Clinical Characteristics of Cataract Patients and Outcome of Cataract Surgery in Tertiary Care Hospital in Central Nepal.

Background Cataract remains the leading cause of avoidable blindness in low-income countries such as Nepal. Despite the availability of surgical interventions for cataract in leading institutions, still a large number of patients from remote areas delay or have difficulty in getting treatment, present late or with complications. Objective To determine the clinical characteristics and visual outcome of patients undergoing cataract surgery in Tertiary Care Hospital in Central Nepal. Method We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 138 patients who underwent cataract surgery at a tertiary care hospital from January 2018 to September 2022. R version 4.0.3 was used for the data analysis. Categorical variables are presented as frequency (percentages) and the numerical ones are presented as mean (standard deviation). Result During follow-up visits between one to three weeks, 91.9% out of 135 patients had normal/near normal presenting visual acuity and with best correction it was 96.9% out of 131 patients. About 1.6% out of 124 operated eyes still had moderate visual impairment after best correction when they visited for follow-up at 12 weeks. Conclusion The study findings underline the ongoing gap in increasing access to cataract treatment, given the large proportion of individuals who still presented extremely late.

Incidence of healthcare-associated infections with invasive devices and surgical procedures in Nepal.

SETTING: Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. OBJECTIVES: 1) To report the incidence of health-care-associated infections (HAIs), 2) to compare demographic, clinical characteristics and hospital outcomes in those with and without HAIs; and 3) to verify bacterial types in HAI and community-acquired infections (CAIs) among inpatients with invasive devices and/or surgical procedures. DESIGN: This was a cohort study using secondary data (December 2017 to April 2018). RESULTS: Of 1,310 inpatients, 908 (69.3%) had surgical procedures, 125 (9.5%) had invasive devices and 277 (21.1%) both. Sixty-six developed HAIs (incidence = 5/100 patient admissions, 95% CI 3.9-6.3). Individuals with HAIs had a 5.5-fold higher risk of longer hospital stays (⩾7 days) and a 6.9-fold risk of being in intensive care compared to the surgical ward. Unfavourable hospital exit outcomes were higher in those with HAIs (4.5%) than in those without (0.9%, P = 0.02). The most common HAI bacteria (n = 70) were Escherichia coli (44.3%), Enterococcus spp. (22.9%) and Klebsiella spp. (11.4%). Of 98 CAIs with 41 isolates, E. coli (36.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (22.0%) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (14.6%) were common. CONCLUSION: We found relatively low incidence of HAIs, which reflects good infection prevention and control standards. This study serves as a baseline for future monitoring and action.

LIEU: Hôpital de Dhulikhel, Hôpital Universitaire de Katmandu, Katmandu, Népal. OBJECTIFS: 1) Rapporter l'incidence des infections associées aux soins (HAI), 2) comparer les caractéristiques démographiques et cliniques et les résultats hospitaliers chez les patients atteints et non atteints de HAI ; et 3) vérifier les types bactériens des HAI et des infections communautaires (CAI) parmi les patients hospitalisés avec dispositifs invasifs et/ou ayant subi une intervention chirurgicale. MÉTHODE: Étude de cohorte réalisée en utilisant des données secondaires (décembre 2017 à avril 2018). RÉSULTATS: Sur 1 310 patients hospitalisés, 908 (69,3%) ont subi une intervention chirurgicale, 125 (9,5%) avaient des dispositifs invasifs et 277 (21,1%) avaient à la fois un dispositif invasif et subi une intervention chirurgicale. Au total, 66 ont contracté une HAI (incidence = 5/100 admissions de patients, IC 95% 3,9-6,3). Les patients atteints de HAI avaient un risque 5,5 fois plus élevé de séjour prolongé à l'hôpital (⩾7 jours) et un risque 6,9 fois plus élevé d'être admis en soins intensifs qu'en service de chirurgie. Les résultats défavorables à une sortie d'hôpital étaient plus fréquents chez ceux atteints de HAI (4,5%) que chez ceux non atteints de HAI (0,9%, P = 0,02). Les bactéries les plus fréquemment responsables de HAI (n = 70) étaient Escherichia coli (44,3%), Enterococcus spp. (22,9%) et Klebsiella spp. (11,4%). Sur 98 CAI avec 41 isolats, E. coli (36,6%), Staphylococcus aureus (22,0%) et S. aureus résistant à la méticilline (14,6%) étaient les plus fréquents. CONCLUSION: Nous avons observé une incidence relativement faible de HAI, ce qui reflète de bons standards de contrôle et de prévention des infections. Cette étude sert de référence à de futures actions et stratégies de suivi.

