Prioritizing rehabilitation in low- and middle-income country national health systems: a qualitative thematic synthesis and development of a policy framework.

BACKGROUND: There is a large and growing unmet need for rehabilitation - a diverse category of services that aim to improve functioning across the life course - particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Yet despite urgent calls to increase political commitment, many low- and middle-income country governments have dedicated little attention to expanding rehabilitation services. Existing policy scholarship explains how and why health issues reach the policy agenda and offers applicable evidence to advance access to physical, medical, psychosocial, and other types of rehabilitation services. Drawing from this scholarship and empirical data on rehabilitation, this paper proposes a policy framework to understand national-level prioritization of rehabilitation in low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: We conducted key informant interviews with rehabilitation stakeholders in 47 countries, complemented by a purposeful review of peer-reviewed and gray literature to achieve thematic saturation. We analyzed the data abductively using a thematic synthesis methodology. Rehabilitation-specific findings were triangulated with policy theory and empirical case studies on the prioritization of other health issues to develop the framework. RESULTS: The novel policy framework includes three components which shape the prioritization of rehabilitation on low- and middle-income countries' national government's health agendas. First, rehabilitation lacks a consistent problem definition, undermining the development of consensus-driven solutions which could advance the issue on policy agendas. Second, governance arrangements are fragmented within and across government ministries, between the government and its citizens, and across national and transnational actors engaged in rehabilitation service provision. Third, national legacies - particularly from civil conflict - and weaknesses in the existing health system influences both rehabilitation needs and implementation feasibility. CONCLUSIONS: This framework can support stakeholders in identifying the key components impeding prioritization for rehabilitation across different national contexts. This is a crucial step for ultimately better advancing the issue on national policy agendas and improving equity in access to rehabilitation services.

Integration measurement and its applications in low- and middle-income country health systems: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Despite growing interest in and commitment to integration, or integrated care, the concept is ill-defined and the resulting evidence base fragmented, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Underlying this challenge is a lack of coherent approaches to measure the extent of integration and how this influences desired outcomes. The aim of this scoping review is to identify measurement approaches for integration in LMICs and map them for future use. METHODS: Arksey and O'Malley's framework for scoping reviews was followed. We conducted a systematic search of peer-reviewed literature measuring integration in LMICs across three databases and screened identified papers by predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. A modified version of the Rainbow Model for Integrated Care guided charting and analysis of the data. RESULTS: We included 99 studies. Studies were concentrated in the Africa region and most frequently focused on the integration of HIV care with other services. A range of definitions and methods were identified, with no single approach for the measurement of integration dominating the literature. Measurement of clinical integration was the most common, with indicators focused on measuring receipt of two or more services provided at a single point of time. Organizational and professional integration indicators were focused on inter- and intra-organizational communication, collaboration, coordination, and continuity of care, while functional integration measured common information systems or patient records. Gaps were identified in measuring systems and normative integration. Few tools were validated or publicly available for future use. CONCLUSION: We identified a wide range of recent approaches used to measure integration in LMICs. Our findings underscore continued challenges with lack of conceptual cohesion and fragmentation which limits how integration is understood in practice.

Provision of rehabilitation for congenital conditions.

Considerable progress has been made in saving the lives of children younger than 5 years. Nevertheless, these advances have failed to help all children thrive, particularly children with disabilities. We describe the increasing prevalence of disability among children and adolescents. We evaluate the current situation regarding children with disabilities and rehabilitation in the context of health systems, particularly those in low- and middle-income countries. Within the newborn health agenda, congenital anomalies often require early intervention and rehabilitation. We provide Argentina as an example of a country where rehabilitation for congenital anomalies is integrated into the health system. We argue that congenital anomalies that require rehabilitation have the potential to strengthen rehabilitation systems and policies by: strengthening coordination between primary care and rehabilitation; identifying and understanding pathways that allow families to engage with services; providing human resources for rehabilitation; and building systems and resources that support assistive technology and rehabilitation. We propose ways for countries to prioritize and integrate early identification, referral and care for children with congenital anomalies to strengthen health systems for all. We identify opportunities to expand policy and planning and to design service delivery and workforce strategies through World Health Organization guidelines and frameworks for rehabilitation. We argue that the global health community must act to ensure that rehabilitation services to support functioning from birth are well established, accepted and integrated within health systems, and that disability is prioritized within child health. These steps would strengthen health systems, ensure functioning from birth and make rehabilitation accessible to all.

