RESUMO
Objective: To determine frequency of malaria in dengue patients
Study Design: Cross sectional study
Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Department of Medicine, Civil Hospital Karachi from June 2008 to December 2008
Materials and Methods: 274 dengue patients with Ig M antibody positive results were included in the study after informed consent Malaria parasite peripheral film and malarial ICT [immunochromatography] test of all these dengue patients were performed in order to detect the presence of co-infection with malaria. Age and sex of the patients were also noted
Results: In the study, out of 274 dengue patients, 189 [69%] were males and 85 [31%] were females. Mean age was 31.01 +/- 14.83 years. 41 [15%] dengue patients had concomitant malarial infection. Out of these 41 dengue-malaria co-infected patients, 29 [10.6%] had plasmodium vivax; 8 [2.9%] had plasmodium falciparum and 4 [1.5%] had both falciparum + vivax
Conclusion: Patients with dengue fever are predisposed to have concomitant malarial infection. Hence, these must be investigated for malaria as undiagnosed and untreated malaria can increase the morbidity and mortality of the dengue patients
RESUMO
Objectives: Our study focused on HCV's genotype distribution in district Jacobabad and its associated risk factors
Study Design: Cross sectional study
Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out at a Private Clinic in Jacobabad, Sind, Pakistan from January 2013 to July 2013
Materials and Methods: 153 samples were collected and their HCV status was confirmed by PCR
Results: Out of 153 people, 100 were male and 53 females .Majority of the people were natives of Jacobabad city [90%].Genotype 3 was the most prevalent form [80%] with 3a being the most prevalent subtype.65% had a history of using unsterilized needle of which 3a had the highest association [87.4%].5.5% of the subjects had received transfusions during their lifetime, with type 1 and 4 genotype having a 50% history of it.69% had no history of sharing needles. 12.2% had a history of surgical intervention
Surgery had a 100% associated with genotype 1. 2.5% had received dental treatments in the past, most evident with types 3 [65%].61.4% had visited their barber recently .6.3% people had ever received a tattoo, while majority of the people [92.8%] had no history of drug addiction
Reports of accidental pricks, sexual contacts or transmissions during delivery were negligible
History of tattooing, accidental pricks and transmission via sexual contact were mostly seen with type 3.No apparent cause of HCV was seen in 15%
Conclusion: Unsterilized needles and visits to the barbers for shaving are a major risk factor for Hepatitis C in this region of Pakistan. This could be attributed to the lack of knowledge about these dangerous practices
RESUMO
Objective: to determine the frequency of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH] on histopathology in patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus with duration of more than 5 years
Study Design: descriptive, cross-sectional study
Place and Duration of Study: department of Medicine, Dow Medical College, Civil Hospital, Karachi, from November 2013 to April 2014
Methodology: patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus of more than 5 years duration having raised alanine transaminases level and fatty liver on ultrasonography were selected. Informed consent was obtained and liver biopsy was performed in all patients by experienced physician of Civil Hospital Karachi. All samples of biopsy were sent for histopathology. Those patients with hepatitis B, C and D and steatosis like alcoholic and hypertriglyceridemia were excluded from the study. Descriptive statistics were calculated on SPSS version 17
Results: out of the 262 cases, 56.49% [148/262] showed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis on the basis of histopathology. The mean age of the patients was 50.72 +/-8.48 years. Median [interquartile] duration of diabetes mellitus of the cases was 9 years [15 - 4]. Out of 148 NASH cases, 56.1% [83/148] were males and 43.9% [65/148] were females
Conclusion: nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is an increasingly important and unrecognized spectrum of chronic liver disease associated with high prevalence of diabetes that is often overlooked and diagnosed with complications. So early recognition of these patients can prevent further complications
RESUMO
Objectives: To find out the frequency of Alzheimer's and Vascular dementia in the elderly patients
Methods:This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in Department of Medicine, Ziauddin Hospital Karachi from 1[st] October 2013 to 31[st] March 2014. Patients with symptoms of dementia for more than 6 months duration, and Mini Mental State Examination score <24 were included in this study. Patients who fell in category of dementia were assessed for duration of symptoms. Patients underwent CT scan of brain. Patients with generalized atrophy of brain on CT scanning of brain were labeled as Alzheimer's dementia, while patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke on CT scan of brain were labeled as vascular dementia
Results:Four hundred twenty two patients were included in this study. There were 232 [54.98 %] male and 190 [45.02 %] were female. The mean age +/- SD of the patients was 72.58+/-5.34 years [95%CI: 72.07 to 73.09], similarly average duration of symptoms was 10.14+/-2.85 months. About 18.96% of patients were illiterate, 32.23% were matric, 28.44% were intermediate and 20.33% were graduate and post graduate. Hypertension and diabetes were the commonest co-morbid i.e. 81.3% and 73.7%, hyperlipedimia and smoking were 38.2% and 45% respectively. Frequency of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia in the elderly was observed in 3.79% [16/422] and 2.61% [11/422] cases
Conclusion:A good number of patients, 27 out of 422, in this hospital based study were suffering from Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Early detection and prompt treatment can reduce the burden of the disease in our population