Sufyan Razak

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with prolonged prothrombin time (PT), active partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and increased D-dimer levels. Therefore, we aim to investigate if anticoagulants (AC) and antiplatelet (AP) therapy play a role in mitigating COVID-19 and its associated thrombosis along with its effect on the mortality rate, the need for mechanical ventilation, and the risk of hospital admission. Electronic databases were searched from their inception to July 19, 2022. The studies were divided into two groups: Group A (any dose of AC/AP versus no AC/AP) and Group B (therapeutic dose of AC (tAC)/AP versus prophylactic dose of AC (pAC)/AP). Review Manager (RevMan) version 5.4.1 (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark) was used for all statistical analyses. Adjusted data ratios were extracted from all included studies and pooled using the random effects model. A total of 33 studies were taken for the analysis of two groups (Group A: 285,065 COVID-19-positive patients, Group B: 2,421 COVID-19-positive patients). Overall analysis in Group A showed that the AC/AP group had a low risk of mortality in COVID-19 patients compared to the control group (risk ratio (RR): 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69-0.86). There was no significant difference in the need for mechanical ventilation (RR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.60-1.08) and hospital admission (RR: 1.12, 95% CI: 0.78-1.59) between the AC/AP and no AC/AP group. Alongside, in Group B, tAC/AP did not demonstrate a significant decrease in mortality as compared to pAC/AP (RR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.37-1.06). Treatment with AC and AP drugs can significantly decrease the mortality rate in COVID-19-infected patients, while AC also significantly reduces the need for mechanical ventilation.

Central nervous system disorders, especially neurodegenerative diseases, are a public health priority and demand a strong scientific response. Various therapy procedures have been used in the past, but their therapeutic value has been insufficient. The blood–brain barrier (BBB) and the blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier is two of the barriers that protect the central nervous system (CNS), but are the main barriers to medicine delivery into the CNS for treating CNS disorders, such as brain tumors, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. Nanotechnology-based medicinal approaches deliver valuable cargos targeting molecular and cellular processes with greater safety, efficacy, and specificity than traditional approaches. CNS diseases include a wide range of brain ailments connected to short- and long-term disability. They affect millions of people worldwide and are anticipated to become more common in the coming years. Nanotechnology-based brain therapy could solve the BBB problem. This review analyzes nanomedicine’s role in medication delivery; immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and gene therapy are combined with nanomedicines to treat CNS disorders. We also evaluated nanotechnology-based approaches for CNS disease amelioration, with the intention of stimulating the immune system by delivering medications across the BBB.

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is a principle that integrates clinical experience with relevant information available to provide adequate healthcare. It requires access to current medical literature. This paper analyzes the information requirements of a lower-middle-income country (LMIC) and the resources available and preferred by medical professionals. A survey-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 160 participants, ranging in expertise from students to attending physicians in Karachi, Pakistan. The survey comprised questions to assess the clinical background, technology access, need for health-related information, and the preference for resources to obtain that information in different scenarios. They were also asked if they use PubMed and their recommended methods to improve information access. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS; IBM, NY, USA) software was used for all analyses. A basic mobile phone (with limited internet connectivity) was the most common device used at home (n=159; 99.4%) and work (n=141; 88.1%). No smart devices were available to 28 (17.5%) participants at work. Internet connectivity was available for 155 (96.9%) participants at home but only for 118 (73.7%) participants at work. About one-third (n=49; 30.6%) experienced questions arising in practice two to four times a day, and half of the participants (n=80; 50%) were very likely to look up a reference. The most common resource for the majority of given clinical scenarios was a senior colleague. At the same time, medical websites (Medscape, Up-to-Date, WebMD) were the first choice for a non-specific general medical query. About 68.75% (n=110) of participants claimed to use PubMed in daily practice. The most common reason for not using PubMed was the ease of using other search engines (like Google). Improved access to the internet and well-reputed journals can enhance the practice of EBM in Pakistan. Limitations of technological access must be considered while designing information resources in lower-middle-income countries.

Refractory status epilepticus (RSE) is a common neurologic emergency with refractory cases leading to increased rates of morbidity and mortality in patients. The lack of previous studies on the incidence, causes, and management of refractory status epilepticus in the pediatric population from our region prompted us to investigate further in this study. We included retrospective data of all patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with a provisional diagnosis of RSE at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi from February 2019 to February 2021. No personal identification data was used, and confidentiality of the data was maintained throughout the analysis. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY, USA) was used to pool data and perform a descriptive analysis. Among the 687 patients who presented to the PICU with seizures, 50 (7.27%) patients were eventually diagnosed with RSE during the two-year period. The majority of the patients were male and less than one year of age. Infectious causes predominated our data cohort, and a four-drug regimen consisting of phenytoin, levetiracetam, valproic acid, and midazolam was able to terminate RSE in the majority of the patients in our setting (70%). The mortality rate was noted to be 22% among patients with RSE. Morbidity and mortality among pediatric RSE patients are high in our settings. Urgent emergency services and timely cause-directed intervention could improve outcomes.

Background: Congenital Insensitivity to Pain (CIPA), otherwise known as Hereditary Sensory and Autonomic Neuropathy Type IV (HSAN IV), is a rarely occurring autosomal recessive disorder encompassed by a group of hereditary and sensory autonomic neuropathies, which was initially described as pure analgesia present congenitally. Its clinical manifestation includes recurrent episodes of infections with unexplained behavior, anhidrosis, mental retardation, and damage to oral structures. Case Presentation: In this case report, we have demonstrated the signs and symptoms of a 7-year-old boy presented to the pediatric out-patient department of Memon Medical Institute Hospital with complaints of multiple fluid-filled blisters since the age of 1 year. He had a history of multiple hospital admissions due to infections, where he was diagnosed with a case of CIPA. Management & Results: Since the diagnosis of this medical condition, the child has undergone multiple debridements of his wound and amputations. The treatment plan was aimed to manage the blisters, prevent self-injuries, and treat orthopedic problems by regular dermal and orthopedic follow-ups. Conclusion: There is no cure for CIPA patients, the families that have CIPA patients must undergo prenatal testing and screening to prevent the birth of another affected child.

To study and analyze the reasons for not performing laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery in Pakistan. This is a retrospective observational review of the patients who presented for LASIK surgery during January 2014 to September 2016 at the Hashmanis Hospital refractive surgery facility in Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 6005 eyes in 3512 patients presented for LASIK surgery. Out of these, a total of 1795 eyes (29.9%) of 899 patients (25.6%) were rejected. The most common cause for not performing LASIK surgery was found to be increased risk of postoperative ectasia seen in 534 (29.75%) eyes. In 275 (15.32%) eyes, the surgery could not be performed because of affordability of procedure or unscientific apprehensions of the patient. Keratoconus was seen in 268 (14.93%) eyes. The patients presenting for LASIK surgery need extensive screening as the large proportion of patients may have corneal structural for not performing this procedure. The cost of the procedure plays its role as does the unscientific beliefs amongst the patients.