Therapeutic and safety outcomes of intracoronary nicardipine in coronary artery disease patients: a systematic review.

Aim: This systematic review aimed to shed light on the efficacy of intracoronary (IC) nicardipine in treating no reflow with CAD undergoing revascularization. Methods: Literature search was performed on databases with following eligibility criteria: adult patients with CAD; clinical trials or observational studies; IC nicardipine as intervention; therapeutic and safety outcome reported. Results: A total of 1249 papers were yielded during the literature search. Of these, 11 studies were finalized for this systematic review. Complete restoration of TIMI 3 flow was observed in 98.6% of the patients receiving IC nicardipine. A significant increase in the CBF after infusion of IC nicardipine (p < 0.05) was also observed. Conclusion: IC nicardipine significantly increases CBF and decreases coronary vascular resistance.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a condition that results in the narrowing or blockage of heart arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood from your heart to the rest of your body's cells. We aimed to evaluate the effects of intracoronary (IC) nicardipine, a drug that blocks calcium from entering the muscle cells and blood vessels of the heart, which causes the vessels to relax and widen, allowing for blood to flow more easily, on a phenomenon known as coronary slow flow (CSF). CSF is defined as a delayed widening of the blood vessels of the heart. CSF or the no reflow phenomenon is a major negative complication associated with surgical procedures such as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), both of which are used to open up blocked arteries. The systematic search identified studies that evaluated the effect of IC nicardipine in patient during CAD treatment, undergoing PCI, CABG, or having confirmed or suspected narrowing of the aortic valve or one of the four valves of the heart, which results in restricted blood flow from the heart to the body. From the results of studies discussed in the review, it can be concluded that IC nicardipine significantly increases blood flow to the heart and can help prevent the no reflow phenomenon in patients undergoing PCI. Nicardipine proved to be a safe and effective option in the management of complications such as no reflow in patients receiving therapies to restore blood flow following CAD.

Polio amidst COVID-19 in Pakistan: Ongoing efforts, challenges, and recommendations.

Poliomyelitis is a crippling viral disease caused by poliovirus, a positive-stranded RNA virus that is a serotype of Enterovirus C. Pakistan remains one of the countries in the world where poliomyelitis is still prevalent, posing an obstacle to global poliomyelitis eradication. With the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic, polio eradication campaigns have proven less feasible, resulting in an increase in polio cases across the country. Pakistan's healthcare system and socio-economic framework are incapable of dealing with two deadly viruses at the same time. As a result, effective measures for combating the destruction caused by the spread of the poliovirus are required.

Transfusion Transmitted Infections: A Present-Day Danger for Pakistan.

Over 1.5 million units of blood are collected in Pakistan each year, with around 65% of this donation coming from replacement donors-relatives or close friends of the affected who willingly donate blood to support the patient. Although blood transfusion is a life-saving therapy, it also involves the danger of spreading blood-borne illnesses if not appropriately screened. It has been extensively discussed that the precise number of transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs) in the Pakistani population is still unclear, and the estimates reported by the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority may be a major underestimation because of the country's lack of inexpensive and effective screening tests. Regular blood transfusions are the mainstay of treatment of patients with blood diseases such as thalassemia and anemia. They are also commonly used to handle acute injuries, surgery, bleeding, and birthing difficulties. However, the risk of getting a TTI results in an increased hesitancy among blood transfusion recipients. Hence, to reduce the occurrence of TTIs, effective and vigorous measures must be implemented.

Comparing SPEED and OSDI Questionnaires in a Non-Clinical Sample.

PURPOSE: To compare the performance of OSDI and SPEED questionnaires in a non-clinical sample in Pakistan. METHODS: SPEED and OSDI questionnaires were simultaneously administered to a sample of 600 participants in Pakistan with an average age of 31.0 ± 10.1 years. RESULTS: Mean SPEED scores were calculated according to the OSDI categories and were found to be 3.33 ± 3.44, 5.45 ± 3.77, 7.86 ± 4.33, and 9.39 ± 4.56 for the normal, mild, moderate, and severe groups, respectively. Using Cronbach's alpha, the total OSDI and SPEED scores were calculated to be 0.924 and 0.879, respectively. A receiver operating curve was plotted, and the area under the curve (AUC) was estimated to be 0.791. Using this curve, the cutoff score for the SPEED questionnaire was found to be 4.00 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The SPEED questionnaire can be used as an effective alternative to the OSDI.