Introduction: The outbreak of COVID-19 is taking an unprecedented mental toll on health workers worldwide. So it comes as no surprise that the mental well-being of health care workers of Bangladesh too is in serious jeopardy. This survey was aimed to assess the immediate psychological impact on doctors working in largest Covid-19 dedicated facility in Bangladesh, Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in a single-centre with response received from participating doctors between 31st May to 3rd June, 2020. Mental health variables were assessed via the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and Hospital Anxiety Depression Score (HADS). Results: We received 192 completed questionnaires (response rate, 64.43%) among whom around 50% of the participating doctors reportedly have depression and anxiety symptoms respectively. Among them 104 doctors (54.17%) responded to have insomnia. Around 56% of the responding subjects perceived the highly contagious nature of the SARS-CoV-2 as the most striking threat of COVID-19. Conclusion: Agonizing disease process, high death toll, highly contagious nature of the responsible virus is taking a serious mental toll on physicians in the background of their heightened concern about personal health and family health, scarcity in PPE and adequate hospital facility. Psychological protective measures implemented by the hospital could be helpful. J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2020; 38(0): 50-55

Abstract

BackgroundSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disorder predominantly affecting the women of childbearing age. It often manifests with various constitutional symptoms as well as combination of organ systems involvement and outcome varies in different population with available treatment. The present study is to see the patterns of organ involvement and their outcomes at first 6 months with standard treatment.MethodsThis was a retrospective study done in lupus clinic of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh during 2010 to 2016. Patients were included based on ACR lupus diagnostic criteria and had received standard treatment. Outcomes were assessed regularly by clinical features, urinalysis and serum creatinine done in the appropriate cases. Composite endpoint was calculated by using SELENA SLEDAI in all the cases.ResultsAmong 120 patients, 111 (92.5%) were female, age ranging from 14 to 57 years with a mean of 26.5±10.68 (SD) year. Median follow up was 1.7 years. The most common manifestations were fever (70%), joint pain (72.5%), oral ulceration (49%), alopecia (40%), malar rash (28.3%), photosensitivity (25.8%) and Raynauds phenomenon (19%). Commonly involved major organ-systems were renal (40%), neuropsychiatric (19%), respiratory (14%), cardiac (6.6%) and hematological (6.6%). In lupus nephritis, proteinuria was present in 100% of cases. The other parameters of renal involvements were RBC >5/HPF and RBC or cellular cast in 37.5%. Serum creatinine was raised in 23 patients (19.17%) with a mean of 1.68±0.96 mg/dl. Renal biopsy was done in 40 (83.3%) cases. The histology showed class-II in 03 (7.5%), Class-III in 03 (7.5%), class-IV in 20 (50%) and class-V in 08 (20%) cases. With standard treatment, major reduction of mean serum creatinine, 24 hours UTP and SLEDAI were observed in most of the cases at least after 6 months. Total flare occurred in 31 (25.8%) among them renal flare was in 10 (8.33%) and non-renal flare in 21 (17.5%). Four SLE patients died during the course of treatment.ConclusionsRenal and central nervous systems are the most commonly involved major organ systems. The overall outcome is favorable with standard treatment.Funding Source(s):None

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection may cause severe life-threatening diseases called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) owing to cytokine storms. The mortality rate of COVID-19-related ARDS is as high as 40% to 50%. However, effective treatment for the extensive release of acute inflammatory mediators induced by hyperactive and inappropriate immune responses is very limited. Many anti-inflammatory drugs with variable efficacies have been investigated. Colchicine inhibits interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and its subsequent inflammatory cascade by primarily blocking pyrin and nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain containing receptor 3 (NLRP3) activation. Therefore, this cheap, widely available, oral drug might provide an added benefit in combating the cytokine storm in COVID-19. Here, we sought to determine whether adding colchicine to other standards of care could be beneficial for moderate COVID-19 pneumonia in terms of the requirement for advanced respiratory support and mortality. Methods and findings This blinded placebo-controlled drug trial was conducted at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of 300 patients with moderate COVID-19 based on a positive RT-PCR result were enrolled based on strict selection criteria from June 2020 to November 2020. Patients were randomly assigned to either treatment group in a 1:1 ratio. Patients were administered 1.2 mg of colchicine on day 1 followed by daily treatment with 0.6 mg of colchicine for 13 days or placebo along with the standard of care. The primary outcome was the time to clinical deterioration from randomization to two or more points on a seven-category ordinal scale within the 14 days post-randomization. Clinical outcomes were also recorded on day 28. The primary endpoint was met by 9 (6.2%) patients in the placebo group and 4 (2.7%) patients in the colchicine group (P = 0.171), which corresponds to a hazard ratio (95% CI) of 0.44 (0.13–1.43). Additional analysis of the outcomes on day 28 revealed significantly lower clinical deterioration (defined as a decrease by two or more points) in the colchicine group, with a hazard ratio [95%CI] of 0.29 [0.098–0.917], (P = 0.035). Despite a 56% reduction in the need for mechanical ventilation and death with colchicine treatment on day 14, the reduction was not statistically significant. On day 28, colchicine significantly reduced clinical deterioration measured as the need for mechanical ventilation and all-cause mortality. Conclusion Colchicine was not found to have a significant beneficial effect on reducing mortality and the need for mechanical ventilation. However, a delayed beneficial effect was observed. Therefore, further studies should be conducted to evaluate the late benefits of colchicine. Clinical trial registration Clinical trial registration no: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04527562 https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=NCT04527562.

