Deliberate self-poisoning: experience at a medical unit.

To share our experience of managing acute DSP patients, a cross sectional, observational study was conducted for one year. Patients with acute DSP, defined as "ingestion of a poison or excessive dose of a medicine for self-harm" were included. Patient demographics (gender, age, educational, and marital status etc), intention, substance used, and outcome were noted.

Multitasking a telemedicine training unit in earthquake disaster response: paraplegic rehabilitation assessment.

The objective of this work was to provide computer and telecommunications skill training for paraplegics using a telemedicine training center in a curriculum that would support connectivity and offer new skills for career applications in the rehabilitation phase and beyond. This was a hospital-based, cross-sectional study. The study was conducted from October 10, 2005 to May 10, 2006 in the hospitals of Rawalpindi Medical College and the Melody Rehabilitation Center, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Complications in patients with spinal cord injuries sustained in an earthquake in Northern Pakistan.

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating trauma suffered by many of the victims of an earthquake that struck Northern Pakistan on October 8, 2005. It rendered approximately 600 patients paraplegic, which is the highest number ever reported in any disaster. This study was conducted to evaluate the risk of complications.

Comparison of transvaginal sonography and saline contrast sonohysterography in women with abnormal uterine bleeding: correlation with hysteroscopy and histopathology.

Background: Transvaginal ultrasound is used conventionally as initial investigation of patients with abnormal uterine bleeding but saline contrast sonohysterography is a better technique to reliably distinguish focal from diffuse endometrial lesions. This study was performed to compare the ability of transvaginal ultrasonography and saline infusion sonohysterography as initial modality for the diagnosis of endometrial abnormalities in women with abnormal uterine bleeding.

Patients And Methods: In a prospective study, 100 women with abnormal uterine bleeding were submitted to sequential examination by transvaginal ultrasound, and sonohysterography.

Obesity related complications in 100 obese subjects and their age matched controls.

Objective: To note obesity related complications in subjects of age range 50-59 years.

Methods: A case control study was conducted at Medical Unit of District Headquarters Hospital, Rawalpindi for 6 months. Hundred obese subjects in the age range 50-59 years and their age matched non-obese 100 controls were included consecutively from general population.

Somatoform disorders: perspectives from Pakistan.

Somatoform disorders represent widespread and largely unsolved problems at the border between psychiatry and medicine. Patients with somatoform disorders often present difficult diagnostic and management problems. A series of three community-based epidemiological surveys of rural and urban populations in Pakistan found high prevalence of common mental disorders where the core presentations were somatic complaints.

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

Objective: To determine the outcome of patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for treatment of upper urinary tract calculi (renal and ureteric), and to note role of double-J (DJ) stents in these patients.

Design: A cross-sectional analytical study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Department of Urology, Rawalpindi General Hospital, Rawalpindi, from February 1999 to July 2001.

Surgical management of epithelial parotid tumours.

Objective: To describe the clinicopathological presentation and treatment options in epithelial parotid tumours with emphasis on surgery.

Design: Descriptive study.

Place And Duration Of Study: ENT Departments of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad and Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi and Surgical Units at Rawalpindi General Hospital and DHQ Teaching Hospital, Rawalpindi, during a ten year period 1993-2003.

Short report: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, February 2002.

A nosocomial outbreak of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever occurred in Rawalpindi, Pakistan in February 2002. The identified index case died shortly after admission to a hospital. Two of the health care workers became secondary cases; one of them died on day 13 after coming in contact with the index case.

Assessment of coverage levels of single dose measles vaccine.

Objective: To study the consequences of low coverage levels of a single dose of measles vaccine.

Design: Case series.

Place And Duration Of Study: The study was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics, Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH) from January 2001 to August 2001.

Mental health: the missing link in primary care? Health for All by the Year 2000 revisited.

The effects on the uptake of services offered in primary health care of a demonstration community mental health project in Pakistan were assessed. A subdistrict with the project was compared with a matched area without the project over 7 years. Routinely collected information on service use was used, including the detection and treatment of mental disorders.

Development of mental health services in Pakistan.

The development of mental health services is described here. Some of the activities undertaken are outlined including intersectoral collaborations to further mental health services.

Effect of third trimester of pregnancy on diurnal variation of ocular pressure.

