Post-cholecystectomy cystic duct stump leak: a preventable morbidity.

Objective: While major bile duct injury is the most serious complication following laparoscopic cholecystectomy, bile leak from the cystic duct stump remains the commonest morbidity. This is a retrospective assessment of all patients who had a cholecystectomy over a 5-year period from April 2003 to March 2008.

Methods: Data related to bile leakage were obtained from the Unisoft endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) database.

Topical negative pressure in managing severe peritonitis: a positive contribution?

Aim: To assess the use of topical negative pressure (TNP) in the management of severe peritonitis.

Methods: This is a four-year prospective analysis from January 2005 to December 2008 of 20 patients requiring TNP following laparotomy for severe peritonitis.

Results: There were 11 males with an average age of (59.

The Gs-linked receptor GPR3 inhibits the proliferation of cerebellar granule cells during postnatal development.

Background: During postnatal murine and rodent cerebellar development, cerebellar granule precursors (CGP) gradually stop proliferating as they differentiate after migration to the internal granule layer (IGL). Molecular events that govern this program remain to be fully elucidated. GPR3 belongs to a family of Gs-linked receptors that activate cyclic AMP and are abundantly expressed in the adult brain.

Use of topical negative pressure in assisted abdominal closure does not lead to high incidence of enteric fistulae.

Aim: Reports suggested an increase in enterocutaneous fistulae with topical negative pressure (TNP) use in the open abdomen. The purpose of this study was to establish if our experience raises similar concerns.

Method: This is a 5-year prospective analysis, from January 2004 to December 2008, of 42 patients who developed deep wound dehiscence or their abdomen was left open at laparotomy requiring 'TNP' to assist in their management.

Aceclofenac organogels: in vitro and in vivo characterization.

Purpose: To develop and evaluate the suitability of lecithin organogels containing aceclofenac for topical application and compare its In vitro and In vivo effects with conventionally used hydrogels.

Methods: The components and their concentration necessary for organogels formation were evaluated using phase diagram. Solubility of aceclofenac was determined.

An unusual presentation of sclerosing mesenteritis as pneumoperitoneum: case report with a review of the literature.

Sclerosing mesenteritis is a rare condition that involves the small or large bowel mesentery. An unusual presentation of this condition, which led to difficult preoperative assessment and diagnosis, is described. This report is followed by a comprehensive review of the literature.

Gallstone ileus: surgical strategies and clinical outcome.

Objective: Gallstone ileus is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction affecting mainly the elderly. This study aimed to analyze the surgical treatments and outcome of the disease.

Methods: We present a retrospective study of 13 patients diagnosed with gallstone ileus from January 2000 to December 2005 in our hospital and a review of the published literature.

Skin lesions in hospitalized cases of dengue Fever.

Objective: To determine the frequency and types of skin lesions in cases of dengue fever in patients admitted in three hospitals of Karachi.

Study Design: Case series.

Place And Duration Of Study: Three tertiary care hospitals of Karachi, from November 2006 to February 2007.

Internet access and utilization for health information among university students in Islamabad.

Background: Internet has changed the way we live and work. Advent of this technology has fundamentally transformed our lives the way invention of automobile changed how our lives and cities looked and worked before. Practically no information is available on the use of Internet for health by the people of Pakistan.

Docosahexaenoic acid enhances the efficacy of docetaxel in prostate cancer cells by modulation of apoptosis: the role of genes associated with the NF-kappaB pathway.

Background: Evidence is growing for beneficial interactions between omega-3 fatty acids from fish and chemotherapy agents in certain human cancers. Evidence for similar effects in prostate cancer is lacking. We investigated the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA-22:6n-3), a component of fish oil, on the cytotoxicity of docetaxel in prostate cancer cells.

Emergency preparedness and humanitarian action: the research deficit. Eastern Mediterranean Region perspective.

The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, extending from Morocco in the west to Pakistan in the east, with a population exceeding 490 million, suffers a large proportion of both natural and man-made disasters. Humanitarian partners in the health sector have played a major role in averting the excessive mortality and morbidity in response to previous emergencies; nevertheless much remains to be done to provide the evidence through rigorous research methods to standardize other essential elements of the health response to humanitarian emergencies. Strengthening of academic institutions, prioritization of research, financial resources and linkages with institutions in the developed world can ameliorate the situation in the Region.

Prescribing privileges for psychologists among university students in Islamabad.

Psychologists as part of a team, make important contributions for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. New Mexico and Louisiana in United States have recently granted prescribing privileges to psychologists who have successfully completed additional training. This study determined the opinions of conveniently selected university students in Islamabad on clinical psychologists being granted similar prescribing privileges after additional training and certification by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).