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Objective: To determine the sensitivity of Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CARP) with the panel of antibiotics according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2020 guidelines. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Duration and Place of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi from Pakistan, Apr to Sep 2020. Methodology: All samples received at the Microbiology Department during the study period were included. Various samples such as blood, pus, sputum, Endobronchial washing (EBW), non-directed bronchial lavage (NBL), tissue and urine were processed in the laboratory. Samples were inoculated on appropriate culture media, and bacteria were identified according to their colony morphology, Gram staining characteristics and biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby Bauer Disk Diffusion technique according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2020 guidelines. However, for susceptibility to Colistin, the agar dilution method was performed. Results: In our study, fifty-five Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated. Out of these fifty-five isolates,thirteen (23.6%) were sensitive to Tazocin, seven (12.7%) were sensitive to Ceftazidime, fourteen (25.4%) were sensitive to Gentamicin, 7(12.7%) were sensitive to Cefepime, (12.7%) to Aztreonam, 10(18.2%) were sensitive to Amikacin, 7(12.7%) to Ciprofloxacin, 6(11%) to Levofloxacin and forty-two (76.4%) were sensitive to Colistin. Conclusion: The susceptibility of Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa to all the antibiotics tested in this study was low. Isolates displayed the highest susceptibility to Colistin.Keywords: Antibiotic susceptibility profile, Carbapenems, Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), Disk diffusion technique.

Objective: To detect the frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis in urine samples of women with Pelvic Inflammatory Disease visiting a tertiary care hospital using a Polymerase Chain Reaction assay and find an association between different risk factors. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Army Medical College/National University of Medical Sciences Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Mar 2018 to Jan 2019. Methodology: Over eleven months, 60 diagnosed urine samples of married females with pelvic inflammatory disease between the ages of 14-49 years were included in the study. DNA of Chlamydia trachomatis from urine samples was extracted manually using the commercially available kit. It was detected by performing a real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction assay using a forward primer (5’-CATGAAAACTCGTTCCGAAATAGAA-3’) and a reverse primer (5’-TCAGAGCTTTACCTAACAACGCATA-3’) of sequence mentioned above for amplification of target sequences, of the Chlamydia trachomatis. Results: Out of sixty cases included in this study, Chlamydia trachomatis DNA was detected in 12 cases (20%), and 48 cases (80%) were negative. So, the frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis in our study population was estimated at 20%. In addition, age, socioeconomic status, education and no of sexual partners were all risk factors were evaluated for their role in acquiring infection. Conclusion: Females having Chlamydia trachomatis infection and other sexually transmitted infections are at an increased risk of developing Pelvic Inflammatory disease due to the presence of risk factors and the asymptomatic nature of the disease.

Background: Covid-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2 that effect human respiratory system. This has led to create pandemic situation throughout the world and became the reason for millions of deaths worldwide. For securing the lives of people pharmaceutical companies has rushed to develop vaccines. Some of the notable vaccines being developed include Sinopharm, Sinovac Pfizer, Moderna, Astrazeneca and Cansino. The efficacy of these vaccines varies however the companies claim 70-80% efficacy rate of these vaccines. The current study aims to determine and compare the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines before and during the fourth wave of Covid-19 in Pakistan. The questionnaire-based survey throughout Pakistan was conducted via google survey form and data was recorded. 1050 responses were recorded in total. The data reveals that most commonly used vaccines in Pakistan were Sinopharm and Sinovac, Cansino. The overall efficacy of all vaccines was 96% before the fourth wave of Covid-19. Whereas, the efficacy of these vaccines got a major drop to 72.4% as soon as the fourth wave emerged in Pakistan.