A prospective, observational, multicentre study to evaluate the efficacy of brivaracetam as adjuvant therapy for epilepsy: The Bravo study.

Background: Epilepsy is a persistent tendency to experience epileptic seizures and can lead to various neurobiological disorders, with an elevated risk of premature mortality. This study evaluates the efficacy of brivaracetam adjuvant therapy in patients with epilepsy. Methods: A prospective observational multicentre study that was conducted in Pakistan from March to September 2022, by using a non-probability convenience sampling technique. The population consisted of 543 individuals with a diagnosis of epilepsy for whom adjunctive brivaracetam (Brivera; manufactured by Helix Pharma Pvt Ltd., Sindh, Pakistan) was recommended by the treating physician. The research sample was drawn from various private neurology clinics of Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Peshawar. Data originating from routine patient visits, and assessments at three study time points, were recorded in the study case report form. Results: Across 18 clinical sites, 543 individuals participated, with a mean age of 32.9 years. The most prescribed dosages were 50 mg BD, followed by 100 mg BD. Notably, brivaracetam combined with divalproex sodium was the most prevalent treatment, followed by brivaracetam with levetiracetam. At both the 14th and 90th day assessments, a significant reduction in seizure frequency was observed, with 63.1% of individuals showing a favourable response by day 90. Treatment-naive individuals exhibited higher rates of seizure freedom and response compared with treatment-resistant individuals. Conclusions: The study demonstrates the effectiveness of brivaracetam combination therapy in epilepsy management, with notable reductions in seizure frequency and favourable clinical responses observed, particularly in treatment-naive individuals.

Comprehensive Analysis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas: Clinical, Epidemiological, and Histopathological Insights With a Focus on Prognostic Factors and Survival Time.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common malignancies in the head and neck region. Particularly, high incidence rates are observed in South and Southeast Asia, attributed to the widespread use of the carcinogenic areca nut. This study aimed to investigate the clinical, epidemiological, and histopathological features of OSCC, identify prognostic factors impacting disease-free survival, and determine a post-diagnosis disease-free survival time of OSCC patients. METHODOLOGY: Employing a descriptive cross-sectional design, the study conducted a thorough examination of the clinical, epidemiological, and histopathological aspects of OSCC among patients seeking care at a tertiary healthcare facility. Participants were personally interviewed if available, while information for unreachable or deceased individuals was extracted from archival patient records in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Bakhtawar Amin Medical and Dental College, Multan, Pakistan. Data analysis was performed with a significance level set at p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 54.16 ± 11.1, with a notable concentration in the 41 years and above age group, indicating a significant prevalence of OSCC in this population. The data revealed a gender bias toward males, and a substantial proportion of patients, particularly those aged 41 years and above, had unfortunately passed away. Statistical analysis using the Fisher exact test showed a significant association between age groups and patients' current living status (p-value < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Histopathologically, moderately differentiated OSCC was the most frequently encountered grade, and surgery emerged as the predominant treatment modality. The majority of patients studied had a survival period of three years or less, emphasizing the need for further exploration of factors influencing prognosis and treatment outcomes in OSCC.

COVID-19 Testing Trend: A Retrospective Analysis of the Three Major Pandemic Waves in Punjab, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: There is some evidence in the literature of under-testing of COVID-19 cases in Pakistan. This study aims to explore COVID-19 testing trends and the factors affecting them in a lower middle-income country for future infectious disease policy-making and intervention strategies. METHODOLOGY: The study was conducted as a serial cross-sectional study during the three major peaks from March 2020 to June 2021 on 1616 participants in Punjab, Pakistan. This is the first study to explore COVID-19 testing trends in association with flu-like symptoms (FLS) and the factors affecting all three major waves in Pakistan. RESULTS: The results show that in all three waves, only 18.8% reported COVID-19 tested despite that 86.7% thought they had already had COVID-19, with 51.3% reporting having FLS and 35.6% with exposure to FLS from their families and 19.8% of positive testing rate among their family members. Out of the survey participants, 66% received vaccination, and over 80% had their eligible family members immunized. Fear of contracting COVID-19 was 69.7% in all three waves. Factors positively associated with the uptake of testing were the age group of 31-40 years with an adjusted odds ratio of 3.27 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.09-5.12) for the second wave and an adjusted odds ratio of 13.75 (95% CI: 9.43-20.01) for the third wave and traveling abroad with odds of 3.08 times when the reference was inland traveling. The adjusted odds ratio to test for FLS was 1.62 (95% CI: 1.21-2.16). CONCLUSION: In this study, there is convincing evidence of COVID-19 under-testing and thus under-reporting. This study also suggests that fear-based interventions may be counterproductive; however, economic factors such as education, employment, and traveling are significant in guiding the behavior for infectious disease prevention and management.

Efficacy and safety of itopride SR for upper gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with diabetic gastroparesis: real-world evidence from Pakistan.

