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1.
Sensors (Basel) ; 24(7)2024 Mar 22.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38610234

RESUMO

A Hybrid LiFi and WiFi network (HLWNet) integrates the rapid data transmission capabilities of Light Fidelity (LiFi) with the extensive connectivity provided by Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), resulting in significant benefits for wireless data transmissions in the designated area. However, the challenge of decision-making during the handover process in HLWNet is made more complex due to the specific characteristics of electromagnetic signals' line-of-sight transmission, resulting in a greater level of intricacy compared to previous heterogeneous networks. This research work addresses the problem of handover decisions in the Hybrid LiFi and WiFi networks and treats it as a binary classification problem. Consequently, it proposes a handover method based on a deep neural network (DNN). The comprehensive handover scheme incorporates two sets of neural networks (ANN and DNN) that utilize input factors such as channel quality and the mobility of users to enable informed decisions during handovers. Following training with labeled datasets, the neural-network-based handover approach achieves an accuracy rate exceeding 95%. A comparative analysis of the proposed scheme against the benchmark reveals that the proposed method considerably increases user throughput by approximately 18.58% to 38.5% while reducing the handover rate by approximately 55.21% to 67.15% compared to the benchmark artificial neural network (ANN); moreover, the proposed method demonstrates robustness in the face of variations in user mobility and channel conditions.

2.
J Phys Chem A ; 127(16): 3728-3735, 2023 Apr 27.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37053031

RESUMO

There is a fundamental issue with the use of dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) to enhance nuclear spin polarization: the same polarizing agent (PA) needed for DNP is also responsible for shortening the lifetime of the hyperpolarization. As a result, long-term storage and transport of hyperpolarized samples is severely restricted and the apparatus for DNP is necessarily located near or integrated with the apparatus using the hyperpolarized spins. In this paper, we demonstrate that naphthalene single crystals can serve as a long-lived reservoir of proton polarization that can be exploited to enhance signals in benchtop and high-field NMR of target molecules in solution at a site 300 km away by a factor of several thousand. The naphthalene protons are polarized using short-lived optically excited triplet states of pentacene instead of stable radicals. In the absence of optical excitation, the electron spins remain in a singlet ground state, eliminating the major pathway of nuclear spin-lattice relaxation. The polarization decays with a time constant of about 50 h at 80 K and 0.5 T or above 800 h at 5 K and 20 mT. A module based on a Halbach array yielding a field of 0.75 T and a conventional cryogenic dry shipper, operating at liquid nitrogen temperature, allows storage and long distance transport of the polarization to a remote laboratory, where the polarization of the crystal is transferred after dissolution to a target molecule of choice by intermolecular cross-relaxation. The procedure has been executed repeatedly and has proven to be reliable and robust.

3.
J Am Chem Soc ; 144(6): 2511-2519, 2022 02 16.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35113568

RESUMO

Nuclear spin hyperpolarization provides a promising route to overcome the challenges imposed by the limited sensitivity of nuclear magnetic resonance. Here we demonstrate that dissolution of spin-polarized pentacene-doped naphthalene crystals enables transfer of polarization to target molecules via intermolecular cross-relaxation at room temperature and moderate magnetic fields (1.45 T). This makes it possible to exploit the high spin polarization of optically polarized crystals, while mitigating the challenges of its transfer to external nuclei. With this method, we inject the highly polarized mixture into a benchtop NMR spectrometer and observe the polarization dynamics for target 1H nuclei. Although the spectra are radiation damped due to the high naphthalene magnetization, we describe a procedure to process the data to obtain more conventional NMR spectra and extract the target nuclei polarization. With the entire process occurring on a time scale of 1 min, we observe NMR signals enhanced by factors between -200 and -1730 at 1.45 T for a range of small molecules.

