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Introduction Basidiobolomycosis is a rare fungal disease, lately appearing in the gastrointestinal system of pediatric patients. Their clinical presentation resembles that of lymphoma or granulomatous inflammations. This non-specific presentation makes Gastrointestinal Basidiobolomycosis (GIB) a diagnostic challenge. Methods We are reporting the largest series of pediatric GIB, from Saudi Arabia. 12 patients were diagnosed between January 2012 and December 2019, between the ages of 16 months and 8 years. Results The most common symptoms were fever and abdominal pain. Further examination revealed an abdominal mass. Biopsy of the mass was the mainstay of diagnosis, with histological findings of typical filamentous fungal hyphae and zygospores, surrounded by eosinophils. Conclusion Role of surgery was limited to establishing the diagnosis and dealing with complications. Antifungal medication was the cornerstone of treatment in all our patients. Three of our patients were exceptional with complications such as entero-cutaneal fistula, entero-enteric fistula and short bowel syndrome. These complications have not been previously reported. We have discussed the challenges related to their management. The diagnosis of GIB in pediatric patients with abdominal mass, needs a high index of suspicion. We believe outcome depends on the severity of disease, involvement of surrounding tissues and presence of complications at the time of diagnosis.

Aim There is an urgent need to set up a useful biomarker for ovarian cancer. Galectin-1 is a promising carbohydrate-binding protein which plays a remarkable role in various malignancies yet its clinical significance is questionable. In this study, we have tested the clinical implications of serum Galectin-1 levels in patients with ovarian tumours. Main methods Serum Galectin-1 levels were quantified in 84 newly diagnosed ovarian tumour patients and 20 healthy controls by Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay during the course of the disease. Therefore the samples were taken at diagnosis, after surgery and after chemotherapy. Key findings The Galectin-1 levels were found to be associated with various variables of Ovarian Cancer patients. The levels were found to be prominently high in postmenopausal patients. Galectin-1 levels were raised in epithelial ovarian tumours with significantly high levels in serous subtype. A decrease in Galectin-1 levels post-surgical intervention and after receiving chemotherapy was found. Galectin-1 levels evidently distinguished between normal, benign, malignant and metastatic cases as compared to CA125 levels. Galectin-1 demonstrated to be a better biomarker than CA125 according to the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Significance The study emphasizes that serum Galectin-1 may serve as a better surrogate biomarker in Ovarian Cancer for early detection, discriminating between malignant and benign abdominal masses and monitoring the progression of the disease and response to treatment.

Background: Frequency of dyslipidemia is on continuous rise in the developing countries including Pakistan. Many studies have shown that a raised LDL-cholesterol level, non-HDL cholesterol levels and decreased HDL-cholesterol levels are related with anraised risk of cardiovascular diseases and also certain muscle related symptoms. Aim: To find the frequency of statin-induced myopathy in dyslipidemic patients presenting in a tertiary care hospital. Methods It was a cross sectional study conducted among dyslipidemic patients presented at department of medicine and endocrinology, Unit-I Fatima Memorial hospital, Lahore. Non-probability consecutive sampling technique was used to select 230 dyslipidemic patients who met the inclusion criteria. Information was recorded on predesigned questionnaire regarding statin induced myopathy and socio-demographic variables. Results: In this study, the mean age statin induced myopathy respondents was 49.9±8.6 years while it was 49.9±9.4 years among not having statin induced myopathy.Statin induced myopathy was seen in 55 (23.9%) respondents while in 175 (76.1%) there was no statin induced myopathy. Gender among peripheral neuropathy showed that males were 42 and females were 13 in number; and among non-statin induced myopathy group there were 121 males and 54 females. Most of the middle income respondents were suffering from statin induced myopathy as compared to other income groups. Conclusion: This study reports an increased prevalence of statin induced myopathy among dyslipidemic patients. Male respondents were more in number than females but both had shown insignificant relationship with statin induced myopathy. The age>45 years of the respondents showed significant statistical difference with gender. Keywords: Statin Induced Myopathy, Dyslipidemia, Lahore

Background: Carvedilol has an established role in Chronic Liver disease (CLD) associated Portal Hypertension, however its role in specific subclasses of CLD has not been studied, neither the factors leading to non-response thereby predisposing such patients to variceal bleed with empiric therapy. Aims and Objectives: The purpose of this study was. 1. To evaluate the hemodynamic response to Carvedilol and optimum dosage in patients of CTP Class A Cirrhosis. 2. To determine any clinical variables that would help in differentiating responders from non-responders. Materials and Methods: In forty-three consecutive patients of chronic liver disease Child Turcotte Pugh (CTP) Class A with esophageal varices, Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG) was measured at baseline, 90 minutes after initial administration of 12.5 mg of Carvedilol and after 3 months of dose optimization. Results: Twenty-one (48.8%) patients demonstrated Acute Response and after dose optimization Chronic Response was seen in 29 (67.4%) patients with additional 8 (18.6%) patients responding to dose optimization. Fourteen (32.55%) patients failed to show any response. Low pre-drug Cardiac Output (CO), High pre-drug mean arterial pressure (MAP), more than 2.5mmHg drop in HVPG acutely, higher dose toleration of more than 18.5mg and lower change in HR predicted response. Conclusion: Patients with CTP Class A Cirrhosis with Portal Hypertension and Esophageal Varices tolerate Carvedilol well and nearly two-thirds show hemodynamic response when dose is optimized over a period of time, including patients who initially show no acute response. Nearly one-third of patients show no response even after dose optimization.

Background: Among the common complications of diabetes, neuropathy has its place. About 50% of diabetics suffer from this complication. It is one of the most common cause of elevated morbidity mortality in diabetics. Duration of diabetes, its control and association with other micro vascular complications can result in an raised incidence of neuropathy in patients. Aim: To find frequency of peripheral neuropathy in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: Cross sectional study carried out in newly diagnosed patients with type II Diabetes Mellitus presented at department of Medicine, Fatima Memorial hospital, Lahore. 200 newly diagnosed type II diabetes patients who met the inclusion criteria were selected. Information was recorded on predesigned questionnaire regarding peripheral neuropathy and socio-demographic variables. Results: The mean age among peripheral neuropathy respondents was 47.05±6.37 years while it was 45.19±6.50 years among not having peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy was seen in 42 (21%) respondents while in 158 (79%) there was no peripheral neuropathy. Gender among peripheral neuropathy showed that males were 36 and females were 06 in number; and among non-peripheral neuropathy group there were 135 males and 23 females. Most of the low income respondents were suffering from peripheral neuropathy as compared to other income groups. Post stratification regarding age and gender yields significant results within income groups while the later showed only male respondents were significant. Conclusion: This study reports that in type 2 diabetic patients diagnosed less than one year back, there is an increased prevalence of peripheral neuropathy. Male respondents were more in number than females but both had shown almost having same occurrence of peripheral neuropathy. Keywords: Peripheral Neuropathy, Type II Diabetes, Neuropathy

Background: One important and often ignored aspect in treatment of patients of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is screening for eye disorders. There is a need for continuous monitoring and examination, with cooperation from an ophthalmologist, of all dialysis patients with increased risk of vision loss like patients with coexisting diabetes and hypertension. It is not very common to find vision disorders or other anatomical defects of eye which can be directly attributed to kidney diseases. In general, eye disease is found as incidental finding during screening of patients with kidney diseases. Aim: To evaluate the frequency of eye changes in patients of chronic kidney disease. Methods: It was a Cross-sectional descriptive study performed in Department of Medicine and Nephrology Indoor, Fatima Memorial Hospital Lahore. The total duration was 6 months after approval of the project i.e. from 26-12-2019 to 25-06-2020. All patients admitted in the hospital under department of Medicine or Nephrology from 13 to 70 years of age diagnosed as a case of Chronic Kidney Disease as per the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) were recruited for the study. Results: Total cases were 213, 44(20.65%) were from the age group of 13-40, 169(79.35%) were in 41-70 years age group, mean±Standard deviation(SD)was 47.82±8.55years, 114(53.52%) male, 99(46.48%) females, 129(60.56%) had diabetes mellitus, 141(66.19%) had hypertension, mean duration of disease was calculated as 14.23±4.99 months, 41(19.24%) retinal disorder, 79(37.08%) had cataract while 93(43.66%) had no eye disorder, out of 41 cases of retinal disorders, 17(41.46%) had hypertensive retinopathy while 24(58.53%) had diabetic retinopathy. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of cataract and retinal disorders in chronic kidney disease patients. However our study was limited to single center, more extensive studies with a bigger sample size are needed to validate our results. Keywords: Chronic kidney disease, Eye disorders, Retinal disorders, Cataract, End stage renal diseases

