survey of hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control in health screening camps of rural central Punjab, Pakistan

Hypertension is a global public health problem with increasing prevalence. There is limited updated information on the prevalence of hypertension in the Pakistani population. This is a cross-sectional study based on data collected during multiple health screening camps held at multiple locations in rural central Punjab, Pakistan in the period between 2008 and 2015. A total of 13,722 patients were included in this study. Crude prevalence of hypertension was 35.1% and age-standardized prevalence was 34.4%. Among patients with hypertension, 62.3% were aware of having high blood pressure; among these patients, 75.3% were already on treatment for hypertension. Blood pressure was controlled in 22.3% of all patients with hypertension. Among those on treatment for hypertension, blood pressure was controlled in 32.3%. Nearly one-third of patients in health screening camps of rural central Punjab had hypertension. Blood pressure control rate was poor among these patients

Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy: Success and Failure

Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) has now become an accepted mode of hydrocephalus treatment in children. Varying degrees of success for the procedure have been reported depending on the type and etiology of hydrocephalus, age of the patient and certain technical parameters. Review of these factors for predictability of success, complications and validation of success score is presented.

Neutropenic enteropathy.

Neutropenic enteropathy (NE) is used to describe the inflammation of the bowel in neutropenic patients under aggressive chemotherapy, mainly for lymphoproliferative and hematologic malignancies. Surgical intervention may be required in patients with the advent of the disease. We report our experience in 7 children with NE who had to be treated surgically. Absolute neutrophil counts were less than 1000/mm3 in all, with positive blood cultures in five patients. Four patients recovered with rapid resolution of neutropenia, while three patients died with persistent neutropenia.