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1.
PLOS Digit Health ; 3(5): e0000443, 2024 May.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38728363

RESUMEN

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has emerged as a promising solution to enhance healthcare efficiency and improve patient outcomes. The objective of this study is to analyse the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of healthcare professionals in Pakistan about AI in healthcare. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire distributed via Google Forms. This was distributed to healthcare professionals (e.g., doctors, nurses, medical students, and allied healthcare workers) working or studying in Pakistan. Consent was taken from all participants before initiating the questionnaire. The questions were related to participant demographics, basic understanding of AI, AI in education and practice, AI applications in healthcare systems, AI's impact on healthcare professions and the socio-ethical consequences of the use of AI. We analyzed the data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical software, version 26.0. Overall, 616 individuals responded to the survey while n = 610 (99.0%) of respondents consented to participate. The mean age of participants was 32.2 ± 12.5 years. Most of the participants (78.7%, n = 480) had never received any formal sessions or training in AI during their studies/employment. A majority of participants, 70.3% (n = 429), believed that AI would raise more ethical challenges in healthcare. In all, 66.4% (n = 405) of participants believed that AI should be taught at the undergraduate level. The survey suggests that there is insufficient training about AI in healthcare in Pakistan despite the interest of many in this area. Future work in developing a tailored curriculum regarding AI in healthcare will help bridge the gap between the interest in use of AI and training.

2.
BMJ Open ; 14(3): e079513, 2024 Mar 12.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38479742

RESUMEN

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterised by hyperglycaemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. As a major global health concern, its prevalence has been steadily increasing. Pakistan, is no exception to this trend, facing a growing burden of non-communicable diseases including DM. This research aims to comprehensively assess the prevalence of DM, and disparities between rural and urban populations as well as between men and women in Pakistan. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The systematic review will follow Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and will aim to assess DM prevalence in Pakistan. A comprehensive search strategy will be applied to databases like PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, PakMediNet and CINAHL from inception up to 1st April 2024. We will include studies that focus on diabetes prevalence in the general population, employing WHO or American Diabetes Association criteria for diagnosis of DM. Cross-sectional studies, cohort studies and population-based surveys with a sample size ≥500, in English will be considered. Data extraction will be done as per a predefined proforma which will include study details such as demographics, prevalence data and methodology. A meta-analysis will be performed using a random effect model with an inverse variance weighted method. I2 statistics will be used to examine heterogeneity, and subgroup analyses will be performed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The findings from the systematic review will be shared by publishing them in a peer-reviewed journal and showcasing them at pertinent conferences. Our analysis will be based on aggregated data and will not involve individual patient information, thus eliminating the need for ethical clearance. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023453085.


Asunto(s)
Diabetes Mellitus , Hiperglucemia , Masculino , Humanos , Femenino , Estudios Transversales , Pakistán/epidemiología , Revisiones Sistemáticas como Asunto , Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiología , Diabetes Mellitus/diagnóstico , Proyectos de Investigación , Metaanálisis como Asunto
3.
BMC Res Notes ; 16(1): 376, 2023 Dec 19.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38115143

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of the IOLMaster 700 foveal scans to detect foveal pathology compared with a standard swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) device. RESULTS: One hundred seventy eye scans of 95 patients were included in the final analyses. Ninety-nine (58.2%) scans were classified as abnormal by SS-OCT. Mean sensitivity of the biometry device was 67.5% (range: 51-84%) and mean specificity was 69.5% (range: 44-95%). Intra-class correlation coefficients were 0.912 and 0.835, for reader 1 and 2, respectively. Area under the curve for receiver operating curve was 0.726. Foveal scans of the IOLMaster 700 can provide clinically useful information. Clinicians should pay attention to the macular scans when reviewing biometry prior to cataract surgery and standard macular OCT should ideally be supplemented in suspicious cases.


