Nicotinic Acid as a Phosphate-lowering Agent in Patients with End-stage Renal Disease on Maintenance Hemodialysis: A Single-center Prospective Study.

Background Hyperphosphatemia increases the risk of mortality and morbidity in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In addition to dietary restriction and renal replacement therapy, phosphorus-binding agents are the mainstay of treatment. While the use of calcium-containing binders has certain limitations, non-calcium-based binders are expensive and not readily available in developing countries.

Characteristics and Outcome of Obstetric Acute Kidney Injury in Pakistan: A Single-center Prospective Observational Study.

Introduction Acute kidney injury (AKI) continues to be a cause of increased morbidity and mortality in pregnant women. While studies have been conducted on the incidence and etiology of this complication, the outcomes of obstetric AKI have not been extensively investigated. The primary focus of this prospective observational study was to analyze the risk factors, etiologies as well as maternal and fetal outcomes of AKI in pregnant females in Pakistan.

Cardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy and its Association with Cardiovascular and All-cause Mortality in Patients with End-stage Renal Disease.

Background End-stage renal disease frequently leads to increased cardiovascular mortality. Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) may be predictive of cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in patients with end-stage renal disease. Methods A total of 70 patients with end-stage renal disease were included in the study.

The development of malnutrition is not dependent on its traditional contributing factors in patients on maintenance hemodialysis in developing countries.

Malnutrition in dialysis population is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Nutritional assessment is a neglected area in hemodialysis (HD) patients in developing countries. The aim of the study was to find out whether any traditional parameters have statistically significant correlation with malnutrition.

Deaths due to dengue fever at a tertiary care hospital in Lahore, Pakistan.

Objective: We conducted this study to review deaths due to dengue fever (DF) during a large outbreak of DF in Lahore, Pakistan.

Methods: We reviewed deaths due to DF at Jinnah Hospital Lahore between August and November 2011. Clinical and laboratory data were abstracted.

An outbreak of pyrimethamine toxicity in patients with ischaemic heart disease in Pakistan.

We investigated an outbreak of darkening of skin, bleeding from multiple sites, leucopenia and thrombocytopenia in ischaemic heart disease patients. Case patients were defined as patients who had received medicines from the pharmacy of Punjab Institute of Cardiology between 1 December 2011 and 12 January 2012 and who developed any one of the following: darkening of skin, bleeding from any site, thrombocytopenia and leucopenia. Clinical and drug-related data were abstracted.

Effectiveness of platelet transfusion in dengue Fever: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Scientific data regarding effects of platelet transfusion on platelet count in dengue-related thrombocytopenia is scanty.

Methods: A single center, randomized non-blinded trial was conducted on adult patients with dengue fever and platelet counts less than 30,000/μl. Patients were randomized to treatment and control group.

Concurrent dengue and malaria infection in Lahore, Pakistan during the 2012 dengue outbreak.

Introduction: We conducted this study to determine the frequency of malaria and dengue-malaria co-infection in patients admitted to our hospital as 'probable' cases of dengue fever during the 2012 outbreak of dengue, and to ascertain whether dengue-malaria co-infection was more severe than either infection alone.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Jinnah Hospital Lahore, Pakistan between August and November 2012. Patients with 2-10 days of fever and with two or more of the following: myalgia, arthralgia, retro-orbital pain, headache, skin rash, and hemorrhagic manifestations plus thrombocytopenia and leukopenia, were classified as probable cases of dengue fever and were subjected to reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR and/or dengue-specific IgM by ELISA.