Background: Gastroparesis is a serious condition that can be caused by diabetes, surgery or infection, or can be idiopathic. When there is no mechanical obstruction, gastroparesis is characterized by delayed stomach emptying. Itopride, a prokinetic drug, inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity in addition to antagonizing dopamine D2 receptors. Methods: This prospective, multicentre study is based on real-world data from 988 patients with a diagnosis of diabetic gastroparesis for index (PAGI-SYM2) evaluation at baseline and week 4 of treatment for upper gastrointestinal disorder symptoms. Results: Upper gastrointestinal symptom severity scores improved significantly after 4 weeks of treatment (p<0.001), with significant improvement across all categories of gastroparesis (very mild (37-58.6%), mild degree (24.6-31.6%), moderate (29.3-7.3%) and severe (8.8-2.6%). Conclusion: Itopride SR (Nogerd SR) in a 150 mg once-daily dose showed promising results in reducing the severity of upper gastrointestinal disorder symptoms associated with diabetic gastroparesis. Both statistical and clinical effectiveness were observed. Moreover, the treatment demonstrated a favourable tolerability profile, with a low incidence of adverse effects.

Efficacy and Safety of Brivaracetam in Persons With Epilepsy in a Real-World Setting: A Prospective, Non-Interventional Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Epilepsy stands out as one of the most prevalent neurological conditions. Brivaracetam (BRV) is a noteworthy antiseizure medication (ASM) distinguished by its pronounced and selective interaction with the synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) within the brain. Prior investigations, including regulatory trials, post-marketing assessments, and comparative meta-analyses, have consistently underscored BRV's equivalency in efficacy and superior tolerability when pitted against other antiseizure drugs. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and acceptability of BRV in treating epileptic patients in the Pakistani population. METHODS: This prospective observational study, conducted in Pakistan from February to December 2022, employed a non-probability consecutive sampling technique. This study included 368 adult patients diagnosed with epilepsy, with a focus on those aged 18 and above experiencing focal seizures. Demographic data, clinical history, seizure types, and epilepsy profiles were recorded. Patients were administered BRV (Brivera; manufactured by Helix Pharma Pvt Ltd., Sindh, Pakistan) monotherapy therapy under physician guidance and followed up for three months. The study assessed changes in seizure frequency, side effects, and drug resistance at baseline, 14th day, and 90th day. Safety aspects were monitored, including documenting any adverse effects associated with BRV therapy. RESULTS: A total of 368 epileptic patients were included in this study, of which 287 (61.3%) were males and 181 (38.7%) were females. The mean age was 32.91±17.11 years. The mean number of seizures at the baseline visit was 5.74±6.21, at 14 days was 2.89±3.84 and at 90 days was 1.73±5.01 (p<0.001). Overall, a more than 50% reduction in seizure episodes was achieved in 178 (56.3%) patients at day 90, and less than 50% reduction in seizure episodes was achieved by 95 (26.8%) patients on Day 14, with a highly significant association between them (p<0.001). Among 316 patients, only 41 (4.4%) of all BRV-treated patients experienced adverse events; Of these 41 patients, 17 (41.7%) reported dizziness and 14(34.2%) reported behavioral issues. CONCLUSIONS: Epileptic patients receiving BRV demonstrated a substantial reduction of greater than 50% seizure episodes at the end of follow-up visits. Moreover, BRV exhibited fewer adverse effects in individuals with epilepsy.

Assessment of episodes of pneumonia and diarrhea in vaccinated and unvaccinated children under 60 months of age.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the episodes of pneumonia and diarrhea in vaccinated and unvaccinated children under 60 months of age. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at Darul Sehat Hospital and SESSI, Karachi in the Department of Pediatrics from 1st November 2018 to 3rd February 2019. An interview based questionnaire was administered and selection of participants was done by convenience sampling. Total of 196 participants were selected for interview. RESULTS: Total 196 participants were interviewed which included mothers of children between the age group of 1- 60 months. The questions were entered on the questionnaire after taking consent from the mothers. Among them, males were 98 (52.7%) and females were 88(47.3%). One hundred seventy two (88.7%) children were vaccinated for pneumococcal and rotavirus whereas unvaccinated children were 22(11.3%). There was an incidence of 66(63.5%) for loose watery diarrhea. In vaccinated children, grading of diarrhea was found to be severe cases as 30 (34.9%), moderate cases as 27 (31.4%) and mild cases as 29(33.7%). For unvaccinated children, severe cases were 12 (66.7%) and for mild and moderate cases were (11.1%) and 04(22.2%) respectively with p value of 0.035. As compared to their unvaccinated counterparts, the frequency of severe pneumonia was far less than cough and cold in vaccinated children (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: There is significant reduction in cases of severe pneumonia in children receiving pneumococcal vaccine as compared to children receiving Rota vaccine there is moderate reduction in cases of severe diarrhea. The overall coverage of Pneumococcal and Rota vaccines was higher in our sample population. Efforts should be made to increase the awareness of Rotavirus vaccination in order to have better coverage in future.