Asunto(s)
Extracción de Catarata , Catarata , Cristalino , Oftalmología , Humanos , Extracción de Catarata/métodos , Tomografía de Coherencia Óptica/métodos , Biometría/métodos , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados
4.
Diabetes Res Clin Pract ; 205: 110943, 2023 Nov.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37805002

RESUMEN

AIMS: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of blindness globally, early detection is critical to prevent vision loss. Traditional screening that, rely on human experts are, however, costly, and time-consuming. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of smartphone-based artificial intelligence(AI) systems for DR detection. METHODS: Literature review was conducted on MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL Plus, and Cochrane from inception to December 2022. We included diagnostic test accuracy studies evaluating the use of smartphone-based AI algorithms for DR screening in patients with diabetes, with expert human grader as the reference standard. Random-effects model was used to pool sensitivity and specificity. Any DR(ADR) and referable DR(RDR) were analyzed separately. RESULTS: Out of 968 identified articles, six diagnostic test accuracy studies met our inclusion criteria, comprising 3,931 patients. Four of these studies used the Medios AI algorithm. The pooled sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of ADR were 88 % and 91.5 % respectively and for diagnosis of RDR were 98.2 % and 81.2 % respectively. The overall risk of bias across the studies was low. CONCLUSIONS: Smartphone-based AI algorithms show high diagnostic accuracy for detecting DR. However, more high-quality comparative studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness in real-world clinical settings.


Asunto(s)
Diabetes Mellitus , Retinopatía Diabética , Humanos , Inteligencia Artificial , Retinopatía Diabética/diagnóstico , Teléfono Inteligente , Algoritmos , Sensibilidad y Especificidad
5.
Cureus ; 15(5): e39714, 2023 May.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37398741

RESUMEN

PURPOSE: To explore the relationship of gender with laser retinopexy for retinal breaks in the Pakistani population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a 10-year retrospective observational study conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. All consecutive patients who underwent laser retinopexy between January 2009 and December 2018 for a retinal tear or high-risk retinal degeneration (such as lattice degeneration) were included in this study. Data were collected from patients' files. Index eyes with a history of or treatment for retinal detachment were excluded. A structured pro forma was used to collect information. Descriptive statistics were used to explore the relationship between gender and laser retinopexy. RESULTS: We identified 12,457 patients through the coding system of our hospital who underwent various laser procedures from January 2009 to December 2018. Yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) laser, laser peripheral iridotomy (PI), and laser trabeculoplasty procedures were all excluded. A total of 3,472 patients' files were reviewed for this study, out of which 958 patients met the inclusion criteria. Males accounted for a higher number (n=515, 53.87%). The mean age was 43.99±15.37 years. For exploratory analysis, participants were divided into five age groups: <30 years (24.16%); 31-40 years (16.59%); 41-50 years (19.45%); 51-60 years (26.40%); and >60 years (13.49%). Bilateral laser retinopexy was performed in 48.12% of patients; 24.79% and 27.13% of patients underwent unilateral laser retinopexy for the right and left eyes, respectively. CONCLUSION: In our cohort study, laser retinopexy was more commonly performed in men than in women. The ratio was not significantly different from the prevalence of retinal tears and retinal detachment in the general population, which has a slightly higher male preponderance. We did not find evidence of significant gender bias among patients who underwent laser retinopexy in our study.

6.
Eye (Lond) ; 37(11): 2176-2182, 2023 08.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36517576

RESUMEN

The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review of existing literature on OCT screening before cataract surgery. Available literature was evaluated and projections on how it could be applied to enhance postoperative outcomes of cataract surgery were summarised. The PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched for articles pertaining to preoperative OCT screening. Selected articles were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed. Across 9 studies, the addition of OCT macular screening resulted in preoperative detection of macular pathology in 13.7% of eyes that were determined to be normal on fundoscopic examination alone. The types of macular pathology most frequently detected through preoperative OCT screening were interface abnormalities followed by macular degeneration. Comparative analysis of SS-OCT biometer and SD-OCT found that SS-OCT had a sensitivity of 0.48-0.81 in the detection of macular pathology in eyes with pathology diagnosed by SD-OCT. OCT screening prior to cataract surgery results in the detection of occult macular pathology that may influence postoperative visual outcomes in approximately 1 in 10 eyes (13.7%). As a result, OCT screening should be considered in the routine preoperative workup for cataract surgery.


Asunto(s)
Extracción de Catarata , Catarata , Degeneración Macular , Humanos , Tomografía de Coherencia Óptica/métodos , Extracción de Catarata/métodos , Degeneración Macular/diagnóstico , Ojo
7.
Int J Ophthalmol ; 15(12): 1966-1970, 2022.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36536979

