A quality improvement project to enhance the knowledge, skills, and attitude of healthcare workers regarding the use of defibrillators.

Introduction: Defibrillation is a critical intervention in managing cardiac emergencies, yet healthcare workers (HCWs) preparation for utilizing defibrillators remains inadequate, particularly in low and middle-income countries. This quality improvement project aimed to assess and enhance HCWs' knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward defibrillator use in the emergency department (ED) through a 1-h defibrillator workshop.

Methodology: An observational clinical audit was conducted within the ED of a tertiary care hospital.

The relationship between parenting styles and self-esteem of medical students with age and gender as moderators.

Introduction: Among various factors that determine an individual's self-esteem, parenting styles play a significant role. This study investigates the link between parenting styles and self-esteem among medical students while exploring the role of age and gender in this context.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out among medical students from December 2020 to March 2021.

Evaluation of blood minerals and oxidative stress changing pattern in prepartum and postpartum Achai and Holstein Friesian dairy cows.

This research focused on evaluating blood mineral levels and malondialdehyde (MDA) as an indicator of oxidative stress before and after giving birth in Achai and Holstein Friesian (HF) dairy cows. Blood samples were obtained from a total of 50 cows representing both breeds on the third, second, and first week prior to calving, as well as on the day of calving (day 0). Subsequently, samples were collected on the 1-3 weeks postpartum to allow a comprehensive evaluation of blood parameters throughout the peripartum period.

Update on Radiation Safety in the Cath Lab - Moving Toward a "Lead-Free" Environment.

Radiation exposure in the cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL) is an occupational hazard that predisposes health care workers to the development of adverse health effects such as cataracts, cancer, and orthopedic injury. To mitigate radiation exposure, personal protective shielding as well as permanently installed shields reduces these adverse effects. Yet, heavy protective lead aprons and poor ergonomics required for positioning movable shields remain barriers to a safer environment.

Vaping, an emerging public health concern in South Asia: a short communication.

Electronic cigarettes, or "vaping," are battery-operated devices that heat a liquid containing propylene glycol, nicotine, and some flavoring agents, which aerosolize to produce vapors that the user inhales. They were introduced in 2003 and became popular worldwide as a less irritating alternative to combustible cigarettes. While they were initially advertised as smoking cessation aids, their use has taken the shape of an epidemic in some regions of the world.

Jejunal diverticulosis presenting as intestinal obstruction-A case report of a rare association.

Jejunal diverticula are rare medical conditions with an incidence of 0.3%-2.5%, mostly discovered perioperatively.

Cotrimoxazole-induced hyperkalemia in renal transplant patient-Case report.

We present the case of a 55-year-old male patient who developed hyperkalemia after using Cotrimoxazole (TMP-SMX). There was a marked increase in potassium levels from 3.3 mEq/L on Day 5 when cotrimoxazole was started to 6.

Surgical safety checklist compliance: The clinical audit.

Introduction: The surgical safety checklist consists of three components: sign-in, performed before the induction of anesthesia; time-out, performed before skin incision; and sign-out, performed immediately after skin closure or before the patient leaves the operating theatre. This study aims to assess compliance with the World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) and explore the barriers facing in properly implementing the surgical safety checklist in operation theatres of a tertiary care hospital.

Methodology: The observational clinical audit was conducted in Surgical Unit I, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Poliomyelitis in Pakistan: Challenges to polio eradication and future prospects.

Poliomyelitis is a viral disease that causes acute paralysis, muscle weakness and autonomic dysfunction. It primarily affects children under the age of five. It is mainly transmitted via the feco-oral route, through contaminated water.

Automated analysis of limited echocardiograms: Feasibility and relationship to outcomes in COVID-19.

Background: As automated echocardiographic analysis is increasingly utilized, continued evaluation within hospital settings is important to further understand its potential value. The importance of cardiac involvement in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 provides an opportunity to evaluate the feasibility and clinical relevance of automated analysis applied to limited echocardiograms.