Des progrès considérables ont été réalisés pour sauver la vie des enfants de moins de cinq ans. Pourtant, ces avancées n'ont pas permis à tous les enfants de s'épanouir, en particulier lorsqu'ils présentent un handicap. Dans ce document, nous faisons état de la prévalence croissante du handicap chez les enfants et adolescents. Nous évaluons la situation actuelle des enfants porteurs de handicap ainsi que leur réadaptation au sein des systèmes de santé, surtout dans les pays à revenu faible et intermédiaire. Dans le cadre du programme de santé néonatale, les anomalies congénitales nécessitent souvent des interventions et une réadaptation rapides. Nous utilisons l'exemple de l'Argentine, un pays où la réadaptation fait partie intégrante du système de santé en cas d'anomalie congénitale. Nous estimons que les anomalies congénitales impliquant une réadaptation sont susceptibles de renforcer les systèmes et mesures en la matière grâce à: l'amélioration de la coordination entre les soins primaires et la réadaptation; l'identification et la compréhension des parcours qui permettent aux familles d'entrer en contact avec de tels services; la mise à disposition de ressources humaines compétentes dans ce domaine; et enfin, grâce au développement des mécanismes et ressources qui soutiennent les technologies d'assistance et la réadaptation. Nous proposons aux pays des pistes favorisant un diagnostic précoce, un transfert et une prise en charge des enfants souffrant d'anomalies congénitales, afin de consolider le système de santé et d'en faire bénéficier l'ensemble de la population. En outre, nous recensons les moyens d'étoffer les politiques et programmes, mais aussi d'élaborer des stratégies de prestation de services et de gestion des effectifs conformes aux lignes directrices et cadres relatifs à la réadaptation formulés par l'Organisation mondiale de la Santé. Selon nous, la communauté sanitaire internationale doit agir pour faire en sorte que les services de réadaptation soient pris en compte, acceptés et intégrés dans les systèmes de santé afin de contribuer au bon fonctionnement dès la naissance, et que le handicap figure parmi les priorités en ce qui concerne la santé infantile. De telles actions renforceraient les systèmes de soins de santé, assureraient un développement optimal dès la venue au monde et rendraient la réadaptation accessible à toutes et tous.

Se han hecho progresos considerables para salvar la vida de los niños menores de 5 años. Sin embargo, estos avances no han permitido que todos los niños prosperen, en particular los niños con discapacidades. En este artículo, se describe la creciente prevalencia de la discapacidad entre los niños y adolescentes. Se evalúa la situación actual de los niños con discapacidad y la rehabilitación en el contexto de los sistemas sanitarios, en particular los de los países de ingresos bajos y medios. Dentro de los programas de salud neonatal, las anomalías congénitas suelen requerir una intervención y rehabilitación tempranas. Se menciona a Argentina como ejemplo de un país en donde la rehabilitación de las anomalías congénitas está integrada en el sistema sanitario. Se argumenta que las anomalías congénitas que requieren rehabilitación tienen el potencial de fortalecer los sistemas y las políticas de rehabilitación mediante: el fortalecimiento de la coordinación entre la atención primaria y la rehabilitación; la identificación y la comprensión de las vías que permiten a las familias participar en los servicios; la provisión de recursos humanos para la rehabilitación; y la creación de sistemas y recursos que apoyen la tecnología de asistencia y la rehabilitación. Asimismo, se proponen mecanismos para que los países den prioridad e integren la identificación, derivación y atención tempranas de los niños con anomalías congénitas, con el fin de fortalecer los sistemas sanitarios para todos. Se identifican las oportunidades para ampliar la política y la planificación y para diseñar estrategias de prestación de servicios y de personal a través de las directrices y los marcos de la Organización Mundial de la Salud para la rehabilitación. Se sostiene que la comunidad sanitaria mundial debe actuar para asegurar que los servicios de rehabilitación para apoyar el funcionamiento desde el nacimiento estén bien establecidos, aceptados e integrados dentro de los sistemas sanitarios, y que se dé prioridad a la discapacidad dentro de la salud infantil. Estas medidas reforzarían los sistemas sanitarios, asegurarían el funcionamiento desde el nacimiento y harían que la rehabilitación fuera accesible para todos.