There are a number of gastrointestinal symptoms and complications of COVID-19. Asymptomatic increase in pancreatic enzymes and rarely symptomatic pancreatitis are observed in this disease. This article describes a 37-year-old male suffering from mildly symptomatic COVID-19 infection, who received tablet favipiravir for his management. His condition was improving, when he developed acute pancreatitis, diagnosed clinically, biochemically and also with help of abdominal ultrasound. When he developed this, all typical symptoms of COVID-19 were improved. As a result, role of favipiravir in the development of this pancreatitis was suspected. J MEDICINE JAN 2021; 22 (1) : 69-71

Background: Snakebite is a neglected public health problem in many countries of the world. Being a tropical country Bangladesh is also facing this problem. In this case series we have tried to focus the illiteracy, prejudice and mismanagement happen in snake bite cases from primary to tertiary level and how effective management can save life of snake bite victim. Case presentation: Among the 29 snake bite cases admitted in a medicine ward of tertiary care hospital four were venomous bites- two male and two female. Our patients came from around Dhaka city. Though victim failed to bring the snake, by studying clinical features and syndromic approaches we suspected Kraits as the culprit in three cases and Cobra in one case. Time period between bite and attend to hospital ranged from 4 hr to 16.30 hours. All victims had inappropriate application of tourniquet to their limbs as a first aid management. Most of them first visit OZHA (traditional healer). Two of them developed respiratory failure. All cases were managed in ICU with polyvalent ASV. One developed anaphylaxis which was managed with adrenaline. All patients recovered completely. Conclusion: Arrival to hospital without delay, facilities for management with trained physicians and proper supply of ASV may reduce death from snake bite and reduce financial burden to the patient. Developing public awareness to remove prejudice about snakes and identifying venomous snake bite is also necessary. J MEDICINE JAN 2021; 22 (1) : 72-76

SLE is one of the most common autoimmune disorders of women of childbearing age.It often manifests with various constitutional symptoms as well as combination of major organ involvement and outcome varies in different studies with current treatment. The present study is to see the patterns of organ involvement and outcomes at least after 6 months with standard treatment. This retrospective study was conducted in lupus clinic of two largest tertiary care hospitals in Dhaka city of Bangladesh over 2010 to 2019. It included 277 patients of SLE, diagnosed on the basis of ACR lupus diagnostic criteria and ACR lupus nephritis guideline and had received standard treatment. Outcomes were assessed by SLEDAI. The most common clinical manifestations were fever (71.8%), joint pain (71.4%), oral ulceration (54.8%), alopecia (36.4%), butterfly rash (28.5%), photosensitivity (32.1%) and Raynaud’s phenomenon (16.6%). Commonly involved major organ-systems were renal (41.5%), CNS (16.6%), pulmonary (7.2%), cardiac (3.2%) and hematological (12.2%). Renal biopsy was done in 91cases and the histology showed majority (37.3%) in class-IV. With standard treatment, a significant reduction of mean serum creatinine, proteinuria and SLEDAI was observed at least after 6 months. A total 35(12.63%) flares and 6 (2.17%) deaths occurred during the course of treatment. Renal and CNS are the most commonly involved major organ systems next to skin and joints. The overall outcome is favorable with standard treatment. J MEDICINE JUL 2020; 21 (2) : 89-92

This prospective cross sectional study was conducted in Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka during July, 2013 to December, 2013. Hundred patients were included in this study. Peptic ulcer disease, presented as upper abdominal pain is one of the common disease with a number of underlying causes. Prospective analyses of 100 patients with upper abdominal pain were studied at medicine units of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka. Of these 36 patients belonged to peptic ulcer, 20 patients to irritable bowel syndrome and 22 patients to non-ulcer dyspepsia. Next in order were helminthiasis (5 patients), cholelithiasis (4 patients), gastric carcinoma (4 patients), liver abscess (5 patients) chronic pancreatitis (3 patients) and acute pancreatitis (1 patient). Mean age incidence in this series was 39.47 years. Male and female ratio was 1.54:1. Forty patients were smoker with male and female ratio of 3.44:1.All patients had presenting feature of upper abdominal pain. Commonest site of pain was in the epigastrium in 48.08% of cases.Pain was burning in 43.27% cases, periodic pain in 24.03%, and nocturnal hunger pain in 33.65% of cases.Relief of pain after taking food were observed in 38.46%. Epigastric tenderness was present in 56.73% patients.The diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease, irritable bowel syndrome and non-ulcer dyspepsia, the three leading causes of upper abdominal pain, were suspected by history and physical examination but it was difficult to interpret these on clinical ground alone .Some routine and some selected investigation were done for confirmatory diagnosis.In this series, significant disparity detected between clinically diagnosed peptic ulcer diseases 90.38% and endoscopically confirmed peptic ulcer disease, 34.62% cases. As a consequence of wrong diagnosis of PUD, there are huge misuses of ulcer healing drugs and a great economic burden on patients (300 taka per month) and on the nation.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jom.v16i1.22386 J MEDICINE 2015; 16 : 27-34