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Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety profile of sitagliptin vs. glimepiride in type 2 diabetic patients. Study Design: Comparative study. Setting: Medical Unit, Islam Centarl Hospital Sialkot. Period: September to December 2018. Material & Methods: In which Type 2 diabetic patients (n=220) were randomly placed into interventional groups to prescribed either sitagliptin or glimepiride for an interval of 16 weeks. A blood sugar level was maintained by dose titration in both groups. The main end point was change in FBG & HbA1C while additional end point was change in body weight, hypoglycemic episodes and gastrointestinal adverse effects from baseline by using SPPS 16. Results: After 16 weeks of treatment both sitagliptin and glimepiride caused a significant improvement (P<0.001) in glycemic control by reducing FBG (-22±3.2 & -33.5±4.4) & HbA1c (0.78±0.3 & 1.12±0.25) respectively. However when comparison was done between two group, glimepiride has more pronounced effect on glycemic control as compared to sitagliptin (P<0.001). Net BMI reduced to 0.8±0.68 in sitagliptin group while net BMI increased to 1.1±0.78 in glimepiride treated group with (P<0.001). There were no adverse effects reported in sitagliptin treated group while 25 hypoglycemic episodes were noticed in glimepiride treated group. Conclusion: Glimepiride has more pronounced effect on glycemic control as compared to sitagliptin. However this pronounced effect was associated with more hypoglycemic episodes and weight gain. Euglycemic effect and weight reducing property of sitagliptin precludes that it has better safety and tolerability profile in comparison with glimepiride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the dose dependent effect of chloroform extract of aloe vera gel on sodium and water retention in rats with indomethacin and control. Methodology: This randomized controlled trial was conducted at Post Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore in which thirty male Sprague Dawley rats were divided in to five groups. First group was control (CTL), second was given indomethacin 3 mg/kg (INDO) while groups AVL, AVM, and AVH were given 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg doses of Aloe vera gel extract orally for a period of 28 days. Body weight, blood haematocrit level, total sodium excretion and serum sodium and potassium concentrations were measured. SPSS version 17 was used for data analysis. Results: Comparison of treatment groups with control at end of study showed significant weight gain in group INDO and AVH (p value <0.001). INDO and AVH groups also showed a significant decrease in total sodium excretion (p value 0.001 and 0.015). The mean haematocrit decreased insignificantly in groups INDO and AVH, while serum sodium level increased insignificantly in group INDO. Highest serum potassium level was observed in group INDO (p value 0.001) and the lowest was found in group AVH but difference was not significant as compared to control. Conclusion: High dose of aloe vera gel extract causes significant sodium and water retention in healthy rats, which was still less than that of indomethacin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the barriers and challenges in the adoption of the Electronic Health Record system in hospitals of Islamabad and to compare the barriers and challenges faced in adopting and running the electronic health record system in government and private hospitals of Islamabad. Method: This multicentric cross-sectional study was carried out among 210 respondents in four government and four private hospitals in Islamabad from June 2022 to November 2022. Out of 210, 160 respondents filled the questionnaire A structured questionnaire was distributed to the management, health professionals, and staff using the EHR system by simple random sampling. The data were analysed using SPSS version 26. An independent sample t-test was applied for a comparative analysis of challenges and barriers in government and private hospitals. Results: The response rate for the electronic health record system survey was 160 (76%). Of those responding, 85.75% and 72% reported using the EHR system regarding patient care in government and private hospitals, respectively. Around 42.5% and 83.75% of government and private hospitals have fully functional EHR systems, and 72% of government and 90% of private responses reported the use of computers as a major mode of patients’ data entry. A significant difference was found between government and private hospitals regarding social and legal barriers and lack of knowledge of the EHR system (p-value <0.05). Implementation of single modules and multi modules was a big challenge for the government and private hospitals, respectively (p-value <0.05). Conclusion: Government and private hospitals equally face the challenges and barriers to the implementation of the EHR system, with social and legal barriers being more prevalent in government hospitals and barriers and implementation of single modules and multimodule were a big challenge for the government and private hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the anti-dyslipidaemic effects of pioglitazone in diet-induced non-diabetic hyperlipidaemic rats and to compare them with gemfibrozil., Methods: This comparative animal study was conducted at the Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Pakistan, from July to September 2011, and comprised Sprague Dawley albino rats divided into three equal groups. Initially all three groups were given high-lipid diet containing cholesterol 1.5g, coconut oil 8ml and sodium cholate 1.0g per 100g of rat chow to induce hyperlipidaemia. From 4th to 8th week, Group A (control) was given 0.5ml of distilled water, Group B was given pioglitazone 10mg/kg body weight, and Group C was given gemfibrozil 10mg/kg body weight as single morning dose by oral route for a period of 04 weeks in addition to hyperlipidaemic diet. Serum lipid levels were estimated at zero, 4th and 8th week. Blood sugar level was estimated at 4th week to exclude diabetic rats.SPSS 17 was used for data analysis., Results: Of the 27 rats, each group had 9(33.33%) rats. At the start of the study, the mean weight was 254.44±14.67g in Group A, 255.11±14.66g in Group B and 252.22±14.18g in Group C. It was 352.22±16.79g, 332.22±17.19 and 328.11± 12.92 at the 8th week. The mean total cholesterol at 0 week was 71.4±4.88 mg/dl in Group A, 71.9±7.03 in Group B and 73.4±5.27 in Group C. At the 8th week, the values were 161.8±9.2 mg/dl, 100.8±7.0 and 95.0±6.6. The mean low-density lipoproteincholesterol levels in the respective groups were 30.2±4.9mg/dl, 32.2±7.0 and 33.6±6.0 at 0 week; 77.8±8.4, 85.1± 15.3 and 86.9± 6.3 at the 4th week and 113.9± 10.1, 60.4± 9.2 (p< 0.001) and 54.8± 6.6 (p< 0.001) at the 8th week.The mean serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol at the 8th week was 11.4± 1.7 mg/dl, 19.7± 2.4 (p< 0.001) and 19.2± 2.5 (p< 0.001) in the three groups, respectively., Conclusions: Treatment with pioglitazone improved serum lipid profile of non-diabetic hyperlipidaemic rats equivalent to that of gemfibrozil.