4.
Crit Care Med ; 48(10): 1454-1461, 2020 10.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32520890

RESUMO

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the ability of central venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide pressure difference, central venous oxygen saturation, and the combination of these two parameters to detect extubation failure in critically ill patients. DESIGN: Multicentric, prospective, observational study. SETTING: Three ICUs. PATIENTS: All patients who received mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours and tolerated spontaneous breathing trials with a T-piece for 60 minutes. INTERVENTIONS: Extubation after successful spontaneous breathing trials. Extubation failure was defined as the need for mechanical ventilation within 48 hours. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The oxygen delivery index, oxygen consumption index, central venous oxygen saturation, central venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide pressure difference, and oxygen extraction were measured immediately before spontaneous breathing trials and at 60 minutes after spontaneous breathing trials initiation. Seventy-five patients were enrolled, and extubation failure was noted in 18 (24%) patients. Oxygen consumption index increased significantly during spontaneous breathing trials in the failure group. Oxygen delivery index increased in both success and failure groups. Oxygen extraction increased in the failure group (p = 0.005) and decreased in the success group (p = 0.001). Central venous oxygen saturation decreased in the failure group and increased in the success group (p = 0.014). ΔPCO2 value increased in the extubation failure group and decreased in the success group (p = 0.002). Changes in ΔPCO2 (Δ - ΔPCO2) and central venous oxygen saturation (ΔScvO2) during spontaneous breathing trials were independently associated with extubation failure (odds ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05; p = 0.006, and odds ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.70-0.95; p = 0.02, respectively). Δ - ΔPCO2 and central venous oxygen saturation could predict extubation failure with areas under the curve of 0.865 and 0.856, respectively; however, their combined areas under the curve was better at 0.940. CONCLUSIONS: We found that Δ - ΔPCO2 and central venous oxygen saturation, during spontaneous breathing trials, were independent predictors of weaning outcomes. Combination analysis of both parameters enhanced their diagnostic performance and provided excellent predictability in extubation failure detection in critically ill patients.


Assuntos
Extubação/métodos , Dióxido de Carbono/sangue , Estado Terminal , Oxigênio/sangue , Desmame do Respirador/métodos , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Gasometria , Protocolos Clínicos , Feminino , Hemodinâmica , Humanos , Unidades de Terapia Intensiva/estatística & dados numéricos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Consumo de Oxigênio , Estudos Prospectivos , Respiração Artificial , Mecânica Respiratória
5.
J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth ; 34(4): 1051-1059, 2020 Apr.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31473112

RESUMO

The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the perioperative clinical outcomes in using local/regional anesthesia (LA/RA) or general anesthesia (GA) in patients undergoing endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. A comprehensive electronic literature search was undertaken from inception to September 2018, identifying all randomized and nonrandomized studies comparing LA/RA versus GA in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm who underwent endovascular repair. A total of 12,024 patients (n = 1,664 LA/RA, n = 10,360 GA) were analyzed from 12 observational studies included in this analysis. No difference in mean age between LA/RA and GA group was noted (73.8 ± 7.8 y v 72.4 ± 7.6 y, 95% confidence interval 0.85 [-0.08 to 1.79]; p = 0.07). No differences in preoperative rate of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and American Society of Anesthesiologists grades were noted between the 2 groups (p = 0.21, p = 0.85, p = 0.46, and p = 0.67, respectively). Shorter total surgical time in LA/RA patients was reported (135 ± 40 min v 164 ± 43 min; p < 0.00001). Shorter hospital stay was observed in LA/RA patients (3.6 ± 3.3 d v 4.6 ± 5 d; p = 0.002). No difference in cardiac or renal complications was noted between the LA/RA and GA groups postoperatively (2.7% v 2.5%; p = 0.46 and 1.2% v 1.6%; p = 0.13). Similarly, no difference in vascular complications was noted in LA/RA versus GA patients (8.4% v 7.7%; p = 0.44). Thirty-day morality was not different between the 2 cohorts (2% v 1.7%; p = 0.97). Use of LA/RA in selective endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair procedures provides satisfactory and comparable perioperative outcomes with those of GA, with the advantage of a shorter hospital stay. A large randomized controlled trial or multicenter study is required to confirm the present study's findings.


