Trial Of Steroid Injection In The Management Of Plantar Fasciitis At The Aga Khan University Hospital, Abdi H. Mohamed

Master of Medicine in General Surgery

Background: Plantar fasciitis is a common painful condition often associated with significant morbidity. Its management varies among clinicians because no single treatment has strong scientific evidence to support its use to improve outcome. Patients present to clinicians with pain and disability but most patients with plantar fasciitis eventually improve over time irrespective of the modality of treatment provided. Steroid injections are one of the more commonly used modalities and the response to the treatment is varied and unpredictable. Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the effects of two treatment options for plantar fasciitis: steroid injections with conservative …