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Objective: To investigate how consistently children (aged 5-12) attending the asthma clinic at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital could perform forced expiratory maneuvers during standard spirometric evaluation. Study Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Department of Paediatric, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi. Period: October, 2021 till April, 2022. Methods: Prospective data collection was conducted on 128 suspected asthmatic patients following verbal consent. Simple descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, were used to summarize quantitative data, while qualitative variables were reported as frequencies and percentages. Stratification was used to manage effect modifiers and evaluate their influence on the outcome variable. A post-stratification chi-square test was employed, with a significance level set at p ≤ 0.5. Results: A total of 128 suspected asthmatic patients were included in this study. Mean age in our study was 9.14±2.09 years. 58 (45.3%) were male and 70 (54.7%) were female. Out of 128 suspected asthmatic patients, 95 (74.2%) and 33 (25.8%) had and did not have reproducibility. Conclusion: In a busy clinical environment, a significant number of school-aged children demonstrate the ability to perform technically acceptable and repeatable spirometry. This indicates that spirometry could serve as an effective screening tool for identifying abnormal lung function, such as asthma, in this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The role of respiratory viruses in causing severe, life threatening pneumonia in children in developing countries is not well established. Our study aims to determine the role of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), influenza A virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children, aged 6 weeks to 2 years, hospitalized with WHO defined severe pneumonia (tachypnea plus any general danger sign or chest in-drawing) at a public sector hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: This study was conducted from November 2010 to September 2011 at Abbassi Shaheed Hospital, a large public tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Children admitted with WHO-defined severe pneumonia were enrolled and throat swabs were obtained to detect respiratory viruses using real time RT-PCR. Chest x-rays of all subjects were obtained and independently interpreted by two radiologists to diagnose radiologic pneumonia. Results: 169 children were enrolled. HMPV was detected in 24 (14.2%), influenza A virus in 9 (5.3%) and RSV in 30 (17.8%) children admitted with severe pneumonia. Of 9 patients with influenza A, 8 tested positive for H1N1. Viral etiology was found in 18% of radiologically confirmed pneumonia. HMPV infections peaked in February and April, influenza A was prevalent in January, June and November and RSV infections were most prevalent from June to September. Conclusion: HMPV, influenza A and RSV are common causes of WHO-defined severe pneumonia in hospitalized children in Karachi. Knowledge regarding the viral etiology of pediatric pneumonia and individual viral seasonality can help in the recommendation and implementation of appropriate management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with refusal of lumbar puncture (LP) in children aged 1-10 years who presented to a paediatric department in our hospital., Methods: A sample of parents and guardians of children who presented to the paediatric department were surveyed to gather information about their educational background and decision-making processes. Attending doctors were also interviewed using a questionnaire to gather their perspectives on the reasons for LP refusal in children. Attending doctors then tried to convince the parents or guardians to see if it changed their decision., Results: The study found that the majority of parents and guardians had a lower educational background, with over half being illiterate. Refusal of LP was seen most frequently in parents or guardians who were illiterate. The decision-making process was found to be heavily dependent on the father in a male-dominated society. Peer pressure and lack of knowledge were found to be factors that contributed to LP refusal., Conclusion: Refusal of a LP was linked to having a lower educational background and to societal influences in this cross-sectional study of children aged 1-10 years. More than half of the parents and guardians were illiterate, indicating that they had a lower level of education. Refusing LP was influenced by a number of factors, including social pressure and a lack of information. However, these obstacles were overcome thanks to the efforts of the attending doctors who dispelled myths and reassured the parents and guardians of the necessity and safety of the procedure. Possible roadblocks include a lack of financial resources and common misconceptions about LP. These results highlight the significance of addressing educational and societal factors to enhance children's healthcare., Competing Interests: Not applicable., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)