Assuntos
Aneurisma da Aorta Abdominal , Implante de Prótese Vascular , Procedimentos Endovasculares , Anestesia Geral/efeitos adversos , Anestesia Local , Aneurisma da Aorta Abdominal/diagnóstico por imagem , Aneurisma da Aorta Abdominal/cirurgia , Procedimentos Endovasculares/efeitos adversos , Humanos , Estudos Multicêntricos como Assunto , Complicações Pós-Operatórias , Fatores de Risco , Resultado do Tratamento
6.
Sensors (Basel) ; 20(11)2020 Jun 02.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32498402

RESUMO

There will be a dearth of electrical energy in the prospective world due to exponential increase in electrical energy demand of rapidly growing world population. With the development of internet-of-things (IoT), more smart devices will be integrated into residential buildings in smart cities that actively participate in electricity market via demand response (DR) programs to efficiently manage energy in order to meet this increasing energy demand. Thus, with this incitement, an energy management strategy using price-based DR program is developed for IoT-enabled residential buildings. We propose a wind-driven bacterial foraging algorithm (WBFA), which is a hybrid of wind-driven optimization (WDO) and bacterial foraging optimization (BFO) algorithms. Subsequently, we devised a strategy based on our proposed WBFA to systematically manage the power usage of IoT-enabled residential building smart appliances by scheduling to alleviate peak-to-average ratio (PAR), minimize cost of electricity, and maximize user comfort (UC). This increases effective energy utilization, which in turn increases the sustainability of IoT-enabled residential buildings in smart cities. The WBFA-based strategy automatically responds to price-based DR programs to combat the major problem of the DR programs, which is the limitation of consumer's knowledge to respond upon receiving DR signals. To endorse productiveness and effectiveness of the proposed WBFA-based strategy, substantial simulations are carried out. Furthermore, the proposed WBFA-based strategy is compared with benchmark strategies including binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO) algorithm, genetic algorithm (GA), genetic wind driven optimization (GWDO) algorithm, and genetic binary particle swarm optimization (GBPSO) algorithm in terms of energy consumption, cost of electricity, PAR, and UC. Simulation results show that the proposed WBFA-based strategy outperforms the benchmark strategies in terms of performance metrics.

7.
J Pak Med Assoc ; 70(4): 694-698, 2020 Apr.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32296217

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: To assess the compliance of healthcare personnel with regard to sending completely filled transfusion requisition forms. METHODS: The audit was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised requisition slips received at the hospital blood bank from September 2014 to February 2015. The British Committee for Standards in Haematology guidelines was used as the standard. Percentage of each variable on the proforma was analsyed. Rating <50% for each form was defined as "needs improvement", 51-99% as "good compliance" and 100% as "excellent compliance". After implementing strategies to increase awareness and the launching of an online transfusion requisition form, a re-audit of physician compliance was done from February to April 2016 and the results were compared with the initial audit.. Data was analysed using SPSS 21. RESULTS: The audit and the re-audit both comprised 1000 transfusion requisition forms each. In the audit, The sum of total scores of all the transfusion requisition forms was 4911, indicating a compliance rate of 46.9%, while the corresponding numbers in the re-audit were 10000 and 100%. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of online blood transfusion requisition system had a positive impact on compliance rate.


