Critical Care Commons^™

Time For Reintroducing Hpv Vaccine In Pakistan For Primary Prevention Of Cervical Cancer, Uzma Shamsi, Afshan Anwar, Zainab Samad

Community Health Sciences

No abstract provided.

Are Women With Disabilities Less Likely To Utilize Essential Maternal And Reproductive Health Services?-A Secondary Analysis Of Pakistan Demographic Health Survey, Shafaq Mahmood, Waqas Hameed, Sameen Siddiqi

Community Health Sciences

Background: People with disabilities deal with widespread exclusion from healthcare services, including sexual and reproductive health (SRH) rights. Studies analyzing the relationship between disability and key SRH utilization outcomes have often reported mixed findings. In Pakistan, very little to no literature is available on this topic, therefore we aim to determine inequalities in the utilization of essential maternal and reproductive health services between women with and without disabilities in Pakistan.
Methods: This was a secondary analysis of Pakistan Demographic Health Survey 2017-18 performed on a weighted sample of 6,711 women aged 15-49 years with a live birth in the 5 …

Association Of Respiratory Symptoms And Lung Function With Occupation In The Multinational Burden Of Obstructive Lung Disease (Bold) Study, Jate Ratanachina, Andre F S Amara, Sara De Matteis, Herve Lawin, Kevin Mortimer, Daniel O. Obaseki, Imed Harrabi, Meriam Denguezli, Emiel F M Wouters, Asaad Ahmed Nafees

Community Health Sciences

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been associated with exposures in the workplace. We aimed to assess the association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study. We analysed cross-sectional data from 28,823 adults (≥40 years) in 34 countries. Eleven occupations were considered and grouped by likelihood of exposure to organic dusts, inorganic dusts and fumes. The association of chronic cough, chronic phlegm, wheeze, dyspnoea, FEV1/FVC and FVC with occupation was assessed, per study site, using multivariable regression. These estimates were then meta-analysed. Sensitivity analyses explored differences between sexes and gross national income …

Esophageal Carcinoma And Associated Risk Factors: A Case-Control Study In Two Tertiary Care Hospitals Of Kabul, Afghanistan, Ramin Saadaat, Jamshid Abdul-Ghafar, Ahmed Maseh Haidary, Nooria Atta, Tazeen Saeed Ali

Community Health Sciences

Purpose: Esophageal cancer (EC) is the most common cancer among males in Afghanistan, thus we aimed to conduct a case-control study to determine the associated risk factors with EC in two tertiary care hospitals of Kabul, Afghanistan.
Patients and methods: We enrolled 132 EC cases and 132 controls and used conditional logistic regression to estimate the odds ratio (OR) with consideration of 95% confidence interval (CI).
Results: The results of our study revealed that esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) was the predominant type of EC constituting 75.8% of the cases. The results of the multivariate logistic analysis showed that males …

Neither Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Nor Cytotoxic T Cells Predict Enhanced Benefit From Chemotherapy In The Dbcg77b Phase Iii Clinical Trial, Elahe Shenasa, Elisabeth Specht Stovgaard, Maj-Britt Jensen, Karama Asleh, Nazia Riaz, Dongxia Gao, Samuel Leung, Bent Ejlertsen, Anne-Vibeke Laenkholm, Torsten O. Nielsen

Section of General Surgery

Recent studies have shown that immune infiltrates in the tumor microenvironment play a role in response to therapy, with some suggesting that patients with immunogenic tumors may receive increased benefit from chemotherapies. We evaluated this hypothesis in early breast cancer by testing the interaction between immune biomarkers and chemotherapy using materials from DBCG77B, a phase III clinical trial where high-risk premenopausal women were randomized to receive chemotherapy or no chemotherapy. Tissue microarrays were evaluated for tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) assessed morphologically on hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides, and by immunohistochemistry for CD8, FOXP3, LAG-3, PD-1 and PD-L1. Following REMARK reporting guidelines, data …

Identifying Differences: A Key Step In Precision Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Mahmoud Al Rifai, Salim S. Virani, Vijay Nambi

Office of the Provost

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Delayed Surgical Care On Patient Outcomes With Alimentary Tract Perforation: Insight From A Low-Middle Income Country, Hasnain Zafar, Taha Ahmad Zaka-Ur-Rehman, Muhammad Sohaib Khan, Shayan Ahmed, Amir Hafeez Shariff