Osteosynthesis of Neck of Femur Fracture below 65 years of Age: does timing of surgery influence osteonecrosis, nonunion and functional outcome?

Background Influence of timing of injury surgery interval in outcome of osteosynthesis of neck of femur has always been a matter of debate. Patients in our set up have been surgically treated for neck of femur fracture with wide range of injury surgery interval which could have resulted in varied functional outcome and radiological outcome. Objective To evaluate the difference in functional outcome, femoral head osteonecrosis and non-union in fracture neck of femur fixed within and after twenty-four hours. Method All patients, who had undergone osteosynthesis for the neck of femur fractures via open or closed technique from 2010 to 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. The cases were examined and evaluated in terms of injury surgery interval, fracture union, functional status using Modified Harris Hip Score, complications like femoral head osteonecrosis and non-union. Result Fifty patients with an average injury surgery interval of 34±28 hours were evaluated. Twenty three (46%) cases were included in early surgery group (< 24 hours) and 27 (54%) patients were included in delayed (> 24 hours) surgery group. Incidence of femoral head osteonecrosis was reported in two (4%) cases, both being in delayed fixation group (p=0.49). Non-union was reported in four (8%) patients, one in early fixation group and three in delayed fixation group (p=0.61). The average Modified Harris Hip Score in early fixation group was 87 and in delayed fixation group was 84 (p=0.1). Forty two (84%) cases had a good quality of reduction and eight (16%) had a poor reduction. Non-union and functional outcome significantly differed between the good and poor reduction group (p=0.001 and 0.004 respectively). Conclusion There is no significant difference in the functional and radiological outcome of cases operated before and after 24 hours for osteosynthesis of neck of femur fractures in patients 16 to 65 years age group. However, poor reduction is significantly associated with the increased rate of non-union and poor functional outcome.

Penetration of different molecular weight hydrolysed keratins into hair fibres and their effects on the physical properties of textured hair.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of different molecular weight (MW), wool derived hydrolysed keratins (i.e. peptides) on the physical properties of relaxed textured hair. METHODS: Very curly hair of African origin was relaxed using sodium hydroxide-based treatment. Relaxed hair was treated with different MW peptides derived from keratin protein and an amino acid, L-Leucine. The low-MW keratin peptides were 221 Da, the mid-MW keratin peptides were approximately 2577 Da, and the high-MW keratin peptides were approximately 75 440 Da. The penetration of these different peptides into relaxed hair was evaluated using a laser scanning micrometre and by fluorescence microscopy. The effect of these compounds on single-fibre mechanical properties and thermal properties was evaluated using tensile and DSC testing, respectively. RESULTS: Low- and mid-MW compounds were able to penetrate deep into the hair cortex. High-MW peptide adsorbed onto the hair surface and possibly slightly penetrated into the outer layers of the fibre surface. Both mid- and high-MW keratin peptides, increased Young's modulus and reduced hair breakage at 20% and 80% relative humidity. With the exception of mid-MW peptide, other peptides and amino acid were not able to modify thermal properties of relaxed textured hair. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that low-MW compounds may increase hair volume, and high-MW peptides may repair damage on freshly relaxed textured hair.