Framing rehabilitation through health policy and systems research: priorities for strengthening rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: Recent estimates report that 2.4 billion people with health conditions globally could benefit from rehabilitation. While the benefits of rehabilitation for individuals and society have been described in the literature, many individuals, especially in low- and middle-income countries do not have access to quality rehabilitation. As the need for rehabilitation continues to increase, it is crucial that health systems are adequately prepared to meet this need. Practice- and policy-relevant evidence plays an important role in health systems strengthening efforts. The aim of this paper is to report on the outcome of a global consultative process to advance the development of a research framework to stimulate health policy and systems research (HPSR) for rehabilitation, in order to generate evidence needed by key stakeholders. METHODS: A multi-stakeholder participatory technical consultation was convened by WHO to develop a research framework. This meeting included participants from selected Member States, rehabilitation experts, HPSR experts, public health researchers, civil society and other stakeholders from around the world. The meeting focused on introducing systems approaches to stakeholders and deliberating on priority rehabilitation issues in health systems. Participants were allocated to one of four multi-stakeholder groups with a facilitator to guide the structured technical consultations. Qualitative data in the form of written responses to guiding questions were collected during the structured technical consultations. A technical working group was then established to analyse the data and extract its emerging themes. This informed the development of the HPSR framework for rehabilitation and a selection of preliminary research questions that exemplify how the framework might be used. RESULTS: A total of 123 individuals participated in the multi-stakeholder technical consultations. The elaborated framework is informed by an ecological model and puts forth elements of the six WHO traditional building blocks of the health system, while emphasizing additional components pertinent to rehabilitation, such as political priority, engagement and participatory approaches, and considerations regarding demand and access. Importantly, the framework highlights the multilevel interactions needed across health systems in order to strengthen rehabilitation. Additionally, an initial set of research questions was proposed as a primer for how the framework might be used. CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening health systems to meet the increasing need for rehabilitation will require undertaking more HPSR to inform the integration of rehabilitation into health systems globally. We anticipate that the proposed framework and the emerging research questions will support countries in their quest to increase access to rehabilitation for their populations.

Adaptation and validation of UNICEF/Washington group child functioning module at the Iganga-Mayuge health and demographic surveillance site in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: The UNICEF/Washington Group Child Functioning Module (CFM) assesses child functioning among children between 5 and 17 years of age. This study adapted and validated the CFM at the Iganga-Mayuge Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (IM-HDSS) in Uganda. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2018-January 2019 at the IM-HDSS. Respondents were caregivers of children between 5 and 17 years of age who were administered modified Washington Group short set (mWG-SS) and CFM. The responses were recorded on a 4-point Likert scale. Descriptive analysis was conducted on child and caregiver demographic characteristics. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) assessed underlying factor structure, dimensionality and factor loadings. Cronbach's alpha was reported as an assessment of internal consistency. Face validity was assessed during the translation process, and concurrent validity of CFM was assessed through comparison with disability short form. RESULTS: Out of 1842 caregivers approached, 1439 (78.1%) participated in the study. Mean age of children was 11.06 ± 3.59 years, 51.4% were males, and 86.1% had a primary caregiver. Based on EFA, vision, hearing, walking, self-care, communication, learning, remembering, concentrating, accepting change, behavior control, and making friends loaded on factor 1 - "Motor and Cognition," while anxiety and depression loaded on factor 2 - "Mood". Cronbach's alpha for the overall CFM was 0.899 (good internal consistency). Cronbach's alpha for each extracted factor was excellent, motor and cognition (0.904), and mood (0.902). CFM had acceptable face validity. Spearman's rank correlation between scores of CFM and modified WG short set was 0.51 (p-value < 0.001). The overall mean CFM score was 2.47 ± 3.82 out of 39. The mean score for Mood (1.35 ± 1.42 out of 6) was higher compared to Motor and Cognition (1.12 ± 3.06 out of 33). Comparing modified WG short set and CFM Likert responses, the percent agreement was greatest for "cannot do at all." CONCLUSION: CFM is a two-factor, valid and reliable scale for assessing disability in Uganda and can be applied to other similar settings to contribute towards disability data from the region. It is an easy-to-administer tool that can help in deeper understanding of context-specific burden and extent of disability in children between 5 and 17 years of age.