Section of General Surgery

Introduction: In-patient delay is associated with increased mortality in patients with alimentary tract perforations. Access to surgical care is a glaring health issue in low-middle income countries (LMICs), where patient presentation is also delayed for a myriad of reasons, which can be broadly categorized as social/cultural, financial, and structural in their nature. The impact these delays have on surgical outcomes in low-middle income countries is not known.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent emergency laparotomy for alimentary tract perforation from July 2015 to June 2018 was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Time was …

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Features And Outcomes Of Patients With Non-Compaction Cardiomyopathy - A Retrospective Follow-Up From Pakistan, Pirbhat Shams, Fateh Ali Tipoo Sultan

Section of Cardiology

Background: The exact prevalence of left ventricle non-compaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC) in south Asians is not known and phenotypic CMR characteristics, clinical features, and outcomes of LVNC remain unknown for the SA population.
Objective: To evaluate clinical characteristics, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging features, and outcomes of patients with left ventricle non-compaction.
Methods: This was a retrospective study of 294 patients undergoing cardiac MRI (CMR) for evaluation of cardiomyopathy from 2011 to 2020. Patients were stratified based on the presence or absence of left ventricle non-compaction (LVNC). Clinical characteristics, CMR features, and outcomes were evaluated.
Results: Out of 294 patients, 18 patients …

Statins: Masked Anti-Epileptic Warriors, Govinda Khatri, Priya Kotak, Ayush Kumar, Mohammad Mehedi Hasan

Medical College Documents

No abstract provided.

Disparities In Adult Critical Care Resources Across Pakistan: Findings From A National Survey And Assessment Using A Novel Scoring System, Mustafa Ali Khan, Hamna Shahbaz, Ali Aahil Noorali, Anam Noor Ehsan, Mareeha Zaki, Fahham Asghar, Mohammed Moizul Hassan, Haroon Muhammad Arshad, Muhammad Sohaib, Adil H. Haider

Medical College Documents

Background: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, concerted efforts were made by provincial and federal governments to invest in critical care infrastructure and medical equipment to bridge the gap of resource-limitation in intensive care units (ICUs) across Pakistan. An initial step in creating a plan toward strengthening Pakistan's baseline critical care capacity was to carry out a needs-assessment within the country to assess gaps and devise strategies for improving the quality of critical care facilities.
Methods: To assess the baseline critical care capacity of Pakistan, we conducted a series of cross-sectional surveys of hospitals providing COVID-19 care across the country. …

Global Think Tank On The Clinical Considerations And Management Of Lipoprotein(A): The Top Questions And Answers Regarding What Clinicians Need To Know, Salim S. Virani, Marlys L. Koschinsky, Lisa Maher, Anurag Mehta, Carl E. Orringer, Raul D. Santos, Michael D. Shapiro, Joseph J. Saseen

Office of the Provost

Evidence from Mendelian randomization studies suggest that lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) has a causal role in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk. However, guidelines and consensus statement recommendations vary regarding how clinicians should incorporate Lp(a) into patient care. To provide practical answers to key questions pertaining to Lp(a) that clinicians will find useful when assessing and treating patients, a global think tank was convened. Representatives from seven national and international stakeholder organizations answered questions that were focused on: Lp(a) measurement; ethnic, gender, and age considerations; factoring Lp(a) into risk assessment; and current and emerging treatment options for elevated Lp(a). This manuscript …

Does Individualized Guided Selection Of Antiplatelet Therapy Improve Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention? A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Naser Yamani, Samuel Unzek, Muhammad Hasnain Mankani, Talal Almas, Adeena Musheer, Humera Qamar, Shausha Farooq, Waqas Shahnawaz, Kaneez Fatima, Vincent Figueredo

Department of Medicine

Background: The potential benefits of individualized guided selection of antiplatelet therapy over standard antiplatelet therapy in improving outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have not been established. Therefore, we pooled evidence from available clinical trials to assess the effectiveness by comparing the two regimens in patients undergoing PCI.
Methods: We queried two electronic databases, MEDLINE and Cochrane CENTRAL, from their inception to April 20, 2021 for published randomized controlled trials in any language that compared guided antiplatelet therapy, using either genetic testing or platelet function testing, versus standard antiplatelet therapy in patients undergoing PCI. The results from trials …

Financial Toxicity Tumor Board: A Multi-Disciplinary Team Activity Required In Low And Middle-Income Countries (Lmic), Ahmed Nadeem Abbasi, Sohail Rasool, Laraib Khan

Department of Radiation Oncology

No abstract provided.