Assuntos
Transfusão de Sangue , Documentação/normas , Escrita Manual , Sistemas de Registro de Ordens Médicas , Médicos , Auditoria Clínica , Formulários como Assunto , Humanos
8.
Postgrad Med J ; 93(1105): 671-678, 2017 Nov.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28684530

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: The post mortem examination or autopsy is a trusted method of identifying the cause of death. Patients and their families may oppose an autopsy for a variety of reasons, including fear of mutilation or owing to religious and personal beliefs. Imaging alternatives to autopsy have been explored, which may provide a viable alternative. OBJECTIVE: To explore the possibility of using MRI virtopsy to establish the cause of death as an alternative to the traditional post mortem examination or autopsy. METHODS: Systematic review was carried out of all studies, without language restriction, identified from Medline, Cochrane (1960-2016) and Embase (1991-2016) up to December 2016. Further searches were performed using the bibliographies of articles and abstracts. All studies reporting the diagnosis of the cause of death by both MRI virtopsy and traditional autopsy were included. RESULTS: Five studies with 107 patients, contributed to a summative quantitative outcome in adults. The combined sensitivity of MRI virtopsy was 0.82 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.94) with a diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of 11.1 (95% CI 2.2 to 57.0). There was no significant heterogeneity between studies (Q=1.96, df=4, p=0.75, I2=0). Eight studies, with 953 patients contributed to a summative quantitative outcome in children. The combined sensitivity of MRI virtopsy was 0.73 (95% CI 0.59 to 0.84) with a DOR of 6.44 (95% CI 1.36 to 30.51). There was significant heterogeneity between studies (Q=34.95, df=7, p<0.01, I2=80). CONCLUSION: MRI virtopsy may offer a viable alternative to traditional autopsy. By using MRI virtopsy, a potential cost reduction of at least 33% is feasible, and therefore ought to be considered in eligible patients.


Assuntos
Autopsia/métodos , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Humanos , Interpretação de Imagem Assistida por Computador , Sensibilidade e Especificidade
9.
J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad ; 28(2): 293-297, 2016.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28718562

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: The "Philadelphia Negative Classic Myeloproliferative Neoplasms" include polycythaemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythaemia (ET) and idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF). These three disorders share several clinical and laboratory features including JAK2 V617F mutation. Our objectives were to determine the clinico-pathological profile and outcomes of Pakistani patients with polycythaemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythaemia (ET) and idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF) in order to have an insight regarding behaviour of these conditions. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all the cases of PV, ET and IMF diagnosed at our institute from January 1995 to December 2013 was performed. Age, gender, clinical presentation, laboratory investigations, treatment provided and duration of follow-up were included for analysis. Appropriate statistics were utilized for calculation of data. RESULTS: A total of 58 patients were diagnosed as PV, ET or IMF during the study period. Male to female ratio was 1.1:1. Forty five percent (n=27) patients came to medical attention due to abnormal laboratory results, 3 had cerebrovascular events, 3 had pruritus, and 1 patient each with gangrene and Budd-Chiari syndrome. Haemorrhage was not seen in any patient. Sixty percent (n=35) patients were treated with phlebotomy, hydroxyurea and aspirin alone or in combination. None of the patients transformed to myelofibrosis (MF) or myelodysplasia (MDS) during the mean (±SD) follow-up period of 57.2±50 months. One patient with ET transformed to acute myeloid leukaemia 9 years after the diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a relatively more benign form of PV, ET and IMF with lesser frequency of symptoms, good response to treatment and less likelihood of transformation to MF, MDS or AML.


Assuntos
Policitemia Vera , Mielofibrose Primária , Trombocitemia Essencial , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Paquistão/epidemiologia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Centros de Atenção Terciária
11.
J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad ; 27(4): 945-9, 2015.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27004361

RESUMO

Angelman Syndrome (AS) is believed to be a complex neuro-developmental genetic disorder that is often described clinically by the presence of behavioural uniqueness and movement disorders; in addition to having developmental delay and speech impairment. Genetic factors have been linked to the syndrome's aetiology in 90% of cases, although in 10% cases, an unidentified genetic mechanism accounts for the classic phenotypic features of AS. Angelman Syndrome in general or with associated thyroid dysfunction, have never been reported from Pakistan. This is the first ever case report from Pakistan reporting a rare case of clinically diagnosed AS with associated thyroid dysfunction in the presence of normal molecular genetic testing (DNA methylation test and UBE3A gene sequencing). In future, clinicians should make efforts in documenting similar cases with associated clinical profiles from our part of the world, thereby contributing to the local and regional epidemiology of these syndromes.