OBJECTIF: Etudier les effets des kératines hydrolysées, issues de la laine, de différents poids moléculaires (PM) (par ex : peptides) sur les propriétés physiques des cheveux texturés défrisés. MÉTHODES: Les cheveux très bouclés d'origine africaine ont été défrisés à l'aide d'un traitement à base d'hydroxyde de sodium. Les cheveux défrisés ont été traités avec des peptides de différents PM dérivés de la protéine de kératine et un acide aminé, la L-leucine. Les peptides de kératine de PM faible étaient de 221 Da, les peptides de kératine de PM moyen étaient d'environ 2 577 Da et les peptides de kératine de PM élevé étaient d'environ 75 440 Da. La pénétration de ces différents peptides dans les cheveux défrisés a été évaluée à l'aide d'un micromètre à balayage laser et par microscopie à fluorescence. L'effet de ces composés sur les propriétés mécaniques à fibre unique et les propriétés thermiques a été évalué à l'aide de tests de traction et de l'analyse calorimétrique différentielle (ACD), respectivement. RÉSULTATS: Les composés de PM faible et moyen ont pu pénétrer en profondeur dans le cortex des cheveux. Les peptides de PM élevé ont été adsorbés sur la surface des cheveux et ont éventuellement pénétré, légèrement, dans les couches externes de la surface des fibres. Les peptides de kératine de PM moyen et élevé ont augmenté le module de Young et réduit la casse des cheveux à 20 % et 80 % d'humidité relative. À l'exception des peptides de PM moyen, d'autres peptides et acides aminés n'ont pas pu modifier les propriétés thermiques des cheveux texturés défrisés. CONCLUSIONS: Nos données suggèrent que les composés de PM faible peuvent augmenter le volume des cheveux et que les peptides de PM élevé peuvent réparer les dommages sur les cheveux texturés fraîchement défrisés.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for retinoblastoma survivors: a cost-effectiveness study.

This study aimed to investigate the cost-effectiveness of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for the reproductive choices of patients with heritable retinoblastoma. The study modelled the costs of three cycles of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and PGD across all uptake rates of PGD, number of children affected with retinoblastoma at each uptake rate and the estimated quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted from the Australian public healthcare perspective. The intervention was the use of three cycles (one fresh and two frozen) of IVF and PGD with the aim of live births unaffected by the retinoblastoma phenotype. Compared with the standard care pathway (i.e. natural pregnancy), IVF and PGD resulted in a cost-saving to 18 years of age of AUD$2,747,294 for a base case of 100 couples with an uptake rate of 50%. IVF and PGD resulted in fewer affected (n = 56) and unaffected (n = 78) live births compared with standard care (71 affected and 83 unaffected live births), and an additional 0.03 QALYs per live birth. This modelling suggests that the use of IVF and PGD to achieve an unaffected child for patients with heritable retinoblastoma resulted in an overall cost-saving. There was an increase in QALYs per baby across all uptake rates. However, in total, fewer babies were born following the IVF and PGD pathway.

Adherence to Iron, Folic Acid and Calcium Supplement and Factors Affecting it among the Antenatal Care Attending Women in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross Sectional Study.

Background Pregnancy or gestation is the time during which a single or more children grows and develops inside a woman. Antenatal care improves the pregnancy outcomes under which a group of medication i.e. iron, folic acid and calcium are supplemented. Despite the effectiveness of such supplements, poor clinical outcomes are often encountered because of poor-adherence to the regimen. Objective To determine the adherence pattern and factors affecting adherence in antenatal care patients under iron, folic acid, and calcium therapy. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted in Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital. Pregnant women attending antenatal care under iron, folic acid, and calcium therapy fulfilling the inclusion criteria were enrolled in this study. After obtaining the informed consent from the patients, structured questionnaire was used to interview the patients. Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS 23.0. P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Result Among 191 patients enrolled in this study majority (39.3%) of them belonged to age group 26-30 years. More than half (61.3%) of the patients were illiterate. Of the total 191, 64.40% were non-adherent to the medication. Forgetfulness was the main reason for missing the dose in majority (52.06%) of the non-adherent subjects while adverse effects (55.40%) was the most prominent cause for discontinuing the medication among non-adherent participants. Significant association was found between patients' adherence and busy work schedule, visiting doctor for follow up. Conclusion More than half of the patients had not adhered to the medication under antenatal care. Forgetfulness was the most common factor for missing the dose in nonadherent patients. Illiteracy was associated with poor adherence. Patient-provider relationship, Socio-economic factors were determined as major barrier to medication adherence.

