scholarly journals Allergic Fungal rhino-sinusitis frequency in chronic rhino-sinusitis patients and accuracy of fungal culture in its diagnosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nukhbat Ullah Awan ◽  
Khalid Muneer Cheema ◽  
Fatima Naumeri ◽  
Samina Qamar
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Bone Destruction ◽  
Sinus Surgery ◽  
Fungal Culture ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
Chronic Rhino Sinusitis ◽  
Allergic Mucin ◽  
Fungal Stain ◽  
Culture Positive ◽  
Open Access Article

Objective: To determine the frequency of Allergic Fungal Rhino-sinusitis (AFRS) in Chronic Rhino-sinusitis (CRS) patients and the accuracy of fungal culture in diagnosing AFRS. Methods: Immunocompetent patients with CRS and without invasive fungal rhino-sinusitis presenting over a period of 3 years in ENT department of Mayo Hospital, from April 2014 to September 2017 were included in the study. AFRS was diagnosed clinically and on Bent and Kuhn diagnostic criteria. All patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery. Removed tissue histopathology and fungal culture was done. Diagnostic accuracy of fungal culture in AFRS patients was determined. Results: Out of 216 patients of CRS, 45 (20.8%) had AFRS. Mean age of patients diagnosed with AFRS was 29.49±9.16. Out of 45 patients, 26 were male and 19 were female. Nasal polyps were present in 45 (100%) patients, fungal stain was positive in 39(86.7%). CT scan showed sinus expansion in 28(62.2%) patients, heterogeneous opacity in 45(100%) patients and bone destruction in 13(28.9%). Presence of Allergic Mucin was seen in 45(100%) patients, high IgE levels in 36(80.0%), eosinophilia in 21(46.7%), presence of Charcot Leyden crystals in 27(60.0%). Asymmetrical involvement of sinuses was seen in 30 (66.7%) and co-existent asthma was seen in 18(40.0%). Fungal culture positive patients were 25(55.6%). Diagnostic accuracy of fungal culture was 91.6%. Conclusion: Fungal culture has a key role in confirming diagnosis of AFRS. We also noted that frequency of AFRS is increasing in CRS patients. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.3.1661 How to cite this:Awan NU, Cheema KM, Naumeri F, Qamar S. Allergic Fungal rhino-sinusitis frequency in chronic rhino-sinusitis patients and accuracy of fungal culture in its diagnosis. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(3):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.3.1661 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Diagnostic Accuracy of a Direct Panfungal Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay Performed on Stained Cytology Slides

2021 ◽  
pp. 030098582199156
Author(s):  
Alexandra N. Myers ◽  
Unity Jeffery ◽  
Zachary G. Seyler ◽  
Sara D. Lawhon ◽  
Aline Rodrigues Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Fungal Culture ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Identification Of Fungi ◽  
Fungal Dna ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Panfungal Pcr ◽  
Pcr Targeting

Molecular techniques are increasingly being applied to stained cytology slides for the diagnosis of neoplastic and infectious diseases. Such techniques for the identification of fungi from stained cytology slides have not yet been evaluated. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of direct (without nucleic acid isolation) panfungal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by sequencing for identification of fungi and oomycetes on stained cytology slides from dogs, cats, horses, and other species. Thirty-six cases were identified with cytologically identifiable fungi/oomycetes and concurrent identification via fungal culture or immunoassay. Twenty-nine controls were identified with no cytologically or histologically visible organisms and a concurrent negative fungal culture. Direct PCR targeting the internal transcribed spacer region followed by sequencing was performed on one cytology slide from each case and control, and the sensitivity and specificity of the assay were calculated. The sensitivity of the panfungal PCR assay performed on stained cytology slides was 67% overall, 73% excluding cases with oomycetes, and 86% when considering only slides with abundant fungi. The specificity was 62%, which was attributed to amplification of fungal DNA from control slides with no visible fungus and negative culture results. Direct panfungal PCR is capable of providing genus- or species-level identification of fungi from stained cytology slides. Given the potential of panfungal PCR to amplify contaminant fungal DNA, this assay should be performed on slides with visible fungi and interpreted in conjunction with morphologic assessment by a clinical pathologist.

