Efficacy of Intravenous Iron Infusion in Gestational Iron Deficiency Anemia in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, During 2018-2019: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to investigate the effectiveness of intravenous (IV) iron infusion in increasing hemoglobin levels in gestational iron deficiency anemia (GIDA) patients in a tertiary-care hospital in Dubai emirate, United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of GIDA patients who were exposed to IV iron infusion supplementation. Study data of 40 cases aged 25-45 in a tertiary-care hospital in the UAE between 2018 and 2019 were analyzed. Variables accounted for were maternal age, age of gestation when IV iron was administered, and IV iron dose. RESULTS: The average hemoglobin level before the intervention was 9 g/dL, and the average change after the intervention was 10.4 g/dL with a mean of 1.4 g/dL difference between before and after the intervention. CONCLUSION: Supplementation of IV iron infusion in GIDA patients was seen to have increased the hemoglobin level after the intervention; however, the increase did not meet the recommended range of 12-16 g/dL.

Coronary Artery Calcium Score: Assessment of SYNTAX Score and Prediction of Coronary Artery Disease.

Background With the advent of modern imaging technologies, non-invasive assessment of the coronary system is not only possible but its complexity and plaque burden can be quantified. This study aims to determine whether calcium score on computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) can be associated with the complexity of coronary artery disease (CAD), which is determined by the SYNTAX score on coronary angiography, as well as to determine which cut-off value of coronary artery calcium (CAC) score can predict severe CAD in our population. Methodology This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, Pakistan from January 2019 to March 2020. The calcium score of all patients with low-to-intermediate pretest probability of CAD was calculated on CTCA. All patients who had significant disease on CTCA were subjected to conventional coronary angiography and SYNTAX score was calculated, which was later used to determine the association between calcium and SYNTAX score. Results A total of 90 patients were included in the study. CAC and SYNTAX score were found to be positively correlated (Pearson coefficient [r] = 0.354; p = 0.001). The total CAC score with a cut-off value of 212 recognized patients with the SYNTAX score of >27. The sensitivity was 66.7% and specificity was 70.5% with an area under the curve of 0.743. The mean calcium score of patients in our study group was 223, with the maximum score of 1,216 and the minimum score of zero. Conclusion A CAC score greater than 212 is associated with a high SYNTAX score indicating complex disease. Only age is an independent predictor of calcium score.

Acute Pulmonary Embolism: Presentation, Diagnosis, Management and Factors Impacting Clinical Outcome in a Tertiary Cardiac Centre in Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the presentation, diagnosis, management and outcome of acute pulmonary embolism for assessing the factors impacting mortality in such patients. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from July 2015 to July 2018. METHODOLOGY: Patients presenting with clinical suspicion of pulmonary embolism were subjected to a diagnostic algorithm consisting of Wells Rule, D-Dimer testing, echocardiography and CT pulmonary angiogram. Patients diagnosed with pulmonary embolism were subdivided into massive and submassive pulmonary embolism groups. Most patients diagnosed with massive pulmonary embolism were treated with streptokinase injection. For those diagnosed as submassive pulmonary embolism, the standard therapy remained anticoagulation with intravenous heparin, both the subsets of patients were further put on oral warfarin. Clinical outcome was defined as combined end-point including death during hospital stay, recurrence of PE and meed for repeat thrombolysis. RESULTS: A total of 174 patients diagnosed with pulmonary embolism were studied. The mean age was 49.1 +14.8 years (range 23-88 years) with 109 (62.6%) patients being male. The in-hospital clinical course was uneventful in 144 (83%) patients. Twenty-two patients (12.6%) patients died, of whom 3 died from major bleeding, one from cancer, and 18 from the pulmonary embolism process (14 patients from refractory shock and 4 patients from recurrent PE). A total of 8 (4.6%) had fatal or non-fatal recurrent PE. In patients who had echocardiography both pre- and post-thrombolysis, initial RV dysfunction was reversible in 136 (78%) within 48h following thrombolytic therapy. By univariate analysis, only shock (SBP) and delay in diagnosis for more than 6 hours were associated with adverse event. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis by doing urgent CTPA in patients with suspected acute PE is the cornerstone in reducing mortality in acute PE patients.

Prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica in humans.

The present survey was carried out to determine the prevalence of human amebiasis. During the study, 1360 fecal samples were examined from February 2007 to December 2007 at Nishtar Hospital, Multan. Out of 1360 hosts examined, 295 were infected with E. histolytica. The overall prevalence of E. histolytica was (21.69%). Relationship between sex and E. histolytica in humans showed that the infection of E. histolytica was more prevalent in male hosts (22.36%) as compared to female hosts (20.9%). However the difference was statistically non-significant (P>0.05). Results regarding the relationship between age and E. histolytica revealed that the parasite had highest prevalence (30.82%) in age group of 1 day to 15 years and lowest prevalence (17.34%) in age group of 31 to 45 years. The difference was statistically significant (p<0.05).

Comparative vapour phase FTIR spectra and vibrational assignment of manganese pentacarbonyls derivatives of the type XMn(CO)5: (where X=Br, Cl, I, H, D, CH3, CD3, CF3).

The infrared spectra of pure Mn(CO)(5)X in the region 4000-400 cm(-1) has been obtained in the vapour phase. The observed spectrum has been analyzed to distinguish the fundamental frequencies, the rotational-vibrational and structure, and overtone and combination frequencies. The assignment of the observed vapour phase frequencies to the fundamental modes of vibration has been made on C(4V) symmetry. The weak peaks due to XMn(CO)(4)((13)CO) molecules have been measured and assigned for all molecules. This study provides a comprehensive comparison of these compounds, with all of these data the assignment of frequencies is reviewed and a set of quite unambiguous assignments made. The significant finding in this regards are that, it is not necessary to assume lower than C(4V) symmetry for XMn(CO)(5) as has been done in previous consideration of some infrared spectrum of these compounds.