Clinical characteristics, outcome, and factors associated with mortality of pulmonary mucormycosis: a retrospective single-center study from Pakistan.

Introduction And Objective: Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare but rapidly progressive fatal disease. Limited data exist on the outcomes and factors associated with poor prognosis of pulmonary mucormycosis. The objective of this study was to evaluate clinical characteristics, factors associated with mortality, and outcomes of pulmonary mucormycosis at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan.

Perceptions and use of evidence-based revision methods among undergraduate medical students.

Objective: To assess awareness, perceptions and use related to evidence-based revision methods by undergraduate medical students.

Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in three medical colleges of Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Pakistan, from December 01, 2019, to January 31, 2020, after approval from the ethics review committee of Army Medical College, Rawalpindi. The sample comprised undergraduate medical students of either gender.

Association between long COVID and vaccination: A 12-month follow-up study in a low- to middle-income country.

Objective: There is a lack of estimates regarding the at-risk population associated with long COVID in Pakistan due to the absence of prospective longitudinal studies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of long COVID and its association with disease severity and vaccination status of the patient.

Design And Data Sources: This prospective cohort study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital and recruited patients aged > 18 years who were admitted between February 1 and June 7, 2021.

Clinical Outcomes And Predictors Of Mortality In COVID-19 Patients Admitted To A High Dependency Unit In Pakistan-A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objectives: To determine the outcomes and predictors of in-hospital mortality of patients admitted to high dependency unit with coronavirus disease 2019 infection.

Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, and comprised data of adult coronavirus disease 2019 patients of either gender admitted to the high dependency unit from March 1 to June 30, 2020. Outcomes were categorised as patients 'recovered without deterioration', 'deteriorated but survived', and 'deteriorated but expired'.

Early Lactate Clearance as a Determinant of Survival in Patients with Sepsis: Findings from a Low-resource Country.

Background: Single lactate measurements have been reported to have prognostic significance, however, there is a lack of data in local literature from Pakistan. This study was done to determine prognostic role of lactate clearance in sepsis patients being managed in our lower-middle income country.

Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted from September 2019-February 2020 at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.

Outcomes and Predictors of In-hospital Mortality in Critically Ill Acute Kidney Injury Patients: A Tertiary Care Center Experience.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with high mortality and morbidity risk. Factors predictive of mortality can guide in early identification of high-risk patients and escalation of therapy to improve outcomes. There is a paucity of data on AKI in Pakistan, and this study was done to determine in-hospital AKI mortality and the associated predictors of mortality.

COVID-19 infection among vaccinated and unvaccinated: Does it make any difference?

Objective: There is a probability that vaccination may lead to reduction in the severity and complications associated with COVID-19 infection among hospitalized patients. This study aimed to determine the characteristics, clinical profiles, and outcomes of COVID-19 infection in vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients.

Design And Data Sources: This prospective observational cohort study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) and recruited COVID-19 patients admitted between June 1st and September 30th, 2021.

Clinical Features and Outcomes of Acute Chlorine Gas Inhalation; a Brief Report.

Introduction: On March 6,2020, chlorine gas leak was reported at Engro Polymer & Chemicals Plant in Karachi City, Pakistan. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features and outcomes of patients who presented to emergency department (ED) following this event.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study, evaluated the clinical features and outcomes (length of hospital stay, complications, and mechanical ventilation requirement) of patients presenting to ED of Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, with history of chlorine gas exposure at the Engro Plant from 6 March to 14 March 2020.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Patients Requiring Invasive Mechanical Ventilation in a Lower Middle-Income Country.

Background: COVID-19 related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requires intensive care, which is highly expensive in lower-income countries. Outcomes of COVID-19 patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation in Pakistan have not been widely reported. Identifying factors forecasting outcomes will help decide optimal care levels and prioritise resources.

COVID-19 encephalopathy: an unusual presentation with new-onset seizure causing convulsive status epilepticus.