Misleading Diagnosis of Dysgerminoma in a Young Asymptomatic Patient.

Dysgerminomas account for approximately one third of all malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (tumors arising from ovarian germinal elements) and are the most common ovarian malignancy detected during pregnancy. They are the only germ cell malignancy with a significant rate of bilateral ovarian involvement that is 15-20 percent. They have a variable gross appearance, but in general are solid, pink to tan to cream colored lobulated masses. They have the best prognosis of all malignant ovarian germ cell tumor variants. Two thirds are stage I at diagnosis, and prognosis is excellent even for those with advanced disease due to exquisite tumor chemosensitivity. The 5 year disease specific survival rate approximates 99 percent. This is a case report of a huge ovarian dysgerminoma in a young unmarried lady that was quite asymptomatic. She underwent laparotomy with right ovarian cystectomy.

Analysis of Factors Associated with Thyroid Dysfunction: A Hospital Based Study.

Background Thyroid dysfunction (TD) is one of the major public health concerns in Nepal. This study intends to identify factors in association with thyroid dysfunction and its hospital based prevalence. Objective To determine hospital-based prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and to identify and analyze factors in association with thyroid dysfunction. Method A retroprospective cross-sectional study was conducted among patients attending Dhulikhel Hospital-Kathmandu University Hospital (DH,KUH) from January to December, 2015 with prospective part carried out from July to December 2015 in the patients visiting Dhulikhel hospital for health check-up and requested for Thyroid Function Tests (TFTs). Thyroid Function Tests of 1530 subjects were performed in the biochemistry laboratory and semi-structured questionnaire were introduced to 312 participants with convenient sampling method and their anthropometric measurements were taken. Chi-square test, Pearson's correlation and student-t test were used as a measure to analyze factors. Result Out of total 1530 subjects, 35.3% were having thyroid dysfunction with the prevalence of overt hyperthyroidism, subclinical hyperthyroidism, overt hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism to be 2.5%, 2.4%, 5.6% and 24.8% respectively. The distribution of thyroid dysfunction was preponderant among females and among older age. The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction was highest among Terai/Madhesi (40.0%) and lowest among Newars (28.5%) with higher fraction of hypothyroidism in each ethnic group. There were significant correlation between Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) with waist-hip ratio (p<0.05) and weight (kg) with free thyroxine (fT4) (p<0.05). Direct pesticide exposure (p<0.05) was significantly associated with hypothyroidism. The serum fT4 was significantly different (p<0.05) among vegetarian and non-vegetarian whereas TSH and free triiodothyronine (fT3) were not significantly different. Smoking, alcoholism, dietary food habits, diabetes and hypertension were not significantly associated with thyroid dysfunction. Conclusion Thyroid dysfunction was highly prevalent among participants with higher proportion of subclinical hypothyroidism. Besides, direct pesticide exposure found to be factor in association with hypothyroidism, this study could not find significance relation with other established risk factors.

Prehypertension and its Risk Factors in Suburban Nepal -Findings from the Dhulikhel Heart Study.

