Omphalocele, Exstrophy of Cloaca, Imperforate Anus, and Spinal Defects Complex: A Case Report.

 Omphalocele, exstrophy of cloaca, imperforate anus, and spinal defects complex is a rare malformation complex that includes omphalocele, cloacal exstrophy, imperforate anus and spinal defects with the incidence of 1 in 200,000 to 400,000 pregnancies and is even rarer in twin gestation. The etiology of this complex is still unclear. Most cases are sporadic. Prenatal screening must be done for diagnosis and appropriate multidisciplinary management of cases. In severe cases, termination of pregnancy is considered. We present a 4-day first twin child with underdeveloped ambiguous genitalia delivered via emergency lower section cesarean section at 32+3 weeks of gestation with giant liver containing omphalocele, cloacal exstrophy, imperforate anus and meningocele with severe pulmonary artery hypertension and non-visualization of right kidney and ureter, absence of uterus, fallopian tubes and right ovary. Separation and repair of the cecum and bladder were done. The ladd procedure was performed. Ileostomy was created and single-stage repair of the abdominal wall was done. Keywords: anorectal malformations; bladder exstrophy; case reports; neural tube defects; umbilicus.

Carbon footprint of Nepalese healthcare system: A study of Dhulikhel Hospital.

Background: Though direct greenhouse gas emissions cannot be observed in health care sectors, there can exist indirect emissions contributing to global climate change. This study addresses the concept of the carbon footprint and its significance in understanding the environmental impact of human activities, with a specific emphasis on the healthcare sector through gate-to-gate (GtoG) life cycle assessment. Transportation, energy consumption, and solid waste generated by hospitals are the primary sources of carbon emissions. Methods: Different standards, guidelines and parameters were used to estimate emissions from both the primary and secondary data. All steps and sub-steps involved in GtoG were accessed and analyzed within the standard ISO 14040:44 guideline. An extensive review of existing literature was carried out for the evaluation and verification of secondary data. Results: The total carbon footprint of generators, electricity consumption, transportation activities, LPG cylinders, PV systems was found to be 58,780 kg-CO2-eq/yr, 519,794 kg-CO2-eq/yr, 272,375 kg-CO2-eq/yr, 44,494 kg-CO2-eq/yr, 35,283 kg-CO2-eq/yr respectively and the emissions from non-biodegradable solid waste was found to be 489,835 kg-CO2/yr. Local air pollutants such as PM 10, CO, SO 2, NO X, and VOCs generated by generators and transportation were also estimated. The CH 4 emissions from liquid waste were 1177.344 kg CH 4/BOD yr, and those from biodegradables were 3821.6954 kg CH4/yr. Conclusions: Healthcare professionals and policymakers can take action to reduce the sector's carbon footprint by implementing best practices and encouraging sustainable behavior. This study can be taken as foundation for further exploration of indirect emissions from healthcare sectors not only in Nepal but also in south Asian scenario.

Duplex Collecting System with Ectopic Ureters Opening into Vagina: A Case Report.

Continuous urinary leakage, along with normal deliberate voiding, must suggest diagnosis of ectopic ureter, specifically in girls. Combination of a duplicated collecting system with distal, infra-sphincteric, vaginal insertion of ureter is an uncommon congenital anomaly and rare cause of urinary incontinence. We present a case report of a 7-year-old girl who presented to the urology department with urinary incontinence despite successful toilet training and history of recurrent urinary tract infections. Right duplex collecting system was seen on ultrasound. Magnetic resonance urography revealed a near complete right duplex collecting system with ectopic insertion of ureter into vagina, and aplastic uterus with bilateral normal ovaries suggestive of Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome. Surgical treatment consisted of "common sheath" reimplantation of ectopic ureters into bladder, with complete resolution of symptoms. This case suggests to us that congenital abnormalities of the genitourinary tract should be considered in case of urinary incontinence and recurrent urinary tract infections.

Management of Acute Appendicitis during COVID-19 Pandemic in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Acute appendicitis is the most common reason for abdominal surgery in children. Though appendectomy considered the gold standard there are a lot of complications related to it. Conservative management of acute appendicitis is not new to medical science. In pandemic like COVID-19 when all the health systems were about to shut-down because of lack of manpower and resources, we started a trial of non-operative management. The main aim of this study is to find out the management of acute appendicitis during COVID-19. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care centre. Data collection was done from the record section which included the patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis from February 2020 to July 2020 after obtaining ethical clearance from Institutional Review Committee. Cases of appendicular lump, appendicular abscess, appendicular perforations have been excluded. Data was collected and entry was done in Statistical Package for the Social Science software version 20, point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. RESULTS: The conservative management of acute appendicitis was done in 44 cases (55.7%) while 35 cases (44.3%) had to undergo appendectomy. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 can complicate the perioperative course as a result of direct lung injury and multiple organ dysfunctions and can also bring serious threats to the safety of medical staffs involved in managing the acute appendicitis case operatively, so conservative management can be considered as an alternative way of management of acute appendicitis in the pandemic outbreak.