RESUMEN

AIM: To evaluate the recently described optical coherence tomography (OCT) based classification of epiretinal membrane (ERM) and its usefulness in predicting the functional outcome. METHODS: A retrospective observational review of OCT scans of patients with the diagnosis of idiopathic ERM was carried out from January 2016 to June 2021. All consecutive images diagnosed with any stage of idiopathic ERM and fulfilled the eligibility criteria were included in the analysis. ERM was identified on OCT scans as a thin hyperreflective layer over the inner layers of retina. OCT scans of patients with ERM who underwent vitrectomy, were independently staged as per the new classification by two independent retinal surgeons to form a consensus on stage. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in logMAR scale and central subfield thickness (CST) on pre- and post-operative spectral domain OCT scans were the variables noted for all patients at the time of diagnosis and at 6 and 12mo follow up visit after undergoing intervention. Partial correlation coefficient was computed between BCVA (logMAR) and CST by ERM stage adjusting by baseline measures. RESULTS: Clinical charts of 74 patients with idiopathic ERM were assessed. Clinically significant improvement in BCVA overtime was observed with significant difference in median visual acuity of patients with Stage II-IV ERM with P<0.001. The median CST of all patients with stage II-IV ERM showed similar consistent improvement with P<0.001 from baseline to 12th month. Our results showed not only gain in visual acuity but also shift from baseline to anatomical normalization of CST in stage II. We found a decrease in CST with difference of 166 µm and 151 µm in stage III and stage IV respectively. Our results remained consistent with the hypothesis of improved visual outcomes with all stages of ERM with adjusted moderate linear correlation between visual acuity and CST in stage II-IV (r>0.3). CONCLUSION: Equally significant visual outcomes of patients with ERM staged II-IV and therefore can be counselled for improved visual acuity after surgical removal of ERM with improvement up to 5 lines on Snellen's chart from the baseline.

8.
Pak J Med Sci ; 38(8): 2324-2330, 2022.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36415252

RESUMEN

Objectives: Chorioretinal diseases requiring the use of anti-vascular endothelial growth (anti-VEGF) injections often occur in both eyes simultaneously. This can necessitate injecting both eyes together rather than one eye at a time. The purpose of the study was to determine whether simultaneous bilateral intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF agents are safe when administered in an operation theatre setting. Methods: Retrospective review of data was conducted. Single center study conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi Pakistan. Approximately 30,000 eyes that received anti-VEGF injection during a 10-year study period were included (March 2008-February 2018). Patients who were lost to follow up prior to completion of treatment were excluded. Consecutive sampling technique was employed. The patients who received bilateral anti-VEGF injections were analysed separately from the ones who received unilateral injections. All injections were administered in operating theatre setting. The rate of endophthalmitis was measured in each group. Results: A total of 30,258 injections were administered of which 15,338 were bilateral injections. Four cases (4/30,258, 0.013%) of endophthalmitis occurred during the study period. Only one case (1/15,338, 0.0065%) of endophthalmitis occurred after the administration of simultaneous bilateral anti-VEGF injections. Conclusions: Administration of simultaneous bilateral anti-VEGF injections was safe in our population.

9.
Cureus ; 14(3): e23437, 2022 Mar.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35494950

RESUMEN

Introduction This study aims to evaluate the primary anatomical success and visual outcomes of 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (25g PPV) in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in Pakistan. Design This is a five-year retrospective, interventional cohort study conducted at tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan from October 2013 to October 2018. Methods This is a retrospective, interventional cohort study of 418 consecutive patients with RRD who underwent 25g PPV. All surgeries were performed by two experienced surgeons at tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan. Consecutive patients who underwent 25g PPV surgery as the treatment for RRD from October 2013 to October 2018 were included. We excluded patients who had a history of previous retinal surgery or did not complete the 4-8 weeks of primary outcome visit. We used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA) for statistical analysis. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results We identified 452 patients through the coding system of our hospitals who underwent 25g PPV surgery for RRD during the study period. A total of 441 patient files were reviewed for the study, of which 418 patients met the criteria for final analysis. The mean age was 49 ± 15.8 years. There was a higher number of males (n = 284, 67.9%). In our study, 186 (44.4%) patients were phakic at the time of presentation. The macula was detached in 361 (86.4%) patients. At the primary outcome visit (4-8 weeks of follow-up), the primary anatomical success rate was 89.47%. The most common cause of failure was proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) (n = 20), followed by missed breaks (n = 5). Conclusions The surgical outcomes of RRD with 25g PPV surgery in our study were similar to the outcomes reported in the developed world. We propose a prospective multicenter national study to prospectively evaluate the risk factors for RRD surgical failure in the Pakistani population.

