Background This study investigated the clinical features and outcome of hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients admitted to our quaternary care hospital. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we included all adult patients with COVID-19 infection admitted to a quaternary care hospital in Pakistan from March 1 to April 15, 2020. The extracted variables included demographics, comorbidities, presenting symptoms, laboratory tests and radiological findings during admission. Outcome measures included in-hospital mortality and length of stay. Results Sixty-six COVID-19 patients were hospitalized during the study period. Sixty-one percent were male and 39% female; mean age was 50.6±19.1 years. Fever and cough were the most common presenting symptoms. Serial chest X-rays showed bilateral pulmonary opacities in 33 (50%) patients. The overall mortality was 14% and mean length of stay was 8.4±8.9 days. Ten patients (15%) required intensive care unit (ICU) care during admission, of which six (9%) were intubated. Age ≥60 years, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, ICU admission, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio ≥3.3, and international normalized ratio ≥1.2 were associated with increased risk of mortality. Conclusions We found a mortality rate of 14% in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. COVID-19 cases are still increasing exponentially around the world and may overwhelm healthcare systems in many countries soon. Our findings can be used for early identification of patients who may require intensive care and aggressive management in order to improve outcomes.

We present a case of a 65-year-old Pakistani woman who underwent an uneventful standard left phacoemulsification with posterior chamber intra-ocular lens placement for a mature senile cataract. She was observed to develop post-operative astigmatism secondary to a tilted intra-ocular lens and required repeat surgical intervention to correct the malposition. Per-operatively, the lens was found to be defective with a fixed bend at the haptic-optic junction which necessitated the need for an intra-ocular lens exchange procedure that restored adequate vision. The study highlighted defects in the structural integrity of intra-ocular lenses as an important differential to consider in such cases, and established lens replacement as a successful intervention to improve visual outcome.

The stone-free rates after single procedure were significantly higher for the URS group while the complication rates were comparable in both groups. Treatment costs were significantly lower for the ESWL group.

Renalase is considered as a novel candidate gene for type 2 diabetes. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship of serum renalase and two single nucleotide polymorphisms with gestational diabetes mellitus. One hundred and ninety-eight normotensive pregnant females (n = 99 gestational diabetes mellitus; n = 99 euglycemic pregnant controls) were classified according to the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study criteria. Fasting and 2-h post glucose load blood levels and anthropometric assessment was performed. Serum renalase was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas DNA samples were genotyped for renalase single nucleotide polymorphisms rs2576178 and rs10887800 using Polymerase chain reaction-Restriction fragment length polymorphism method. In an age-matched case control study, no difference was observed in the serum levels of renalase (p > 0.05). The variant rs10887800 showed an association with gestational diabetes mellitus and remained significant after multiple adjustments (p < 0.05), whereas rs2576178 showed weak association (p = 0.030) that was lost after multiple adjustments (p = 0.09). We inferred a modest association of the rs10887800 polymorphism with gestational diabetes. Although gestational diabetes mellitus is self-reversible, yet presence of this minor G allele might predispose to metabolic syndrome phenotypes in near the future.

Objective: To compare the outcomes of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) across younger and elderly, especially PCNL complications in terms of modified Clavian grading system.

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) is frequently present in patients admitted for acute heart failure (AHF). Several studies have evaluated the mortality risk and have concluded poor prognosis in any patient with AKI admitted for AHF. For the most part, the additional morbidity and mortality burden in AHF patients with AKI has been attributed to the concomitant comorbidities, and/or interventions. Purpose We sought to determine the impact of acute kidney injury (AKI) on in-hospital outcomes in patients presenting with acute heart failure (AHF). We identified isolated AKI patients after excluding other concomitant diagnoses and procedures, which may contribute to an increased risk of mortality and morbidity. Methods Data from the National Inpatient Sample (2012- 14) were used to identify patients with the principal diagnosis of AHF and the concomitant secondary diagnosis of AKI. Propensity score matching was performed on 30 baseline variables to identify a matched cohort. The outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality. We further evaluated in-hospital procedures and complications. Results Of 1,470,450 patients admitted with AHF, 24.3% had AKI. After propensity matching a matched cohort of 356,940 patients was identified. In this matched group, the AKI group had significantly higher in-hospital mortality (3.8% vs 1.7%, p&lt;0.001). Complications such as sepsis and cardiac arrest were higher in the AKI group. Similarly, in-hospital procedures including CABG, mechanical ventilation and IABP were performed more in the AKI group. AHF patients with AKI had longer in-hospital stay of ∼1.7 days. Conclusions In a propensity score-matched cohort of AHF with and without AKI, the risk of in-hospital mortality was &gt;2-fold in the AKI group. Healthcare utilization and burden of complications were higher in the AKI group. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Sustainable smart houses are one of the methods through which all these factors can be touched upon because such houses provide social well-being and cause less damage to the environment. Therefore, this study analysed the predictors of purchase behaviour of sustainable smart houses and their impact on community happiness. Among the predictors which are part of this study include attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, cost, intention, and social media networks. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey from 187 Malaysian respondents, and SmartPLS was used for data analysis. Results revealed that purchase of sustainable smart houses does have an impact on community happiness. It establishes the extent to which community well-being has been prioritised by local property developers. In addition, it suggests strategies to help these developers to materialise the goals of smart and sustainable property development focusing on community well-being.

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