The Socioeconomic Impact of Mirani Dam in District Kech, Balochistan, Pakistan

The purpose of the study was to know the socioeconomic characteristics of sampled households before andafter the construction of Mirani dam right and left bank canal, which were completed in 2006. The distribution ofirrigation water was initiated in 2008 for the cultivation of land. Due to construction of dam, production of all majorcrops has increased significantly. A representative sample of 8 distributaries and 371 farm households (211 from RBCand 160 from LBC) were selected for collecting primary information from the field. According to respondents afterconstruction of both canals their income level, consumption expenditure, and saving increased. The result of this studyrevealed that the economic status of the sampled household changes after Mirani dam right and left bank canal. Withthe increase of income now they are sending more children in school than before. The average number of goats beforeMirani Dam Right and Left Bank Canal were 5.96 TLU with standard error 0.54 and after it, increased to 24.94 withstandard error 1.85. The average number of camels before Mirani dam right and left bank canal was 0.11, Sheep 0.06,Cow 0.20 and the Donkey 0.09 respectively. Whereas the average number of the camel increased to 0.32, Sheep 1.27,Cow 0.20, and Donkey 0.56 respectively. Overall after construction of the dam the production of crops, number oflivestock, dead stocks, income level, expenditure, savings, number of pucca houses and number of schools goingchildren increased significantly because socioeconomic condition of the people in the study area considerablyimproved

Neonatal sepsis and resistance pattern of isolates in Tertiary level neonatal unit: Time to evaluate the empirical antibiotics selection

Objective: To find out the most common organisms involved in neonatal sepsis origination and observe the pattern of antibiotic sensitivity and resistance of bacterial isolates.Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Paediatrics Izzat Ali Shah Hospital, Wah Cantt. Out of 420 patients admitted with sepsis in NICU, 19.5% of patients with positive blood cultures were included in the study. A consecutive, non-probability sampling technique was used.Results: Out of 82 positive blood cultures gram-positive bacteria were observed in 19 patients (23.2%) and gram-negative bacteria were seen in 63 patients (76.8%). The most common gram-negative pathogens isolated were Acinetobacter (29.3%) and Klebsiella (24.4%). Staphylococcus aureus (12.2%) was the commonest gram-positive organism isolated. Gram-negative organisms showed maximum sensitivity to Tigecycline and Colistin and were resistant to Cefixime, Aztreonam, Amoxicillin, and Ceftriaxone. Gram-positive bacteria were sensitive to Teicoplanin, Linezolid, and Vancomycin while resistance was shown to penicillin and amoxicillin.Conclusion: The current study showed that gram-negative bacteria were the major contributors to sepsis in the respective setup and showed resistance to first-line antibiotics such as Penicillins and Cephalosporins. Strict infection control measures need to be implemented to avoid the emergence of resistant strains of pathogens in NICUs. This will help to reduce the incidence of neonatal sepsis leading to mortality.

Evaluation of Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke on Computed Tomography

The stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death in Pakistan, wherein back in 2009, stroke used to be the 4th leading cause of death in Pakistan, a 19.2% increase is alarming (IHME, 2019). Ischemic stroke occurs 75-80 percent of the time, while hemorrhagic stroke occurs 8-20 percent of the time. The objective of our study is to evaluate the frequency and ratio of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke on computed tomography. A Descriptive study was performed using non-probability convenient sampling technique. The study was conducted in Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. The data was collected from November 15, 2020 to February 15, 2021. Informed consent was taken from all the participants. In our study patients with provisional diagnose of clot or thrombosis, History of Ischemic Stroke, History of Hemorrhagic Stroke, patients who came with clinical manifestation of stroke, traumatic or Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) patients, patients with cerebral Transient Ischemic Stroke. Arterial Puncture in Last 7 days, patients with Active bleeding, peroneal nerve injuryand patients who have been injected Botulinum Toxic Injection in last 3 months were included in our study. Patients who had a previous history of Parkinson disease, patients not having any apparent cause or chronic or acute symptoms of stroke, no history of internal bleeding, patients with chronic cerebral disease and patients with other neurological defects were excluded.A total of 85 patients with Stroke were included in our study. Most of the patients were 40 to 65 years of age. The average age of the patients was 59.5 ± 11.1 years. Out of 85 there were 38.8% (P=33) positive with H/O Infarction females (P=11) and males (P=22 ) 55 (62.5%) were males and 33 (37.5%) were females with 1.62: 1 male to female ratio as shown in Fig 5.2. Ischemic stroke was observed in 33 (36.2%) patients and 40 (47.3%) were suffered hemorrhagic stroke and 12 (14.4%) patients were affected with TIA.The conclusion to this study is that to assess early stroke with extreme clarity, computed tomography is the safest modality for evaluating stroke patients and allows radiologists to more accurately assess these patients on CT in terms of prognosis, frequency, morbidity, and legitimacy. Keywords: Stroke, Hemorrhagic Stroke, Ischemic Stroke, Cerebral Infarction, Computed Tomography DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/90-06 Publication date:June 30th 202

