Correlation of Vitamin D deficiency with chest X-rays severity scores and different inflammatory markers in severe and critical COVID-19 patients

Objective: To determine the relationship between Vitamin D deficiency with Chest X-Rays severity score and Different Inflammatory Markers in Severe and Critical COVID-19 Patients. Design: A cross-sectional study Setting: The study was conducted in COVID-19 isolation units at Mardan Medical Complex Teaching Hospital (MMCTH) and Bacha Khan Medical College, Pakistan Participants: 206 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 by PCR were included in the final analysis.Data Collection/Intervention: We collected demographic, comorbidity, laboratory, and clinical outcome data from the electronic records of admitted, deceased, or discharged patients.Main outcome measure: Frequency of symptoms, comorbidities, mortality and morbidity, chest x-ray severity scores, different inflammatory markers in Vitamin D deficient Covid-19 patients Results: 128(62.14%) were severe and 78(37.5%) were critical COVID-19 patients. The whole cohort had 82(39.80%) males and 124(60.20%) females, with a median age of 55 IQR (50-73). Study participants' median Vitamin D level was 14.01ng/ml, with a minimum of 7.5ng/ml and a maximum of 70.8ng/ml. 67/206 patients died, with a fatality ratio of 32.5%. 54/67(80.59%) suffered from one or more comorbid conditions. Conclusion: Low Vitamin D levels were linked to a higher risk of death, higher x-ray severity scores, and different inflammatory markers. Vitamin D levels greater than 30ng/ml for older patients and greater than 40ng/ml in older patients with comorbidities were associated with reduced severity and mortality in patients with COVID-19

Bacterial spectrum and their sensitivity pattern in patients of chronic suppurative otitis media

The study was conducted from March 2008 to February 2010 in Microbiology Department, Citi Lab, Rawalpindi, to determine the causative microorganisms and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media. One hundred and eighty-three samples received at Citi Lab were included in the study. Pus samples were cultured aerobically. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was done with standard antibiotic discs using modified Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Out of 183 patients, microbiological culture was yielded from 154 specimens [84%]. There were 148 bacterial isolates [96%] and 06 fungi [4%]. Pseudomonas aeruginosa [n=59, 38%] was the most common isolate followed by Staphylococcus aureus [n=34, 22%]. Susceptibility pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed that 100% isolates were sensitive to Piperacillin/Tazobactam, whereas 98% isolates were sensitive to Imipenem and 76% to Ciprofloxacin. Continuous surveillance of susceptibility pattern is suggestive for effective therapy of chronic suppurative otitis media