Clinico-Mycological Study of Superficial Mycoses in a Tertiary Health Care Centre of Southern Assam

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 438-448
Author(s):  
Barnamoy Bhattacharjee ◽  
Atanu Chakravarty ◽  
Debadatta Dhar Chanda
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Fungal Culture ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Care Centre ◽  
Biochemical Tests ◽  
Health Care Centre ◽  
Superficial Mycoses ◽  
Slide Culture ◽  
Superficial Mycosis ◽  
Culture Positive

Background-Superficial Mycosis, which is the most common fungal infection affecting human beings, includes Dermatophytosis and Dermatomycoses, which are the infections of superficial keratinized layer of skin, nail & hair by Dermatophytes and non Dermatophytic moulds or yeasts respectively. This clinical entity is very common in hot, humid tropical climate of India with prevalence ranging from 30-60% but its precise case magnitude and epidemiology in North eastern India cannot be stated as there are only few studies conducted. So, this study is undertaken to 1) Find the prevalence of Superficial Mycosis in a tertiary health care centre of Southern Assam. 2) Study the clinical profile of the cases 3) Isolate and identify the causative agents of Superficial mycosis. Materials & Method- The study has been conducted on 250 samples from clinically suspected and untreated cases of superficial mycosis from Aug 2017 to Dec 2018. 2 separate sets of samples from edge of skin lesion/nail /hair were collected, of which 1 sample was subjected to direct microscopy with (10-40) % KOH and the other part was subjected to 2 sets of fungal culture in SDA tubes at 25°C and 37°C & followed for 3 weeks. In Culture positive cases, fungal identification was based on colony morphology, pigment production & LPCB mount. For confirmation of isolates, Slide Culture and biochemical tests were done. Result-Out of total 250 samples,115 samples (46%) showed presence of fungal elements in KOH examination, of which 73 were culture positive and of the KOH negative samples 10 samples were culture positive, thus making the prevalence 33.2% (83/250). Clinically, Tinea corporis was the most common form of both superficial mycosis & Dermatophytosis and Pityriasis Versicolor has been found the most common Dermatomycosis. Males(21-50yrs) were affected by superficial mycosis more than Females(16-30yr). Trichophyton mentagrophyte was the mostly isolated agent causing superficial mycosis. Keywords: Superficial mycoses, prevalence, Assam, Slide Culture, Urease.

scholarly journals Research on the Correlation of Serum PCT and Plasma GSN Levels with the Prognosis of Urosepsis Patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Cui ◽  
Zhanbiao Yu ◽  
Zhi Chen ◽  
Ning Chen
Keyword(s):  
Poor Prognosis ◽  
Original Work ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Good Prognosis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Prognosis Group ◽  
Good Prognosis Group ◽  
Open Access Article

Objective: To explore the correlation of procalcitonin (PCT) and gelsolin (GSN) with the prognosis of urosepsis patients. Method: The data of 71 urosepsis patients from March 2015 to April 2019 who were admitted to and treated in Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University were analyzed and compared with those of 92 healthy persons. Serum PCT and plasma GSN levels at different times after treatment were detected. According to prognosis, patients were classified into the good prognosis group or the poor prognosis group. The serum PCT and plasma GSN levels of both groups were compared. Result: The serum PCT level of the urosepsis group on the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th days was obviously higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). The plasma GSN levels of the urosepsis group on the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th days were obviously lower than those of the control group (P<0.05).The serum PCT level of the poor prognosis group on the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th days was obviously higher than that of the good prognosis group (P<0.05). The plasma GSN level of the poor prognosis group on the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th days was obviously lower than that of the good prognosis group (P<0.05). PCT was an independent risk factor influencing the prognosis of urosepsis patients and that GSN was a protective factor (P<0.05). Conclusion: The serum PCT and plasma GSN levels can accurately predict the severity and prognosis of urosepsis patients and reflect the disease state of early urosepsis patients. High PCT levels and low GSN levels indicate poor prognosis, and clinicians should consider these values. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.5.2143 How to cite this:Cui N, Yu Z, Chen Z, Chen N. Research on the Correlation of Serum PCT and Plasma GSN Levels with the Prognosis of Urosepsis Patients. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(5):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.5.2143 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

scholarly journals Comparing the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography vs transoesophageal echocardiography for infective endocarditis − A meta-analysis

