ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the frequency and severity of anemia in children <15 years of age and find association of anemia with age and gender at Gwadar Development Authority [GDA] Hospital, Gwadar, Baluchistan
Study Design: Cross sectional study
Place and Duration of Study: GDA Hospital Gwadar, from June 2016 to June 2017
Material and Methods: Through consecutive sampling, 483 children reporting to the pathology department for hemoglobin estimation were sampled. The samples were taken through antecubital veins using aseptic technique and the hemoglobin was analyzed using Medonic M-series M32 Hematology Analyzer. The sample was divided into three groups based on age i.e. group-1 [age 6-59 months], group-2 [age: 5-11 years], and group-3 [age: 11-14 years]. We used definitions of anemia given by the World Health Organization. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20
Results: The mean age was 7.3 +/- 4.3 years [range: 1-14 years]. The frequency of anemia was 64.6 percent [n=312]. Considering gender, the percentage of anemic children among male gender was 62.9 percent [n=132] and among females was 65.9 percent [n=180]. The percentage of anemic children was highest [74.5 percent] in group-1 [p<0.001]. The gender could not find an association with anemia [p=0.483]
Conclusion: Anemia had a frequency of 64.6 percent in children under 15 years of age at GDA Hospital, Gwadar. Agegroup of 1-59 months had the highest percentage of anemic children. The gender did not have any association with anemia
ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the frequency of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD] in newly diagnosed cases of hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection and its association with genotypes in normal weight patients
Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study
Place and Duration of Study: Departments of internal medicine and diagnostic imaging, Combined Military Hospital Okara, from Oct 2013 to Mar 2014
Material and Methods: We included 211 patients from Okara through consecutive sampling who were found positive for anti HCV antibodies and HCV RNA after informed consent. The sampled patients were evaluated for liver echotexture through ultrasonography and genotype analysis by polymerase chain reaction. Variables were defined qualitatively and quantitatively and frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations were calculated. For the association of ultrasonographic findings with the genotypes, Pearson's Chi-square or Fischer's exact tests were applied where appropriate. All the data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences version 20. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant
Results: The mean age was 32 +/- 6 years with a range of 21 +/- 47 years. Most [85.3 percent, n=180] were married. The majority [62.1 percent, n=131] hailed from the Punjab province and from the age-group of
Conclusion: Fifty-three percent patients with positive HCV RNA had NAFLD identified on ultrasonographic examination. The genotype 3 of HCV RNA was particularly affiliated with NAFLD
ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the frequency, risk factors, and genotypes for hepatitis C virus [HCV] in healthy male individuals from Okara garrison
Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Departments of internal medicine and pathology, Combined Military Hospital Okara and Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, from Oct 2013 to Mar 2014
Material and Methods: A total of 6500 healthy individual from Okara garrison and the surrounding areas, coming to Combined Military Hospital, Okara, without pervious history of HCV infection were sampled through non-probability consecutive sampling. Blood samples were subjected to rapid screening of HCV infection using Intec immune chromatographic kits. All positive cases were confirmed by 4th generation Monolisa HCV Ag-Ab ULTRA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] and polymerase chain reaction [PCR] for HCV RNA using smart cycler automated real-time PCR system. The genotyping of HCV RNA was done with COBAS AMPLICOR HCV MONITOR Test, version 2.0. All positive cases were asked to fill a questionnaire in Urdu regarding different risk factors for HCV infection. The data were analysed using SPSS version 20
Results: A total of 6235 individuals were tested for anti HCV antibodies. Out of 6235, 270 [4.3 percent] participants were positive on immunochromatography and ELISA. among 270 participants [mean age: 31 +/- 7 years], 162 [60 percent] were positive for HCV by PCR, whereas, 108 [40 percent] were negative. Genotyping for only 211 personnel could be made available. The genotype 3 was the commonest [68.7 percent, n=145] genotype. The most common risk factor was dental treatment in the past [26.3 percent] followed by previous surgery [23.7 percent]
Conclusion: A frequency of 4.3 percent for HCV seropositivity was observed in our cohort of male individuals from Okara garrison and the surrounding areas. Genotype 3 was the commonest [68.7 percent] genotype observed for HCV. Previous dental procedures and surgeries were the commonest risk factors found in HCV infected personnel
ABSTRACT
Psoriatic arthritis [PsA] is a seronegative spondyloarthropathy that presents clinically in different forms. Arthritis mutilans is a rare yet the most aggressive and disabling form of PsA that requires early diagnosis and aggressive therapy preferably in the form of biological agents to prevent or stop the irreversible destruction of small joints. We describe here, report of a case of long standing PsA who developed arthritis mutilans resulting in disability, compromised mobility and a poor quality of life