Teaching children road safety through storybooks: an approach to child health literacy in Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) commonly affect the younger population in low- and-middle-income countries. School children may be educated about road safety using storybooks with colorful pictures, which tends to increase the child's interest in the text. Therefore, this study assessed the use of bilingual pictorial storybooks to improve RTI prevention knowledge among school children. METHODS: This pretest-posttest study was conducted in eight public and nine private schools of Karachi, Pakistan, between February to May 2015. Children in grades four and five were enrolled at baseline (n = 410). The intervention was an interactive discussion about RTI prevention using a bilingual (Urdu and English) pictorial storybook. A baseline test was conducted to assess children's pre-existing knowledge about RTI prevention followed by administration of the intervention. Two posttests were conducted: first immediately after the intervention, and second after 2 months. Test scores were analyzed using McNemar test and paired sample t-test. RESULTS: There were 57% girls and 55% public school students; age range 8-16 years. Compared to the overall baseline score (5.1 ± 1.4), the number of correct answers increased in both subsequent tests (5.9 ± 1.2 and 6.1 ± 1.1 respectively, p-value < 0.001). Statistically significant improvement in mean scores was observed based on gender, grades and school type over time (p-value < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Discussions using bilingual pictorial storybooks helped primary school children in Pakistan grasp knowledge of RTI prevention. RTI education sessions may be incorporated into school curricula using storybooks as teaching tools. Potential exists to create similar models for other developing countries by translating the storybooks into local languages.

Pattern of relapse in paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in a tertiary care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency, site and time to relapse from diagnosis, and to see the relationship of relapse with important prognostic factors. METHODS: The prospective descriptive observational study was conducted at the National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, June 2005 to May 2007, and comprised newly-diagnosed cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Bone marrow aspiration was done on reappearance of blast cells in peripheral smear and cerebrospinal fluid. Detailed report was done each time when intra-thecal chemotherapy was given or there were signs and symptoms suggestive of central nervous system relapse. SPSS 12 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 60 patients enrolled, 4(6.6%) expired and 1(1.7%) was lost to follow-up. Of the 55(91.6%) who comprised the study sample, 35(58%) were males and 25(42%) females. Mean age of relapse was 6.8±3.27 years. Mean time to relapse from diagnosis was 1.3±0.54 years; 12(20%) patients suffered relapse, and of them 5(14%) were boys. Central nervous system relapse in 8(67%) patients was the most common site, with 3(25%) bone-marrow relapses. Out of 12 patient with relapses, 9(75%) had white blood cell count less than 50,000/cm. CONCLUSIONS: Relapse in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia was common, although treatment modalities are improving day by day.

Characteristics of chest pain and its acute management in a low-middle income country: analysis of emergency department surveillance data from Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Chest pain is one of the most frequent causes of emergency department (ED) visits in high-income countries. Little is known about chest pain patients presenting to EDs of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of chest pain patients presenting to emergency departments (EDs) of Pakistan and to determine the utilization of ED resources in the management of chest pain patients and their outcomes. METHODS: This study used pilot active surveillance data from seven major EDs in Pakistan. Data were collected on all patients presenting to the EDs of the participating sites to seek emergency care for chest pain. RESULTS: A total of 20,435 patients were admitted to the EDs with chest pain. The majority were males (M 60%, F 40%) and the mean age was 42 years (SD+/- 14). The great majority (97%, n = 19,164) of patients were admitted to the EDs of public hospitals compared to private hospitals and only 3% arrived by ambulance. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were used in more than half of all chest pain patients (55%, n = 10,890) while cardiac enzymes were performed in less than 5% of cases. Chest X-rays were the most frequently performed radiological procedure (21%, n = 4,135); more than half of the admitted chest pain patients were discharged from the EDs and less than 1% died in the ED. CONCLUSION: Chest pain is a common presenting complaint in EDs in Pakistan. The majority received an ECG and the use of diagnostic testing, such as cardiac enzymes, is quite uncommon.