2022 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liqin Jing ◽  
Yanchun Song
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Infective Endocarditis ◽  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Cardiac Computed Tomography ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Transoesophageal Echocardiography ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Index Test ◽  
Creative Commons

Objective: To investigate the comparative diagnostic accuracy of cardiac computed tomography (CT) and transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for detecting infective endocarditis. Methods: Original publications published in English language before July, 2021 were thoroughly search in PubMed, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), and Google Scholar literature databases. Studies were included if they used CT and/or TEE as an index test, presented data on valvular complications related to infective endocarditis, and used surgical findings as to the reference standard. Results:­­­ Literature screening identified fifteen studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed that CT sensitivity for detecting valvular abscesses was higher than that of TEE [0.88 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.82 to 0.94; 11 studies involving 842 subjects) versus 0.74 (95% CI: 0.65 to 0.84) P = 0.015; 12 studies involving 917 subjects]. TEE showed statistically significantly greater sensitivity than CT for detecting valvular vegetation [0.91 (95% CI: 0.84 to 0.97, 11 studies involving 971 subjects) versus 0.80 (95% CI: 0.69 to 0.82), 12 studies involving 915 subjects, P =0.019. In case of leaflet detection, TEE showed statistically significantly higher sensitivity than CT (0.76 vs 0.46, P =0.010). Conclusion: CT performs statistically significantly better than TEE for detecting abscesses while TEE provides statistically significant superior results for detecting vegetation. There is a need for well-designed prospective studies to further corroborate these findings. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.3.5139 How to cite this:Jing L, Song Y. Comparing the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography vs transoesophageal echocardiography for infective endocarditis − A meta-analysis . Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(3):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.3.5139 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

scholarly journals Promoting Research Culture at Indus Health Network

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (ICON-Suppl) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaukat Ali Jawaid
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Original Work ◽  
Research Culture ◽  
Health Network ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
Special Supplement ◽  
Open Access Article

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.ICON-Suppl.1861 How to cite this:Jawaid SA. Promoting Research Culture at Indus Health Network. Pak J Med Sci. Special Supplement ICON 2020. 2020;36(1):S2. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.ICON-Suppl.1861 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

scholarly journals Malaria and the climate in Karachi: An eight year review

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (ICON-Suppl) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fivzia Herekar ◽  
Sundus Iftikhar ◽  
Ahsana Nazish ◽  
Sabeen Rehman
Keyword(s):  
Chart Review ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Climate Variables ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
Medical Chart Review ◽  
Special Supplement ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Open Access Article

Background and Objective: Malaria is an arthropod-borne infectious disease transmitted by the mosquito Anopheles and claims millions of lives globally every year. Reasons for failure to eradicate this disease are multifactorial. The seasonality of the malaria is principally determined by climatic factors conducive for breeding of the vector. We aimed to study the relationship between climatic variability and the seasonality of malaria over an eight-year duration. Methods: This was a retrospective medical chart review of 8,844 confirmed cases of malaria which presented to The Indus Hospital, Karachi from January 2008 to November 2015. Cases were plotted against meteorological data for Karachi to elicit monthly variation. Results: A secular incline and seasonality in malaria cases over the duration of 8 years was seen. More cases were reported in the summer, rainy season compared with the other three seasons in each year. There was significant association with specific climate variables such as temperature, moisture, and humidity. Conclusion: There is a marked seasonal variation of malaria in Karachi, influenced by various environmental factors. Identification of the ‘the concentrated period’ of malaria can be helpful for policymakers to deploy malaria control interventions. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.ICON-Suppl.1712 How to cite this:Herekar F, Iftikhar S, Nazish A, Rehman S. Malaria and the climate in Karachi: An eight year review. Pak J Med Sci. Special Supplement ICON 2020. 2020;36(1):S33-S37. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.ICON-Suppl.1712 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

scholarly journals Comparison of Tooth Widths, Arch Widths and Arch Lengths in Class-I Normal Dentition to Class-I and II Crowded Dentitions