Background Prehypertension, defined as a systolic blood pressure of 120-139 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure of 80-89 mmHg, leads to higher rates of incident hypertension, and is associated with excess morbidity and deaths from cardiovascular diseases. Objective To estimate the prevalence of and examine the factors associated with prehypertension in Dhulikhel. Method This cross-sectional study utilized data from the 752 participants of the Dhulikhel Heart Study (DHS). The data collectors interviewed the participants at their home using a tablet based structured pre-tested questionnaire and measured blood pressure using a standard digital blood pressure machine (Microlife, Switzerland). Multivariate analysis was conducted using generalized estimating equations with multivariate logistic regression (with household as cluster) adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, marital status, income, education, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, body mass index (BMI) and food consumption. Result Males had a three-fold higher odds of prehypertension than females (OR:3.17, 95% CI:1.91-5.26). The odds of prehypertension increased with being overweight (OR:2.29, 95% CI:1.42-3.70) and with being obese (OR:5.00, 95% CI:1.81-13.79) compared to normal BMI. Education reduced the odds of developing prehypertension (OR:0.51, 95% CI:0.29-0.91). Those who met the recommended level of physical activity (OR:0.61, 95% CI:0.40-0.95) also were associated with lower prehypertension prevalence. Conclusion Obese/overweight and being male increased the odds of prehypertension whereas formal education and recommended level of physical activities were associated with lower prehypertension prevalence. Primordial prevention against cardiovascular risk factors at the community level, especially targeting the young adult male, is imperative.

A micro-pipette thermal sensing technique for measuring the thermal conductivity of non-volatile fluids.

This research work demonstrates an innovative technique to measure the thermal conductivity of a small volume of non-volatile liquids. The method utilizes a micro-pipette thermal sensor (MPTS) (tip diameter < 2 µm) and is based on laser point heating thermometry and transient heat transfer. A laser beam is irradiated at the sensor tip immersed in a few microliters of the test fluid and the transient temperature change is recorded with the sensor. This temperature change is dependent on the surrounding fluid's thermal properties, such as thermal conductivity and diffusivity. The numerical solution for transient temperature profile for a point source is obtained using the finite element method in the COMSOL software. To determine the optimizing parameters such as thermal conductivity and power absorbed at the sensor tip, the multi-parameter fitting technique is used in MATLAB, which will fit the COMSOL simulation result with the experimental data. Three liquids with known thermal conductivity were tested to verify that the technique can be used to determine the thermal conductivity with high accuracy, and in addition, the thermal conductivity of growth media and serum used for culturing cancer cells is estimated. With the sensor size of 1-2 µm, we demonstrate the possibility of using this described method as the MPTS technique for measuring the thermal properties of microfluidic samples and biological fluids.

Outcome Analysis of Neonates following Laparotomy for Acute Abdomen: A Prospective Study.

Background Low and middle-income countries (LMIC) bear the majority of the global pediatric surgical burden. Despite increasing volume of pediatric surgeries being performed in LMIC, outcomes of these surgeries in low and middle-income countries remain unknown due to lack of robust data. Objective The objective of our study was to collect data on and evaluate neonatal surgical outcomes at a tertiary level center in India. Method The surgical outcomes data of all neonates undergoing laparotomy between February 15, 2015 and October 14, 2015, at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India was collected prospectively. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the rates of various postoperative outcomes. Result A total of 37 neonatal surgeries were performed during the study period. The mean age of the neonates on the day of surgery was 7 days (range: 1-30 days). Most of the neonates (72.9%, n=27) were males. About 40% (n=15) of the neonates were preterm and 15 (40.5%) of them were small for gestational age. In our study, 10 neonates (28.6%) needed ventilation for 48 hours or less after surgery and 5 neonates (13.5%) were kept Nil per Oral (NPO) postoperatively for more than 10 days. Out of 37 neonates, 4 (10.80%) developed a surgical site infection and 8 neonates (21.6%) had postoperative sepsis. The in-hospital mortality rate among neonates undergoing laparotomy during the study period was 8.1 deaths per 100 neonates. Conclusion Co-ordination of care among pediatric surgeons, neonatologists, nursing and anesthesia team is required for optimal surgical outcome.