Assuntos
Síndrome de Angelman/diagnóstico , Doenças da Glândula Tireoide/complicações , Adolescente , Síndrome de Angelman/complicações , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Feminino , Humanos , Doenças da Glândula Tireoide/diagnóstico
13.
Urology ; 2024 Jun 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38830555

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate outcomes in cancer patients with ureteral obstruction by comparison of retrograde stenting and percutaneous nephrostomy techniques. METHODS: Systematic review of all studies up to October 2023. Studies were identified from all major databases including MEDLINE, Cochrane, and EMBASE. All comparative studies between retrograde stenting and percutaneous nephrostomy were searched; studies with paediatric populations were excluded. Primary outcomes were procedure and intervention failure rates; secondary outcomes were infection, blockage, displacement, and unplanned exchange rates along with procedure time and length of stay. RESULTS: Eighteen studies with 1228 patients contributed to the summative outcome. Percutaneous nephrostomy was statistically superior to retrograde stenting for procedure failure rate (P <.00001) and intervention failure rate (P =.0004). Retrograde stenting was statistically superior to percutaneous nephrostomy for displacement rates (P = .003), procedure time (P <.00001), and length of stay (P <.00001). Retrograde stenting showed no difference to percutaneous nephrostomy for infection rates (P = .94), blockage rates (P = .93), unplanned exchange rates (P = .48), CONCLUSION: There is no absolute superiority for retrograde stenting or percutaneous nephrostomy for malignant ureteral obstruction. Both techniques have their advantages and disadvantages, with some comparable outcomes; patients are key when selecting the best technique. Larger studies are required to assess the outcomes of both techniques.

14.
Medicine (Baltimore) ; 102(43): e34898, 2023 Oct 27.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37904401

RESUMO

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a progressive and potentially life-threatening disorder. It is classified into primary and secondary HLH. The objective of our study was to determine the outcome of primary and secondary HLH in pediatric and adult patients based on HScore and treatment modality. We conducted a retrospective analysis done from July 2010 to June 2020. Variables analyzed included age, gender and history of death in siblings. HScore was used for disease classification while clinical and laboratory findings which were required to fulfill the HScore diagnostic criteria were also recorded. Continuous variables were summarized as median and categorical variables as frequencies and percentages. Categorical variables were compared using chi-square test and Fisher Exact test. Significance of different variables between primary and secondary HLH was calculated using independent-samples t test. A P value of < .05 was taken as significant. A total of 51 patients were included in the analysis (41 in primary and 10 in secondary HLH group). In primary HLH, 36 patients were in the pediatric age group and 12.2% had a history of death in sibling. All 41 patients had increased ferritin and decreased fibrinogen levels. The overall survival in primary HLH was 44%. In the secondary HLH group, viral infections were the most common etiology and ferritin was increased as well. The overall survival in secondary HLH was 60%. The median survival was 15 ± 4.8 months. The overall survival of both groups combined was 53%. Primary HLH should be considered in pediatric patients who present with pancytopenia and hepatosplenomegaly. In centers where genetic testing is not available, HScore along with serum ferritin and fibrinogen is a good substitute for disease classification.


Assuntos
Linfo-Histiocitose Hemofagocítica , Adulto , Humanos , Criança , Estudos Retrospectivos , Linfo-Histiocitose Hemofagocítica/complicações , Centros de Atenção Terciária , Fibrinogênio , Ferritinas
15.
BMJ Case Rep ; 15(12)2022 Dec 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36455980

RESUMO

A woman in her 40s presented with a 3-month-long history of fever and tender erythematous bullous skin lesions not responsive to antibiotics. There had been no previous gastrointestinal, respiratory or urinary infection, nor did she have any history of autoimmune disease, drug reaction or vasculitis.Histological evaluation of skin biopsy showed diffuse dense neutrophilic infiltrates located in dermis diagnostic of Sweet syndrome. Haematological investigations showed leucocytosis with circulating immature cells, which on further investigations with bone marrow biopsy, were evident of chronic myelogenous leukaemia in the accelerated phase. Sweet syndrome was the presenting characteristic of chronic myelogenous leukaemia in this case, which is a rare association. Investigating unusual skin lesions can aid in the suspicion of underlying cancer, allowing for prompt action.