10.
Heliyon ; 8(3): e09181, 2022 Mar.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35368542

RESUMEN

n-pentane catalytic cracking was studied over a series of MFI zeolites with varying SiO2/Al2O3 ratios (30, 80, 280, 500, and 1500) using a fixed-bed reactor operated at temperature 550-650 °C. Other MFI zeolites (SiO2/Al2O3 = 280) with various crystal morphology and size (such as large crystal and nano size) were also synthesized and tested for n-pentane cracking. The effects of MFI zeolite modification with ammonia and phosphorus on its physiochemical properties and catalytic activity were investigated. Among the parent MFI zeolites, MFI (280) demonstrated high selectivity (51%) towards light olefins (C3 =/C2 = = 0.7) at 650 °C with undesired C1-C4 alkanes (38%). Surface modified MFI (280) zeolites of different crystal size and morphology showed improvement towards propylene selectivity by suppressing undesired reactions. Phosphorous-modified MFI zeolite with a large crystal size was found to improve light olefin selectivity (52.2%) with C3 =/C2 = = ∼1.3 and reduce undesired C1-C4 alkanes (8%) formation due to suppressed strong acidic sites. The characterization and evaluation results for the modified MFI (280) revealed that the incorporation of phosphorous created moderate acidic sites, which were stabilized by some non-framework aluminum species, thereby leading to suppressing the formation of undesired C1-C4 alkanes with improved light olefins selectivity.

11.
Braz J Biol ; 82: e256158, 2022.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35384962

RESUMEN

The study investigated the wound healing effect of medicinal oil (MO) formulation prepared from Murraya koenigii leaves extract (methanolic) incorporated in olive oil. The MO was visually transparent, homogenous, smooth in texture, the viscosity grade was observed as 140 cP and easily spreadable. Pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly reduced to 82.3 ± 3.5, 156 ± 6.2, 137.3. ± 5.5 pg/ml, respectively after treatment with MO when compared to disease control animals that showed IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α levels of 170 ± 6, 265 ± 7, and 288.6 ± 11, pg/ml respectively. The level of pro-inflammatory cytokine in povidone iodine solution (PIS) group was 95.3 ± 3, 162 ± 6, 177.6 ± 8.9 pg/ml of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α respectively. Interestingly, the wound-healing efficacy of MO was found better as compared to povidone iodine treated standard group and concluded that MO has excellent wound healing effect.


Asunto(s)
Murraya , Animales , Citocinas , Interleucina-6/farmacología , Aceite de Oliva/farmacología , Extractos Vegetales/farmacología , Hojas de la Planta , Povidona Yodada/farmacología , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/farmacología , Cicatrización de Heridas
12.
Oman J Ophthalmol ; 15(1): 111-112, 2022.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35388252
13.
BMJ Case Rep ; 15(3)2022 Mar 04.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35246439

RESUMEN

A female patient in early 50s presented to us several months after developing severe visual loss in her right eye. The patient was diagnosed with resolved central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) based on the clinical picture at the time of presentation, however, retroactive evaluation of fundus imaging and further multi-disciplinary workup led to the rare diagnosis of combined central retinal artery and vein occlusion associated with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Only a few cases reporting retinal arterial and venous occlusions in patients with APS are found in the literature. To the best of our knowledge, no case of simultaneous CRAO and CRVO has been reported with APS. The patient was started on lifelong warfarin therapy to prevent a similar episode in the left eye. It is important to properly evaluate patients presenting with retinal vascular occlusions, as a missed diagnosis of APS can lead to recurrent and more devastating vascular events.


Asunto(s)
Síndrome Antifosfolípido , Oclusión de la Arteria Retiniana , Arteria Retiniana , Oclusión de la Vena Retiniana , Síndrome Antifosfolípido/complicaciones , Síndrome Antifosfolípido/diagnóstico , Síndrome Antifosfolípido/tratamiento farmacológico , Femenino , Humanos , Retina , Oclusión de la Arteria Retiniana/complicaciones , Oclusión de la Arteria Retiniana/etiología , Oclusión de la Vena Retiniana/diagnóstico , Oclusión de la Vena Retiniana/tratamiento farmacológico , Oclusión de la Vena Retiniana/etiología
14.
Cureus ; 14(1): e20876, 2022 Jan.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35145783

RESUMEN

Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is a rare, severe condition that typically presents as bilateral diffuse granulomatous uveitis secondary to trauma in one eye. The variability of symptoms requires that diagnosis depends heavily on the correlation of these symptoms with relevant imaging. Visualisation of characteristic nodules seen between the Bruchs membrane and the retinal pigment epithelium, and the presence of Dalén Fuchs nodules, can be diagnostic when coupled with the clinical findings. This report discusses the use of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) to indicate the presence of Dalén Fuchs nodules, which have previously not been identified on OCT in a confirmed case of SO.