Deficiency of Vitamin D is very common in Pakistan, even among healthy asymptomatic individuals [1], [2]. Recent studies have shown that the risk of contracting COVID-19 was increased to two-fold, and consequent mortality to 4-fold if the person is Vitamin D deficient [3]. Health care workers including the nursing and administration staff are at a high risk of contracting SARS-CoV2 due to increased regular exposure in a health care setting [4]. Consequently, a convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the deficiency of Vitamin D, and the increased exposure can render the health care workers at an additional risk to COVID-19 infection. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in healthy asymptomatic front-line health care workers and to analyze the change in serum level by loading oral dose of SunnyD STAT softgel capsules (200000 IU Vitamin D3). We followed single centered, cross-sectional, cohort study with subsequent randomized placebo-controlled design for supplementation and follow up. Serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) was the main outcome variable, with anthropometric data, nutritional intake, and lifestyle variables analyzed for potential association as risk factors for the outcome. Severe Vitamin D deficiency was found to be prevalent among front line health care workers in this urban hospital-based sample. Serum level of Vitamin D was found to be significantly associated with designation and presence of high blood pressure. The likelihood of increased serum Vitamin D levels was observed with increasing monthly income, higher designation, increasing age and supplementation intake. Mean increase in the serum 25(OH)D3 level after 2 doses of SunnyD STAT softgel capsule (200000 IU Vitamin D3) was 34.22 ng/ml. Public health interventions regarding Vitamin D supplementation and awareness are needed, especially amid COVID-19 pandemicDeficiency of Vitamin D is very common in Pakistan, even among healthy asymptomatic individuals [1], [2]. Recent studies have shown that the risk of contracting COVID-19 was increased to two-fold, and consequent mortality to 4-fold if the person is Vitamin D deficient [3]. Health care workers including the nursing and administration staff are at a high risk of contracting SARS-CoV2 due to increased regular exposure in a health care setting [4]. Consequently, a convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the deficiency of Vitamin D, and the increased exposure can render the health care workers at an additional risk to COVID-19 infection. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in healthy asymptomatic front-line health care workers and to analyze the change in serum level by loading oral dose of SunnyD STAT softgel capsules (200000 IU Vitamin D3). We followed single centered, cross-sectional, cohort study with subsequent randomized placebo-controlled design for supplementation and follow up. Serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) was the main outcome variable, with anthropometric data, nutritional intake, and lifestyle variables analyzed for potential association as risk factors for the outcome. Severe Vitamin D deficiency was found to be prevalent among front line health care workers in this urban hospital-based sample. Serum level of Vitamin D was found to be significantly associated with designation and presence of high blood pressure. The likelihood of increased serum Vitamin D levels was observed with increasing monthly income, higher designation, increasing age and supplementation intake. Mean increase in the serum 25(OH)D3 level after 2 doses of SunnyD STAT softgel capsule (200000 IU Vitamin D3) was 34.22 ng/ml. Public health interventions regarding Vitamin D supplementation and awareness are needed, especially amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the outcome of traumatic extradural hematoma and to compare the outcome of small and large size extradural hematoma. Materials & Methods: A descriptive case series was carried out in the Department of Neurosurgery, Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar for six months and included 188 patients. The detailed history and clinical examinations were noted through a pre-designed proforma. Patients were followed post-operatively till the time of discharge and for either favorable outcome or unfavorable outcome according to the GOS. Results: 73% of patients had extradural hematoma volume between 25 – 50 mL, while 27% patients had extradural hematoma >50 mL. 12% of patients had Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) scores 1 – 3, while 88% of patients had GOS scores: 4 – 5. The mean GOS was 3. Patients with favorable outcomes were 88% while 12% had an unfavorable outcome. Conclusion: The size of the extradural hematoma has a strong correlation with outcome. The greater the size of the hematoma, the poorer the outcome.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the common respiratory conditions which involves the airways and is characterized by persistent airflow obstruction. About five percent of the adult population of the world is being affected by this disease. COPD is associated with several different comorbidities. These comorbidities increase the risk of hospital admission and affect health outcomes in COPD. Aims & Objectives: To study the frequency of comorbidities in patients with COPD. Place and duration of study: The study was conducted at Department of Pulmonology of FPGMI, Shaikh Zayed Hospital. The duration of study was 6 months from 01-01-2019 to 30-06-2019. Patients & Methods: It was a cross sectional study, 115 were enrolled from OPD. The data were recorded in SPSS 20.0. Data were described by using frequencies and percentages and presented in tables, pi-charts, and bar charts. Results: Total 115 male COPD patients who consented to participate in the study were registered in the study from OPD. The mean age of the patients was 61.09±10.8 years. The co-morbidities were present in 84.3% patients, and the most common disease was hypertension (65.2%) followed by ischemic heart disease (56.5%) osteoporosis (54.8%), cardiac failure (46.9%), diabetes (40.0%), anemia (36.5%), depression (27.8%), acid peptic disease (26.0%) and malignancy (11.3%). (Figure 2) Thirty one (26.9%) patients had single comorbidity, while 39.1% of patients had two co-morbid conditions, and 18.3% had more than two co-morbidities. Conclusion: The co-morbidities in COPD patients are common & most frequent comorbidities include hypertension, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and depression.

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are considered one of reasons for changing prevalence of gastric fundic gland polyps (FGP), not only in western world but trend is being seen in Asian countries as well. Aims and Objective: This study was designed to evaluate prevalence of FGP and to look into endoscopic and histological profile of these polyps in PPI users and non-PPI users. We also assessed background gastric mucosal histology in FGP patients. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective observational study of 1800 cases. Medical records of patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) in three gastroenterology centres between 2011 and 2019 were analysed at Noora super speciality Hospital, Kashmir; Northern India. Biopsy specimens of patients with FGP were reviewed by expert pathologists. PPI use was quantified as significant when Pantoprazole 40 mg per day or equivalent doses of other PPI was used four times or more per week for more than one year. Statistical Analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22. Results: FGP were most common, observed in 900 (50%) of all gastric polyp cases. PPI use one year and more was noted only in 360 (40%). FGP were mostly located in fundus 630 (70%), multiple in 840 (93.33%), with average size between 6 to 10 mm. On histology parietal cell hyperplasia, parietal cell protrusion and foveolar hyperplasia were seen in 666 (74%), 716(79.55%) and 254 (28.22%) cases respectively. Background gastric histology was normal in 543 (60.33%). Conclusions: FGP were most common gastric polyps in Northern India. We observed similar endoscopic and histological characters in FGP irrespective of whether cases were using PPI or not. Majority of cases had normal background gastric mucosal histology.

Objectives: To assess the safety and clinical impact of a novel, kit-based formulation of 68Ga‐THP PSMA positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) when used to guide the management of patients with prostate cancer (PCa). Methods: Patients were prospectively recruited in to one of: Group A: high-risk untreated prostate cancer; Gleason score >4+3, or PSA >20 ng/mL or clinical stage >T2c. Group B: biochemical recurrence (BCR) and eligible for salvage treatment after radical prostatectomy with two consecutive rises in prostate specific antigen (PSA) with a three month interval in between reads and final PSA >0.1 ng/mL or a PSA level >0.5 ng/mL. Group C: BCR with radical curative radiotherapy or brachytherapy at least three months prior to enrolment, and an increase in PSA level >2.0 ng/mL above the nadir level after radiotherapy or brachytherapy. Patients underwent evaluation with PET/CT 60 minutes following intravenous administration of 160±30 MBq of 68Ga-THP PSMA. Safety was assessed by means including vital signs, cardiovascular profile, serum haematology, biochemistry, urinalysis, PSA, and Adverse Events (AEs). A change in management was reported when the predefined clinical management of the patient altered as a result of 68Ga-THP PSMA PET/CT findings. Results: Forty-nine patients were evaluated with PET/CT; 20 in Group A, 21 in Group B and 8 in Group C. No patients experienced serious AEs discontinued the study due to AEs, or died during the study. Two patients had Treatment Emergent AEs attributed to 68Ga-THP-PSMA (pruritus in one patient and intravenous catheter site rash in another). Management change secondary to PET/CT occurred in 42.9% of all patients; 30% in Group A, 42.9% in Group B and 75% in Group C. Conclusion:68Ga-THP PSMA was safe to use with no serious AE and no AE resulting in withdrawal from the study. 68Ga-THP PSMA PET/CT changed the management of patients in 42.9% of the study population, comparable to studies using other PSMA tracers. These data form the basis of a planned Phase III study of 68Ga-THP PSMA in patients with prostate cancer.