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hafiza Zobia Shafique ◽  
Rumeesha Zaheer ◽  
Abdullah Jan ◽  
Ayesha Fazal
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Planning ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Class Ii ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Class I ◽  
Permanent Teeth ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
Normal Occlusion ◽  
Complete Set ◽  
Open Access Article

Background and Objective: Dental study casts play a vital role in the diagnosis and treatment planning of various orthodontic cases. This study was carried out to compare the tooth widths, arch widths, and arch lengths in Class-I normal dentition to those in Class-I and Class-II crowded dentition in an effort to improve treatment planning and to eventually reduce treatment duration. Methods: Total 170 patients, 12 to 40 years of age with a complete set of permanent teeth till 1st molars; who presented to the Orthodontics Department at Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry (A.F.I.D), Rawalpindi from Sep 2019 to Feb 2020, were included in the study. Non-probability purposive method of sampling was used. The dental casts obtained were used to measure tooth widths, arch widths, and arch lengths. Subjects were classified into Class-I normal and Class-I and Class-II crowded occlusion and comparison of the sum of tooth widths, arch widths, and arch length discrepancies were determined among the three occlusion groups. Data was analyzed in SPSS version 21 and independent samples t-test was used to differentiate the variables of interest. Results: Out of 170 subjects, 73 (42.9%) subjects had Class-I normal occlusion while 97 (57%) had Class-I and Class-II crowded occlusions. No statistical difference was found between the occlusal groups with regard to the sum of tooth widths, inter-canine widths, inter-first premolar widths, inter-second premolar widths and inter-molar widths. However, a remarkable difference was observed between the occlusal groups with respect to arch perimeters and arch length discrepancies (p = 0.000 and 0.000 respectively). Conclusions: Results of the current study indicate that crowding of teeth occurs as a consequence of decreased arch perimeters which may lead to increased arch length discrepancies. However, no prominent difference was noticed in the sum of tooth widths and arch widths among different occlusal groups. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.2.3240 How to cite this:Shafique HZ, Zaheer R, Jan A, Fazal A. Comparison of Tooth Widths, Arch Widths and Arch Lengths in Class-I Normal Dentition to Class-I and II Crowded Dentitions. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(2):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.2.3240 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

scholarly journals A Framework for Protecting Pregnant Women in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-112
Author(s):  
Deepa Dongarwar ◽  
Veronica Ajewole ◽  
Kiydra Harris ◽  
Emmanuella Oduguwa ◽  
Theresa Ofili ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Original Work ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
Work First ◽  
Open Access Article

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, highlighted and compounded problems while posing new challenges for the pregnant population. Although individual organizations have provided disparate information, guidance, and updates on managing the pregnant population during the current COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to develop a collective model that highlights all the best practices needed to protect the pregnant population during the pandemic. To establish a standard for ensuring safety during the pandemic, we present a framework that describes best practices for the management of the pregnant population during the ongoing COVID-19pandemic.   Copyright © 2021 Dongarwar, et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in this journal, is properly cited.

scholarly journals Problems faced by Researchers and pressure on Impact Factor Journal Editors

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaukat Ali Jawaid
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Impact Factor ◽  
Original Work ◽  
Impact Factor Journal ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
Journal Editors ◽  
Open Access Article

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.3.4296 How to cite this:Jawaid SA. Problems faced by Researchers and pressure on Impact Factor Journal Editors. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(3):616-620.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.3.4296 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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