15.
BMJ Open ; 12(9): e061519, 2022 09 05.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36691151

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of reporting of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare against Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials-AI (CONSORT-AI) guidelines. DESIGN: Systematic review. DATA SOURCES: We searched PubMed and EMBASE databases for studies reported from January 2015 to December 2021. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: We included RCTs reported in English that used AI as the intervention. Protocols, conference abstracts, studies on robotics and studies related to medical education were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION: The included studies were graded using the CONSORT-AI checklist, comprising 43 items, by two independent graders. The results were tabulated and descriptive statistics were reported. RESULTS: We screened 1501 potential abstracts, of which 112 full-text articles were reviewed for eligibility. A total of 42 studies were included. The number of participants ranged from 22 to 2352. Only two items of the CONSORT-AI items were fully reported in all studies. Five items were not applicable in more than 85% of the studies. Nineteen per cent (8/42) of the studies did not report more than 50% (21/43) of the CONSORT-AI checklist items. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of reporting of RCTs in AI is suboptimal. As reporting is variable in existing RCTs, caution should be exercised in interpreting the findings of some studies.


Asunto(s)
Inteligencia Artificial , Robótica , Humanos , Estándares de Referencia , Lista de Verificación , Atención a la Salud , Ensayos Clínicos Controlados Aleatorios como Asunto
16.
Braz. j. biol ; 82: e256158, 2022. tab, graf, ilus
Artículo en Inglés | LILACS, VETINDEX | ID: biblio-1364495

RESUMEN

The study investigated the wound healing effect of medicinal oil (MO) formulation prepared from Murraya koenigii leaves extract (methanolic) incorporated in olive oil. The MO was visually transparent, homogenous, smooth in texture, the viscosity grade was observed as 140 cP and easily spreadable. Pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly reduced to 82.3 ± 3.5, 156 ± 6.2, 137.3. ± 5.5 pg/ml, respectively after treatment with MO when compared to disease control animals that showed IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α levels of 170 ± 6, 265 ± 7, and 288.6 ± 11, pg/ml respectively. The level of pro-inflammatory cytokine in povidone iodine solution (PIS) group was 95.3 ± 3, 162 ± 6, 177.6 ± 8.9 pg/ml of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α respectively. Interestingly, the wound-healing efficacy of MO was found better as compared to povidone iodine treated standard group and concluded that MO has excellent wound healing effect.


O estudo investigou o efeito cicatrizante da formulação de óleo medicinal (MO) preparado a partir do extrato de folhas de Murraya koenigii (metanol) incorporado ao azeite de oliva. O MO era visualmente transparente, homogêneo, de textura lisa, o grau de viscosidade observado foi de 140 cP e facilmente espalhável. As citocinas pró-inflamatórias IL-1ß, IL-6 e TNF-α foram significativamente reduzidas para 82,3 ± 3,5, 156 ± 6,2, 137,3. ± 5,5 pg/ml, respectivamente, após o tratamento com MO quando comparados aos animais controle da doença que apresentaram níveis de IL-1ß, IL-6 e TNF-α de 170 ± 6, 265 ± 7 e 288,6 ± 11, pg/ml, respectivamente . O nível de citocina pró-inflamatória no grupo solução de iodopovidona (PIS) foi de 95,3 ± 3, 162 ± 6, 177,6 ± 8,9 pg/ml de IL-1ß, IL-6 e TNF-α, respectivamente. Curiosamente, a eficácia de cicatrização de feridas de MO foi encontrada melhor em comparação com o grupo padrão tratado com iodopovidona e concluiu que a preparação de MO tem efeito de cicatrização de feridas.