This study was planned to evaluate the effect of pregnancy on diurnal variation of intraocular pressure (IOP) after placing control on all the IOP affecting factors. The IOP was measured with the Goldmann applanation tonometer. Both in the control and 3rd trimester subjects, the peak of mean IOP appeared in the morning when the subjects waked, and the trough of mean IOP happened at 2 am to 4 am.

The prevalence, classification and treatment of mental disorders among attenders of native faith healers in rural Pakistan.

Background: Although native faith healers are found in all parts of Pakistan, where they practice in harmony with the cultural value system, their practice is poorly understood. This study investigated the prevalence, classification and treatment of mental disorders among attenders at faith healers.

Method: The work of faith healers with 139 attenders was observed and recorded.

The ocular hypotensive effect of late pregnancy is higher in multigravidae than in primigravidae.

Background: Systemic hypertension and degenerative vascular disease are more common in multigravidae than in primigravidae. The present study investigated whether the known ocular hypotensive effect of late pregnancy is influenced by the number of pregnancies.

Methods: Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured in normotensive third-trimester primigravidae and multigravidae along with nulligravida controls by means of the Goldmann applanation tonometer.

Determinants of neonatal mortality.

Objectives: To identify the common causes and contributory factors for high neonatal mortality in Pakistan and propose effective strategies to safeguard against it.

Methods: This retrospective study was carried out in Neonatal Unit (NNU) of Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH) from January 1995 to December 1996. Relevant prenatal information obtained from referral forms, admission files or attendants was recorded on a proforma at the time of death of a newborn.

Foreign body aspiration in children--a persistent problem.

Objective: Cough and respiratory distress due to foreign body inhalation in children is a common problem in our society. This study was planned to identify the criteria for early diagnosis and management in suspected cases of foreign body inhalation.

Setting: The study was carried out on indoor patients of Paediatrics Department, Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH) affiliated with Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC), from January, 1995 to December, 1996.

Hyperlipidaemia during normal pregnancy, parturition and lactation.

Excessive accumulation of one or more of the major lipids in plasma can produce a marked increase in the risk of coronary heart diseases and other vascular complications. During and after pregnancy, changes in the levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol have been described, but the amount of change varies from study to study. Therefore, the present study investigated changes in lipids and lipoproteins throughout the pregnancy and puerperium.

Detection of disabilities by schoolchildren: a pilot study in rural Pakistan.

An important consideration in planning services for disabled children is to establish the need, including the size of the potential beneficiary group. However, surveys are expensive and time consuming (especially surveys of disability, which has a low prevalence within the population), and can raise expectations of service for patients who are often very unsure about how to cope with their disabled child. The World Health Organization (WHO) has produced a series of survey tools which have been used to identify disabled children in settings where a service is planned.

Randomised trial of impact of school mental-health programme in rural Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Background: A school mental-health programme has been developed as a component of the community mental-health programme in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. It has the objective of improving the understanding of disorders of mental health in the rural community. We aimed to assess the impact of a school mental-health programme on the awareness of schoolchildren, their parents, friends who were not attending school, and neighbours.

Pyuria as predictor of bacteriuria in catheterized patients.

Six hundred and nine urine samples were analyzed for pyuria to assess its efficacy as a predictor of bacteriuria, in catheterized patients, using different techniques of pus cells estimation. In 235 and 323 urine samples, pus cells were counted per high power field in centrifuged and uncentrifuged urine respectively, while in 51 urine samples pus cells were counted per cubic millimeter in uncentrifuged urine. All the urine samples were simultaneously cultured.

Monthly measurements of intraocular pressure in normal, ocular hypertensive, and glaucoma male subjects of same age group.

Background: Recently it has been shown that environmental conditions have a significant influence on intraocular pressure (IOP). Due to differences in inherent constitution, diet and environmental conditions, there is a clear need for well collected IOP data in different countries and ethnic groups. The seasonal variation of IOP has never been described in Pakistani subjects.

Intraocular pressure and pregnancy: a comparison between normal and ocular hypertensive subjects.

Decrease in intraocular pressure (IOP) during pregnancy has been reported by previous studies, but these studies have concentrated on the last trimester of pregnancy or one reading per trimester. Moreover, IOP changes during pregnancy in ocular hypertensive subjects have never been described. Therefore, the present study was planned to determine IOP throughout the pregnancy, in both normal and ocular hypertensive subjects.