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Objectives: In resource limited countries facing a huge burden of multidrug resistant and extensively drug resistant (XDR) enteric fever, treatment is a great challenge on the part of a patient as well as a health care professional. This study was conducted to determine the association of XDR enteric fever with various studied factors among hospitalized culture-positive pediatric patients in a tertiary care hospital setup. Methods: We conducted a descriptive observational study at The Karachi Adventist Hospital from July 01, 2019, to March 31, 2020 on 143 hospitalized children with culture proven enteric fever who were already on empirical antibiotics. Depending on the variability of the course of illness and clinical responses to given antibiotics, the data was gathered on a structured data sheet. Association of various study parameters and their significance in relation to XDR salmonella infection was analyzed and studied. Results: The age group highly affected was 5-7.5 years, with a male preponderance of 61.5%. Majority were from urban slums areas of Karachi (53.8%) and 52% were admitted between 7 to 14 days of fever onset. XDR salmonella infection was observed in 79% of blood culture isolates. None of the XDR patients were consuming boiled water and neither of these infected children were vaccinated against salmonella typhi. Duration of fever before hospitalization, non-consumption of boiled or mineral water, ciprofloxacin use and lack of typhoid vaccination showed statistically strong association with XDR enteric fever (p<0.01). Conclusion: Prehospitalization fever duration, use of boiled/mineral water, ciprofloxacin use and typhoid vaccine status showed strong association with XDR salmonella infection. Prioritizing the focus on healthcare awareness, early access to proper health care facility, discouraging over-the-counter drugs and enforcement of immunization will help decline the dissemination of this dreadful disease.
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OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of secondary gastric varices after esophageal variceal eradication in patients with cirrhosis of liver and factors associated with their development. STUDY DESIGN: Observational study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The Department of Gastroenterology, Liaquat University Hospital, Jamshoro and Isra University Hospital Hyderabad, from September 2007 to July 2009. METHODOLOGY: Consecutive patients with decompensated cirrhosis of liver were subjected to endoscopy for management of varices. Endoscopic variceal band ligation was done in all patients. Secondary gastric varices were noted at surveillance. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the cut off values of secondary gastric varices and various factors influencing the development of gastric varices after eradication with the best sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: Of the 162 patients; 46 (28.3%) were females and 116 (71.7%) males. The mean age was 45 ±13 years. Fundal varices were present before eradication in 12 (7.4%) patients and after eradication of varices in 38 (23.5%) patients. A strong association was found between gastric varices after eradication and Child Pugh class (p=0.001), grade of varices at the time of presentation (p=0.024), increasing number of sessions for eradication of esophageal varices (p=0.001) and presence of gastric varix at the time of first presentation (p=0.009). CONCLUSION: Secondary gastric varices are common in cirrhosis. A significant association with Child-Pugh class, presenting grade, increasing number of ligation session and prior existence was seen in the studied group.