Advancements In Left Ventricular Assist Devices To Prevent Pump Thrombosis And Blood Coagulopathy, Grainne Malone, Gerges Abdelsayed, Fianait Bligh, Fatma Al Qattan, Saifullah Syed, Prateepan Varatharajullu, Augustin Msellati, Daniela Mwipatayi, Maimoona Azhar, Saulat Hasnain Fatimi

Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices, such as left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are very useful in improving outcomes in patients with advanced-stage heart failure. Despite recent advances in LVAD development, pump thrombosis is one of the most severe adverse events caused by LVADs. The contact of blood with artificial materials of LVAD pumps and cannulas triggers the coagulation cascade. Heat spots, for example, produced by mechanical bearings are often subjected to thrombus build-up when low-flow situations impair washout and thus the necessary cooling does not happen. The formation of thrombus in an LVAD may compromise its function, causing a drop …

Maximising Access To Timely Trauma Care Across Population Of Karachi And Its Districts: A Geospatial Approach To Develop A Trauma Care Network, Muhammad Nabeel Ashraf, Mohammad Salman Khalil, Ahwaz Akhtar, Lubna Samad, Asad Latif

Department of Anaesthesia

Objectives: To develop and propose a cost-effective trauma care network for Karachi, Pakistan, by calculating maximum timely trauma care (TTC) coverage achieved with the addition of potential designated private and public level 1 and level 2 trauma centres (TCs).
Setting: A lower middle-income country metropolis, Karachi is Pakistan's largest city with a population of 16 million and a total of 56 hospitals as per government registry data.
Participants: 41 potential TCs selected using a two-level, contextually-relevant TC designation criteria adapted from various international guidelines.
Primary and secondary outcome measures: Maximum TTC coverage achievable with the addition of potential TCs. Proposed …

Association Of Trauma Center Designation With Postdischarge Survival Among Older Adults With Injuries, Molly P. Jarman, Ginger Jin, Joel S. Weissman, Arlene S. Ash, Jennifer Tjia, Ali Salim, Adil Haider, Zara Cooper

Section of General Surgery

Importance: Trauma centers improve outcomes for young patients with serious injuries. However, most injury-related hospital admissions and deaths occur in older adults, and it is not clear whether trauma center care provides the same benefit in this population.
Objective: To examine whether 30- and 365-day mortality of injured older adults is associated with the treating hospital's trauma center level.
Design, setting, and participants: This prospective, population-based cohort study used Medicare claims data from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2016, for all fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries 66 years or older with inpatient admission for traumatic injury in 2014 to 2015. Data …

Residual Symptoms And The Quality Of Life In Individuals Recovered From Covid-19 Infection: A Survey From Pakistan, Mohammad Aadil Qamar, Russell Seth Martins, Rubaid Azhar Dhillon, Areeba Tharwani, Omar Irfan, Qosain Fatima Suriya, Wajiha Rizwan, Javaid Ahmed Khan, Ali Bin Sarwar Zubairi

Medical College Documents

Background: There remains scarcity of literature regarding the patient's health status post-COVID-19 infection. This study analyzes the prevalence of residual symptoms and quality of life (QoL) after COVID-19.
Methods: An anonymous online survey was administrated in Pakistan from November 2020 to April 2021 in COVID-19 survivors. The questionnaire used the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) to assess mental and physical QoL. Multivariate linear regression was used to explore factors associated with mental and physical QoL scores.
Results: A total of 331 COVID-19 survivors participated in our survey. Around 42.0% of the cohort reported within 1-3 months of diagnosis of …

The Unspoken Grief Of Multiple Stillbirths In Rural Pakistan: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study, Muhammad Asim, Sehrish Karim, Hajra Khwaja, Waqas Hameed, Sarah Saleem

Community Health Sciences

Background: Pakistan has the highest rate of stillbirth (30.6 stillbirths per 1000 total births) as compared to other South Asian countries. The psychological impact of stillbirths on bereaved women is well documented; however, there is a dearth of literature on lived experiences of women with multiple stillbirths in Pakistan.
Objective: The purpose of this research is to understand the lived experiences of women who had multiple stillbirths in Thatta, Pakistan.
Methods: An interpretative phenomenological study was conducted in district Thatta with eight women who experienced more than one stillbirth. A semi-structured in-depth interview guide was used for data collection. The …

What After Bcg Fails In Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer?, M Hammad Ather

Section of Urology

No abstract provided.