Methods: In this multisite US cohort, the feasibility of automated AI analysis was evaluated on 558 limited echocardiograms in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Scleroderma and interstitial lung disease - A case report.

Background: Systemic sclerosis with interstitial lung disease is one of the rarely reported autoimmune disorders. The ILD associated with systemic sclerosis is the most common cause of mortality in these patients.

Case Presentation: A 37-year-old female patient who is a known case of Scleroderma, Cor pulmonale, and hypothyroidism presented with the exacerbated symptoms of dyspnea and orthopnea.

Rapid Exclusion of COVID Infection With the Artificial Intelligence Electrocardiogram.

Objective: To rapidly exclude severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection using artificial intelligence applied to the electrocardiogram (ECG).

Methods: A global, volunteer consortium from 4 continents identified patients with ECGs obtained around the time of polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and age- and sex-matched controls from the same sites. Clinical characteristics, polymerase chain reaction results, and raw electrocardiographic data were collected.

Bi-atrial thrombosis in a patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a case report.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a rapidly spreading pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is a multisystemic disease associated with micro- and macrovascular thrombo-embolic complications, including intracardiac thrombosis, which has not been previously reported in the literature.

Case Summary: We report a case of a 68-year-old woman with COVID-19 admitted to our intensive care unit with acute respiratory distress, undifferentiated shock, hyperkalaemia, acute kidney injury, and coagulopathy.

Predictors of venous thromboembolism in patients with COVID-19 in an underserved urban population: A single tertiary center experience.

Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is reported in up to 27% of patients with COVID-19 due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Dysregulated systemic inflammation and various patient traits are presumed to underlie this anomaly. Optimal VTE prophylaxis in COVID-19 patients has not been established due to a lack of validated models for predicting VTE in this population.

Prevailing patterns of liver enzymes in patients with COVID-19 infection and association with clinical outcomes.

Background: COVID-19 is now a critical threat to global public health. Although the majority of patients present with respiratory illness, several studies have described multiorgan involvement. This study evaluated the prevailing patterns of liver enzymes in COVID-19 patients on admission and their association with clinical outcomes.

A 65-Year-Old Woman With Dyspnea After Atrial Fibrillation Ablation.

A 65-year-old woman with a history of chronic persistent atrial fibrillation, tobacco use, and COPD was admitted to the hospital 2 months after catheter ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation and dyspnea. Her dyspnea was present at rest and worsened by exertion with limitation to ambulating less than two blocks. She also endorsed a 1-month history of cough with minimally productive whitish sputum with frequent nocturnal exacerbations and orthopnea.

Timing of Intubation and Its Implications on Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infection.

In critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019, there has been considerable debate about when to intubate patients with acute respiratory failure. Early expert recommendations supported early intubation. However, as we learned more about this disease, the risks versus benefits of early intubation are less clear.

Anticoagulation and bleeding risk in patients with COVID-19.

Background: There is no current standardized approach to anticoagulation in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) while potential bleeding risks remain. Our study characterizes the patterns of anticoagulation use in COVID-19 patients and the risk of related bleeding.

Methods: This is a single center retrospective analysis of 355 adult patients with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 from March 1 to May 31, 2020.

Bacterial infections and patterns of antibiotic use in patients with COVID-19.

Bacterial coinfection is associated with poor outcomes in patients with viral pneumonia, but data on its role in the mortality of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. This is a single-center retrospective analysis of 242 patients with confirmed COVID-19 admitted to both intensive care and non-intensive care settings. Bacterial coinfection was determined by the presence of characteristic clinical features and positive culture results.

The relationship between diabetes and clinical outcomes in COVID-19: a single-center retrospective analysis.

Aims: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has become a pandemic. Diabetic patients tend to have poorer outcomes and more severe disease (Kumar et al. in Diabetes Metab Syndr 14(4):535-545, 2020.