Background Diagnosis of childhood TB (tuberculosis) is challenging because its symptoms resemble other diseases, very few (less than five) mycobacteria are capable of causing the disease and children do not or rarely expectorate. These peculiar attributes make childhood TB different from adult TB but it is still not being dealt differently from adult TB .Despite evidences from national, international data and WHO recommendation for use of Gene expert/TB/RIF assay, decision to start the treatment is based mostly on Chest X ray, tuberculin skin test, history of contact and clinical sign and symptoms .Therefore, we planned this study to find best available choices of diagnostic tests for early case detection of childhood TB particularly MDR TB Methods: This comparative analytical study of 15 months was done at PHRC, SRCCH, NICH and Provincial TB Lab Ojha Institute of chest diseases Karachi. Our study population comprised of 143 probable cases of pulmonary TB below the age of 15 years. After taking written consent from parent/guardian, a Performa was filled with contact no, address, clinical history, scoring chart and diagnostic tests suggested by attending clinician. ZN staining for smear microscopy GeneXpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rifampicin (Xpert MTB/RIF) assay, Culture on Lowenstein–Jensen (L.J) media and Mycobacterium Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) was done for every sample according to standard operating procedures of WHO and results were entered and analyzed on SPSS statistical package for social sciences. Results Out of 143 samples 7 (5%) were positive for MTB via Xpert MTB/RIF assay while 3(2.09) were positive through AFB microscopy, LJ culture and MGIT. When compared with gold standard blood culture sensitivity and negative predictive value of Xpert MTB/RIF were 100% and 97.14% while specificity and positive predictive value were 97.14% and 43% respectively. Conclusion Xpert MTB/RIF is a rapid test that can aid in timely diagnosis of peds TB, facilitating the timely treatment. However, specificity and PPV need to be taken into account. Key words: AFB microscopy, LJ and MGIT, Xpert MTB/RIF, Peds TB.
Objective: To compare incubator and thermal blanket for thermoregulation in preterm and low birth weight neonates.
Method: The pilot study was conducted from January to March 2018 at the emergency department of the National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, and comprised preterm and low birth weight neonates without any co-morbidity who were randomised to control and interventional groups. Data was collected using a proforma about demographics, weight, gestational age and brief clinical history. Temperature, blood pressure and pulse were monitored along with other routine care after every 15 minutes in the incubator, and the same procedure was adopted for thermal blankets. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 23.
Results: Of the 38 subjects, 19(50%) each were cases and controls. The mean gestational age between the groups was not significantly different (p>0.05). Temperature for the first 60 minutes remained similar in the two groups, but at 75 minutes and onwards, the incubator showed a significantly better results (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Thermal blankets can sufficiently provide a hyperthermic environment to the neonates, but an incubator is a more reliable option to provide sustained temperature.
Key Words: Incubators, Thermoregulation, Infants, Neonates, Preterm, Low birth weight, Thermoregulator blankets.
Article Info Background: The vaccination status of HCWs working in Pakistani hospitals against the hepatitis B virus is poorly known. This study aims to assess the vaccination status of hepatitis B among HCWs in Allied Hospital of Faisalabad. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2017 to June 2018. Two groups of HCWs were included in the study. Group 1 consisted of doctors and nurses at different wards of the hospital, and group 2 included final year undergraduate and nursing students. A predesigned form was administered to record information regarding their demographic characteristics and history of vaccination. Next, about 5ml of blood was taken from each participant to check HBsAg. Data were entered and analyzed in SPSS V16.0 by descriptive statistics and the chi-square test. Results: From total 300 HCWs, 222 (74%) HCWs were female and 78 (26%) of them were male. The age of the participants was between 20-25. In addition, 135 (45%) HCWs were fully vaccinated, 36 (12%) HCWs were partially vaccinated, and 129 (43%) HCWs were never vaccinated against hepatitis B. 59.7% of vaccination cases were found in doctors followed by 49.2% and 26.9% in students and nurses, respectively. The major reason for not being vaccinated was lack of time in 93 (63.7%) HCWs. Conclusion: Despite existing recommendations and higher prevalence rates of hepatitis B in high-risk groups, about 40% of the HCWs were not vaccinated either due to unawareness or carelessness.
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.