Application of next-generation sequencing to improve cancer management: A review of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

Uptake of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has increased dramatically due to significant cost reductions and broader community acceptance of NGS. To systematically review the evidence on both the clinical effectiveness and the cost-effectiveness of applying NGS to cancer care. A systematic search for full-length original research articles on the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of NGS in MEDLINE and EMBASE. Articles that focussed on cancer care and involved the application of NGS were included for the review of clinical effectiveness. For the cost-effectiveness review, we only included the articles with economic evaluations of NGS in cancer care. We report the rate of successfully detecting mutations from the clinical studies. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and sensitivity analysis outcomes are reported for the cost-effectiveness articles. Fifty-six articles reported that sequencing patient samples using targeted gene panels, and 83% of the successfully sequenced patients harboured at least 1 mutation. Only 6 studies reported on the cost-effectiveness of the application of NGS in cancer care. NGS is an effective tool for identifying mutation in cancer patients. However, more rigorous cost-effectiveness studies of NGS applied to cancer management are needed to determine whether NGS can improve patient outcomes cost-effectively.

Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in a Tertiary Care Centre of Nepal.

INTRODUCTION: AUGIB is characterized by hematemesis or melena or both. Peptic ulcers and variceal bleed account for majority of cases. Use of proton pump inhibitors in current era is associated with a gradual reduction in burden of peptic ulcer disease. We conducted this study to look into the cause of AUGIB in our community. METHODS: We studied 100 patients in one year period who presented to us with hematemesis or melena. The study was conducted in department of Gastroenterology, Bir hospital, Kathmandu. We identified the culprit lesions by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. RESULTS: The average age of patients with AUGIB was 51.6 years with 59 (59%) males. Duodenal ulcers are most common 29 (29%), followed by varices 23 (23%) and gastric ulcers 14 (14%). More than one lesion was identified in 38 (38%) patients. Patients with variceal bleed were more likely to present with hematemesis alone as compared to those with ulcer bleed (P=0.005). Variceal bleed patients presented earlier to the hospital (P=0.005), had lower MAP at presentation (P=0.0002), had lower hemoglobin level (P=0.0001) and higher serum creatinine level at presentation (P=0.001). Patients with variceal bleed were more likely to have consumed alcohol 20 (86.9%) and patients with ulcer bleed were more likely to be smokers 29 (67.4%) or consume tobacco 14 (32.5%) (P=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Ulcer related bleeding is still the most common cause of AUGIB. Many patients with AUGIB have more than one lesions identified during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

A Prospective Study of Commonly Prescribed Drugs in the Management of Neuropathic Pain and its Medication Adherence Pattern.

Background Neuropathic pain is one of the common complains of patients visiting neurology and orthopedic departments in hospitals. Management of neuropathic pain is difficult and is often symptomatic rather than being curative. Adherence to medication is necessary for pain management to be effective. However, there are various factors related to patient, physician, drug regimen and other socio-economic affecting adherence. Objective To study commonly prescribed drugs in neuropathic pain management and the medication adherence pattern including its associated factors. Method Patients already diagnosed as neuropathic pain were interviewed using structured questionnaire and data entered in Microsoft Office Excel 2007. Informed consent was taken from the patients. Result Among the 84 patients in the study, 69% were females. Majority 53.6% of patients had low back pain as cause of neuropathic pain. Anticonvulsants were mostly prescribed (75%) followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (52.4%) and Methylcobalamin (47.6%). More than 50% (n=49) patients were not adherent to the prescribed medication and majority (61.2%) of them were housewives. Significant association was observed between patient's adherence to gender, occupation, polypharmacy, drug regimen, cost and availability of medicine. Conclusion Anticonvulsants were commonly prescribed drugs in patients with neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain was seen more in females with low back pain. Majority of patients were non-adherent and forgetfulness was the major reason for missing dose in them.

