Road traffic injuries in Rawalpindi city, Pakistan

Data on road traffic accident [RTA] injuries and their outcome are scarce in Pakistan. This study assessed patterns of RTA injuries reported in Rawalpindi city using standard surveillance methods. All RTA injury patients presenting to emergency departments of 3 tertiary care facilities from July 2007 to June 2008 were included. RTA injuries [n=19 828] accounted for 31.7% of all injuries. Among children aged 0-14 years females suffered twice as many RTA injuries as males [21.3% versus 11.4%], whereas this trend reversed for the age group 15-24 years [41.9% versus 21.7%]. One-fifth of injuries were either fractures or concussion. Severity and outcome of injuries were worse for the age group 45 years and older. For every road traffic death in Rawalpindi city, 29 more people were hospitalized and 177 more received emergency department care. These results suggest the need for better RTA injury surveillance to identify preventive and control measures for the increasingly high road disease burden in this city

Modified Hodge test: a simple and effective test for detection of carbapenemase production

Resistance among bacterial isolates is the leading cause of increased mortality and morbidity worldwide. Carbapenems once thought to be effective are becoming ineffective mostly due to the emergence of carbapenemase. This study was designed to determine in vitro efficacy of Modified Hodge test for detection of carbapenemase production in Gram negative rods. The study was done in the Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Rawalpindi Pakistan from January 2010 to December 2010. A total of 200 Gram negative rods from different clinical samples were taken. Those isolates which showed intermediate or susceptible zones i.e 16mm-21mm on disc diffusion were included in the study. These isolates were then subjected to Modified Hodge test. Out of 200 isolates, 138 [69%] were positive for carbapenemase production by Modified Hodge test. Out of 138 MHT positive organisms, the frequency of E. coli was 38%, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa [30%], Klebsiella pneumoniae [17%], Acinetobacter baumannii [12%], Citrobacter diversus [2%] and Enterobacter agglomerans [1.4%]. Modified Hodge test is a simple test which can be performed in the routine lab for detection of carbapenemases in isolates showing intermediate or sensitive zone diameter on disc diffusion

Knowledge, attitude and practices for dengue fever prevention

The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge regarding dengue fever prevention among general population and whether preventive measures are being practiced in the community in response to various campaigns on media by the government. A cross-sectional descriptive study. Population residing near Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore. Oct 2006-Dec 2006. Two hundred six respondents, both male and female, were interviewed. Respondents were selected by non-probability convenient sampling. Almost 69.9% of respondents were aware and had knowledge about dengue fever. A strong correlation of knowledge was observed with gender, education, employment, marital status and socioeconomic status [p<0.05]. The main source of information [59.3%] was television [Health Ministry's advertisement]. Regarding knowledge of symptoms, 28.6% recognized high grade fever for three to five days as symptom, 12.9% recognized skin rashes, 8.3% severe headache, 7.6% muscular and joints pain, 5.3% recognized nausea and vomiting as symptoms of dengue. 53.2% of respondents were satisfied with government efforts in providing information about recent dengue fever epidemic. The most frequently used preventive measures were mosquito coil and mats [38.1%], mosquito spray 14.8% mosquito repellents 7.8% and closing of the windows and doors 34.7% in the evening time and 36.7% used long sleeved shirts and trousers to save themselves from mosquito bite. Health education through media increased public awareness about the dengue fever and effectively motivated them to implement the preventive measures. This change in attitude has helped control the disease in the community

Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in blood donors: Analysis of 2-years data

The aim of the study was to know the prevalence and sex difference in the prevalence of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C among healthy blood donors at Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital which is a teaching hospital situated in periphery of Lahore, admitting patients mostly from rural population. All blood donors from September 04, 04 to August 11, 06 were enrolled. In total, there were 7431 donors. The over all prevalence of Hepatitis B was 1.52% and Hepatitis C was 5.34%. Prevalence of Hepatitis C was greater than Hepatitis B in healthy blood donors. Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are nearly as prevalent in rural population of Lahore as in the urban population. Females in the rural population donated blood infrequently and data of female donors was too small to, comment on sex difference between the prevalence of the two viruses