Although neurological manifestations such as headache and myalgias have been observed with COVID-19, presentation with more serious neurological illness is uncommon and rare. We report a case of a middle-aged woman who presented to the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital. Her clinical presentation was primarily neurological rather than the more common presentation with respiratory manifestations.

Clinico-radiological and bronchoscopic predictors of microbiological yield in sputum negative tuberculosis in Pakistan.

To determine association of clinico-radiological factors and radiological activity with diagnostic yield in sputum-smear negative tuberculosis (TB). Prospective observational study in the Military Hospital Rawalpindi (Pakistan) from July to December 2018. Adult patients having no contraindications to bronchoscopy were included.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum in accidental chlorine gas inhalational injury: case report and review of literature.

A young man presented in emergency department with shortness of breath and cough after accidental inhalation of chlorine gas. Initial presentation was unremarkable; therefore, he was kept under observation for 8 hours and was later discharged. After 5 hours, the patient presented again in emergency department with sudden-onset shortness of breath and chest discomfort.

The influence of operation theatre environment on patients' perceptions during awake procedures: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To determine the perceptions of patients regarding operation theatre conversation and environment during an awake procedure.

Methods: The descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted from February to August 2017 in postoperative wards of Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and comprised women undergoing gynaecological or obstetric procedures under regional anaesthesia. Closedended questionnaires were distributed via nonprobability convenient sampling.

Scope and Safety of Paediatric Surgery in a Model III Hospital.

Introduction Elective and emergency paediatric general surgery is performed in numerous hospitals but with differing exclusion and transfer thresholds. Recent national guidelines detail necessary surgical, anaesthetic and nursing resources for safe and efficient delivery of services. Methods A retrospective review of paediatric surgical admissions was performed from January 2015 to December 2016.

Increased influence of ENSO on Antarctic temperature since the Industrial Era.

Under the influence of recent global warming, modulation of frequencies and amplitude of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and its impacts on global climate have become great concerns to the global community. Antarctic climate is sensitive to these changes owing to tropical and Southern Hemispheric (SH) teleconnections. Antarctic surface air temperature (SAT) reconstructed approximately for the past five centuries (~1533 to 1993 CE) based on multiple oxygen isotope (δO) records of ice cores from East and West Antarctica show dominant oscillations in ENSO and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) frequency bands.

Caecal Epiploic Appendagitis Masquerading Clinically as an Acute Appendicitis: A Case Report and Brief Literature Review.

A 46-year-old female presented to our emergency department (ED) with a 2-day history of right lower abdominal pain which was associated with nausea and anorexia. Abdominal examination revealed tenderness in the right iliac fossa (RIF) with rebound tenderness and a localized guarding. Urine dipstick was normal, and the pregnancy test was negative.

Enhancement in spatial and recognition memory functions following long term oral administration of ginger extract in rats.

Ginger (Zingiber Officinale) is known over the centuries for its medicinal properties and has been used worldwide as health supplement and for treatment of several diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of whole ginger extract administration on spatial and recognition memory using experimental animal models. The antimicrobial properties of ginger extract against various pathogenic fungal and bacterial species were also examined.

The high zero-flow pressure phenomenon in coronary circulation: a simulation study.

A dynamic simulation was performed in order to study the high zero-flow pressure phenomenon by using an electronic model of the coronary vessel. The objective of this study was to establish a relationship between the diastolic arterial pressure and diastolic arterial flow. The simulated study showed that this relationship is approximately linear with a zero flow pressure intercept of approximately 40 mmHg.

Simulation studies of the ischemic vulnerability of the subendocardium.

Changes in the subendo-subepi flow ratio were studied by using a simple electronic circuit model of the coronary vessel consisting of a resistor, capacitor and field effect transistor in order to provide a better understanding of the ischemic vulnerability of the subendocardium. The simulated subendo-subepi flow ratio was found to be approximately 1.2 under normal condition.

Male duplex urinary incontinence.

Ectopic duplex ureter is a well recognized cause of urinary incontinence in female subjects but to our knowledge it has not been documented in a male subject. We report on a boy who presented with urinary incontinence secondary to an ectopic duplex ureter.