Pattern of presenting complaints recorded as near-drowning events in emergency departments: a national surveillance study from Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Drowning is a heavy burden on the health systems of many countries, including Pakistan. To date, no effective large-scale surveillance has been in place to estimate rates of drowning and near-drowning in Pakistan. The Pakistan National Emergency Department Surveillance (Pak-NEDS) study aimed to fill this gap. METHODS: Patients who presented with a complaint of "near-drowning" were analyzed to explore patterns of true near-drowning (unintentional) and intentional injuries that led to the "near-drowning" complaint. Bivariate analysis was done to establish patterns among patients treated in emergency departments, including socio-demographic information, injury-related information, accompanying injuries, and emergency department resource utilization. RESULTS: A total of 133 patients (0.2% of all injury patients) with "near-drowning" as presenting complaints were recorded by the Pak-NEDS system. True near-drowning (50.0%) and intentional injuries that led to "near-drowning" complaints (50.0%) differed in nature of injuries. The highest proportion of true near-drowning incidents occurred among patients aged between 25-44 years (47.5%), and among males (77.5%). True near-drowning patients usually had other accompanying complaints, such as lower limb injury (40.0%). Very few patients were transported by ambulance (5.0%), and triage was done for 15% of patients. Eleven (27.5%) true near-drowning patients received cardiopulmonary resuscitation. CONCLUSION: There was major under-reporting of drowning and near-drowning cases in the surveillance study. The etiology of near-drowning cases should be further studied. Patients who experienced non-fatal drownings were more commonly sent for medical care due to other accompanying conditions, rather than near-drowning event itself. There is also need for recognizing true near-drowning incidents. The results of this study provide information on data source selection, site location, emergency care standardization, and multi-sector collaboration for future drowning prevention studies.

Burn injury characteristics: findings from Pakistan National Emergency Department Surveillance Study.

BACKGROUND: Burn injury is an important yet under-researched area in Pakistan. The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics and associated outcomes of burn injury patients presenting to major emergency departments in Pakistan. METHODS: Pakistan National Emergency Department Surveillance (Pak-NEDS) was a pilot active surveillance conducted between November 2010 and March 2011. Information related to patient demographics, mode of arrival, cause of burn injury, and outcomes was analyzed for this paper. Data were entered using Epi Info and analyzed using SPSS v.20. Ethical approval was obtained from all participating sites. RESULTS: There were 403 burn injury patients in Pak-NEDS, with a male to female ratio 2:1. About 48.9% of the burn injury patients (n = 199) were between 10 - 29 years of age. There was no statistically significant difference between unintentional and intentional burn injury patients except for body part injured (p-value 0.004) and ED disposition (p-value 0.025). Among 21 patients who died, most were between 40 - 49 years of age (61.9%) and suffered from fire burns (81%). CONCLUSION: Burn injuries are a burden on emergency rooms in Pakistan. We were able to demonstrate the significant burden of burn injuries that is not addressed by specialized burn centers.

Uncovering the burden of intentional injuries among children and adolescents in the emergency department.

INTRODUCTION: In low- and middle-income countries, injuries are a leading cause of mortality in children. Much work has been done in the context of unintentional injuries but there is limited knowledge about intentional injuries among children. The objective of this paper was to understand the characteristics of children with intentional injuries presenting to emergency departments in Pakistan. METHODS: The data was from the Pakistan National Emergency Departments Surveillance (Pak-NEDS), conducted from November 2010 to March 2011 in seven major emergency departments of Pakistan. Data on 30,937 children under 18 years of age was collected. This paper reports frequency of intentional injuries and compares patient demographics, nature of injury, and discharge outcome for two categories of intentional injuries: assault and self-inflicted injuries. RESULTS: Intentional injuries presenting to the emergency departments (EDs) accounted for 8.2% (2551/30,937) amongst all other causes for under 18 years. The boy to girl ratio was 1:0.35. Intentional injuries included assault (n = 1679, 65.8%) and self-inflicted injuries (n = 872, 34.2%). Soft tissue injuries were most commonly seen in assault injuries in boys and girls but fractures were more common in self-inflicted injuries in both genders. CONCLUSION: Intentional injury is one of the reasons for seeking emergency treatment amongst children and a contributor to morbidity in EDs of Pakistan. Moreover, such injuries may be underestimated due to lack of reporting and investigative resources. Early identification may be the first step leading to prevention.