Perceived Risk And Distress Related To Covid-19 In Healthcare Versus Non-Healthcare Workers Of Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study, Adeel Abid, Hania Shahzad, Hyder Ali Khan, Suneel Piryani, Areeba Raza Khan, Fauziah Rabbani

Medical College Documents

Background:
Healthcare workers (HCWs) have found themselves and their families more susceptible to contracting COVID-19. This puts them at a higher risk of psychological distress, which may compromise patient care. In this study, we aim to explore the risk perceptions and psychological distress between HCWs and non-healthcare workers (NHCWs) in Pakistan.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online self-administered questionnaire. Psychological distress was assessed through The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Comparisons were made between HCWs (front/backend, students/graduates) and NHCWs related to risk perceptions and stress levels related to COVID19. Following tests for normality (Shapiro–Wilk test), variables …

The Effect Of Ivermectin On Non-Severe And Severe Covid-19 Disease And Gender-Based Difference Of Its Effectiveness, Syed Muhammad Zubair, Muhammad Waleed Chaudhry, Ali Bin Sarwar Zubairi, Talha Shahzad, Aqusa Zahid, Ibrahim Ali Khan, Javaid Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Irfan

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to mortality and morbidity since December 2019. Many possible treatment options have been advised till date. The role of ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19 disease remains controversial. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of ivermectin in hospitalized patients with non-severe and severe COVID-19 disease. We conducted a retrospective cohort study that compared outcomes in 2 groups of COVID-19 patients hospitalized at the largest tertiary care center of Pakistan. The study group was given ivermectin along with standard treatment of covid-19 disease; the comparison group was not. Data on mortality, inflammatory …

Implementation Of The Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program To Improve Infection Prevention And Control Practices In Four Neonatal Intensive Care Units In Pune, India, Julia Johnson, Asad Latif, Bharat Randive, Abhay Kadam, Uday Rajput, Aarti Kinikar, Nandini Malshe, Sanjay Lalwani, Tushar B. Parikh, Umesh Vaidya

Department of Anaesthesia

Objective: To implement the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) in four neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in Pune, India, to improve infection prevention and control (IPC) practices.
Design: In this quasi-experimental study, we implemented CUSP in four NICUs in Pune, India, to improve IPC practices in three focus areas: hand hygiene, aseptic technique for invasive procedures, and medication and intravenous fluid preparation and administration. Sites received training in CUSP methodology, formed multidisciplinary teams, and selected interventions for each focus area. Process measures included fidelity to CUSP, hand hygiene compliance, and central line insertion checklist completion. Outcome measures included the rate …

Still Birth Classification: Application Of Relevant Condition At Death (Recode) Classification System In A Tertiary Care Hospital Of Pakistan, Urooj Kashif, Shelina Bhamani, Asma Patel, Zaheena Shamsul Islam

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Objectives: To determine the cause of stillbirth after application of relevant condition at death (ReCoDe) classification system.
Methods: This was a retrospective cross sectional study of 207 women diagnosed with stillbirth after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi between 1st January 2015 and 31st December 2019. The primary objective was to find the cause of stillbirth according to the new classification of relevant condition at death (ReCoDe).
Results: There were a total of 32413 live births and 207 stillbirths during the study period thus stillbirth rate of 6 per 1000 live births. In …

Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis Misdiagnosed As Smear Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis; A Retrospective Study From Pakistan, Nousheen Iqbal, Muhammad Dawood Amir Sheikh, Kauser Jabeen, Safia Awan, Muhammad Irfan

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Background: Undiagnosed allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) can lead to chronic persistent symptoms. In country like Pakistan where tuberculosis (TB) is endemic, a significant proportion of ABPA patients are misdiagnosed as smear negative TB before reaching a diagnosis of ABPA due to chronicity of symptoms.This lead to empiric use of ATT(Anti-tuberculous therapy) and delay in primary diagnosis. The aim of the study is to determine such proportion of ABPA patients.|
Material and methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the outpatient pulmonology clinic of a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan from January 2017 to December 2018. Xpert MTB/Rif, TB smear …

Performance In Mortality Prediction Of Saps 3 And Mpm-Iii Scores Among Adult Patients Admitted To The Icu Of A Private Tertiary Referral Hospital In Tanzania: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Nadeem Kassam, Eric Aghan, Samina Somji, Omar Aziz, James Orwa, Salim R. Surani