Asunto(s)
Cicatrización de Heridas , Heridas y Lesiones , Citocinas , Metanol , Aceite de Oliva
17.
Atmos Pollut Res ; 12(9): 101172, 2021 Sep.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34421319

RESUMEN

The declaration of COVID-19 pandemic by the WHO initiated a series of lockdowns globally that varied in stringency and duration; however, the spatiotemporal effects of these lockdowns on air quality remain understudied. This study evaluates the global impact of lockdowns on air pollutants using tropospheric and ground-level indicators over a five-month period. Moreover, the relationship between air pollution and COVID-19 cases and mortalities was examined. Changes in the global tropospheric (NO2, aerosols, and O3) and ground-level (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and O3) pollutants were observed, and the maximum air quality improvement was observed immediately after lockdown. Except for a few countries, a decline in air pollutants correlated with a reduction in Land Surface Temperature (LST). Notably, regions with higher tropospheric NO2 and aerosol concentrations were also COVID-19 hotspots. Our analysis showed moderate positive correlation for NO2 with COVID-19 cases (R2 = 0.33; r = 0.57, P = 0.006) and mortalities (R2 = 0.40; r = 0.63, P = 0.015), while O3 showed a weak-moderate positive correlation with COVID-19 cases (R2 = 0.22; r = 0.47, P = 0.003) and mortalities (R2 = 0.12; r = 0.35, P = 0.012). However, PM2.5, and PM10 showed no significant correlation with either COVID-19 cases or mortality. This study reveals that humans living under adverse air pollution conditions are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection and mortality.

18.
BMJ Open Ophthalmol ; 6(1): e000663, 2021.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34046524

RESUMEN

Tuberculosis (TB)-associated uveitis is a common cause of infectious uveitis in the developing world. Diagnosis of TB uveitis remains a challenge. The role of interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) is uncertain. Herein we summarise the available literature on the utility of IGRAs in the diagnosis and management of TB uveitis. We searched PubMed database from 1 August 2010 to 31 July 2020 using the following keywords alone and in combination: 'interferon-gamma release assay', 'QuantiFERON', 'T-SPOT.TB', 'TB uveitis', 'serpiginous like choroiditis', 'tuberculoma', 'TB vasculitis', 'TB panuveitis' and 'ocular tuberculosis'. Data from 58 relevant studies were collated. The review is focused on currently marketed versions of IGRA tests: QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube assay, QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus assay (QFT-Plus) and T-SPOT.TB. We found limited evidence regarding the diagnostic utility of IGRA in patients with uveitis. No study was identified evaluating the newer QFT test-the QFT-Plus-in patients with uveitis. Similarly, there is lack of data directly comparing QFT-Plus with T-SPOT.TB specifically for the diagnosis of TB uveitis.

19.
BMJ Case Rep ; 13(11)2020 Nov 02.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33139365

RESUMEN

We report a case of subretinal abscess as the initial presentation of systemic nocardiosis. The patient was a known case of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and on long-term immunosuppressants. He presented with a rapidly progressive, unilateral decline in visual acuity in the right eye. Dilated fundus examination showed a large whitish subretinal lesion. A working diagnosis of subretinal abscess was made. The appearance was highly suspicious for Nocardia abscess. On further direct questioning, it was noted that the patient had been experiencing low-grade fever and non-productive cough for 1 month. The patient was referred to infectious diseases for systemic work-up and a vitreous tap was done, along with intravitreal antibiotics. Blood culture and bronchoalveolar lavage both reported Nocardia species. Sensitivity-guided antibiotic therapy resulted in improved systemic condition and a quiet and comfortable right eye, but vision could not be saved due to late presentation.


Asunto(s)
Absceso/etiología , Nocardiosis/complicaciones , Nocardia/aislamiento & purificación , Enfermedades de la Retina/etiología , Agudeza Visual , Absceso/diagnóstico , Absceso/microbiología , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Infecciones Bacterianas del Ojo , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Nocardiosis/diagnóstico , Nocardiosis/microbiología , Enfermedades de la Retina/diagnóstico , Enfermedades de la Retina/microbiología , Tomografía de Coherencia Óptica , Tomografía Computarizada por Rayos X
20.
BMJ Open Ophthalmol ; 5(1): e000488, 2020.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32953997

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper was to conduct a systematic review of existing literature on simulation-based training of cataract surgery. Available literature was evaluated and projections on how current findings could be applied to cataract surgery training were summarised. The quality of included literature was also assessed. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases were searched for articles pertaining to simulation training in cataract surgery on 18 November 2019. Selected articles were qualitatively analysed. RESULTS: A total of 165 articles were identified out of which 10 met inclusion criteria. Four studies reported construct validity of the EyeSi simulator. Six studies demonstrated improved surgical outcomes corresponding to training on the simulator. Quality assessment of included studies was satisfactory. CONCLUSION: Current studies on simulation training in cataract surgery all point towards it being an effective training tool with low risk of study biases confounding this conclusion. As technology improves, surgical training must embrace and incorporate simulation technology in training.

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