Abstract Intracranial meningiomas are the most common extra-axial tumors, representing 15% of all brain tumors. Arising from the arachnoid cells, and common in middle-aged women, 90% meningiomas are benign. We conducted a 10-year study on 183 cases of intracranial meningiomas and observed a lower and decreasing trend; the mean age was 43.3 years but there was also a significant incidence in young females. Parasagittal/falx (29%), sphenoid ridge, convexity meningiomas and middle cranial fossa locations were more common. Histopathologically, meningothelial meningioma was the most common. Benign (WHO I) tumors were found in above 90%, atypical (WHO II) in 5% cases, and malignant (WHO III) in < 4% patients. Most patients underwent Simpsons Grade I excision (35.6%) with dural reconstruction because of late presentations. Posterior fossa meningiomas were mostly benign, while intraventricular ones were mostly malignant with highest postoperation mortality. Mortality in operated patients was 9.8% but was highest in anterior fossa tumors (12.5%).

Disclaimer In an effort to expedite the publication of articles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, AJHP is posting these manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. Purpose This article aims to evaluate management options for antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinemia and associated treatment considerations such as efficacy, tolerability, drug interactions, contraindications, and dosing regimens. Summary Hyperprolactinemia is a common adverse effect of antipsychotics. First-line management includes reducing the dose of the offending antipsychotic, discontinuing the antipsychotic, or switching to another antipsychotic associated with a lower risk of hyperprolactinemia. However, these options are not always practical and are associated with a risk of relapse of the psychiatric illness. Other management options include adjunctive aripiprazole, dopamine agonists (cabergoline and bromocriptine), metformin, and herbal supplements. A search of Embase, PubMed, and Google Scholar using key terms such as hyperprolactinemia, prolactin, antipsychotic, treatment guidelines, aripiprazole, dopamine agonist, cabergoline, bromocriptine, metformin, herbals, supplements, and medications was conducted for literature retrieval. Upon evaluation of the available literature we found the following: (1) aripiprazole is safe and effective in lowering prolactin levels within normal limits; (2) adjunctive cabergoline and bromocriptine decrease elevated prolactin levels, while cabergoline may be more effective in reducing prolactin but can also be associated with a more serious adverse effect of cardiac valvular abnormalities; (3) metformin causes a mild reduction of prolactin levels; and (4) there are limited data to support use of herbal medications (chamomile, Peony-Glycyrrhiza decoction, and shakuyaku-kanzo-to) in antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinemia Conclusion There are treatments available for antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinemia in patients who are unable to alter their current antipsychotic regimen. However, there remains a need for additional short- and long-term studies to determine the efficacy and safety of these treatment strategies, given that patients taking antipsychotics typically require chronic, life-long treatment for their illnesses.

To assess efficacy of different Endodontic Procedure with Post-operative Pain and Quality of Life (QoL) using (OHIP-14). Study Design: Longitudinal study. Setting: Dow International Dental College and Dr Ishrat Ul-Ibad Khan Institute Karachi, Pakistan. Period: March 2019 till September 2019. Material & Methods: A convenient sampling was used. Conventional and hand protaper root canal technique were used. Both techniques were separately performed by house officers and Post graduate trainees. Study instrument was a structured questionnaire. There were 3 visits. Patients were recalled after 3 days to ask about the post-operative pain and treatments impact on oral health related quality of life. Data analysis was done using SPSS*20 software. Result: There is a significant association existing between the type of treatment provided to the patient and post-operative pain. Patients who underwent manual protaper RCT felt less pain as compared to those treated with conventional RCT. (p=0.00). Patients who were treated by house officer had experienced more pain (p=0.000) also patients who were treated by house officers take more medication. (p=0.001). Their oral health (OHIP-14) was improved after the endodontic treatment. (P=0.000). Conclusion: Effect of root canal therapy on QoL is apparent in both the groups. Experience level impacts improvement as the postoperative pain complaints were less when treated by postgraduate trainee.

Background Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a promising treatment for allergic disease that induces immunological tolerance through the administration of specific allergens. The study of AIT is in its early stage and its clinical effects are not well elucidated. The present study was aimed at determining the effect of AIT on pulmonary function and serum variables of mild allergic asthma patients. Methods A total of 80 patients with mild allergic asthma were recruited for the study. Allergen Specific Immunotherapy was administered in the form of Sublingual Immunotherapy and consisted of a build up phase followed by a maintenance phase (six months each respectively). Total serum IgE and vitamin D levels were quantified by ELISA. The percent eosinophill count was determined by cell analyzers. Pulmonary function test was performed at the baseline and after the end of study period. Subjective symptom score was recorded in the form of asthma control questionnaire score. Results There was a significant increase in the pre FEV1% and pre FEV1/FVC post AIT administration. A significant decrease in the total serum IgE was found post AIT. A decrease in Asthma control Questionnaire (ACQ) scores indicated an improvement in clinical symptoms. Besides there was a significant effect on ICS discontinuation after AIT. Conclusion The study supports SLIT as an effective treatment for Immunomodulation in mild allergic asthmatics besides it gives us significant information regarding the safety and efficacy of SLIT in such patients.

The applications of gene therapy-based treatment of cancers were started almost two decades back as a boon over the chemotherapeutic treatment strategies. Gene therapy helps in correcting the genetic sequences for treatment of cancers, thus also acts like a vaccine to induce the cellular and humoral immunity. However, the cancer vaccines typically suffer from a series of biopharmaceutical challenges due to poor solubility, low systemic availability and lack of targeting ability. Owing to these challenges, the physicians and pharmaceutical scientists have explored the applications of nanocarriers as quite promising systems for effective treatment against the tumors. A series of nanotherapeutic systems are available to date for diverse drug therapy applications. Systematic understanding on the preparation, evaluation and application of nanomedicines as a carrier system for delivering the cancer vaccines is highly important. The present review article provides an in-depth understanding on the challenges associated with cancer vaccine delivery and current opportunities with diverse nanomedicinal carriers being available for treatment of cancers.

Public healthcare and government health initiative have always been in question regarding their availability, efficiency, and quality. This matter most for the poor section of society who have to go through various hurdles to avail the basic treatment, besides financial problems. The aim of this survey study was to analyze the present scenario of public healthcare system and the challenges in availing public healthcare faced by BPL (Below Poverty Line) and low-income population of Uttar Pradesh. A cross-sectional survey (direct interview) of 104 respondents was conducted in March 2021. Thematic analysis of generated qualitative data was done using ATLAS.ti (version 9.0.15). The quantitative data was analyzed by using SPSS (version 22.0.0.0). The respondents were from 2 rural areas near the Aligarh district in UP. The secondary data from published research articles and government sources were also analyzed. Analysis of data revealed there are various challenges faced by low-income population while availing public healthcare services. The nature of challenges has a considerable variation, from lack of information to documents’ unavailability, from technical issues in government schemes to cultural pressure. Data analysis revealed, the majority of respondents (59%) faced one or more types of challenges during treatment from public health facilities. Awareness level is identified as a significant problem among respondents. Analysis of secondary data and literature review revealed uneven resource allocation and discrepancies in government initiatives toward UHC (Universal Health Coverage). Results indicated the contrasting nature of healthcare in Uttar Pradesh. Data analysis revealed the disparity of ‘average OOP travelling expenditure’ for male and female. The correlation analysis revealed that there is negative correlation (y = -0.1377x + 11.119) of ‘age of respondent’ and ‘average satisfaction from public health service’ (r = -0.911; R² = 0.8301). This research article provides the evidence that there exists a communication gap between policymakers and end-users (BPL & low-income section). This article underscored some technical flaw in the UHC policies that act as a barrier for low socio economic and BPL population. This article suggests strategies to control various identified challenges.

Objective The aim of this study is to assess knowledge, attitudes, and clinical practices of dental professionals regarding the prevention and control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Pakistan. Materials and Methods General dentists and dental specialists working in public and private dental practices, hospitals, and academic institutions participated in this cross-sectional study. A pilot-tested questionnaire was sent to dental professionals through an online link in Pakistan and data collection was completed in April-May 2020. The knowledge score was calculated from 22 variables about the COVID-19. Results The study included data of 343 dental professionals with 47.2% of males and 52.8% of females. The mean knowledge score was 16.78 ± 2.25, and it significantly differed between general dentists (16.55 ± 2.36) and dental specialists (17.15 ± 2.04) (p = 0.020), and those with up to 10 years of experience (16.58 ± 2.28) and those with more than 10 years of experience (17.05 ± 2.2) (p = 0.026). Only 15.5% of the participants were comfortable in treating patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. A workshop/seminar on the COVID-19 was attended by 23% of the participants. In multivariate analysis, being comfortable in treating patients (odds ratio = 3.31, 95% confidence interval = 1.63, 6.73) was associated with the attendance of workshop/seminar on COVID-19. Conclusions Dental professionals had adequate knowledge about COVID-19, but a few of them were comfortable in treating patients during the pandemic. A minority of dental professionals attended a workshop/seminar on the COVID-19. Continuous education activities should be provided to dental professionals to enhance their role in the prevention of COVID-19 spread and promotion of oral health.