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: Illness predictive scoring systems are significant and meaningful adjuncts of patient management in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). They assist in predicting patient outcomes, improve clinical decision making and provide insight into the effectiveness of care and management of patients while optimizing the use of hospital resources. We evaluated mortality predictive performance of Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS 3) and Mortality Probability Models (MPM0-III) and compared their performance in predicting outcome as well as identifying disease pattern and factors associated with increased mortality.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients admitted to the ICU of the …

Persistence Of Post-Covid Lung Parenchymal Abnormalities During The Three-Month Follow-Up, Ali Bin Sarwar Zubairi, Anjiya Shaikh, Syed Muhammad Zubair, Akbar Shoukat Ali, Safia Awan, Muhammad Irfan

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Introduction: COVID-19-associated pulmonary sequalae have been increasingly reported after recovery from acute infection. Therefore, we aim to explore the charactersitics of persistent lung parenchymal abnormalities in patients with COVID-19.
Material and methods: An observational study was conducted in patients with post-COVID lung parenchymal abnormalities from April till September 2020. Patients ≥18 years of age with COVID-19 who were diagnosed as post-COVID lung parenchymal abnormality based on respiratory symptoms and HRCT chest imaging after the recovery of acute infection. Data was recorded on a structured pro forma, and descriptive analysis was performed using Stata version 12.1.
Results: A total of 30 …

Post Tuberculosis Radiological Sequelae In Patients Treated For Pulmonary And Pleural Tuberculosis At A Tertiary Center In Pakistan, Syed Muhammad Zubair, Mariyam Gohar Ali, Muhammad Irfan

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Treating tuberculosis (TB) is not the end of the disease because of the wide spectrum of post TB sequelae associated with the disease. There is insufficient data on post TB radiological sequelae. The aim of this study is to evaluate the post TB radiological sequelae on chest x-rays in patients who had completed the treatment for pulmonary and pleural TB at a tertiary care hospital of a high TB burden country. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted on patients treated for pulmonary and pleural TB. Adult patients (18 years or above) with a clinical or microbiological diagnosis of pulmonary …

Factors Motivating Smoking Cessation: A Cross-Sectional Study In A Lower-Middle-Income Country, Russell S. Martins, Muhammad Umer Junaid, Muhammad Sharjeel Khan, Namrah Aziz, Zoha Zahid Fazal, Mariam Umoodi, Fatima Shah, Javaid Ahmed Khan

Medical College Documents

Introduction: Only one-quarter of smokers in Pakistan attempt to quit smoking, and less than 3% are successful. In the absence of any literature from the country, this study aimed to explore factors motivating and strategies employed in successful smoking cessation attempts in Pakistan, a lower-middle-income country.
Methods: A survey was carried out in Karachi, Pakistan, amongst adult (≥ 18 years) former smokers (individuals who had smoked ≥100 cigarettes in their lifetime but who had successfully quit smoking for > 1 month at the time of survey). Multivariable logistic regression, with number of quit attempts (single vs. multiple) as the dependent variable, …

Role Of Interferon Gamma Release Assay In The Diagnosis And Management Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis-Associated Uveitis: A Review, Samra Rahman, Muhammad Irfan, Rehman Siddiqui

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Tuberculosis (TB)-associated uveitis is a common cause of infectious uveitis in the developing world. Diagnosis of TB uveitis remains a challenge. The role of interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) is uncertain. Herein we summarise the available literature on the utility of IGRAs in the diagnosis and management of TB uveitis. We searched PubMed database from 1 August 2010 to 31 July 2020 using the following keywords alone and in combination: 'interferon-gamma release assay', 'QuantiFERON', 'T-SPOT.TB', 'TB uveitis', 'serpiginous like choroiditis', 'tuberculoma', 'TB vasculitis', 'TB panuveitis' and 'ocular tuberculosis'. Data from 58 relevant studies were collated. The review is focused on …

Violence Against Healthcare Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Review Of Incidents From A Lower-Middle-Income Country, Omaima Anis Bhatti, Hareem Rauf, Namrah Aziz, Russell S. Martins, Javaid Khan

Medical College Documents

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) across the globe have met tremendous challenges during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, such as shortages of personal protective equipment, extensive work hours, and constant fear of catching the virus or transmitting it to loved ones. Adding on to the already existing burnout, an increase in incidents of violence and aggression against HCWs was seen in Pakistan and globally.
Objectives: Primarily to review cases of violence against HCWs in Pakistan, highlighting and comparing the instigating factors seen within the country and globally. Secondly, to enlist possible interventions to counter workplace violence in healthcare during a …