Ambulance use in Pakistan: an analysis of surveillance data from emergency departments in Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: The utilization of ambulances in low- and middle-income countries is limited. The aim of this study was to ascertain frequency of ambulance use and characteristics of patients brought into emergency departments (EDs) through ambulance and non-ambulance modes of transportation. METHODS: The Pakistan National Emergency Departments Surveillance (Pak-NEDS) was a pilot active surveillance conducted in seven major tertiary-care EDs in six main cities of Pakistan between November 2010 and March 2011. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to investigate the factors associated with ambulance use. RESULTS: Out of 274,436 patients enrolled in Pak-NEDS, the mode of arrival to the ED was documented for 94. 9% (n = 260,378) patients, of which 4.1% (n = 10,546) came to EDs via ambulances. The mean age of patients in the ambulance group was significantly higher compared to the mean age of the non-ambulance group (38 ± 18.4 years versus 32.8 ± 14.9 years, p-value < 0.001). The most common presenting complaint in the ambulance group was head injury (12%) while among non-ambulance users it was fever (12%). Patients of all age groups were less likely to use an ambulance compared to those >45 years of age (p-value < 0.001) adjusted for gender, cities, hospital type, presenting complaint group and disposition. The adjusted odds ratio of utilizing ambulances for those with injuries was 3.5 times higher than those with non-injury complaints (p-value < 0.001). Patients brought to the ED by ambulance were 7.2 times more likely to die in the ED than non-ambulance patients after adjustment for other variables in the model. CONCLUSION: Utilization of ambulances is very low in Pakistan. Ambulance use was found to be more among the elderly and those presenting with injuries. Patients presenting via ambulances were more likely to die in the ED.

Pattern of fall injuries in Pakistan: the Pakistan National Emergency Department Surveillance (Pak-NEDS) study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to analyse the frequency and patterns of fall-related injuries presenting to the emergency departments (EDs) across Pakistan. METHODS: Pakistan National Emergency Departments surveillance system collected data from November 2010 to March 2011 on a 24/7 basis using a standardized tool in seven major EDs (five public and two private hospitals) in six major cities of Pakistan. For all patients presenting with fall-related injuries, we analysed data by intent with focus on unintentional falls. Simple frequencies were run for basic patient demographics, mechanism of falls, outcomes of fall injuries, mode of arrival to ED, investigations, and procedures with outcomes. RESULTS: There were 3335 fall-related injuries. In cases where intent was available, two-thirds (n = 1186, 65.3%) of fall injuries were unintentional. Among unintentional fall patients presenting to EDs, the majority (76.9%) were males and between 15-44 years of age (69%). The majority of the unintentional falls (n = 671, 56.6%) were due to slipping, followed by fall from height (n = 338, 28.5%). About two-thirds (n = 675, 66.6%) of fall injuries involved extremities, followed by head/neck (n = 257, 25.4%) and face (n = 99, 9.8%). Most of the patients were discharged from the hospital (n = 1059, 89.3%). There were 17 (1.3%) deaths among unintentional fall cases. CONCLUSION: Falls are an important cause of injury-related visits to EDs in Pakistan. Most of the fall injury patients were men and in a productive age group. Fall injuries pose a burden on the healthcare system, especially emergency services, and future studies should therefore focus on safety measures at home and in workplaces to reduce this burden.

Bomb blast injuries: an exploration of patient characteristics and outcome using Pakistan National Emergency Departments Surveillance (Pak-NEDS) data.

BACKGROUND: Bomb blast injuries result in premature deaths and burdening of healthcare systems. The objective of this study was to explore the characteristics and outcome of patients presenting to the emergency departments in Pakistan with bomb blast injuries. METHODS: Active surveillance was conducted in seven major emergency departments of Pakistan from November 2010-March 2011. All the sites are tertiary care urban centers. All the patients who presented to the hospital's emergency department (ED) following a bomb blast injury as per self-report or the ambulance personnel were included in the study. Frequency of demographics, injury pattern, and outcomes were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients with bomb blast injuries presented to the selected emergency departments. The median age of patients was 30 years. Around three-fourth of the patients were males (n = 74, 74.7%). Most of the bomb blast patients were seen in Peshawar (n = 41, 39.8%) and Karachi city (n = 31, 30.1%) and the most common mode of arrival was non-ambulance transport (n = 71, 76.3%). Upper limb injuries (n = 12, 40%) were common in the under 18 age group and lower limb injuries (n = 31, 39.2%) in the 18 years and above group. There were a total of 8 (7.7%) deaths reported out of these 103 patients. CONCLUSION: Bomb blast injuries in Pakistan generally affect young males. Non-ambulance transport is the most common way to access emergency departments (ED). Overall ED mortality is high and capturing data during a disaster in an emergency department is challenging.