Purpose\ud\udEarly and accurate localization of lesions in patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer may guide salvage therapy decisions. The present study, 18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT in biochemicAL reCurrence Of Prostate caNcer (FALCON; NCT02578940), aimed to evaluate the effect of 18F-fluciclovine on management of men with BCR of prostate cancer.\udMethods and Materials\ud\udMen with a first episode of BCR after curative-intent primary therapy were enrolled at 6 UK sites. Patients underwent 18F-fluciclovine positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) according to standardized procedures. Clinicians documented management plans before and after scanning, recording changes to treatment modality as major and changes within a modality as other. The primary outcome measure was record of a revised management plan postscan. Secondary endpoints were evaluation of optimal prostate specific antigen (PSA) threshold for detection, salvage treatment outcome assessment based on 18F-fluciclovine-involvement, and safety.\udResults\ud\ud18F-Fluciclovine was well tolerated in the 104 scanned patients (median PSA = 0.79 ng/mL). Lesions were detected in 58 out of 104 (56%) patients. Detection was broadly proportional to PSA level; ≤1 ng/mL, 1 out of 3 of scans were positive, and 93% scans were positive at PSA >2.0 ng/mL. Sixty-six (64%) patients had a postscan management change (80% after a positive result). Major changes (43 out of 66; 65%) were salvage or systemic therapy to watchful waiting (16 out of 66; 24%); salvage therapy to systemic therapy (16 out of 66; 24%); and alternative changes to treatment modality (11 out of 66, 17%). The remaining 23 out of 66 (35%) management changes were modifications of the prescan plan: most (22 out of 66; 33%) were adjustments to planned brachytherapy/radiation therapy to include a 18F-fluciclovine-guided boost. Where 18F-fluciclovine guided salvage therapy, the PSA response rate was higher than when 18F-fluciclovine was not involved (15 out of 17 [88%] vs 28 out of 39 [72%]).\udConclusions\ud\ud18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT located recurrence in the majority of men with BCR, frequently resulting in major management plan changes. Incorporating 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT into treatment planning may optimize targeting of recurrence sites and avoid futile salvage therapy.

Background: Foreign body aspiration commonly occurs in young children and is associated with high degree of mortality and morbidity. The objectives of this study were to determine epidemiologic, clinical and endoscopic perspectives of foreign body aspiration in children of District D.I.Khan, Pakistan. Materials & Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in Department of ENT, Gomal Medical College/ DHQ Teaching Hospital, D.I.Khan, Pakistan from November 2017-April 2019. 105 children with suspected foreign body (FB) aspiration were included. All patients underwent rigid bronchoscopy under GA. After check X-ray and one day observation, they were discharged. Variables were sex, age in years and age groups, successful removal, mortality, history of FB aspiration, cough, wheezing, choking, stridor, reduced air entry and location of FB. Age in years was numeric, age groups ordinal and all other variables were on nominal scale. Age in years was described by mean & SD and others by count and percentage. Results: The sample with suspected foreign body aspiration (n=105) included 61 (58.1%) boys and 44 (41.9%) girls, with 20 (19.05%) in age group 0-2.0 years, 58 (55.24%) 2.0-5.0 years and 27 (25.71%) 5.0-14 years. Chest X-Ray was done in 98/105 (93.33%) cases. Frequency of successful FB removal by rigid bronchoscopy was 86/105 (81.90%). Mortality was none. Out of 86 confirmed cases, 51 (59.30%) were boys and 35 (40.70%) girls, with 19 (22.10%) in age group 0-2.0 years, 55 (63.95%) 2.0-5.0 years and 12 (13.95%) 5.0-14 years. Mean age was 3.57±1.78. History of FB aspiration was in 75/86 (87.21%), cough 65 (75.58%), stridor 14 (16.28%), wheezing 54 (62.79%) and choking 28 (32.56%) cases. Reduced air entry was 44 (51.16%) on right side, 17 (19.77%) on left side and 25 (29.05%) bilateral. Location of FB was larynx 6 (9.98%), trachea 20 (23.26%), right bronchus 44 (51.16%) and left bronchus 16 (18.60%). Conclusions: Foreign body aspiration in children in not an uncommon event. The parents should try to prevent such event, and if there, should present the child to emergency department of a hospital. ENT surgeons are supposed to evaluate and plan an earlier intervention as rigid bronchoscopy for these children.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the infection control practices among dental trainees and house-officers. The use of method of sterilization, to figure out that whether the dental trainees are vaccinated against Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV), Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Hepatitis B and C, the color-coded waste segregation protocols implementation in dental hospitals. METHODOLOGY: A comparative study was conducted in Sardar Begum Dental Hospital (SBDH), Peshawar. The total number of the participants was 150 dental practitioners (75 training medical officers and 75 house officers) including both genders from different departments of SBDH. A questionnaire was designed to obtain the data on infection control practices, method using for sterilization, vaccination of the trainees and waste segregation protocols. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. RESULTS: Training medical officers (TMO) and house-officers (HO) are following the infection control practices in dental units (p

Doxazosin is used for treating symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Besides, it is also prescribed for patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. The object of the current study was to assess the linearity in the pharmacokinetics of doxazosin after administration of doxazosin as a single dose tablet containing 2, 4 and 8 mg doxazosin mesylate. Thirty Iraqi healthy male adult subjects were given 2, 4 and 8 mg doxazosin mesylate tablet in a randomized, cross-over, open-label, fasting, three-period, three-sequence design separated by one week wash out the interval between dosing. Serial blood samples were obtained from each subject before drug intake (zero time) and then at 0.33, 0.67, 1.0, 1.33, 1.67, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0, 12.0, 24.0, 36, 48, 60, and eventually at 72 hours after dosing. The pharmacokinetic parameters Cmax, AUC0–t, AUC0–∞, Tmax and Thalf were determined from plasma concentration-time data of the drug by non-compartmental analysis. Statistical analysis of doxazosin pharmacokinetic parameters obtained after administration of the investigated dose ranges 2-8 mg demonstrated linear pharmacokinetics.

Objectives Imaging options to localize biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy (RP) are limited, especially at low prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. The FALCON study evaluated the impact of 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT on management plans for patients with BCR. Here, we evaluate salvage radiotherapy decisions in patients post-RP. Methods We conducted a subgroup analysis of post-RP patients enrolled in FALCON who had a prescan plan for salvage radiotherapy (± androgen-deprivation therapy). Patients’ treatment plans post-18F-fluciclovine PET/CT were compared with their prescan plans. Fisher exact test was used to determine the impact of PSA and Gleason sum on positivity and anatomical patterns of uptake. Results Sixty-five (63%) FALCON patients had undergone RP. Of these, 62 (median PSA, 0.32 ng/mL) had a prescan plan for salvage radiotherapy. Twenty-one (34%) had 18F-fluciclovine-avid lesions. Disease was confined to the prostate bed in 11 patients (52%) and to the pelvis in a further 5 (24%), while 5 (24%) had extrapelvic findings. Trends towards more disseminated disease with increasing PSA or Gleason sum were observed but did not reach statistical significance. Postscan, 25 (40%) patients had a management change; 17 (68%) were changed to the treatment modality (8 to systemic therapy, 8 to active surveillance, 1 other) and 8 (32%) were radiotherapy field modifications. Conclusions Incorporating 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT into treatment planning may help identify patients suitable for salvage radiotherapy, help augment planned radiotherapy to better target lesions and support the clinician to optimise patient management.

Severe coronary artery calcification (CAC) is associated with high rate of procedural complications. The current techniques that facilitate percutaneous coronary interventions in moderate to severe CAC have significant risk of complications, including periprocedural myocardial infarction , dissection, perforation and transient atrioventricular block. Coronary Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) is a novel technology for the treatment of moderate to severe calcified lesions. IVL uses sonic pressure waves to break down the calcium deposits with no to minimal impact on the blood vessel tissues, which makes IVL a safe option with high procedural success and minimal complications. Here, we discuss coronary IVL as a treatment option for CAC and summarize the major clinical trials performed evaluating the safety and outcome of IVL.