Visual Outcome after Treatment with High Dose Intravenous Methylprednisolone in Indirect Traumatic Optic Neuropathy.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic optic neuropathy is an acute injury of the optic nerve due to trauma. It is an ocular emergency, requiring early treatment though there is no proven standard treatment protocol for the condition. Various studies have shown improvement in vision after intravenous steroids, but not statistically significant. Studies have revealed even optical decompression surgery is not the ultimate treatment because of no significant improvement of vision. Our study aims to assess visual outcome after high dose (1 gram) of intravenous methylprednisolone in cases with indirect optic neuropathy. METHODS: This was a non-randomized interventional study carried out in Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital from May 1st 2013- June 1st 2014. RESULTS: There were 10 cases with indirect traumatic optic neuropathy included in the study. Four cases received IV methylprednisolone and six cases were observed without steroid treatment. Traumatic optic neuropathy was observed more in males[8 (80%)]with higher number in age group 21-30 years old. The visual recovery after intravenous steroid treatment was rapid and beneficial in cases with vision better than Non Perception of Light (NPL), even in cases presented 4 days after the trauma. CONCLUSIONS: There was rapid and beneficial improvement in visual acuity after high dose of intravenous steroid treatment in cases with indirect traumatic optic neuropathy with vision better than Non Perception of Light (NPL).

Incidence and Risk Factors of Surgical Site Infections in Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal.

Background Surgical site infections (SSI) are the common nosocomial infection in surgical patients, and are a significant source of postoperative morbidity resulting in increased hospital stay, morbidity and cost. Objective The objective of this study was to obtain the incidence of SSI and determine various risks factors influencing the SSI rate with special reference to the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System risk index in Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal. Method Six hundred and thirty eight patients who underwent various surgeries in Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital during a three-month period were included. Using a pre designed questionnaire with follow up to 30 days and in orthopedic cases, where metal implants were used as internal fixation devices, with follow up to 90 days data were collected. Infected cases were identified using Centre for Disease Control and Prevention definition for surgical site infections. Swabs were obtained from wounds and were processed without delay using standard microbiological methods. Result Overall SSI rate was 2.6%. The most common pathogen isolated was Escherichia coli (5 isolates, 29.4 %). The SSI rate was 0.0% for clean wounds, 2.9%, 15.3% and 18.7% for clean-contaminated, contaminated and dirty wounds respectively. Increased incidence of surgical site infections were associated with higher grades of wound, emergency surgeries, American Society of Anesthesiologists score >2 and increased in National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System risk index. Conclusion The incidence of SSI in this study meets the standard of center for disease prevention and control. Increases in surgical wound class, National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System risk index, American Society of Anesthesiologist score >2 and emergency surgeries were associated with increased SSI rates.

Cold Pressor Test in Borderline Hypertensive University Students.

Background Hyperactive sympathetic reaction is an important factor for development of hypertension in young individuals. The stress induced increase in blood pressure recovers within very short period of time and those with exaggerated stress induced cardiovascular response at young age have a high risk of blood pressure elevation in future. Objective To determine the cardiovascular reactivity in response to cold and to correlate its relation with factors such as smoking, family history and physical activity. Method Study was conducted in the Department of Pharmacy, Kathmandu University from July to November, 2015. Resting blood pressure was recorded using sphygmomanometer in sitting position after 5 minutes of rest. Out of 130 volunteers, 34 were found to be prehypertensive and equal number of normotensive were recruited randomly to perform the test. The subjects were directed to immerse his/her right hand up to the wrist in cold water of 10˚C for 1 minute. The blood pressure was recorded just before the hand was taken out of the water and then 1.5 minutes and 4 minutes after the withdrawal. Data was analyzed by Student's t test using Microsoft Excel 2007. Result Systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased significantly after cold pressor test in both normal (systolic blood pressure from 110±6.46 to 119±9.45 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure from 71±4.63 to 78±6.15 mmHg) and prehypertensive group (systolic blood pressure from 122±6.75 to 126±8.05 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure from 79±6.78 to 85±7.76 mmHg). Maximum recovery in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed in 2.5 minutes of removal of hand from cold water. Though sharp drop was observed in blood pressure at the end of 2.5 minute in both groups of individuals, the recovery in case of prehypertensive individual was not sharper. In the present study, significant rise in diastolic blood pressure was observed in prehypertensive smoking males. Also the difference was significant (p<0.02) in recovery of diastolic blood pressure between smoker and non smoker prehypertensive group. Conclusion This study suggests that prolonged elevation in blood pressure in response to stress in young individual can be used as marker of development of hypertension in future. Adopting a healthier lifestyle can help to delay the development of hypertension in later life.