Global childhood unintentional injury study: multisite surveillance data.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to analyze the epidemiology of childhood unintentional injuries presenting to hospitals in 5 select sites in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Malaysia, and Pakistan). METHODS: We collected standardized data from children ages 0 to 12 years at participating emergency departments (EDs) in 2007. Statistical analyses were conducted to compare the characteristics of these injuries and to explore the determinants of injury outcomes. RESULTS: Among 2686 injured children, falls (50.4%) and road traffic injuries (16.4%) were the most common, affecting boys more often (64.7%). Home injuries were more common among younger children (average 5.41 vs 7.06 years) and girls (38.2% vs 31.7%). Following an ED visit, 24% of injured children were admitted to the hospital, and 6 died. Injury outcomes were associated with risk factors, such as age and sex, to varying extents. CONCLUSIONS: Standardized ED surveillance revealed unintentional injuries are a threat to child health. The majority of events took place inside the home, challenging traditional concepts of children's safety and underscoring the need for intensified context-appropriate injury prevention.

CT scan in children with acute bacterial meningitis: experience from emergency department of a tertiary-care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of computed tomography scan in children presenting to emergency department with symptoms and signs of suspected acute bacterial meningitis. METHODS: The retrospective analysis was done on children who were admitted through the Emergency Department at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from September 2009 to September 2011 with the diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis. Information related to age, gender, presenting complaints, clinical signs and symptoms, computed tomography scan findings and final outcome of patients was gathered from the medical records. SPSS 19 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 192 patients were admitted with the relevant diagnosis. The male-female ratio was 2.3:1. Computed tomography scan was done in 114 (59.4%) patients. The scan was reported normal in 90 (78.94%) patients. However, cerebral oedema was found in 16 (14.03%) patients, cerebral infarct in 6(5.26%) and hydrocephalus in 2 (1.75%) patients. Overall, there were 6 (3.1%) deaths. CONCLUSION: Comuted tomography scan may have a beneficial role in children with acute bacterial meningitis. However, further studies are required to use the scan as a routine investigation for such a diagnosis.

Burns in South Asia: Outcomes from South Asian Burn Registry (SABR).

BACKGROUND: South Asian region contributes 59 % to the global mortality due to burns. However, we find a paucity of literature on the outcomes of burns from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). South Asian Burn Registry (SABR) is a facility-based burns registry that collected data on in-patient burn care. This study assesses factors associated with mortality, length of hospital stay at the burns center, and functional status of burn patients. METHODS: Prospective data was collected from two specialized public sector burn centers between September 2014 - January 2015 from Bangladesh and Pakistan. Multivariable logistic, linear, and ordinal logistic regression was conducted to assess factors associated with inpatient-mortality, length of hospital stay, and functional status at discharge, respectively. RESULTS: Data on 883 patients was analyzed. Increased association with mortality was observed with administration of blood product (OR:3, 95 % CI:1.18-7.58) and nutritional support (OR:4.32, 95 % CI:1.55-12.02). Conversely, antibiotic regimens greater than 8 days was associated with decreased mortality (OR:0.1, 95 % CI:0.03-0.41). Associated increase in length of hospital stay was observed in patients with trauma associated with their burn injury, history of seizures (CE:47.93, 95 % CI 12.05-83.80), blood product (CE:22.09, 95 % CI:0.83-43.35) and oxygen administration (CE:23.7, 95 % CI:7.34-40.06). Patients who developed sepsis (OR:6.89, 95 % CI:1.92-24.73) and received blood products during hospitalization (OR:2.55, 95 % CI:1.38- 4.73) were more likely to have poor functional status at discharge. CONCLUSION: This study identified multiple factors associated with worse clinical outcomes for burn patients in South Asia. Understanding these parameters can guide targeted efforts to improve the process and quality of burn care in LMICs.