Cell membrane thermostability as a measure of heat-tolerance in cotton

High termperature stress is a major constraint to increased productivity of cotton in Pakistan. A technique based on physiological characteristics is therefore required to screen the cultivars for heat-tolerance. The membrane thermostability test conducted on fully grown young leaves of cotton is an appropriate technique for screening breeding material for heat-tolerance. Genotypes tested showed wide variations in adaptation to high temperature stress and could be broadly grouped into three categories on the basis of cell injury level. Genotypes showing high membrane thermostability gave higher seed cotton yield

Post-hysterectomy fallopian tube prolapse presenting as vault granulation tissue

Prolapse of fallopian tube following hysterectomy is a rare condition which can cause diagnostic confusion and can lead to distressing symptoms following the operation. A case of post-hysterectomy fallopian tube prolapse presenting as granulation tissue at the vault is presented. The fallopian tube prolapse should be considered in the differential diagnosis of vault granulation tissue following hysterectomy and particularly so if the tissue is tender to touch

Separation and partial characterization of two of the extracellular endoglucanases of cellulomonas flavigena

Two extracellular endoglucanases of Cellulomonas flavigena were purified by acetone precipitation, gel filtration, ion-exchange chromatography and preparative gradient PAGE and named as endoglucanases E1 and E2. Both of these were only active against carboxymethyl cellulose [CMC] and their Km values were determined to be 7.8 and 20 g/l, respectively. Each of the enzyme gave glucose along with cellobiose as end product. Both the endoglucanases were most active at pH 6.5 - 7.0 and at 45 - 50°C. Each of the enzyme was inhibited by 20 mM glucose and cellobiose. Heavy metal ion e.g. Ag+ and Fe++ and B-mercaptoethanol strongly inhibited both the enzymes whereas slight inhibition was observed with Ca++. The enzymes are stable in the pH range of 3 - 10 and below 30°C. Molecular weights as determined by SDS-PAGE are 75,000 for endoglucanase E1 and 60,000 for the endoglucanase E2

Purification and characterization of a crystalline cellulose hydrolyzing enzyme of tricholderma harzianum

An Avicel-hydrolyzing cellulase was isolated from a shake flask culture of Trichoderma harzianum and purified by Sephadex G-75 gel filtration and DEAE-Sephadex A-50 chromatography. This cellulose component, called cellulase F, showed a single protein band by SDS-PAGE. Its molecular weight was found to be 50, 100 by SDS-PAGE and 47, 800 by gel filtration. It was most active at pH 4.5 to 5.0 and a temperature of 50°C. The enzyme was stable at the pH range 4.0 to 5.5 and lost its activity rapidly beyond the temperature of 50°C. Cellulose F was rich in acidic amino acids but poor in basic and sulphur containing amino acids. The hydrolytic activity of cellulase F on Avicel, filter paper and cotton was higher as compared to those on the soluble substrates. The hydrolytic products of the insoluble substrates contained high levels of cellobiose and cellotriose but low levels of glucose. Cellulase F was an essential component of the cellulase complex since it showed strong synergism with other components of the complex

Cellulase production by locally isolated trichoderma species

Production of cellulases by four different locally isolated species belonging to the genus Trichoderma was studied. The organisms were grown in a mineral salt medium containing 1% glucose, CMC, filter paper or Avicel in shake flasks. The order of cellulase productivity of the four species was T. harzianum > T. longibrachiatum > T. hamatum > T. piluliferum. The induction effect of different carbon sources was Avicel > filter paper > CMC > glucose for all the species. In the medium containing 1% Avicel T. harzianum produced 74.6, 11.5, 3.2 and 11.3 U of CMCase, avicelase, FPase and salicinase, respectively per 100 ml of the culture medium