Percutaneous Ilio-Sacral Screw Fixation in Supine Position under Fluoroscopy Guidance.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic ring disruption when treated conservatively can be associated with prolonged hospital stay and immobilization, mal-union, chronic pain, limb length discrepancy if they are treated conservatively. Open reduction and fixation in an already compromised soft tissue and hemodynamically unstable patient causes more soft tissue injury, heamatoma, infection and neurovascular injury. Percutaneous iliosacral joint fixation can be an alternative technique for sacro-iliac joint injury and sacral fracture. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate technique and safety of percutaneous ilio-sacral screw fixation in supine position under single fluoroscopy guidance for sacral fracture and sacro-iliac joint disruption. METHOD: Twenty one patients either with sacral fracture or sacro-iliac joint disruption with percutaneous ilio-sacral screw fixation with cannulated cancellous screw fixation in between 2008 to 2014 were retrospectively evaluated including AP, inlet and outlet views of pelvis X rays and CT scan. Tile's classification and Dennis classification were used for pelvis and sacral injury. RESULT: Thirty five percutaneous ilio-sacral screws were placed (Male: 6, Female: 15; range: 15 to 54) for sacral fracture involving zone 2 (8 with sacral fracture only and 5 with pelvis injury; Tile's type B in four and type C in one) and sacro-iliac joint injury (Tile's type B in three and type C in five). Commonest mode of injury was motor vehicle accidents (10) followed by fall related injury (6). Injury hospital interval and injury surgery interval was five hours to 13 days and 2 to 20 days respectively. Follow period was 3 months to 6 years. One patient developed post-operative deep vein thrombosis and another patient had post-operative haematoma. Two screws were juxtra-foramial. Good to excellent outcome were in 16 patients, fair in four and poor in one patient (Majeed Scoring). CONCLUSION: Percutaneous ilio-sacral screw fixation for sacro-iliac joint injury and sacral fracture with C arm guidance is safe and minimally invasive technique. Clear images and accurate interpretation of X-rays, CT scans and per operative C arm images are important to avoid malpositioning of screws and iatrogenic neurovascular injuries.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Medication Adherence Pattern and Factors Affecting the Adherence in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is considered as a major health problem, associated with mortality and morbidities. Various disease management strategies have been established to optimize patient's longevity and functional status where patient adherence to the prescribed treatment plays a key role. Poor adherence to medication is common among COPD patients and is affected by number of factors like number of medicines, delivery devices and patient-related factors. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the adherence pattern in the management of COPD and factors affecting patient adherence to the prescribed treatment. METHOD: This study is a cross-sectional study which was conducted in a tertiary care hospital. Those patients suffering from COPD of all age were enrolled in this study and prior informed consent was obtained from patients. The structured questionnaire was used to interview those patients. RESULT: Total 100 patients were enrolled in this study, among which most patients (45%) were of age groups 60-70 years. Unintentional non-adherence to medication attributed for 65% of patients and the major reason was forgetfulness (52.3%). Most patients had discontinued the medication due to experience of side effects (63.3%). The result showed significant association between adherence and polypharmacy (p=0.00). However, there was no significant association between adherence and age, sex, mode of administration of drugs, technics to use delivery devices etc. CONCLUSION: Majority of COPD patients were elderly (mean age= 68.4 years). Forgetfulness was associated with medication non-adherence. Most of the patients had discontinued medication because of side effects. Polypharmacy is one of the major factors associated with non-adherence to medication in COPD.