An audit of transfusion reaction monitoring and reporting at a cancer hospital in Pakistan - a step towards haemovigilance.

OBJECTIVE: To monitor the frequencies of different adverse transfusion reactions and to assess the compliance of clinical staff with the process of sending proper transfusion reaction workup within the specified time. METHODS: The retrospective audit was conducted at the blood bank of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan, and comprised all transfusion reaction forms received from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018. The forms were analysed for type of blood component, time in which it was received by the blood bank, whether or not the form was completely filled, whether or not all required samples were provided, and the type of reaction. RESULTS: Of the 12,787 units dispensed and transfused, 50(0.39%) transfusion reactions were noted. Allergic was the most frequent type 24(48%). Red cells accounted for 38(76%) of the reactions. In 58(95%) cases, reaction forms were completely filled. Blood bags in 36(59%) and post-transfusion ethylenediaminetetra acetic acid samples in 35(57.3%) cases were received at blood bank within 2 hours of reaction. CONCLUSIONS: Incidence of transfusion reactions was found to be low as there was good compliance with procedures on the part of the clinical staff.

Fabrication of Electrospun Probiotic Functionalized Nanocomposite Scaffolds for Infection Control and Dermal Burn Healing in a Mice Model.

The importance of microbiota paves the way to use microbial cells as medicines to treat pathobiomic diseases. This study reported the fabrication of probiotic (Enterococcus mundtii QAUEM2808)-functionalized nanocomposite scaffolds of poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(vinylpyrrolidone)/glycerol via electrospinning. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis resolved the living composite structure and supported the encapsulation of E. mundtii throughout the nanostructured (318 ± 12 nm) fibers of bioscaffold membranes. The shelf life evaluation of 4-week-old samples supported that bioscaffolds showed an enhancement in probiotic survival count by 2.78 ± 0.10 log10 colony-forming units (cfu) versus counterpart biodispersion. The swelling and antagonistic evaluation showed that a bioscaffold is degradable in a simulated wound fluid which is essential for activation of probiotic strains to antagonize infection-causing Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. A second-degree contact burn was made on the dorsum of male BALB/c mice (n = 30). The wounds were left open for 2 days to mimic burn contamination, and the mice were randomized into negative (untreated), positive (silver sulfadiazine cream), vehicle (biodispersion and nanoscaffold), and experimental bioscaffold groups (n = 6/group). These treatments were applied on 2, 6, 10, and 14 days postburn. A comparative wound closure, histopathology, and wound microbial evaluation demonstrated that the bioscaffolds accelerate epithelialization, collagen deposition, and hair follicle formation, inhibit harmful bacteria, and provide interference benefits. In particular, the probiotic active bioscaffold membrane could serve as a novel candidate to control infections and speed up the healing of burn wounds.

Comparative gastroprotective effects of natural honey, Nigella sativa and cimetidine against acetylsalicylic acid induced gastric ulcer in albino rats.

OBJECTIVE: Natural honey (NH) and Nigella sativa (NS) seeds have been in use as a natural remedy for over thousands of years in various parts of the world. The aim of this study was to assess the protective effects of NS (Nigella sativa) and NH (natural honey) on acetylsalicylic acid induced gastric ulcer in an experimental model with comparison to Cimetidine (CD). STUDY DESIGN: Experimental, case control study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Pharmacology and Pathology Department of King Edward Medical University, Lahore, from June to August 2007. METHODOLOGY: The study was conducted on 100 male albino rats, divided into 5 groups, with 20 animals in each group. Group A was used as a control and treated with Gum Tragacanth (GT). Eighty animals of the other groups were given acetylsalicylic acid (0.2 gm/kg body weight for 3 days) to produce ulcers by gavage. Two animals from each group were sacrificed for the detection of gastric ulcers. The remaining 72 animals were equally divided in four groups (B, C, D and E). The rats in group B, C and D were given NS, NH, and CD respectively while those in E were kept as such. RESULTS: No gastric lesions were seen in control group A while all the animals in group E revealed gastric ulcers. The animals of group B, C and D showed healing effects in 15/18 (83%), 14/18 (78%) and 17/18 (94%) animals grossly; 13/18 (72%), 14/18 (78%) and 16/18 (89%) rats showed recovery on microscopic examination respectively. The healing effects were almost the same in all three groups therefore, the statistical difference was not significant among them (p =0.40 and 0.65) while significant from group E (p=0.0000075, 0.0000016 and 0.0000012 respectively). CONCLUSION: NS and NH are equally effective in healing of gastric ulcer similar to cimetidine. Further broad spectrum studies as well as clinical trials should be conducted before the use of these products as routine medicines.