Summary Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) usually affects young females and its presentation with haemorrhage is unusual. Intracerebral bleed (ICB) has been described in a few case reports, but massive haematuria has not been reported in the literature so far. Here, we present a case of a 56 year-old-lady who presented with expanding lobar bleed and massive haematuria as the first presentation of SLE secondary to vasculitis. Lupus vasculitis usually presents with thrombosis-related complications and although bleeding in this context is rare, it can lead to catastrophic consequences. Hence, vasculitis-related bleeding should be taken under consideration in a challenging situation like ours.

Objective: To determine plasma adiponectin and leptin levels in subjects with and without ischemic heart disease (IHD) and to find the correlation between leptin, adiponectin to the number of coronary vessels disease-using angiography.Patients and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted Ziauddin University. 80 subjects were recruited who were undergoing angiography. Height, weight, Waist and hip circumference were measured. BMI and WHR were calculated accordingly. Venous blood was drawn to measure adiponectin and leptin using ELISA.Results: Leptin to adiponectin ratio (LA ratio) was significantly increased in three and two vessel disease compared with single vessel and non-significant groups.Conclusion: The study shows that adiponectin decreases and leptin increases in multivessel disease. LA ratio has been found to correlate well in two and more than two vessel disease.

Introduction Right iliac fossa (RIF) pain remains the commonest acute general surgical presentation in children. Our centre had been an outlier compared with the national average in terms of negative appendicectomy rates. Thus, we designed and implemented a local pathway for risk stratification and management of children with RIF pain. Methods The first phase was a retrospective analysis of all appendicectomies performed between April 2018 and March 2019, in children aged five to seventeen years old. Pre-operative inflammatory markers, clinical signs, and histology findings were analyzed. Second phase involved designing a pathway utilizing Paediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS), a ten-point scoring system when assessing children with RIF pain. The final phase was a prospective analysis of appendicectomy results performed between August and November 2019, after implementing PAS pathway. Results 92 cases were recruited in the first phase (mean age 12.3). 22 cases were analyzed in the final phase after implementing PAS pathway (mean age 10.9). Our negative appendicectomy rates had reduced from 25% to 15.4%. In addition, we found that 96% of positive appendicectomies had either raised inflammatory markers (WCC or CRP), raised PAS (Score of ≥ 4), or both. Conclusion There is noticeable difference in our negative appendicectomy rates since the introduction of PAS pathway. A diagnosis of appendicitis in a child with normal inflammatory markers and PAS score seemed unlikely. Our goal is to continue utilizing the PAS pathway in our department in order to reduce unnecessary surgeries in children.

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only disease-modifying treatment for allergic disorders that induces immunological tolerance through administration of specific allergens. Studies on AIT for subcutaneous route are in abundance; however, the efficacy of AIT in tablet form through sublingual route has not been well elucidated. The present prospective, parallel-group, controlled study sought to compare the efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) tablets with pharmacotherapy (PT) in 332 house dust mite (HDM)-specific allergic asthma and/or rhinitis patients over a period of 3 years. Patients were followed up for a 6-month run-in period and then randomly stratified as those who would receive SLIT, SLIT in addition to PT (SLIT+PT), and PT alone. AIT was administered in the form of sublingual tablets. Symptom and medication scores were measured every 3 months. In vitro evaluation of serum total and HDM specific immunoglobulin E (HDM sIgE) levels was carried out every 3 months, whereas in vivo skin prick test was performed annually for 3 years. Our study demonstrated sustained clinical improvement, reduction in inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) dose and duration as well as prevention from development of neosensitization to other aero allergens in HDM-allergic asthmatics and/or rhinitis patients treated with 3 years SLIT. Despite a remarkable clinical improvement with AIT, we observed that SLIT did not significantly change the skin reactivity to HDM at 3 years and there was no significant change in the ratio of serum total and HDM sIgE. Given the immune and disease modifying effects of AIT in allergic diseases, the present study supports the notion of its sublingual mode being an effective long-term immunomodulator in HDM-sensitized nasobronchial allergies.

Summary Background Oral anticoagulation reduces the rate of systemic embolism for patients with atrial fibrillation by two-thirds, but its benefits for patients with previous intracranial haemorrhage are uncertain. In the Start or STop Anticoagulants Randomised Trial (SoSTART), we aimed to establish whether starting is non-inferior to avoiding oral anticoagulation for survivors of intracranial haemorrhage who have atrial fibrillation. Methods SoSTART was a prospective, randomised, open-label, assessor-masked, parallel-group, pilot phase trial done at 67 hospitals in the UK. We recruited adults (aged ≥18 years) who had survived at least 24 h after symptomatic spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage, had atrial fibrillation, and had a CHA2DS2-VASc score of at least 2. Web-based computerised randomisation incorporating a minimisation algorithm allocated participants (1:1) to start or avoid long-term (≥1 year) full treatment dose open-label oral anticoagulation. The participants assigned to start oral anticoagulation received either a direct oral anticoagulant or vitamin K antagonist, and the group assigned to avoid oral anticoagulation received standard clinical practice (antiplatelet agent or no antithrombotic agent). The primary outcome was recurrent symptomatic spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage, and was adjudicated by an individual masked to treatment allocation. All outcomes were ascertained for at least 1 year after randomisation and assessed in the intention-to-treat population of all randomly assigned participants, using Cox proportional hazards regression adjusted for minimisation covariates. We planned a sample size of 190 participants (one-sided p=0·025, power 90%, allowing for non-adherence) based on a non-inferiority margin of 12% (or adjusted hazard ratio [HR] of 3·2). This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03153150) and is complete. Findings Between March 29, 2018, and Feb 27, 2020, consent was obtained at 61 sites for 218 participants, of whom 203 were randomly assigned at a median of 115 days (IQR 49–265) after intracranial haemorrhage onset. 101 were assigned to start and 102 to avoid oral anticoagulation. Participants were followed up for median of 1·2 years (IQR 0·97–1·95; completeness 97·2%). Starting oral anticoagulation was not non-inferior to avoiding oral anticoagulation: eight (8%) of 101 in the start group versus four (4%) of 102 in the avoid group had intracranial haemorrhage recurrences (adjusted HR 2·42 [95% CI 0·72–8·09]; p=0·152). Serious adverse events occurred in 17 (17%) participants in the start group and 15 (15%) in the avoid group. 22 (22%) patients in the start group and 11 (11%) patients in the avoid group died during the study. Interpretation Whether starting oral anticoagulation was non-inferior to avoiding it for people with atrial fibrillation after intracranial haemorrhage was inconclusive, although rates of recurrent intracranial haemorrhage were lower than expected. In view of weak evidence from analyses of three composite secondary outcomes, the possibility that oral anticoagulation might be superior for preventing symptomatic major vascular events should be investigated in adequately powered randomised trials. Funding British Heart Foundation, Medical Research Council, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland.

