Frequency of bacterial, viral and fungal meningitis occurrence in Gadap town Karachi, Pakistan

In the present study the frequency of bacterial [including tuberculous meningitis], viral and fungal meningitis occurrence in Gadap Town, Karachi, Pakistan has been determined. It is a population-based descriptive study which was carried out in Fatima Laboratory Hospital, Baqai Medical University, Karachi from November 2013 to November 2014. A total of 100 cases of meningitis were reported in the hospital during the study period. The physical, chemical and microscopic examinations of the samples were performed following the criteria of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. In biochemical analysis, glucose was estimated by hexokinase method whereas protein was estimated by calorie method of molybdate. The results of the analysis indicated that the incidence of bacterial meningitis was highest [65%] in the studied population, in which 30% cases were diagnosed with tuberculous meningitis and 35% with other bacterial infections. In the remaining cases, the fungal meningitis [20%] was second most common followed by viral meningitis [15%]

Histopathological spectrum of gastric biopsies in a tertiary care hospital

This study was carried out to determine the histopathological spectrum of gastric lesions at a tertiary care hospital. A retrospective study. This study was conducted at Dr. Tahir Laboratory from Gastroenterology unit of Hamdard University Hospital Karachi from July 2009 to August 2012. The gastric mucosal biopsies of 280 patients received at Dr. Tahir Laboratory from Gastroenterology unit of Hamdard University Hospital Karachi. A slight higher frequency of gastric disease seen in females with age range of 17 years to 78 years was observed. The clinical presentations mostly seen were abdominal pain, dyspepsia, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite and weight loss. The histopathology revealed chronic active gastritis [H Pylori positive and negative] followed by malignant gastric ulcer. A number of biopsies were unremarkable histologically. The more prevalent lesions in this series were chronic active gastritis. H. pylori associated gastritis was seen in majority of the patients. Thus gastric biopsy is an essential tool for diagnosis and confirmation of clinically suspected cases

Significance of serological monitoring for hepatitis b viral infection in hemodialysis patients

To find out the prevalence of Hepatitis B by serologicai monitoring in chronic hemodialysis patients. The study was carried out in the department of Microbiology BMSI, JPMC Karachi, from January 2010 till February 2011. Two hundred blood samples were coiiected from the patients on chronic maintenance hemodialysis from the different hospitals/ dialysis centres in Karachi, that had at least twenty cycles of hemodialysis in tertiary care hospitals of Karachi. Biood was collected from each patient and the test was performed according to the standard protocol. Out of 200 patients, 51 [25.5%] patients were already vaccinated for HBV while in 149 [74.5%] patients there was no history of HBV vaccination. Among these 149 patients, 32 [21.47%] showed seropositivity for HBV infections in our study. The risk for acquiring these infections is significantly as-sociated with increasing duration of dialysis. Mean age of 56.7_SD 0.68 years with male predominance. There are only 25.5% patients who were vaccinated against HBV infection among 200 patients. The study revealed that HBV prevalence was commonly found among dialysis patients and only quarter of them were vaccinated. The vaccination should be mandatory in dialysis centers to prevent and control hepatitis B in hemodialysis units

Evaluation of sampling sites for detection of potential pathogenic bacteris in children with upper respiratory infections [URTIs]

URTIs are common cause of morbidity in children. Two sampling techniques, oropharynx [OP] and nasopharynx [NP] for detection of upper respiratory tract [URT] pathogenic bacteria were studied. To determine which sample site, NP or Op yields the highest rate of S. pneunoinae, H. influenze, M. catarrhalis, S. aureus and S. pyogenes isolates at different age group. The aim of present study was to evaluate as to which sample site yields the highest rates of bacterial isolates in children with upper respiratory tract infection [URTIs]. The prevalence of potential pathogenic bacteria [S. pneumoinae, H. influenzae, M. catarrhalis, S. aureus and S. pyogenes] from 150 infected children of various ages, >5, 6-10 and 11-15 years were compared in NP and OP samples having URTIs. S. pneumoinae was found equally in both NP and OP sites while H. influenzae, M. catarrhalis, S. aureus were more in OP sample while S. pyogenes was isolated in OP alone