ABSTRACT
To compare the efficacy of polyvinyl alcohol [PVA] particles with microcoils in angiembolisation of non variceal acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of patients who underwent transcatheter angioembolization from January, 1995 to December, 2013 at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. Patients were divided into two groups on basis of use of either microcoils or PVA particles and compared in terms of technical success, clinical success, re-bleeding and ischemic complication rates. Chi [chi[2]] square and Fisher's exact tests were applied and a P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Fifty seven patients underwent angioembolization. Microcoil and PVA particles embolization was performed in 63% [36/57] and 35% [20/57] cases respectively. Technical success was achieved in all cases [100%]. Clinical success rate was higher in microcoils group [92%] than PVA particles group [75%] with statistically significant P value [p=0.048]. Ischemic complication was seen in one case [3%] in the microcoil group, while no such complications were seen in the PVA particles group. In angioembolization of non variceal acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage microcoils are better than Polyvinyl alcohol particles with higher clinical success and lower re-bleed rates
ABSTRACT
To compare Greulich-Pyle [GP] and Girdany-Golden [GG] methods for estimation of Skeletal Age [SA] in children referred to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Cross-sectional study. Department of Radiology, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from July 2010 to June 2012. Children up to the age of 18 years, who had undergone X-ray for the evaluation of trauma were included. Each X-ray was interpreted using both methods by two consultant paediatric radiologists having at least 10 years experience, who were blinded to the actual Chronologic Age [CA] of children. A total of 283 children were included. No significant difference was noted in mean SA estimated by GP method and mean CA for female children [p=0.695]. However, a significant difference was noted between mean CA and mean SA by GG method for females [p=0.011]. For males, there was a significant difference between mean CA and mean SA estimated by both GP and GG methods. A stronger correlation was found between CA and SA estimated by GP method [r=0.943 for girls, r=0.915 for boys] as compared to GG method [r=0.909 for girls, r=0.865 for boys] respectively. Bland- Altman analysis also revealed that the two methods cannot be used interchangeably. Excellent correlation was seen between the two readers for both GP and GG methods. There was no additional benefit of using GP and GG methods simultaneously over using GP method alone. Moreover, although GP was reliable in estimating SA in girls, it was unable to accurately assess SA in boys. Therefore, it would be ideal to develop indigenous standards of bone age estimation based on a representative sample of healthy native children