Older adults undergoing emergency abdominal surgery have significantly poorer outcomes than younger adults. For those who survive, the level of care required on discharge from hospital is unknown and such information could guide decision-making. The ELF (Emergency Laparotomy and Frailty) study aimed to determine whether preoperative frailty in older adults was associated with increased dependence at the time of discharge.The ELF study was a UK-wide multicentre prospective cohort study of older patients (65 years or more) undergoing emergency laparotomy during March and June 2017. The objective was to establish whether preoperative frailty was associated with increased care level at discharge compared with preoperative care level. The analysis used a multilevel logistic regression adjusted for preadmission frailty, patient age, sex and care level.A total of 934 patients were included from 49 hospitals. Mean(s.d.) age was 76·2(6·8) years, with 57·6 per cent women; 20·2 per cent were frail. Some 37·4 per cent of older adults had an increased care level at discharge. Increasing frailty was associated with increased discharge care level, with greater predictive power than age. The adjusted odds ratio for an increase in care level was 4·48 (95 per cent c.i. 2·03 to 9·91) for apparently vulnerable patients (Clinical Frailty Score (CFS) 4), 5·94 (2·54 to 13·90) for those mildly frail (CFS 5) and 7·88 (2·97 to 20·79) for those moderately or severely frail (CFS 6 or 7), compared with patients who were fit.Over 37 per cent of older adults undergoing emergency laparotomy required increased care at discharge. Frailty scoring was a significant predictor, and should be integrated into all acute surgical units to aid shared decision-making and discharge planning.Los adultos mayores sometidos a cirugía abdominal de urgencia tienen resultados significativamente peores que los adultos jóvenes. Para aquellos pacientes que sobreviven, el nivel de atención que requieren tras el alta hospitalaria se desconoce y esta información podría servir de guía en la toma de decisiones. El estudio ELF (Emergency Laparotomy and Frailty) tenía como objetivo determinar si la fragilidad preoperatoria en adultos mayores se asociaba con un aumento de la dependencia en el momento del alta. MÉTODOS: El estudio ELF era un estudio multicéntrico extenso efectuado en el Reino Unido (n = 49) que incluyó una cohorte prospectiva de 934 pacientes mayores ( 65 años) sometidos a laparotomía de urgencia durante marzo-junio de 2017. El objetivo fue establecer si la fragilidad preoperatoria aumentaba el nivel de asistencia en el momento del alta en comparación con el nivel de asistencia preoperatorio. Para el análisis se utilizó una regresión logística multinivel ajustada a características previas al ingreso: fragilidad, edad del paciente, género, y nivel de asistencia.La edad media de los pacientes fue 76,2 años (DE = 6,83), con un 57% de mujeres, un 20,2% de pacientes frágiles y un 37,4% de adultos mayores que presentaron un aumento en el nivel de asistencia en el momento del alta. Un aumento de la fragilidad se asoció con un incremento en el nivel de asistencia en el momento del alta (y mayor poder predictivo que la edad). La razón de oportunidades (odds ratio, OR) ajustada por el aumento del nivel de asistencia fue 4,48 (i.c. del 95% 2,03-9,91) para pacientes aparentemente vulnerables (Clinical Frailty Scale, CFS 4); 5,94 (i.c. del 95% 2,54-13,90) para aquellos ligeramente frágiles (CFS 5); y 7,88 (i.c. del 95% 2,97-20,79) para aquellos con fragilidad moderada o grave (CFS 6 and 7) en comparación con pacientes en buenas condiciones. CONCLUSIÓN: Este es el primer estudio que documenta que más del 37% de adultos mayores sometidos a laparotomía de urgencia precisaron un aumento en el nivel de asistencia en el momento del alta. La evaluación de la fragilidad debería integrarse en todas las unidades quirúrgicas de agudos para ayudar a compartir la toma de decisiones y los planes de tratamiento.

Introduction Anomalous origin of coronary arteries has been observed in about 0.35-2.10% of the population. Patients with anomalous right coronary artery (ARCA) may present with significant symptoms, arrhythmias or ACS, and at times sudden death. Traditionally, surgical correction has been the recommended treatment. However, these may be technically challenging, and bypass grafting for such anomalies has the potential for graft failure because of competitive flow. We sought to determine the intermediate and long-term outcomes of drug-eluting stent placement for patients with symptomatic ARCA. We also looked at angiographic findings suggestive of interarterial course as confirmed by subsequent computed tomography (CT) findings. Methods Between January 2005 and December 2012, we enrolled 11 patients for elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of ARCA in a single center, prospective, nonrandomized fashion. Patients were followed up in clinic at 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year, and then annually or more frequently if needed. All patients underwent a cardiac CT, as well as functional stress testing when needed to assess for recurrence of disease. Results All 11 of our patients, who presented with significant symptomatic stenosis with an ARCA, were successfully treated with PCI. Mean follow-up duration was 8.5 years. The only two deaths during follow-up were related to noncardiac causes (sepsis), with a mortality rate of 18.2%. Two patients had a positive functional study and on subsequent coronary angiography, one of them had significant in-stent restenosis (target lesion revascularization of 9.1%) and one distal to the stent (target vessel revascularization 9.1%). We found the observation of a "slit-like lesion" on angiography to have a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 86% for the diagnosis of interarterial course of the anomalous vessel seen on subsequent CT. Conclusions Our study results suggest that PCI of ARCA is an effective and low-risk alternative to surgical correction, with good procedural success and long-term outcomes. It can provide symptomatic relief in such patients and may reduce the risk of sudden death in younger patients, without the inherent risks associated with surgical repair.

Background: Oral isotretinoin is the recommended treatment for acne vulgaris, a skin disease especially common in teenagers and adolescents. This study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of low dose with high dose isotretinoin in severe acne vulgaris patients.Material and Methods: This randomized controlled trial included 110 patients with a clinical diagnosis of acne vulgaris. They were divided into two groups. Both groups were matched for age (mean 18.2±3.7 vs 17.6±3.2 years), weight (mean 58±10.2 vs 60.7±9.3 Kg), gender and disease duration (3±1.1 vs 3±1.0 years). Group A received low dose oral isotretinoin (20 mg/day) while group B received standard high dose regimen (1mg/kg/day). All patients were followed up for 16 weeks to assess efficacy (assessment of complete remission) and safety (mucocutaneous side effects). All calculations were performed using SPSS v. 16 with p value

BACKGROUND: In dental settings, COVID-19 can be transmitted directly from patients to dentists through small droplets, saliva splashes, blood, and other body fluids liberated as a result of dental procedures. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of ocular and facial injuries in dental professionals and to investigate factors in dental practice contributing to ocular injuries. METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional study was performed in public and private sector universities. The study had 301 participants including final year undergraduate students, interns, postgraduate trainees, general practitioners, and dental specialists. Data were gathered online using Google forms. Information on sociodemographic, practice details, history of ocular and facial encounters during the clinical experience, and protective measures adopted by the dentists were collected. Means and standard deviations were calculated for continuous variables whereas frequencies and percentages were calculated for categorical variables. A Chi-square test was applied for association between variables. RESULTS: Ocular events and facial injuries occurred more in females 204 (67.8%) than in males 97(32.2%). Final year students reported more incidence of ocular encounters than specialists (40.9%, 3.3%). Dentists working in the government sector underwent more ocular encounters than those in private sectors 185(61.4%) and 96 (31.8%). Majority of participants reported that scaling was the procedure in which dentists experienced an ocular event. A significant association was found between ocular events, qualification, years of experience in clinical practice, number of patients treated per day, improper posture, and proper armamentarium (p

Stroke is a cerebrovascular disease (CVD), which results in hemiplegia, paralysis, or death. Conventionally, a stroke patient requires prolonged sessions with physical therapists for the recovery of motor function. Various home-based rehabilitative devices are also available for upper limbs and require minimal or no assistance from a physiotherapist. However, there is no clinically proven device available for functional recovery of a lower limb. In this study, we explored the potential use of surface electromyography (sEMG) as a controlling mechanism for the development of a home-based lower limb rehabilitative device for stroke patients. In this experiment, three channels of sEMG were used to record data from 11 stroke patients while performing ankle joint movements. The movements were then decoded from the sEMG data and their correlation with the level of motor impairment was investigated. The impairment level was quantified using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) scale. During the analysis, Hudgins time-domain features were extracted and classified using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and artificial neural network (ANN). On average, 63.86% ± 4.3% and 67.1% ± 7.9% of the movements were accurately classified in an offline analysis by LDA and ANN, respectively. We found that in both classifiers, some motions outperformed others (p &lt, 0.001 for LDA and p = 0.014 for ANN). The Spearman correlation (ρ) was calculated between the FMA scores and classification accuracies. The results indicate that there is a moderately positive correlation (ρ = 0.75 for LDA and ρ = 0.55 for ANN) between the two of them. The findings of this study suggest that a home-based EMG system can be developed to provide customized therapy for the improvement of functional lower limb motion in stroke patients.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is responsible for a public health burden with multi-systemic complications. Through trans-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and independent replication (n = 1,046,070), we identified 264 associated loci (166 new). Of these, 147 were likely to be relevant for kidney function on the basis of associations with the alternative kidney function marker blood urea nitrogen (n = 416,178). Pathway and enrichment analyses, including mouse models with renal phenotypes, support the kidney as the main target organ. A genetic risk score for lower eGFR was associated with clinically diagnosed CKD in 452,264 independent individuals. Colocalization analyses of associations with eGFR among 783,978 European-ancestry individuals and gene expression across 46 human tissues, including tubulo-interstitial and glomerular kidney compartments, identified 17 genes differentially expressed in kidney. Fine-mapping highlighted missense driver variants in 11 genes and kidney-specific regulatory variants. These results provide a comprehensive priority list of molecular targets for translational research.

The concentrations of high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides are influenced by smoking, but it is unknown whether genetic associations with lipids may be modified by smoking. We conducted a multi-ancestry genome-wide gene-smoking interaction study in 133,805 individuals with follow-up in an additional 253,467 individuals. Combined meta-analyses identified 13 novel loci, some of which were detected only because the association differed by smoking status. Additionally, we demonstrated the importance of including diverse populations, particularly in studies of interactions with lifestyle factors, where genomic and lifestyle differences by ancestry may contribute to novel findings., Editorial summary: A multi-ancestry genome-wide gene-smoking interaction study identifies 13 new loci associated with serum lipids.

