Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: a retrospective review of clinical, radiological, microbiological and lung function profile at a tertiary care center of a low-middle-income country.

Non-cystic fibrosis (non-CF) bronchiectasis has emerged as a significant respiratory disease in developing countries. Given the variation in causes and clinical characteristics across different regions, it is necessary to conduct studies in regions with limited data, such as low-middle-income countries (LMIC). The aim of the study was to investigate the underlying causes, clinical presentation, etiology, lung function, and imaging in patients with bronchiectasis who sought treatment at a tertiary care hospital in an LMIC.

Impact of immune status on the clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes and mortality of pulmonary nocardiosis: a retrospective analysis in a tertiary care hospital from a low- to middle-income country.

Nocardiosis is an opportunistic infection that primarily targets the immunosuppressed. We investigated the differences in demographics and characteristics between immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients with nocardiosis in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Retrospective records were reviewed for patients diagnosed with pulmonary nocardiosis between 2010 and 2020.

Comparison of risk factors and outcome of patients with and without COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis from Pakistan: A case-control study.

Background: Early identification of COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) is particularly challenging in low- middle-income countries where diagnostic capabilities are limited, and risk factors for CAPA have not been identified. It is also essential to recognise CAPA patients who are likely to have a poorer outcome to decide on aggressive management approaches. Therefore, this study aimed to identify risk factors and outcomes for CAPA among admitted moderate to critical COVID-19 patients at our centre in Pakistan.

The effect of ivermectin on non-severe and severe COVID-19 disease and gender-based difference of its effectiveness.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to mortality and morbidity since December 2019. Many possible treatment options have been advised till date. The role of ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19 disease remains controversial.

Persistence of post-COVID lung parenchymal abnormalities during the three-month follow-up.

Introduction: COVID-19-associated pulmonary sequalae have been increasingly reported after recovery from acute infection. Therefore, we aim to explore the charactersitics of persistent lung parenchymal abnormalities in patients with COVID-19.

Material And Methods: An observational study was conducted in patients with post-COVID lung parenchymal abnormalities from April till September 2020.

Role of ivermectin in patients hospitalized with COVID-19: a systematic review of literature.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected almost every country in the world since De-cember 2019. Despite the efforts of the human race to combat the virus, we are still looking for an evidence-based permanent cure for the disease. Ivermectin has recently emerged as one of the therapies having a beneficial effect on COVID-19.

Post tuberculosis radiological sequelae in patients treated for pulmonary and pleural tuberculosis at a tertiary center in Pakistan.

Treating tuberculosis (TB) is not the end of the disease because of the wide spectrum of post TB sequelae associated with the disease. There is insufficient data on post TB radiological sequelae. The aim of this study is to evaluate the post TB radiological sequelae on chest x-rays in patients who had completed the treatment for pulmonary and pleural TB at a tertiary care hospital of a high TB burden country.

Eosinophilic lung disease as a sequela of MSSA pneumonia.

Eosinophilic lung diseases are a rare group of lung disorders with multiple known and unknown aetiologies and the diagnosis is often challenging. We present a case of a young man who was admitted with pneumonia due to methicillin-sensitive and was discharged on antibiotics. He presented to the emergency department approximately 2 weeks after discharge with high-grade fever, cough and shortness of breath associated with serum and bronchoalveolar lavage eosinophilia.

Sarcoidosis Presenting as Fatigue and Weakness.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disorder of unknown cause that occurs in both men and women of all races. It typically presents in patients after 20 years of age. Sarcoidosis most frequently involves the lung, but up to 30 percent of patients present with extra-thoracic manifestations.

A comprehensive framework for thermoeconomic analysis of desalination systems.

Thermoeconomic analysis, a combined application of thermodynamic and economic analyses, has emerged as an important tool to optimize the performance of desalination systems. Contrary to conventional economic analysis, it offers flexibility to investigate and improve the performance of each component in the system, individually. The current paper presents a comprehensive framework for conducting thermoeconomic analysis of desalination systems.

Dengue fever presenting as quadriparesis due to hypokalaemia: a rare presentation.

Dengue is one of the leading causes of arthropod borne viral haemorrhagic fever. Majority of the times, it clinically manifests as fever, arthralgia and rash; however, we present a case of a young man who presented with progressively increasing weakness of all four limbs. Initial investigations showed low potassium, hence he was managed as hypokalaemic periodic paralysis.

VMCMC: a graphical and statistical analysis tool for Markov chain Monte Carlo traces.

Background: MCMC-based methods are important for Bayesian inference of phylogeny and related parameters. Although being computationally expensive, MCMC yields estimates of posterior distributions that are useful for estimating parameter values and are easy to use in subsequent analysis. There are, however, sometimes practical difficulties with MCMC, relating to convergence assessment and determining burn-in, especially in large-scale analyses.