Spinal Cord Stimulator Related Infections: Findings From a Multicenter Retrospective Analysis of 2737 Implants.

Introduction: Surgical site infection is a potential complication of spinal cord stimulator (SCS) implantation. Current understanding of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of these infections is based largely on small clinical studies, many of which are outdated. Evidence-based guidelines for management of SCS-related infections thus rely instead on expert opinion, case reports, and case series.

Efficacy of a Targeted Drug Delivery on-Demand Bolus Option for Chronic Pain.

Background And Objectives: Intrathecal targeted drug delivery systems historically required physician office visits for dose adjustment to manage fluctuating pain. A wireless device now enables patients to supplement their basal intrathecal infusion with a programmed on-demand bolus dose. We sought to quantify the change in oral breakthrough opioid need associated with the use of an intrathecal bolus in comparison to those treated with the basal infusion alone.

Effect of hepatitis B vaccination in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Objective: To assess the effects of hepatitis B vaccination on the antibody titer in patients with chronic hepatitis C and to compare it with response in normal healthy subjects.

Study Design: Interventional study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan, from January 2007 to January 2012.

Correlation of hyponatremia with hepatic encephalopathy and severity of liver disease.

Objective: To assess the frequency of low serum sodium levels and to correlate it with the severity of liver disease and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in patients coming to the tertiary care hospital.

Study Design: Observational study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, from January 2011 to January 2012.

Treatment of decompensated cirrhosis secondary to hepatitis C with antiviral therapy.

Objective: To treat decompensated hepatitis C patient with interferon, ribavirin and amantidine to ascertain the sustained viral response.

Study Design: Descriptive study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, from January 2007 to January 2012.

Factors affecting patient satisfaction during endoscopic procedures.

Objective: To assess the quality and patient satisfaction in Endoscopy Unit of Shifa International Hospital.

Study Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Place And Duration Of Study: Division of Gastroenterology, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan, from July 2011 to January 2012.

Hepatocellular carcinoma after sustained viral response to interferon and ribavirin therapy in cirrhosis secondary to chronic hepatitis C.

Objective: To determine the frequency of development of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic liver disease secondary to hepatitis C who had achieved sustained virological response with Interferon and Ribavirin therapy.

Study Design: Retrospective descriptive study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan, from January 2007 to January 2012.

Uremic cardiomyopathy: an underdiagnosed disease.

Uremic cardiomyopathy is responsible for high morbidity and mortality rates among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end-stage renal disease (ESRD); however, the early implementation of hemodialysis may halt its progression. Nonconventional hemodialysis, such as frequent hemodialysis, appears to have an advantage over conventional hemodialysis. Kidney transplantation has been shown to reverse uremic cardiomyopathy and to confer a significant survival advantage over hemodialysis.