At present, obesity is becoming the prime metabolic disease around the globe. One-fourth of the US adult population is reported to be above normal weight by 20%. Psychological and emotional complications equally contribute to obesity. Many obese people have more risk of psychiatric disorders such as depression and stress. Stress and obesity are two main problems, which are faced by modern society. Military personnel also face emotional and posttraumatic stresses. Unexpected mobilization, deployment, heavy casualties, and war fear all result in higher levels of psychological distress and in many ways obesity and stress are linked with each other. Stress leads to health-related disturbances that affect metabolism by increasing production of biochemical hormones and peptides such as leptin, ghrelin, and neuropeptide Y and endocrine system by causing changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Intellectual processes such as executive function and self-regulation are affected leading to behavior changes that might stimulate production of ghrelin, thus may also cause eating disorder, decreasing routine physical activity, shortening of sleep, mood fluctuations, and other clinical implications (disease risks).

Background The RESCUE (Randomized Evaluation of Patients with Stable Angina Comparing Utilization of Noninvasive Examinations) trial was a randomized, controlled, multicenter, comparative efficacy outcomes trial designed to assess whether initial testing with coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) is noninferior to single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging in directing patients with stable angina to optimal medical therapy alone or optimal medical therapy with revascularization. Methods and Results The end point was first major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) (cardiac death or myocardial infarction), or revascularization. Noninferiority margin for CCTA was set a priori as a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.3 (95% CI=0, 1.605). One thousand fifty participants from 44 sites were randomized to CCTA (n=518) or SPECT (n=532). Mean follow‐up time was 16.2 (SD 7.9) months. There were no cardiac‐related deaths. In patients with a negative CCTA there was 1 acute myocardial infarction; in patients with a negative SPECT examination there were 2 acute myocardial infarctions; and for positive CCTA and SPECT, 1 acute myocardial infarction each. Participants in the CCTA arm had a similar rate of MACE or revascularization compared with those in the SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging arm, (HR, 1.03; 95% CI=0.61‐1.75) ( P =0.19). CCTA segment involvement by a stenosis of ≥50% diameter was a better predictor of MACE and revascularization at 1 year ( P =0.02) than the percent reversible defect size by SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging. Four (1.2%) patients with negative CCTA compared with 14 (3.2%) with negative SPECT had MACE or revascularization ( P =0.03). Conclusions There was no difference in outcomes of patients who had stable angina and who underwent CCTA in comparison to SPECT as the first imaging test directing them to optimal medical therapy alone or with revascularization. CCTA was a better predictor of MACE and revascularization. Registration Information URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ . Identifier: NCT01262625.

Contains fulltext : 228684.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) OBJECTIVE: To compare the 24-month risk of mortality between arthroplasty and internal fixation for undisplaced femoral neck fractures (FNFs). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Secondary data analysis of 2 multinational randomized controlled trials. PARTICIPANTS: Patients aged 50 years or older with a FNF. INTERVENTION: Arthroplasty (n = 1441), including total hip arthroplasty and hemiarthroplasty, performed for a displaced FNF versus internal fixation (n = 734), including sliding hip screw or multiple cancellous screws, performed for an undisplaced FNF. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: The primary outcome was mortality within 24 months of injury. Secondary outcomes included reoperation and health-related quality of life. RESULTS: The 24-month mortality rate was 15.0% (n = 327). Arthroplasty was associated with a significant reduction in the odds of mortality [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.44-0.72, P < 0.01] compared with treatment with internal fixation. 11.4% (n = 248) of the study patients required reoperation within 24 months of injury. The odds of reoperation were 59% lower with arthroplasty treatment than with internal fixation (aOR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.32-0.55, P < 0.01). The 24-month SF-12 physical component scores were 2.7 points higher in arthroplasty patients compared with internal fixation patients (95% CI: 1.6-3.8, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest arthroplasty for a FNF may reduce the risk of mortality and reoperation compared with internal fixation of undisplaced fractures. This finding is counter to many current surgical practices but consistent with a mounting body of evidence. Before widespread adoption of arthroplasty for undisplaced fractures, these results should be confirmed in a definitive comparative trial. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Purpose This study assesses the potential for vascular-metabolic imaging with FluoroDeoxyGlucose (FDG)–Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) perfusion to provide markers of prognosis specific to the site and stage of colorectal cancer. Methods This prospective observational study comprised of participants with suspected colorectal cancer categorized as either (a) non-metastatic colon cancer (M0colon), (b) non-metastatic rectal cancer (M0rectum), or (c) metastatic colorectal cancer (M+). Combined FDG-PET/CT perfusion imaging was successfully performed in 286 participants (184 males, 102 females, age: 69.60 ± 10 years) deriving vascular and metabolic imaging parameters. Vascular and metabolic imaging parameters alone and in combination were investigated with respect to overall survival. Results A vascular-metabolic signature that was significantly associated with poorer survival was identified for each patient group: M0colon – high Total Lesion Glycolysis (TLG) with increased Permeability Surface Area Product/Blood Flow (PS/BF), Hazard Ratio (HR) 3.472 (95% CI: 1.441–8.333), p = 0.006; M0rectum – high Metabolic Tumour Volume (MTV) with increased PS/BF, HR 4.567 (95% CI: 1.901–10.970), p = 0.001; M+ participants, high MTV with longer Time To Peak (TTP) enhancement, HR 2.421 (95% CI: 1.162–5.045), p = 0.018. In participants with stage 2 colon cancer as well as those with stage 3 rectal cancer, the vascular-metabolic signature could stratify the prognosis of these participants. Conclusion Vascular and metabolic imaging using FDG-PET/CT can be used to synergise prognostic markers. The hazard ratios suggest that the technique may have clinical utility.

The study aimed to highlight the main challenges faced by the social workers amid the pandemic. A qualitative study was conducted between March 2020 to May 2020 in Karachi, Pakistan. All participants who belonged to a non-profit organization were eligible to participate. Open-ended questions were asked by the participants. The mean age of the participants was 24.8 ± 5.9 years. The main challenges faced by the social workers were: i) resistance from the family and friends, ii) lack of personal protective equipment, iii) mistrust from public, iv) uncooperative government/authorities.

Patient: Female, 22-year-old Final Diagnosis: Primary nonparasitic splenic cyst Symptoms: Abdominal pain • mass in abdomen Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Laparoscopic decapsulation of giant splenic cyst. Specialty: Surgery Objective: Rare disease Background: Primary nonparasitic splenic cysts (PNSC) are unusual epithelial fluid lesions of the spleen. They are considered congenital cysts and are often discovered incidentally in young people. Larger cysts can be symptomatic and are traditionally managed with splenectomy. This report is of a woman with a large symptomatic PNSC that was managed surgically by laparoscopic decapsulation. Case Report: A 22-year-old Lebanese woman presented with left upper-quadrant pain, left pleuritic pain, food intolerance, and significant weight loss. Investigations showed a 20×17×15 cm cystic lesion in the spleen. Secondary causes were ruled out and tumor marker and hydatid serology were unremarkable. Laparoscopic decapsulation of the cyst with spleen preservation was performed with no perioperative complications. The patient’s 3-year follow-up visit revealed no clinical or radiological recurrence. Conclusions: True congenital splenic cysts are rare clinical findings. Generally, they do not have malignant potential. The development of minimally invasive techniques has shifted the trend toward splenic salvaging procedures. Literature review revealed an acceptable recurrence rate with near-total rather than partial unroofing. Laparoscopic decapsulation can be a safe and adequate therapeutic option in selected cases.

1. Methodology 2.1 Study population and sample The target population selected for the feedback consisted of people living in Karachi, the biggest city of Pakistan, an industrial hub, and a port city comprising over 15 million population. The demographics included age, gender, profession, students, working, non-working, retired, etc. The city was under complete lockdown since the 1st week of April. The study conducted in the third week from April 16-23, 2020 for assessment of the mental health of the population in the context of lockdown and confinement due to COVID-19 in Pakistan. Because of the large population, the stigma attached to mental health, and ethical considerations the questionnaire was kept anonymous and the non-probability convenience sampling technique was used. 2.2 Rating instruments The Research instruments PHQ-9 was used for the assessment of the mental health of the population (Hartung et al., 2017; Hinz et al., 2006) under three week's lockdown during COVID-19. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is a nine-item depression severity measuring instrument with a total score of 20. Depression Severity Scores represent: 0-5 = Mild, 6-10 = Moderate 11-15 = Moderately Severe 16-20 = Severe Depression (Kroenke et al., 2010). 2.3 Data analysis PHQ-9 and GAD-7 forms designed on Google form and survey was conducted online sharing the link via Emails, Whatsapp, Facebook, and LinkedIn using 120 research volunteers. The respondent cooperation and readiness were high as it was anonymous, easy to complete within 3 minutes, and submission over a single click through their cell phone. The survey started on 16th April and was completed within seven days by April 21. The 6876 respondents completed the questionnaire included in the final analysis. The statistical analytical tool SPSS was implied for descriptive analyses. Initially, descriptive analysis was conducted to describe the demographic characteristics of people of Karachi under lockdown for the last three weeks (April 16 to April 23). Secondly, the prevalence of severity of depression symptoms was measured on a rating scale of minimal, mild, moderate, and severe stratified by gender, age, and occupation. 2.4 Ethical considerations The ethical committee of qualified psychiatrists and psychologists of BasicNeeds Pakistan endorsed the study. The respondents were not required to provide any personal information and identity to keep the survey anonymous; consequently, they participated in the study. 2.5 Demographic information The demographic elements consisted of age (18-65 in five categories), gender (Male & Female), professionals, students, and entrepreneurs (self-employed and owners of the SMEs). The study was confined to the urban population who faced strict lockdown restrictions and complete closure.