Harnessing Nature's Arsenal: Investigating the Antibacterial Efficacy of Commercial Essential Oils against Staphylococcus Strains Isolated from Poultry Meat.

Pathogens prevalent in the food supply chain provide a significant worldwide risk to both human health and the economy. Poultry meat, a staple in global diets, serves as a reservoir for bacterial contamination. Staphylococcus, a gram-positive bacterium belonging to family Staphylococcaceae has been identified as a potential causative agent of food borne illnesses. The presence of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus strains in poultry products raises concerns about the transmission of resistance genes through the food chain, necessitating thorough investigations into alternative antimicrobial agents for effective bacterial control. Essential oils (EOs) hold profound importance in terms of their known and potential application. This study focuses on the evaluation of commercial essential oils and their effectiveness against Staphylococcus strains isolated from poultry meat. Briefly, 150 raw chicken meat samples were collected, and Staphylococcus spp. was identified based on morphological and cultural characteristics. Antibiogram analysis and essential oils activity was determined by disc diffusion and agar well diffusion assay respectively. Results showed that 27 (18%) samples tested positive for Staphylococcus spp, out of which S. aureus was identified in 25 isolates (16.66%). The antibiogram profile reveals that three antibiotics namely, gentamicin, vancomycin and ciprofloxacin were the most effective antibiotics showing sensitivity against 74.07%, 70.37% and 62.96% of the isolates respectively. Moreover, amongst the tested essential oils cinnamon oil and clove oil exhibited the highest antimicrobial activities ZOI ranges from 19-41mm and 19-33 mm respectively. While focusing on the evaluation of antimicrobial activity of essential oils, the study endeavors to aid in development of sustainable strategies for mitigating bacterial contamination in the food industry

Pneumomediastinum in COVID-19: a phenotype of severe COVID-19 pneumonitis? The results of the United Kingdom (POETIC) survey.

BACKGROUND: There is an emerging understanding that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with increased incidence of pneumomediastinum. We aimed to determine its incidence among patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in the United Kingdom and describe factors associated with outcome. METHODS: A structured survey of pneumomediastinum and its incidence was conducted from September 2020 to February 2021. United Kingdom-wide participation was solicited via respiratory research networks. Identified patients had SARS-CoV-2 infection and radiologically proven pneumomediastinum. The primary outcomes were to determine incidence of pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 and to investigate risk factors associated with patient mortality. RESULTS: 377 cases of pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 were identified from 58 484 inpatients with COVID-19 at 53 hospitals during the study period, giving an incidence of 0.64%. Overall 120-day mortality in COVID-19 pneumomediastinum was 195/377 (51.7%). Pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 was associated with high rates of mechanical ventilation. 172/377 patients (45.6%) were mechanically ventilated at the point of diagnosis. Mechanical ventilation was the most important predictor of mortality in COVID-19 pneumomediastinum at the time of diagnosis and thereafter (p<0.001) along with increasing age (p<0.01) and diabetes mellitus (p=0.08). Switching patients from continuous positive airways pressure support to oxygen or high flow nasal oxygen after the diagnosis of pneumomediastinum was not associated with difference in mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Pneumomediastinum appears to be a marker of severe COVID-19 pneumonitis. The majority of patients in whom pneumomediastinum was identified had not been mechanically ventilated at the point of diagnosis