No abstract

No abstract

Background: Acute renal failure secondary to contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is one of the most commonly encountered problems in hospitalised patients. The CI-AKI may lead to the development of persistent renal disease, causing significant morbidity and mortality in high-risk patients. Statins are increasingly recognised as effective in preventing CI-AKI. In this review, we reviewed the literature on statin use for prophylaxis of CI-AKI, its potential benefits, and adverse effects. The aim of the present review was to reveal gaps and discrepancies in the available literature, and to identify areas for future research. Methods: We searched PubMed for articles published up to 2018, using keywords including: "Statins AND contrast-induced kidney injury", "3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors AND contras-induced kidney injury", and "HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors AND contrast induced nephropathy". Results: Various trials and reviews have yielded promising results in terms of statin efficacy. However, conflicting results and a lack of homogeneity in the protocols of these trials have limited the applicability of statin-based therapy in clinical practice. Despite

Introduction: This study aimed at determining the frequency and association of stress levels with modes of transportation and was likely to reveal the contributing transportation-related factors for stress in medical students. Methods: This was a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study that included undergraduate medical students of a public sector medical university in Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 573 students participated voluntarily, of which 300 were provided a manual questionnaire and 273 filled it online. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha at 0.791. The collected data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 21.0. Results: Out of 573 participants, 99.3% (n = 298) of students filled the questionnaire manually, whereas 100% of students filled the questionnaire online. Almost two-thirds of students used university transport; more than 90% lived more than 5 km from the university and 56% had a traveling time of more than an hour. Approximately 15.4% of students reported physical trauma and some form of harassment. Sheldon Cohen’s stress scale surprisingly revealed 90% of students to be within the moderate-to-high stress category. Risk factors were associated with stress levels and significant associations were observed with noise exposure (P = 0.023) and sleep quality (P = 0.001). The most common reported stressors associated with commuting included overcrowding, long travel, and air and noise pollution. Noise pollution was the main predictor of stress among commuters. Conclusion: Poor transportation has adverse effects on health and academic performance. Administration in their respective jurisdictions is needed to investigate this matter to make commuting a routine rather than a hassle.

Background and objectives In high-risk populations, the efficacy of mesh placement in incisional hernia (IH) prevention after elective abdominal surgeries has been supported by many published studies. This meta-analysis aimed at providing comprehensive and updated clinical implications of prophylactic mesh placement (PMP) for the prevention of IH as compared to primary suture closure (PSC).

Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a common congenital abnormality, which accounts for 20-40% of all the adult patients with congenital heart diseases. Due to the slow velocity of shunt flow, ASD has a negligible risk for infective endocarditis (IE). However, intravenous drug abuse (IVDA) is a potential cause for IE. IE remains a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Our case report demonstrates the atypical presentation of IE in an ASD patient. The diagnosis was made on the basis of modified Duke criteria, and blood cultures were found out to be positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The treatment for IE was completed in six weeks with full recovery, and the patient underwent a surgery for ASD closure. This case highlights that IE should not be overlooked in ASD patients and that a high index of suspicion, in addition to proper antibiotic therapy, is lifesaving. Also, follow-up, along with rehabilitation measures, should be taken for patients with a history of drug abuse in order to prevent the risk of reinfection.

No abstract

No abstract