ABSTRACT
Objective In this study, we aimed to determine the linear growth and final height in children/adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) at a tertiary care hospital. Methodology This observational study was conducted at the Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology (BIDE), Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan. All children/adolescents diagnosed with T1DM of either gender aged between 8-18 years visiting the outpatient department of BIDE were included after obtaining informed consent. A predesigned questionnaire was developed to record data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth chart was plotted and growth velocity was checked every six months to observe the linear growth. The final height was compared with the targeted height of the respective participants. Results A total of 66 people participated in the study (24 males and 42 females); among them, the mean age at diagnosis was 11.17 ± 4.77 years, and the duration of diabetes [median (IQR)] at the first visit was one year (0-3). The mean age at menarche was noted to be 13.56 ± 1.41 years. The overall height [standard deviation score (SDS)] at the first visit was -0.62 ± 2.58 and it was -1.34 ± 0.94 at the last visit; the overall weight at the first visit (SDS) and at the last visit was -1.23 ± 2.77 and -1.14 ± 1.25 respectively. Furthermore, the overall mid-parental height was 160.9 5 ± 10.28 cm, and 50% of males and 85.7% of females achieved genetic target height with a significant difference between them (p = 0.002). Conclusion A large number of people with TIDM were not able to achieve their target height. Therefore, it is imperative to monitor metabolic control along with monitoring of growth in young people with T1DM.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article was to determine the frequency of different electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study. PLACE AND DURATION: The study was conducted at the medicine department at Civil Hospital Karachi, Pakistan, between November 2018 and May 2019. METHOD: Both female and male participants aged 18-60 years with acute exacerbation of COPD (as per the operational definition) for more than three days who did not receive any treatment for exacerbation were included in the study. Twelve-lead ECG was recorded (Schiller AG, Baar, Switzerland) for 10 minutes after the supine rest, with a 50 mm/s of paper speed, 10 mm/mV of gain, and filter default settings. RESULTS: In total, 140 participants (male: n = 124 [88.6%] and female: n = 16 [11.4%]) were included the research. The mean age of the participants was 40.43 ± 11.51 years. In terms of severity, 46 (32.95) patients presented with mild, 46 (32.9%) with moderate, and 48 (34.4%) with severe exacerbation. Moreover, 33 (23.65%) participants had ECG abnormalities, i.e., 13 (9.3%) patients presented with right atrial enlargement, and eight (5.7%) with right ventricular hypertrophy. Patients with a longer smoking duration (years) were likely to present with ECG abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Patients with COPD who had severe acute exacerbation and a long smoking duration have a high prevalence of ECG abnormalities. Hence, ECG may be a valuable tool for detecting ischemic abnormalities among patients with COPD, independent of previously known heart disease, in clinical settings.