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Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a major global health concern, particularly in low-resource settings such as Peshawar, Pakistan. Nutritional status, reflected by body weight changes during treatment, is a critical factor influencing treatment outcomes. Objective: This study examines the relationship between body weight changes and MDR-TB treatment outcomes to inform targeted interventions. Methodology: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 185 MDR-TB patients undergoing treatment in Peshawar . Patients were categorized based on weight changes during treatment: weight gain (>5%), stable weight, and weight loss (<5%). Final treatment outcomes were analyzed across these categories. Results: Patients with weight gain ≥5 kg (32.4%) showed the highest treatment success rate (90.0%), with minimal failure (6.7%) and default (3.3%). Patients with weight gain 2--4.9 kg (21.6%) had a success rate of 80.0%, with failure and default rates of 15.0% and 5.0%, respectively. Stable weight (18.9%) was associated with a success rate of 68.6%, and higher failure (20.0%) and default (11.4%) rates. Weight loss 2--4.9 kg (16.2%) and ≥5 kg (10.8%) showed significantly poorer outcomes, with success rates of 50.0% and 40.0%, failure rates of 26.7% and 45.0%, and default rates of 23.3% and 15.0%, respectively. Conclusion: Body weight changes significantly influence MDR-TB treatment outcomes. Weight gain during treatment is associated with improved recovery, while weight loss predicts higher rates of failure and mortality. Nutritional support should be integrated into MDR-TB treatment protocols to enhance outcomes, particularly in resource-limited settings like Peshawar . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is difficult to treat, and its timely diagnosis is an important factor in successful treatment outcomes. Modern technology has made it possible to diagnose DR-TB more quickly than before when it took a long time to identify the presence of resistance Mycobacterium. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of the Xpert MTB/XDR to test the susceptibility of MTB towards anti-TB drugs by using sputum samples from infected people. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Programmatic Management of Drug-Resistant TB Unit (PMDT), Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, from March 2021 to March 2023. This study included samples from patients identified as rifampicin-resistant patients. The Xpert® MTB/XDR test's diagnosis accuracy was compared to that of the MGIT960, the reference drug susceptibility testing (DST) techniques, and the Hain Genotype® MTBDR plus and MDRsl assays (LPA). Results: The present study included 180 patients. These patients were divided into three groups for study purposes based on technique used, i.e., Pre-LPA or DST, Post-LPA, and Ten color Xpert MTB/XDR, and followed up for their culture conversion. Gene-Xpert MTB/RIF showed 93% of cases were positive, and on DST all cases showed positive results. For drug resistance in DST, LPA, and Gene-Xpert MTB/XDR, 61.1% of patients were resistant to three first-line drugs, and 11.1% were resistant to the second line. The overall median time from the identification of patients suspected of MDR-TB to the initiation of treatment in DST was 93 days. In LPA it was 25 and 5 days by Ten color Gene Xpert MTB/XDR. Conclusion: This study concludes that based on the timely initiation of treatment and culture conversion reports, DST and LPA are less efficient than the Ten-color Gene Xpert MTB/XDR assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As COVID-19 vaccinations became widely distributed, assessing their safety profile, especially among specific populations, has become crucial. Sinopharm, a prominent COVID-19 vaccine, has been administered extensively; however, data on its adverse effects in specific groups such as undergraduate Medical students remains limited. Objective: To assess the adverse effects following COVID-19 vaccination with Sinopharm among undergraduate medica (MBBS) students at a tertiary care institution, providing insights into the vaccine's safety within this demographic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among MBBS students at a tertiary care institution who received the Sinopharm vaccine at tertiary care institutions from January 2020 to June 2020. 200 MBBS students participanted in this study, and they were surveyed for adverse effects through a structured questionnaire administered immediately post-vaccination and during follow-up visits. Adverse effects were categorized into local and systemic reactions. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics to determine the frequency and severity of reported adverse effects. Results: Among study cases, the most commonly reported adverse effects included pain at the injection site (68%), redness (25%), and swelling (15%). Systemic reactions included fever (45%), headache (40%), and fatigue (50%). Severe adverse effects were rare, with only 5% reporting significant reactions such as allergic reactions or persistent high fever. Most adverse effects were mild to moderate and resolved within a few days. Conclusion: The study reveals that Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccination is generally well-tolerated among MBBS students, with the majority experiencing mild to moderate adverse effects. The findings align with existing literature on vaccine safety and provide reassurance regarding the vaccine's use in this population. Ongoing monitoring and reporting of adverse effects are essential to ensure continued safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. Thus, it was concluded that vaccine have no serious side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vaccinations protect against disease through a variety of ways, but the process of developing immunity might result ia side effects. Up till effective vaccines are widely distributed to the entire globe with fewer side effects, breakouts and disruptions to social and economic life are probably risks. Objective: Objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and seriousness of COVID-19 vaccine-related side effects among the students of different medical colleges. Methodology: The present study was of cross-sectional designed carried out at several Medical Colleges of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Between July 2022 and December 2022, data were gathered. Analysis was done on sociodemographic and clinical data, immunization schedules, and adverse effects. Result: The study had 470 vaccine recipients in total. Ages of the respondents ranged from 18 to 25, with a mean age of 16.96 ± 6.3 years. Additionally, it was noted that 253 (53.8%) females and 217 (46.17%) males who had COVID-19 vaccinations. Only, 39.48% of those who received the COVID-19 vaccine reported experiencing any adverse reactions at all. Results showed that pain at the site of injection, swelling at the site of injection, fever and headache were the most frequent side effects of the vaccines among the study cases. Most people who received the Sputaik V vaccine (approximately 42.97%) and those who received the Cansino vaccine (about 14.25%) experienced side effects. Conclusion: In conclusion, the vaccine displayed several common side effects, encompassing discomfort at the injection site, swelling or redness, fever, headache, nausea, diarrhea, cough, muscle pain, anxiety, and changes in sleep patterns, including difficulty sleeping or increased sleep duration. Importantly, there was a discernible correlation between the occurrence of adverse effects and individuals with a history of underlying health conditions. This underscores the significance of considering individual health backgrounds when assessing and managing vaccine-related reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) remains a major cause of death due to an infectious disease worldwide. Due to stigma and severity of disease, patients with MDR-TB have very low quality of life. Different studies suggests that counselling may play important role in the enhancement of the quality of life of such patients. Objective: This study was conducted with the aims to analyze effect of counselling on changes in the quality of life of MDR-TB patients. Methodology: A quasi-experimental design with a randomized pretest and posttest control group is used in this kind of research. 120 patients were randomly chosen between January 2019 to February 2022 made up the study's samples. The data were then analyzed using the Wilcoxon test, the Mann Whitney test, and the two mean difference tests. Counseling using the SOWAN approach is supported by observation, well-being, action, and nursing. Results: Total 120 enrolled MDR-TB patient were included in this study. For study purpose, these patients were divided into two groups i.e., intervention group and control group. Both group consists of 60 MDR-TB patients each. The Intervention group comprised patients who received a complete course of counselling as per the study protocol, whereas the Control Group did not receive such counselling and only received psychological assistance according to National guidelines This study emphasizes the pivotal role of counselling in determining the final outcomes of the study cases. An important finding of the present study suggested a significant association with a P-value of 0.0271, a chi-square value of 4.8807, and 1 degree of freedom between counselling and the final treatment outcome of the selected study cases. Conclusion: This study concluded the importance of counselling in the treament of MDR-TB. This study point out the special role of clinical psychologist: Further the study showed and help in achouy the successful treament outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The activation of the plasmin enzyme produces the D-dimer, and elevated levels signal a hypercoagulable state and secondary fibrinolysis in the body, which is extremely valuable for thrombotic illness diagnosis. COVID-19 patients have been reported to be hypercoagulable. Methodology: A total of 250 COVID-19 patients from two hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were included in this study. The study participants were chosen randomly regardless of their age and gender. For analysis, all data was extracted from patient record files and entered into SPSS version 20. Results: The present study included 250 confirmed COVID-19 patients. Age of study cases were from 16 to 87 years with mean age of 43.6 ± 14.145. All the study cases were confirmed as COVID-19 cases by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Majority of the study cases 153 (61.2%) were male and maximum numbers were from age group of 36 to 45 years. This study reveals lower plasma D-dimer level in 184 (73.6%) of the selected patients, whereas high D-dimer level was found in 66 (26.4%) of the study cases, which was declared as significant biomarker for final outcome of COVID-19 disease with a p-value is 0.00001 which is significant value. Conclusion: D-dimer levels are frequently higher in SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals. The optimum threshold accepted value of D-dimer as a predictor of death in COVID-19 patients is 1.5 µg/ml, which has good sensitivity and specificity. Significantly greater D-dimer value is found among individuals with severe illness and may be considered as a predictive marker for mortality among hospitalized patients. Thus, D-dimer may be a rapid and low-cost laboratory indicator for COVID-19 diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanoides tuberculata is a cosmopolitan freshwater gastropod snail belonging to the family Thiaridae. There has been no record of occurrence of this gastropod in Pakistani estuarine habitats. In the present study, M. tuberculata is abundantly discovered as empty shells in the intertidal areas in the mangrove Avicennia marina Russian Beach (Port Qasim, Karachi). They are more abundantly observed in mid and high tidal zones while low quantity in low tidal zone comparatively on an average tidal height of 0.5 meter. A total number of 158 empty shells of Melanoides tuberculata were found during study. The current study documents broader distribution of this species in mangrove of Avicennia marina of Pakistan (northern Arabian Sea). As this record is based on empty shells, the possible reasons of availability of this fresh water snail in Karachi mangroves is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A marine polychaete worm, of the genus Schistomeringos Jumars, 1974, is hereby reported for the first time from the coasts of Pakistan. Several specimens of Schistomeringos japonica (Annenkova, 1937) were collected from settlement panels deployed at Korangi Fish Harbour (24°48´8.34" N; 67°17´60" E), Karachi, Pakistani coast. S. japonica is closely related to S. rudolphi (Delle Chiaje, 1828) but differs in having furcate chaeta from the first, not the second, pair of parapodia. S. rudolphi has been reported from the Red Sea. Detailed description and illustrations of S. japonica, based on Pakistani materials, are given herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports Family Dorvilleidae Chamberlin, 1919 for the first time from Pakistan. During routine survey of polychaete worms, three specimens of Dorvillea gardineri (Crossland, 1924) were found in September 2017 from intertidal zone at Buleji, Karachi, Pakistan. This species, being a new record for Pakistan, is briefly described and illustrated herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to present information about external abnormalities found in edible crabs Portunus pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758) and P. sanguinolentus (Herbst, 1783), which were collected to December 2005 from the coastal waters of Karachi. A total of 3,025 specimens were collected out of which 1,968 were P. pelagicus and 1,057 were P. sanguinolentus. Out of 1,968 P. pelagicus, only 14 crabs (or 0.71%) displayed abnormalities either in carapace, chelipeds, swimming leg, or abdomen. In case of P. sanguinolentus only 3 specimens out of 1,057 (or 0.28 %) were found abnormal morphologically. These abnormalities were associated with carapace and abdomen only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]