Assuntos
Efeitos Colaterais e Reações Adversas Relacionados a Medicamentos , Leucemia Mielogênica Crônica BCR-ABL Positiva , Síndrome de Sweet , Feminino , Humanos , Síndrome de Sweet/diagnóstico , Síndrome de Sweet/tratamento farmacológico , Síndrome de Sweet/etiologia , Leucemia Mielogênica Crônica BCR-ABL Positiva/complicações , Leucemia Mielogênica Crônica BCR-ABL Positiva/diagnóstico , Leucemia Mielogênica Crônica BCR-ABL Positiva/tratamento farmacológico , Leucocitose , Febre
16.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35409776

RESUMO

We have read with great interest the recently published article titled "Economic Burden of Stroke Disease: A Systematic Review" by Rochmah and colleagues [...].


Assuntos
Saúde Pública , Acidente Vascular Cerebral , Estresse Financeiro , Humanos , Acidente Vascular Cerebral/epidemiologia
17.
Leuk Res Rep ; 17: 100295, 2022.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35242527

RESUMO

Eltrombopag has been used in ITP and found its use in AA armamentarium recently. We retrospectively analyzed 61 patients at a tertiary care center in Pakistan from January 2015 to January 2021. They included patients with severe AA who were refractory to at least one course of immunosuppressive therapy and persistent/chronic ITP who have received at least one previous treatment for ITP. Responses to Eltrombopag in our population were comparable to real-world experiences while tolerable hepatotoxicity and GI issues were notable. We found Eltrombopag to be a safe and efficacious agent for treating patients with ITP and AA.

18.
EJIFCC ; 33(3): 220-232, 2022 Oct.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36447801

RESUMO

Background: The reference interval (RI) is an interval between two limits derived from distribution of the results obtained from a sample of the reference population. These population based RIs are of paramount significance for the accurate clinical understanding of the patient's health status. Haematological RIs are heavily influenced by a variety of geographical and environmental factors. Therefore, accrediting bodies also mandate that each laboratory should establish its own RIs in its own population. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan.Twenty-one routine and special quantitative analytes were measured in adults aged 18-60 years who passed the initial health screening questionnaire. All samples were handled strictly following standard operating procedures. Microsoft Excel and EP Evaluator software were used for statistical analysis. Nonparametric CLSI EP28-A3C method was used to establish upper and lower confidence limits at 90% significance. Results: A total of 323 participants passed the questionnaire and were short-listed for blood collection. There were 147 males and 176 females. Reference intervals were established in 297 participants after exclusion of 26 outliers with grossly abnormal test results. Analytes included: 8 red, and 12 white blood cell parameters, platelet count, immature platelet fraction, erythrocyte sedimentation levels, haemoglobin A and A2 levels and glucose-6-phosphatase dehydrogenase levels. Conclusion: Routine and special haematology RIs established in this study reflect significant differences from RIs in Caucasian population. For meaningful interpretation of test results, each haematology laboratory should establish or verify RIs in the population it serves.