In Pakistan, there is limited evidence for the levels and relationship of 25 (OH) Vitamin D (25(OH)D) status in pregnant women and their newborns, while the association between maternal 25(OH)D and newborn anthropometric measurements remains unexplored. Sociodemographic data were collected from 213 pregnant mothers during their visit to a tertiary care hospital at the time of childbirth. Anthropometric measurements were performed on all mothers and their newborns and blood samples collected from both for 25(OH)D levels. Participants were classified into two groups according to their 25(OH)D status: sufficient (25(OH)D ≥50 nmol L−1) and deficient (25(OH)D 0.05). Our study shows a high prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency in pregnant women and their newborns and a strong positive association between maternal and newborn 25(OH)D levels. Findings of this study indicate the importance of maintaining sufficient 25(OH)D levels during pregnancy.

Background; Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is a common bacterial infection in patients with cirrhosis and ascities with in-hospital mortality rates ranging from 20 to 30%. Early diagnosis and a prompt antibiotic therapy have considerably decreased the mortality rate and this study was done to determine drug resistance pattern among causative organisms of SBP. Material and Methods; All the cases (n = 183) of Cirrhosis of liver with ascities, fulfilling inclusion criteria were recruited from Department of Medicine Akhtar Saeed Trust Hospital Lahore and Nishtar Hospital, Multan. All selected patients were subjected to ascitic fluid tap, under aseptic measures by inserting a needle of 22 / 18 gauge in the left flank of abdomen. Ten ml of ascitic fluid was aspirated in a heparinised disposable syringe; which was immediately inoculated into blood culture bottle at bedside and send for bacterial culture and causative organisms was tested for their antibiotic drug resistance pattern. Data was entered and analyzed by computer program SPSS-18. Results; Of these 183 study cases, 103 (56.3%) were male patients while 80 (43.7%) were female patients. Mean age of our study cases was 51.73 ± 9.28 years. Previous history of use of antibiotics before 72 hours was noted in 103 (56.3%), anti – HCV was positive in 103 (56.3%) while HBs Ag was positive in 13.7% of our study cases. Among these study cases, E.coli was noted in 135 (73.8%), Staph. Aureus in 17.5% and Klebsiella was noted in 8.7%. Chloramphenicol was resistant in 24 (13.1%), ampicillin was resistant in 143 (78.1%), co – trimoxazole in 61.2%, ciprofloxacin in 55.7%, Ofloxacin in 56.3%, Cefotaxime was resistant in 78.1% and amoxicillin was resistant in 74.9%. Conclusion; High degree of drug resistance was observed among these strains in our study which points towards well directed efforts of our health policy makers to adopt certain guidelines regarding use of these drugs in our population. Our study results have indicated that E.coli was major causative organisms among patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis having cirrhosis of liver followed by staphylococcus aureus and klebsiella. Keywords; Cirrhosis, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, E. coli. DOI: 10.7176/JMPB/67-07 Publication date: August 31 st 2020

Objective; To determine the effectiveness in terms of postoperative pain with intravenous acetaminophen versus ketamine among women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy. Material and Methods; A total of 114 women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy were taken in this study. The study was conducted at Akhtar Saeed Trust Hospital, Lahore and Nishtar Hospital Multan. Data was analyzed with statistical analysis program (SPSS version 21). Analysis was done to compare proportion of acetaminophen group and ketamine group. Chi-square test was applied to compare both groups in terms of efficacy taken p ≤0.05 as significant. Results; Our study comprised of 114 ladies undergoing abdominal hysterectomy, mean age of the study cases was 54.13 ± 6.89 years (with minimum age of the patients was 39 years while maximum age was 68 years). Majority of our study cases i.e. 92 (80.7 %) had parity more than 3 and American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score level 1 in 93 (81.6%). Sixty one (53.1%) belonged to rural areas, while mean duration of surgery was 72.80 ± 11.32 minutes. Mean BMI level in our study cases was noted to be 23.98 ±4.17 Kg/m 2 and obesity was present in 34 (29.8%) of our study cases. Efficacy was noted in 60 (52.6 %) of our study cases. Efficacy was 73.7% study cases in group A while 18 (31.6%) in group B (p=0.000). Conclusion; Our study results support the use of intravenous acetaminophen (IVA) for pain management in patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy compared with ketamine. Intravenous acetaminophen is safe, reliable and effective for the pain management in postoperative abdominal hysterectomy patients which was associated with shorter hospital stay and cost effective for the suffering families. No adverse reactions were noted in this study with the use of intravenous acetaminophen. Keywords; Intravenous acetaminophen, Ketamine, Abdominal Hysterectomy. DOI: 10.7176/JMPB/67-04 Publication date: August 31 st 2020

Objective: We evaluated the effectiveness of magnesium sulphate treatment for the management and outcome of TBI. Material and Methods: The prospective cases (n = 112) of TBI were included from Department of Neurosurgery, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore. Patients were split into two groups. Magnesium sulphate treatment group (n = 56) and placebo group (n = 56). Detailed history of patients was taken along with comprehensive examinations with CT scans.56 TBI patients were given standard treatment plus magnesium sulphate and remaining 56 patients received just standard treatment. Results: Mean age of the magnesium supplement therapy group was 36.83 ± 13.45 years while in the placebo group was 33.64 ± 12.88 years). Majority 28 (67.9%) were male in the magnesium sulphate group while 37 (66.1%) were in the placebo group. Mean duration passed between hospital presentation and traumatic brain injury was 4.98 ± 2.32 hours in the magnesium sulphate group while it was 5.05 ± 2.48 in the placebo group. Mean Glasgow outcome score was 3.57 ± 1.33 in the magnesium sulphate group while 2.78 ± 1.23 in the placebo group and this difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: There is significant improvement in GOS after magnesium sulphate therapy in patients with traumatic brain injury versus placebo group as noted in the results.

Swine-origin influenza (H1N1) virus appeared in 2009 which spread worldwide, and it still circulates in the population. This study aimed at exploring the clinical manifestations and results in admitted patients having H1N1 influenza. All patients with confirmed or suspected influenza (H1N1) who reported to NWGH & RC, Peshawar, Pakistan from January 2018 till December 2019 were included in the study. Data was collected on demographics, preexisting medical conditions, duration of hospital stay, clinical laboratory data, outcome, and clinical features. Distribution of variables was assessed using histograms, comparison of continuous variables was done via independent Student’s t-test and of categorical variables using Chi Square test. A p value of ≤0.05 was set as cut-off for significance. A total of 39 patients presented to the hospital during the study period. Mean age was 52 (15.8) years and the proportion of male and female participants was 43.6% and 56.4% respectively. Clinical features included fever, shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, body aches and sore throat. The most commonly occurring comorbidities were hypertension [21 (53.8%)], diabetes [11 (28.2%)], and chronic kidney disease [3 (7.7%)]. Real time PCR positivity was present in 36 (92.3%) patients. Overall, 30 (76.9%) survived while 09 (23.1%) died. Comparison of the clinical parameters of survivors and non-survivors showed that non-survivors had significantly higher risk of renal failure (p=0.01), ionotropic disturbances (p=0.001), secondary infection (p=0.03), septic shock (p=0.001), and respiratory problems, requiring non-invasive ventilation and invasive mechanical ventilation (p=0.001).

Two cases with Ga-PSMA-avid prostate cancer recurrence in the vas deferens are presented. These cases highlight the clinical importance of imaging the pattern of local prostate cancer recurrence and the potential difficulties that arise due to the altered anatomy in the prostate bed after prostatectomy or radiotherapy.