RESUMO
350 million people are infected with Hepatitis B virus [HBV] and 60 million people with Hepatitis C virus [HCV]. Chronic infection by these viruses leads to cirrhosis of liver and hepato-cellular carcinoma [HCC]. Esophageal varices develop in cirrhotic patients which can be demonstrated by invasive methods or predicted by non-invasive methods. An observational, Cross sectional study was conducted in Medical Unit-IV, Liver Center of District Head Quarters Hospital and Medical units of Allied Hospital, Faisalabad for 6 months from 23 May 2007 to 22 November 2007. The study was conducted on 100 patients diagnosed as post viral cirrhosis of liver of either sex between 25 -70 years of age. The ratio between platelet count and spleen size was calculated .The mean ratio for those with esophageal varices was found to be 650 [100 -1614] and for those without esophageal varices, the mean value of the ratio was calculated to be 2453 [1600-3483], which was significantly different [p<0.05]. Non-invasive markers have been used to predict varices in cirrhotic patients. Cirrhotics with esophageal varices have a significantly lower platelet count and a significantly greater ultrasonographic spleen size as compared to those patients of liver cirrhosis without esophageal varices [13,14] a fact also consistant with our study [p < 0.05]
RESUMO
To assess the efficacy of honey compared with 1% silver sulfadiazine cream as a burn dressing for the treatment of superficial and partial thickness burns covering less than 15% of the body surface. In a randomized comparative clinical trial, carried out at the Surgical Department, of Combined Military Hospital, Bahawalpur, from September, 2002 to August, 2003, 50 patients were selected for the study. They were randomly assigned to two groups. Each group contained 25 patients. Patients in group-I were treated with pure honey which was applied once daily after the wound was cleaned with normal saline. Patients in group-II were similarly dressed with a layer of 1% silver sulfadiazine cream once daily. The effectiveness of the two modalities of treatment was judged on the basis of time taken for the wounds to heal, to be relieved of pain and to get sterile. In group-I [treated with honey], 52% of the patients had all the burns healed after 2 weeks and 100% got cured after 4 weeks. In group II [treated with 1% silver sulfadiazine], 20% of the patients had their burns healed after 2 weeks, 60% after 4 weeks and 100% by the end of 6 weeks of the treatment. As regards pain relief, all the patients of group-I were relieved of pain after 3 weeks of the treatment. On the contrary it took 4 weeks for all the patients of group-II to be free of pain. Lastly, it took 3 weeks and 5 weeks for positive swab culture from the wound to get sterile with honey and 1% silver sulfadiazine cream, respectively. With all the three criteria used to compare the effectiveness of the two modes of burn wound treatment, honey was found superior to silver sulfadiazine