RESUMO
Background The present study was conducted to assess the renal effects of high dose versus low dose lisinopril in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Methodology A prospective observational study was conducted at the Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, between July 1, 2019, to January 1, 2020. Patients were divided into two groups. Group A patients were administered a low dose (5 mg per day) of Lisinopril and group B were administered a higher dose of therapy (20 mg/day) for three months. At the end of the study, baseline renal functions, electrolytes, and status of microalbuminuria were compared with follow-up values. The primary outcome was to assess the change in microalbuminuria levels in patients at baseline, one month, and three months of therapy. Results A total of 72 patients were included in group A (low dose) and 72 patients were enrolled in group B (high dose). The mean ages of group A and group B were 56.3 ± 12.9 years and 53.48 ± 12.2 years, respectively. The majority of the patients in the groups were male. At baseline, the mean microalbuminuria levels in the two groups were not significantly different however, at three months post treatment, the levels were significantly much lower in high dose patients as compared to patients who were on low dose lisinopril (146.06 ± 23.89 vs. 184.69 ± 26.27; p < 0.0001). The three-month urea levels were significantly lower in group A as compared to group B (38.91 ± 7.07 vs. 43.26 ± 3.02; p = 0.008). Three-month creatinine and potassium levels were not significantly different between the groups (p = 0.7 and 0.12, respectively). Conclusion Our study revealed that even though group B (high dose lisinopril) had significantly reduced microalbuminuria, the urea levels were found to be higher in this cohort of patients as compared to group A patients on low-dose lisinopril. Moreover, the majority of the patients in group B reported significant improvements in blood pressure control as compared to group A, which indicated that a high dose of lisinopril is more effective in patients with diabetic nephropathy than a low dose of lisinopril. The levels of creatinine after three months of treatment did not differ significantly. Further randomized trials are warranted in order to ascertain the effectiveness of high dose of lisinopril in patients with diabetic nephropathy.
RESUMO
Introduction Patient saturation in emergency care departments is a significant issue that impacts the healthcare system globally. This study was purposed to evaluate the accuracy of the ER triage using the Emergency Severity Index (ESI). Methodology A prospective observational study was performed at Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, from October 2020 to March 2021. Data from one of the second largest hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were acquired to carry out this study. All data from our emergency department have been retrieved and recorded using appropriate procedures and software. Triage accuracy has been established by comparing proposed resource consumption (acuity level 3-5) to the actual resources utilized in these hospitals as the amount of an agreement between standard guidelines and local observations. In terms of resource expenditure, we also assessed the interconnection between acuity level and extent of accuracy. SPSS version 21 (IBM Inc., Armonk, New York) was used to document and analyze all of the data. Results The greatest odds of undertriage to moderate acuity were associated with age ≥65 years; OR 1.49, 95% CI (1.25-1.72) and OR 2.18 CI (1.22-3.73) for under-triage to low acuity designations. Severe hypoxia, severe bradycardia, and severe tachycardia were all strongly linked with the risk of under-triage of moderate-acuity levels OR 2.19 95% CI (1.49-3.13); OR 2.54 (1.53-4.01); and OR 2.17 (1.61-2.88), respectively. Essentially, there were also significant associations with under-triage to moderate acuity due to the lack of oxygen saturation measurement. Hypertension (≥200mmHg) was linked with increased odds of undertriage to moderate acuity with OR 1.29 95% CI (0.68-2.01). There were no anomalous vital signs associated with an increased likelihood of over-triage to high and moderate ESI acuity levels. Conclusion Our study indicated that increasing the age of patients was a significant factor associated with odds of under-triage. Furthermore, certain vital signs, including severe bradycardia, tachycardia, and severe hypoxia, were connected to the risk of under-triage of moderate acuity. Further, large-scale and multicenter studies should be conducted to assess other triage systems, which may provide a more accurate and reliable approach to evaluate the severity of patients' injuries by the hospital staff and physicians in the emergency room. They should be translated to local languages to assign treatment priorities in a structured and dependable manner.