Length of Stay in the Emergency Department during COVID-19 Pandemic in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency Department overcrowding has become worsening problem internationally which may affect patient, emergency department efficiency and quality of care and this may lead to increased risk of in hospital mortality, higher costs, medical errors and longer times to treatment. With this pandemic COVID-19 likely to go on for months, if not a year or longer, the Emergency Department should be prepared for large influx of patients infected with COVID-19. The aim of this study is to find-out the length of stay in emergency department during COVID-19 pandemic at a tertiary care hospital in Nepal. METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in the Emergency Department of Kanti Children's Hospital. Ethical clearance was obtained from Institutional review committee Kanti Children's Hospital. Data collection was done from the emergency records from July 23, 2020 to July 29, 2020. The calculated sample size was 211. The data thus obtained was entered in Statistical Package for the Social Science software version 20 and necessary calculations were done. RESULTS: The median length of stay in emergency department was found to be 1.75 hours (Interquartile range 0 to 30 hours). CONCLUSIONS: Definitive management starts in respective wards and Intensive Care Units. During COVID-19, with longer emergency stay, chances of cross-infection increases, and the health workers serving in emergency department will be at risks. So guidelines for shorter emergency stay should be implemented.

Factors affecting utilization of mental health services from Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities of western hilly district of Nepal.

AIM: To explore the factors affecting mental health service utilization from Primary Health Care facilities of Arghakhanchi district, a western hilly district of Nepal. BACKGROUND: Mental health service utilization has many facilitating and hindering factors present at different socio-ecological levels. Stigma and lack of awareness in the community have been identified as the major barriers for mental health service demand and access worldwide. METHODS: A cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted in Arghakhanchi district of Nepal in July-August 2019 that collected information through face-to-face In-depth and Key Informant Interviews of three categories of participants selected judgmentally. Thirty-two purposively selected participants from the three categories were interviewed using validated interview guidelines. Thematic analysis was performed using RQDA package for EZR software. Validation of translated transcripts, member checking and inter-coder percent agreement were performed to maintain rigor in the study. RESULTS: Mental health stigma and inadequate awareness were identified as major factors that caused barriers for mental health service utilization at community level. They also influenced different factors at other socio-ecological levels to act as barriers. Awareness in community along with accessibility and availability of comprehensive mental health services were recommended by the participants for increasing service utilization from Primary Health Care facilities. CONCLUSION: Individual, family and community awareness could help reduce and/or eliminate mental health stigma. Accessibility of health facilities and availability of comprehensive mental health services in Primary Health Care facilities could help increase service utilization from those facilities.

A late presenting left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair complicated by postoperative chylothorax: A case report.

Management of chylothorax after repair of late presenting congenital diaphragmatic hernia is debatable. Conservative management in the form of close monitoring of chylous output with nutritional support appears convincing to surgery.

Genetic analysis of children with congenital ocular anomalies in three ecological regions of Nepal: a phase II of Nepal pediatric ocular diseases study.

BACKGROUND: Genetic eye diseases constitute a large and heterogeneous group of childhood ocular morbidity. Individual diseases may cause multiple structural anomalies and developmental features. Nepal Pediatric Ocular Disease Study (NPODS) was a population-based epidemiological study conducted across three ecological regions of Nepal to determine the prevalence and etiology of childhood ocular morbidity and blindness. In Phase II of this study, genetic analysis was performed for children who were found to have congenital ocular anomalies. METHOD: It was a cross sectional descriptive study. A total of 10,270 children across three different ecological regions in Nepal (Low lands, hills, and mountains) underwent ocular examinations in NPODS. Out of 374 (3.6%) of children with ocular abnormalities, 30 were thought to be congenital in nature. Targeted genetic analysis, including genotyping for genes specific to presenting phenotype, was performed for 25 children using serum samples. RESULTS: Out of 25 children, 18 had meaningful genetic results. Analysis revealed one missense alteration G12411T of Zinc Finger Homeobox 4 (ZFHX4) gene in one participant among 10 with congenital ptosis and another missense variation T > C P. Y374 C of Signaling Receptor and Transporter Retinol 6 (STRA6) gene in one participant among 3 with microphthalmos. CONCLUSION: The study is first of its kind from Nepal and mutant genes were unique to Nepalese Population. Further analysis of genetic factors is crucial to better understand genetic association with ocular diseases and conditions. This helps further in genetic counseling and probably gene therapy to prevent blindness from these conditions.