Effects of COVID-19 on paediatric cardiac centres in low-income and middle-income countries: a mixed-methods study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric cardiac services in critical access centres in low-income and middle-income countries.

Design: A mixed-methods approach was used.

Setting: Critical access sites that participate in the International Quality Improvement Collaborative (IQIC) for congenital heart disease (CHD) were identified.

Primary mesenteric hydatid cyst; a rare manifestation of hydatid disease through a case report and literature review.

Introduction And Importance: Hydatidosis, a common zoonotic disease, especially in countries which are poorly developed, is not only capable of affecting a huge number of humans but also animals.

Case Presentation: A 40-year-old female presented to our hospital complaining of the left flank and left upper quadrant pain increasing with exertion for three years. Physical findings revealed a firm lump in the left upper quadrant area extending to the left flank about (15cmx14.

Prevalence and Antibiotic Susceptibility of the Common Bacterial Uropathogen Among UTI Patients in French Medical Institute for Children.

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most prevalent infections, with a variety of etiologic agents, a high number of occurrences, relapses, and complications; also, antibiotic resistance of the pathogenic bacterium is a hugely significant challenge for physicians.

Objective: The goal of this research was to identify the common bacterial uropathogens as well as their susceptibility to commonly used antibiotics.

Materials And Methods: During the first six months of 2018, a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on urine samples of 1780 patients at FMIC based on culture.

Testing a home-based model of care using misoprostol for prevention and treatment of postpartum hemorrhage: results from a randomized placebo-controlled trial conducted in Badakhshan province, Afghanistan.

Background: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. In Afghanistan, where most births take place at home without the assistance of a skilled birth attendant, there is a need for options to manage PPH in community-based settings. Misoprostol, a uterotonic that has been used as prophylaxis at the household level and has also been proven to be effective in treating PPH in hospital settings, is one possible option.

Particularly neglected in countries with other challenges: High Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in pregnant women in Kabul, Afghanistan, while a low proportion know about the parasite.

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease of global importance. It is widespread and endemic practically all over the world, with infection prevalence varying by geographic location. The parasite and the disease are neglected, which is illustrated by the lack of baseline information on the prevalence from many regions.

Congenital heart disease frequency in children undergoing MDCT angiography; a 4-year tertiary care hospital experience from Kabul, Afghanistan.

Objectives: Echocardiography and cardiac angiography are two main imaging modalities used for evaluating congenital heart diseases (CHDs). Evaluation of CHDs is now possible with Multidetector CT (MDCT) angiography in Afghanistan. To the best of researchers' knowledge, no published data is available on frequency of CHDs among children undergoing chest MDCT angiography in Afghanistan; hence, this study is first of its nature to be conducted in this context.

We need higher education: Voice of nursing administration from Kabul, Afghanistan.

Aim: To explore the educational profile of nursing managers and head nurses at public hospitals in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed.

Method: A self-administered pre-tested questionnaire was used to recruit 86 nursing managers and head nurses from 17 public hospitals in Kabul.

The professional practice and training of neurology in the Asian and Oceanian Region: A cross-sectional survey by the Asian and Oceanian Association of Neurology (AOAN).

Objective: To survey AOAN member countries regarding their organizational structure, postgraduate neurology training program, and resources for neurological care provision.

Methodology: A cross-sectional survey using a 36-item questionnaire was conducted among country representatives to AOAN from August 2015 to August 2016.

Results: A total of 18/20 AOAN member countries participated in the survey.

Challenges on-the-way of nursing administration at public hospitals in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the challenges faced by the nursing administration at public hospitals in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to recruit 86 nursing managers and head nurses from 17 public hospitals in Kabul. The participants rated the frequency of 13 challenges that hinder their performance.

Mobile-based blended learning for capacity building of health providers in rural Afghanistan.

Background: Mobile-based blended learning initiative was launched in November 2014 in Badakshan province of Afghanistan by Tech4Life Enterprises, Aga Khan Health Service, Afghanistan (AKHS, A), and the University of Calgary, Canada. The goal of this initiative was to improve knowledge of health providers related to four major mental health problems, namely depression, psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and drug abuse.

Methods: This paper presents the results of quasi-experimental study conducted in 4 intervention districts in Badakshan for improvement in the knowledge among health providers about depression.

Healthcare and healthcare systems: inspiring progress and future prospects.

