Khadija Muneer

Introduction: Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently diagnosed mainly using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Yet a significant proportion of patients have negative RT-PCR result. A comparative study of RT-PCR negative patients with RT-PCR positive patients will help understand clinical characteristic and differences of this diseased population. Objective: To compare the clinical and laboratory features of RT-PCR Positive and RT-PCR negative patients admitted in high dependency unit. Patients and methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the data of 128 patients (59 patients with RT-PCR positive result and 69 patients with RT-PCR negative results) was obtained. These patients had been admitted in high dependency unit of a community hospital. Demographics, clinical characteristics and laboratory abnormalities were noted and a comparison was done using statistical analysis. Results: In our study-total 128 patients were enrolled out of which 68 (53.1%) were males and 60 (46.9%) were females. 59 (46.1%) patients were RT-PCR positive and 69 (53.9%) patients were RT-PCR negative. Median age was 55.34 years (18 to 95). No significant difference was noted in most of clinical symptoms (fever, sputum production, rhinorrhea, dyspnea, myalgia, nasal congestion, vomiting, diarrhea, urinary symptoms, altered level of consciousness), comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, prior lung disease, prior ischemic heart disease, prior kidney disease), laboratory abnormalities (elevated creatinine, elevated liver enzymes, elevated ferritin, elevated C-reactive protein, elevated d-dimers, elevated procalcitonin, abnormal electrocardiogram). Cough was significantly found to be more prevalent in RT-PCR positive patients (p=0.042) and severe disease was also more prevalent in these patients significantly (p=0.000). Conclusion: Our study shows that patients admitted and diagnosed to be suffering from COVID-19 infection had remarkable similarities in clinical features and laboratory parameters regardless of RT-PCR status, however RT-PCR positive patients suffered from more severe pneumonia as compared to RT-PCR negative patients. Keywords: COVID-19, RT-PCR positive, RT-PCR negative

Objectives: To determine the frequency of success of thrombolysis using SK in patients of STEMI, To investigate the association of success of thrombolysis with NLR in patients of STEMI. Methodology: A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out at Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of Services Hospital, Lahore. The sample size of 130 patients were enrolled by non-probability consecutive sampling. In this study all male and female patients from 25 to 100 years of age with STEMI who were given SK were included from CCU of Services Hospital, Lahore using non probability consecutive sampling. NLR was calculated. Success of thrombolytic therapy was determined by relief of chest pain & resolution of ≥ 50% ST-elevations (STE) in ECG taken 90 minutes after completion of SK. Results: In this study, there were total 130 cases and out of these 72 (55.38%) were males and 58 (44.62%) were females. High NLR was seen in 43 (33.08%) of the cases. Successful thrombolysis was observed in 99 (76.15%) of t...

Background: Covid 19 is a highly contagious viral infection resulting in severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The objective of this study was to determine the potential complications affecting the outcome of moderate to severe COVID 19 patients admitted in HDU of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore.Subjects and methods: It was a prospective cohort study. The study was conducted on 108 patients admitted in the COVID HDU of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore with positive PCR for COVID-19 having moderate to severe disease. After written consent, all the demographic data and complications like ARDS, respiratory failure, cardiac injury and liver dysfunction, acute kidney injury and sepsis/DIC were obtained through specially designed proformas data was collected through specially designed proformas and data was analysed through SPSS version 22. During hospital stay, we observed the patients for the development of complications as mentioned above. All Patients were followed ...

Background: Diabetes mellitus is the fifth leading cause of death in developed countries.Risk of infections is increased in diabetic patients with urinary tract being the most common site of infection. Worldwide, the prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTI) is estimated to be around 150 million persons per year . UTI exhibit a poorer prognosis in patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) due to a compromise in their immune status in addition to emerging antimicrobial resistance due to widespread use of antimicrobial agents. This study aims to determine frequency of common bacterial pathogens causing UTI and antibiotic sensitivity pattern among type 2 diabetic patients. This may help to guide physicians regarding appropriate management of UTI in the local population to avoid multidrug resistance. Patients and Methods: This cross sectional study involved 215 type 2 diabetic patients admitted to Medical Unit-III of Sir Ganga Ram hospital, Lahore from 01-12-2016 to 31-05-2017. Typ...

Background: Optimal glycaemic control in type 2 diabetics is of utmost importance in preventing the complications of diabetes which lead to increased morbidity and mortality related to the disease. Some studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency was prevalent in type 2 diabetic patients and was associated with poor glycaemic control. This study aimed to determine the vitamin D3 levels in type 2 diabetic patients and its association with glycaemic control. Patients and methods: This cross sectional study was carried out in the outdoor department of Medical Unit II of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital/Fatima Jinnah Medical University Lahore from Feb 10, 2019 to May 9, 2019. A total of 45 cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus were enrolled in this study after taking informed consent from them. Demographic details (name, age, gender, including duration of diabetes) were obtained and blood sample were taken for HbA1c and 25-OH vitamin D3 levels. Vitamin D deficiency was diagnosed by taking serum leve...

Background: Type I diabetes mellitus is a chronic illness in which autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells results in the body’s inability to produce insulin. Vitamin D has several important roles regarding bone health however, recent studies suggest that Vitamin D3 (the active form of Vitamin D) has potent antiproliferative and immunomodulatory properties which has linked it to many autoimmune disease including Type I Diabetes Melltius. Vitamin D deficiency (serum levels less than 50 nmol/l) has a negative influence on insulin secretion in patients with Type I Diabetes Mellitus, thereby suggesting a role for vitamin D3 in the pathogenesis of Type I Diabetes Mellitus. Vitamin D deficiency is an increasingly recognized comorbidity in patients with Type I diabetes mellitus. We aim to determine the frequency of vitamin D deficiency in Type I Diabetes Mellitus in Pakistani population. Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine frequency of Vitamin D deficiency in pa...

Background: A nosocomial infection, is an infection acquired by a patient during a hospital visit (or among hospital staff) that becomes clinically evident after 48 hours of hospitalization. Objective: To assess the knowledge and practices of health care professionals about nosocomial infections. Methodology: A cross-sectional study with a convenient sample of 250 health care providers was conducted in two tertiary care hospital of Lahore (Sir Ganga Ram and mayo hospital) from November 2015 to January 2016. Out of 250 respondents, 244 replied and participation was voluntary. SPSS version 20 was used for data entry and analysis. Means ± SD were calculated for continuous data and frequency and percentage was used for categorical data. Results: Overall response rate was 97.6%,with majority (89.3%) of the respondents being females. Physicians comprised, 79.50% of the respondents while 20.5% were nurses. Among the physicians more than half were house officers (60.7%).Most of the responde...