Factors associated with emergency department disposition among burn injury patients: Analysis of prehospital and emergency care characteristics using South Asia Burn Registry (SABR) data.

INTRODUCTION: Improvement in burn injury data collections and the quality of databanks has allowed meaningful study of the epidemiologic trends in burn care. The study assessed factors associated with disposition of burn injury patients from emergency department accounting for pre-hospital care and emergency care. METHODS: This prospective observational pilot study of the South Asia Burn Registry project was conducted at selected public sector burn centers in Bangladesh and Pakistan (September 2014 - January 2015). All age groups with an initial presentation to the burn centers were enrolled. Descriptive and regression analysis is presented. RESULTS: A total of 2749 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 21.7 ± 18.0 years, 55.3% were males, and about a quarter were children < 5 years. About 46.9% of the females were housewives. Scald burns were common among children (67.6%) while flame burns were common among adults (44.3%). About 75% of patients were brought in via non-ambulance mode of transport. More than 55% of patients were referrals from other facilities or clinics. The most common first aid given pre-hospital was the use of water or oil. About 25% were admitted for further care. The adjusted odds of being admitted compared to being sent home were highest for children < 5 yrs, those with higher total body surface area burnt, having arrived via ambulance, scald and electrical burn, having an associated injury and inhalational injury. CONCLUSION: The study provides insight into emergency burn care and associated factors that influenced outcomes for patients with burn injuries.

Exploring the similarities and differences of burn registers globally: Results from a data dictionary comparison study.

INTRODUCTION: Pooling and comparing data from the existing global network of burn registers represents a powerful, yet untapped, opportunity to improve burn prevention and care. There have been no studies investigating whether registers are sufficiently similar to allow data comparisons. It is also not known what differences exist that could bias analyses. Understanding this information is essential prior to any future data sharing. The aim of this project was to compare the variables collected in countrywide and intercountry burn registers to understand their similarities and differences. METHODS: Register custodians were invited to participate and share their data dictionaries. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were compared to understand each register population. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the number of unique variables. Variables were classified into themes. Definition, method, timing of measurement, and response options were compared for a sample of register concepts. RESULTS: 13 burn registries participated in the study. Inclusion criteria varied between registers. Median number of variables per register was 94 (range 28 - 890), of which 24% (range 4.8 - 100%) were required to be collected. Six themes (patient information, admission details, injury, inpatient, outpatient, other) and 41 subthemes were identified. Register concepts of age and timing of injury show similarities in data collection. Intent, mechanism, inhalational injury, infection, and patient death show greater variation in measurement. CONCLUSIONS: We found some commonalities between registers and some differences. Commonalities would assist in any future efforts to pool and compare data between registers. Differences between registers could introduce selection and measurement bias, which needs to be addressed in any strategy aiming to facilitate burn register data sharing. We recommend the development of common data elements used in an international minimum data set for burn injuries, including standard definitions and methods of measurement, as the next step in achieving burn register data sharing.

Intubation in emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in a low-income country.

OBJECTIVE: To study the indications, method, success rate and complications of intubation at the Emergency Department of a private, tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. METHODS: The case series involved 278 patients above 14 years of age who underwent emergency intubation at the Emergency Department of Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi between 1998 and 2003. Descriptive statistics were used to compare rapid sequence intubation with crash intubation. The level of significance was p<0.05. RESULTS: Of the total 278 intubations performed, 37 (13.3%) had to be left out for incomplete information.The study population remaining for inferential analysis comprised of 241 patients. Of the total 278 patients, 174 (63%) were males. Rapid sequence intubation was the commonest type (n=185, 67%) of intubation and was performed mostly by anaesthetists (n=236, 85%). Cardiogenic pulmonary oedema and head injury were commonly seen in these patients.The success on first attempt of intubation was 98% (n=181) in rapid sequence intubation, and 85% (n=48) in crash intubation. Overall, 15 (5.3%) complications were seen in these intubations. CONCLUSION: Study showed a satisfactory success rate in both rapid sequence and crash intubations.