"Body packing" and its implications in Qatar

The internal concealment of highly profitable illicit drugs such as cocaine and heroin, by means of body packing is an important means of international drug trafficking. This phenomenon is apparently uncommon in Qatar, with only one reported case thus far. Here, we present a case of body packer who was transiting Doha and was found to be carrying 90 internalized packets of heroin. Regardless of whether this is another isolated case or an emerging phenomenon in Qatar, awareness of medical and surgical complication that can arise in these individuals is of importance to practicing physicians

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathyin childhood can present acutely: A report of three cases

Three patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) with acute onset initially diagnosed as Guillain-Barre syndrome were presented. Case 1 had profound weakness over 8 weeks but followed a monophasic recovery course and was almost full recovery at 6 months and remained well one year later, whereas Case 2 recovered with two relapses at 4 and 5 months followed by full remission at 6 months. Case 3 had almost monthly relapses over 2 years, requiring monthly intravenous immunoglobulin and 4 courses of intravenous methylprednisolone. Despite frequent relapses, clinical evidence of areflexia and neurophysiologic evidence of chronic neuropathy, Case 3 remained strong during remission. No causes were found except Case 2 may be due to reactivated latent Epstein-Barr virus. Unlike those with subacute or indolent onset, CIDP with acute onset may represent a very distinct variant with good outcome. We believe that acute onset CIDP variant and Guillain-Barre syndrome most likely represent parts of a continuum, arbitrarily separated by their time course. The supporting arguments are presented; diagnosis and management difficulties are briefly discussed.

Purification and characterization of lactate dehydrogenase from Varanus liver

Lactate dehydrogenase was purified 21-fold from liver of Varanus bengalensis using colchicine-sepharose column chromatography. The crude enzyme showed two isoenzymes (LDH-5 and LDH-4) by agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE). The purified enzyme showed a single band after SDS-PAGE corresponding to molecular mass of 35 kDa. The molecular mass of native enzyme was about 140 kDa. The optimum pH for the forward reaction was 7.5 while that for the reverse reaction was pH 9.5. The K-m values for pyruvate, NADH, lactate and NAD(+) were 0.17 +/- 0.037, 0.02 +/- 0.004, 12.4 +/- 3.05 and 0.38 +/- 0.032 mM, respectively. Pre-heating of enzyme showed that its t(50) was 40-50 degrees C. Oxalate and n-hexanediol were inhibitors for both forward and reverse reactions. Among divalent ions, Cu++ was shown to be more effective inhibitor for the forward reaction.

Propofol [Diprivan] for induction and maintenance of anesthesia for day case short gynecological procedures

The use of propofol for induction and maintenance of anaesthesia by intermittent bolus injection with 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen in 62 unpremedicated female patients for day case short gynaecological procedures is persented. In 42 patients, anaesthesia was maintained by repeated bolus doses of propofol 25-50 mg, 2 min after induction and at intervals of 5 min thereafter with 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen. This technique provided good operating conditions in 57% of patients, adequate in 33% of patients and inadequate in 10% of patients. Movement in response to surgery was the main problem with this technique; Twenty patients were maintained with halothane after propofol induction. Maintenance with halothane was good in all patients. 2,5 mg/kg of propofel provided rapid and smooth induction of anaesthesia. The pain on injection was the main complication observed in 64% of patients when propofol was injected via a small vein on dorsum of hand. The duration of apnoea was clinically insignificant. The recovery was rapid, complete and symptom free after both these anaesthetic techniques

Clinical presentation of patients with acute intermittent porphyria-our experience with 12 patients

Acute Intermittent Porphyria [AIP] presents as acute abdomen and implicates emergency and injudicious surgery. A clinical profile of AIP has been studied in 12 patients in order to raise a high suspicion index so that injudicious surgery is avoided. The study shows that the cases fell in 2nd and 3rd decade with a male preponderance of 11:1. Abdominal pain, tachycardia, hypertension and neuropsychiatric manifestationns were found in almost all the cases. Four out of 12 patients had underwent surgery as [acute abdomen] and three died with septicaemia. Three fourth of the cases belonged to Baiochistan

Job stress in Punjab University teacher

The study was conducted in a sample of 150 Punjab university teachers. Data was collected by means of a structured questionnaire to examine the relationship of job stress with psychosomatic health problems religiosity, exercise and happiness in life and exercise. Religiosity and exercise were found to be an important moderator of the stress outcome relationship. Where both husband and wife were working the level of stress was reported lower than those where one member was earning

Estimation and separation of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase isoenzymes in urine

N-acetyl Beta-D-glucosaminidase is a lysosomal enzyme made up of two isoenzymes [A and B]. It has been used extensively as a marker for kidney damage. However, its estimation in urine has not been standardized. We have established a method for the estimation and separation of NAG isoenzymes by ion-exchange chromatography. In 19 experiments done so far, this method has given reproducible results. The significance of this method is that with a single experiment, one can estimate total as well as individual isoenzyme activity. Furthermore, urine constituents do not appear to interfere in this assay