Publications by authors named "Saima Saeed"

Introduction: Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants have the highest rate of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions owing to the higher comorbidities associated with premature birth and long hospital stays. VLBW infants fed a bovine (BOV)-based diet have higher mortality rates, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), late-onset sepsis (LOS), and other comorbidities than those fed 100% human milk-based products. This study aims to evaluate the budgetary impact of adopting an exclusive human milk diet (EHMD) instead of a BOV-based diet in VLBW infants from Al-Ain Hospital, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, and Dubai Health Authority (DHA) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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The FRESHAIR4Life study aims to reduce the non-communicable disease (NCD) burden by implementing preventive interventions targeting adolescents' exposure to tobacco use and air pollution (AP) worldwide. This paper presents the FRESHAIR4Life methodology and initial rapid review results. The rapid review, using various databases and PubMed, aimed to guide decision-making on risk factor focus, target areas, and populations.

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Objective: Task shifting, an approach to address physician shortage through redistribution of clinical tasks, may help address the high burden of chronic respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD. We aimed to measure its utility and impact in the Obstructive Lung Disease program (OLD).

Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at five integrated outpatient departments of Primary Care Program within Indus Hospital & Health Network, Pakistan, from January 2018 to March 2023.

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Objectives: We applied computer-aided detection (CAD) software for chest X-ray (CXR) analysis to determine if diabetes affects the radiographic presentation of tuberculosis.

Methods: From March 2017-July 2018, we consecutively enrolled adults being evaluated for pulmonary tuberculosis in Karachi, Pakistan. Participants had same-day CXR, two sputum mycobacterial cultures, and random blood glucose measurement.

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Objective: To assess the perceptions of 2nd year medical students regarding certain approaches introduced in the course of Nutrition and Metabolism module.

Methods: The descriptive study was conducted at the Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan, in December 2020, and comprised all 2nd year medical students who completed the Nutrition and Metabolism module in which new components had been added, including introduction to community nutrition, school visits, Islamic perspective of nutrition, journal club and e-posters. Data was collected using a questionnaire based on the modified Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure, and had 5 categories with a total of 25 questions that were scored on a 5-point Likert scale.

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Objective: To assess the perspectives of the first year and second year MBBS students of College, regarding the effectiveness of flipped classroom learning as compared to the traditional mode of teaching.

Study Design: A descriptive study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan, from August to September 2021.

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Fifty five percent of the Pakistani population is still unvaccinated with the two-dose protocol of COVID-19 vaccines. This study was undertaken to determine the seroconversion rate and antibody titers following the two-dose BBIBP-CorV protocol, and to compare these variables in unvaccinated, COVID-19 recovered individuals (total = 180) at Indus Hospital and Health Network, Karachi. Pseudotyped lentivirus antibody neutralization assays and SARS-CoV-2 IgG Quant II (Abbott) immunoassays were performed 4-8 weeks following the second dose of the BBIBP-CorV or PCR positivity/onset of symptoms of COVID-19.

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Background: Few evaluations of computer-aided detection (CAD) software for analyzing chest radiographs for tuberculosis have used mycobacterial culture as the reference standard.

Methods: Using data from a prospective study of symptomatic adults and household contacts of persons with tuberculosis who were seeking care in Karachi, we evaluated the accuracy of LUNIT INSIGHT version 3.1.

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Objective: To assess the learning impact of e-curriculums on healthcare professionals (HCPs). The second objective was to report the screening, detection and clinical features of patients with obstructive lung diseases (OLD) through an integrated care program at The Indus Hospital & Health Network (IHHN), Karachi, Pakistan.

Methods: A retrospective, observational study was conducted in the Family Medicine outpatient department from January 2019 till July 2021.

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Pepper is one of the most important vegetables and spices in the world. Principal pungency is contributed by secondary metabolites called capsaicinoids, mainly synthesized in the placenta of pepper fruit. Various factors, including drought, limit pepper production.

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Introduction: Tobacco smoking among tuberculosis (TB) patients leads to poorer treatment outcomes. Smoking cessation support should be integrated into routine TB care. We measured healthcare providers' fidelity to a smoking cessation intervention integrated into routine TB care, in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

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Background: Deep learning-based radiological image analysis could facilitate use of chest x-rays as triage tests for pulmonary tuberculosis in resource-limited settings. We sought to determine whether commercially available chest x-ray analysis software meet WHO recommendations for minimal sensitivity and specificity as pulmonary tuberculosis triage tests.

Methods: We recruited symptomatic adults at the Indus Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.

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Objectives: To characterise the sketetal muscle metabolic phenotype during early critical illness.

Methods: Vastus lateralis muscle biopsies and serum samples (days 1 and 7) were obtained from 63 intensive care patients (59% male, 54.7±18.

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Obesity is an important risk factor for sleep disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the association of leptin, zinc and tryptophan (TRP) in obese subjects with sleep deficits [sleep apnea (SA), insomnia (IN)]. In this cross sectional case control, with the verbal and written consent 206, obese with sleep deficits and 30, non-obese/normal identified from various areas of Karachi, Pakistan.

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Article Synopsis
  • Patients in intensive care often experience severe loss of lean body mass due to critical illnesses and currently have no effective treatments, with ghrelin being tested as a potential solution.
  • In a study with male Wistar rats, those given ghrelin after inducing peritonitis showed increased food intake and body mass, but no improvement in muscle mass or strength.
  • The findings suggest that while ghrelin can help with weight gain and recovery of overall body mass, it doesn't affect muscle health, indicating the need for further research on how to enhance muscle recovery alongside ghrelin treatment.
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Objective: To characterize a long-term model of recovery from critical illness, with particular emphasis on cardiorespiratory, metabolic, and muscle function.

Design: Randomized controlled animal study.

Setting: University research laboratory.

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Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) is central to mitochondrial oxidative damage and redox signaling, but its roles are poorly understood due to the difficulty of measuring mitochondrial H(2)O(2) in vivo. Here we report a ratiometric mass spectrometry probe approach to assess mitochondrial matrix H(2)O(2) levels in vivo. The probe, MitoB, comprises a triphenylphosphonium (TPP) cation driving its accumulation within mitochondria, conjugated to an arylboronic acid that reacts with H(2)O(2) to form a phenol, MitoP.

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