Background: Healthcare systems globally have experienced intensive changes, reforms, developments, and improvement over the past 30 years. Multiple actors (governmental and non-governmental) and countries have played their part in the reformation of the global healthcare system. New opportunities are presenting themselves while multiple challenges still remain especially in developing countries.

CT and MRI Features of Pediatric-Aged Colloid Cysts: Report of Two Cases.

A 10-year-old boy with the history of headache, anorexia, and vomiting was referred to our department to undergo a brain CT scan. CT images demonstrated a well-defined, rounded, hyperdense lesion at the level of the foramen of Monro causing moderate dilatation of the lateral ventricles. An 11-year-old girl with a long history of a headache was also referred to undergoing a brain MRI.

Impact of simple conventional and Telehealth solutions on improving mental health in Afghanistan.

For more than a century Afghanistan has been unstable, facing decades of war, social problems, and intense poverty. As a result, many of the population suffer from a variety of mental health problems. The Government recognises the situation and has prioritised mental health, but progress is slow and services outside of Kabul remain poor.

A rare clinic entity: Huge trichobezoar.

Introduction: Trichobezoar is a rare clinical entity in which a ball of hair amasses within the alimentary tract. It can either be found as isolated mass in the stomach or may extend into the intestine. Trichobezoars mostly occur in young females with psychiatric disorders such as trichophagia and trichotillomania.

Intestinal malrotation and midgut volvulus.

A four-day-old boy presented with persistent bilious vomiting, bloody stained stool, and mild abdominal distension. Transabdominal ultrasound demonstrated a round soft-tissue mass-like structure in the right upper quadrant. With color Doppler ultrasound, the whirlpool sign was observed.

Childhood giant omental and mesenteric lipoma.

Omental and mesenteric lipomas are very rare benign lesions of mature adipose tissue. They are well-defined, noninvasive, and encapsulated masses that can be discovered in asymptomatic patients or may cause variable nonspecific symptoms depending on their size and location. The omental and mesenteric lipoma has confusing features in ultrasound; however, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging can well characterize and demarcate these lesions.

Diagnosis of Constitutional Mismatch Repair-Deficiency Syndrome Based on Microsatellite Instability and Lymphocyte Tolerance to Methylating Agents.

Background & Aims: Patients with bi-allelic germline mutations in mismatch repair (MMR) genes (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, or PMS2) develop a rare but severe variant of Lynch syndrome called constitutional MMR deficiency (CMMRD). This syndrome is characterized by early-onset colorectal cancers, lymphomas or leukemias, and brain tumors. There is no satisfactory method for diagnosis of CMMRD because screens for mutations in MMR genes are noninformative for 30% of patients.

Mammary-type myofibroblastoma of the right thigh: a case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: Mammary-type myofibroblastoma of the soft tissue is a very rare, benign, mesenchymal neoplasm with myofibroblastic differentiation. To date, 20 cases of extra-mammary myofibroblastoma have been described in literature. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest extra-mammary myofibroblastoma described in the literature, and the first case reported in this location.

Improving Mental Health Care for Young Adults in Badakshan Province of Afghanistan Using eHealth.

Decades of war, social problems and poverty, have led large number of Afghan youth aged between 18-25 years suffering from mental health problems. Other important contributing factors include extreme poverty, insecurity, and violence and gender disparities, contributing to worsening mental and emotional health conditions in the country. The reported project is designed to strengthen the health system for improving mental health services in the province of Badakshan by improving awareness in the community and empowering frontline health workers.

Endovascular embolisation of visceral artery pseudoaneurysms.

Objective. To evaluate the technical success, safety, and outcome of endovascular embolization procedure in management of visceral artery pseudoaneurysms. Materials and Methods.

Occurrence of extended-spectrum b-lactamase producers among enterobacteriaceae in a paediatric tertiary care facility in Kabul.

The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing species of Enterobacteriaceae to control their spread, from March 2008 to June 2012. A total of 411 ESBL-producing isolates were reported belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae. There were 235 (57.

Bacteriologic profile and antibiogram of blood culture isolates from a children's hospital in Kabul.

Objective: To identify the bacterial pathogens causing paediatric septicaemia in Kabul and to determine their antibiogram to improve empirical antibiotic therapy.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Microbiology Laboratory of FMIC, Kabul, Afghanistan, from January 2010 to June 2012.