19.
BMC Public Health ; 11 Suppl 3: S7, 2011 Apr 13.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21501458

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Of the global burden of 2.6 million stillbirths, around 1.2 million occur during labour i.e. are intrapartum deaths. In low-/middle-income countries, a significant proportion of women give birth at home, usually in the absence of a skilled birth attendant. This review discusses the impact of skilled birth attendance (SBA) and the provision of Emergency Obstetric Care (EOC) on stillbirths and perinatal mortality. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed on PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Database and the WHO regional libraries. Data of all eligible studies were extracted into a standardized Excel sheet containing variables such as participants' characteristics, sample size, location, setting, blinding, allocation concealment, intervention and control details and limitations. We undertook a meta-analysis of the impact of SBA on stillbirths. Given the paucity of data from randomized trials or robust quasi-experimental designs, we undertook an expert Delphi consultation to determine impact estimates of provision of Basic and Comprehensive EOC on reducing stillbirths if there would be universal coverage (99%). RESULTS: The literature search yielded 871 hits. A total of 21 studies were selected for data abstraction. Our meta-analysis on community-based skilled birth attendance based on two before-after studies showed a 23% significant reduction in stillbirths (RR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.69 - 0.85). The overall quality grade of available evidence for this intervention on stillbirths was 'moderate'. The Delphi process supported the estimated reduction in stillbirths by skilled attendance and experts further suggested that the provision of Basic EOC had the potential to avert intrapartum stillbirths by 45% and with provision of Comprehensive EOC this could be reduced by 75%. These estimates are conservative, consistent with historical trends in maternal and perinatal mortality from both developed and developing countries, and are recommended for inclusion in the Lives Saved Tool (LiST) model. CONCLUSIONS: Both Skilled Birth Attendance and Emergency/or Essential Obstetric Care have the potential to reduce the number of stillbirths seen globally. Further evidence is needed to be able to calculate an effect size.


Assuntos
Competência Clínica , Serviços Médicos de Emergência , Obstetrícia , Natimorto/epidemiologia , Parto Obstétrico , Feminino , Morte Fetal/prevenção & controle , Humanos , Mortalidade Perinatal , Gravidez , Ensaios Clínicos Controlados Aleatórios como Assunto
20.
Ren Fail ; 33(7): 692-7, 2011.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21787160

RESUMO

Kidney biopsy is an investigation for diagnosis and prognosis of a variety of nephritides. It also influences therapeutic options. Immunofluorescence (IMF) greatly adds in identifying the pathologies which may not be obvious on light microscopy (L/M), such as IgM, IgA nephropathy, pauci-immune glomerulonephritis, and anti-glomerular basement membrane disease. We present here data of 170 pediatric kidney biopsies from July 2005 to December 2009 from Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan. The study was undertaken to see whether IMF would alter the histological pattern of pediatric kidney biopsies and to compare these data with an earlier data from our department of 415 pediatric kidney biopsies done over 7-year period from 1998 to 2005, which were analyzed with L/M alone. Out of 170 kidney biopsies using L/M and IMF, IgM turns out to be most common pattern (20%), followed by minimal change disease (MCD) (17.05%), focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) (15.88%), chronic sclerosing glomerulonephritis (Chr. sclerosing GN) (12.35%), mesangio proliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) (7.65%), mesangio capillary glomerulonephritis (MCGN) (6.47%), membranous glomerulonephritis (Mem. GN) (5.29%), IgA nephropathy (5.29%), cresentic glomerulonephritis (Cres. GN) (3.53%), lupus nephritis (2.96%), and others (3.53%). Comparing these results of 170 cases with 415 renal biopsies without IMF, IgM dominated the histological pattern in IMF group whereas MCD followed by FSGS and MPGN were prominent in group without IMF. Therefore, variation in the overall histological pattern with IMF technique proved statistically significant (p < 0.0001). Addition of IMF has altered the frequency of MCD, a change from 24% (100/415) to 17% (29/170), FSGS from 18.3% (76/415) to 15.88% (27/170), and MPGN from 17.35% (72/415) to 7.65% (13/170).


Assuntos
Nefropatias/patologia , Rim/patologia , Adolescente , Biópsia , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Imunofluorescência , Humanos , Masculino , Síndrome Nefrótica/patologia , Paquistão
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