Quality of life of students of a private medical college.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the quality of life of students of a private medical college in Karachi in Pakistan. METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted among 217 medical students of Liaquat College of Medicine and Dentistry, Karachi from June 2017 to March 2018. Students were selected by a stratified sampling method and the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF Instruments (WHO QOL-BREF) was used for the above-mentioned study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 21 and Analysis of variance (ANOVA). Independent t-test was used as p <0.05 significant. RESULTS: A total of 250 questionnaires were distributed among 2nd year, 3rd year, 4th year and final year students and the response rate was 86.8%. Among them 48.5% (n=105) students were male and 51.5% (n=112) students were female, while 9.2% (n=20) students were currently ill and the other 90.8% (n=197) were healthy. CONCLUSION: Medical education influences the quality of life (QOL) of students adversely. Social relationships and environmental domain were satisfactory in private medical institutes whereas physical and psychological progress was low due to academic load which requires improvement either by physical activities such as fitness classes or other extra-curricular activities.

Association of seeking ophthalmic assessment in children with parental history of refractive errors.

OBJECTIVE: To find out the association of seeking ophthalmic assessment in children with parental history of refractive errors. METHODS: After the approval of ethical review board, an analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in eight high schools of public and private sector at Lahore during the period of seven months from August 2017 to March 2018. Multistage random sampling technique was opted and 2000 study subjects were recruited including 50% boys and 50% girls. Informed consent was obtained and data was collected on a structured questionnaire. The data was organized, entered in version 23 of IBM SPSS and analyzed by the use of statistical tools. RESULTS: Age of the respondents ranged between nine to 18 years with a mean of 13.40 ± 1.82 SD.Parental history of wearing spectacles was present in 21.3% of the fathers and 28.6% of the mothers. Moreover, 72.4% of the participants never visited eye care professional. Among private schools, an association was found between the visit of boys to eye care professional and maternal positive history of wearing spectacles (p-value 0.019). A significant association was found between the positive paternal history of wearing spectacles and visit of the female strudy subjects to an eye care professional (p-value 0.001). In public schools, there was an association between visit of children to eye care services and positive history of mothers about the use of spectacles (p-value 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: This study concludes that positive maternal history of wearing spectacles is associated with the ophthalmic examination of children in both public and private school.

Prevalence of refractive errors; an evidence from the public high schools of Lahore, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the magnitude of refractive errors among high school children. METHODS: The cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted from April to August 2017 in four public-sector high schools in Lahore, Pakistan. Using multistage simple random sampling, all public sector high schools of the city were initially included. Screening of refractive errors was managed on the school premises. Data was collected on a pre-tested, structured questionnaire. SPSS 23 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: There were 1000 subjects with an overall mean age of 13.78±1.72 years (range: 10-18 years). Refractive errors were present in 244(24.4%) and myopia 127(52%) was the major type of refractive error followed by astigmatism 93(38.1%) and hypermetropia 24(9.8%). Differece in the prevalence of refractive errors in urban and rural settings was significant (p=0.00002). CONCLUSIONS: Uncorrected refractive errors were present in a considerable segment of public-sector high school students of Lahore.

Normal interpupillary, inner canthal distance and outer canthal distance in a normal population of Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to quantify the normal indices of anthropometric measures related to ophthalmology including Interpupillary distance (IPD), Inner canthal distance (ICD), Outer canthal distance (OCD) in a normal, healthy Pakistani population. METHODS: This is a cross sectional study. Total 500 patients were chosen randomly but 499 were included in this study. Patients were selected randomly in an outpatient department of Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre Karachi, over the period of five months. IPD, ICD & OCD all measurements were taken with the help of plastic rule by only one researcher to minimize chances of error as much as possible. IPD was reconfirmed from auto refractometer while ICD and OCD readings were taken twice by occluding one eye of researcher to reduce error. Participants were divided into four categories on basis of: Age, Gender, ethnicity and geographical location. Patients were further categorized on basis of Ethnicity to Urdu Speaking, Sindhi, Punjabi, Pathan, and others. Moreover, four age groups were drawn ranging from 15-24 years, 25-44 years, 45-64 years and 65 years and greater. RESULTS: Our study comprised a total of 499 patents of which 272(54.5%) were males, and 227(45.5%) were females. The mean age of the participants was 39.3 ± 14.5 years. The mean values for the IPD, ICD and OCD in mm were 61.8 ± 6.2, 30.9 ± 2.9 and 85.2 ± 6.6 respectively. A statistically significant difference was observed between IPD, ICD and OCD Indices among male and female study participants (p<0.001, p=0.043, p<0.001). While comparing the IPD, ICD and OCD indices amongst the different ethnic groups, we found no statistically significant difference (p=0.09. p=0.28, p=0.06). Overall, there was no correlation between the age and other variables i.e. IPD, ICD, OCD, (r = 0.07, p = 0.085), (r = 0.005, p = 0.906), (r = -0.08, p = 0.058). CONCLUSION: This work has recommended normative values of IPD, ICD and OCD in Pakistani population on the basis different variables including gender, age, and ethnicity.