Exploring the Power and Promise of In Silico Clinical Trials with Application in COVID-19 Infection

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically engulfed the world causing catastrophic damage to human society. Several therapeutic and vaccines have been suggested for the disease in the past months, with over 150 clinical trials currently running or under process. Nevertheless, these trials are extremely expensive and require a long time, which presents the need for alternative cost-effective methods to tackle this urgent requirement for validated therapeutics and vaccines. Bearing this in mind, here we assess the use of in silico clinical trials as a significant development in the field of clinical research, which holds the possibility to reduce the time and cost needed for clinical trials on COVID-19 and other diseases. Methods: Using the PubMed database, we analyzed six relevant scientific articles regarding the possible application of in silico clinical trials in testing the therapeutic and investigational methods of managing different diseases. Results: Successful use of in silico trials was observed in many of the reviewed evidence. Conclusion: In silico clinical trials can be used in refining clinical trials for COVID-19 infection. Keywords: in silico, clinical trials, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, vaccine Ho

Establishment of Hematological Reference intervals for healthy Children in Elobied City, Sudan

Hemogram Reference intervals are established since a healthy population is critical to accurately interpret laboratory tests, which include Hemoglobin estimation, Red blood cells count and indices, White blood cells count and differential in addition to Platelets count. This study aims to establish the reference interval of the complete hemogram amongst healthy Sudanese children in Elobied city, Sudan. A descriptive cross-sectional study  included 354 healthy children, aged between 3 to 17 years, who were categorized into three groups according to age. A questionnaire was fulfilled, EDTA anti-coagulated venous blood sample was collected from each child then the complete hemogram was performed automated hematological analyzer (Sysmex Xp 300), Finally, Data was analyzed by a software program (SPSS version 21). The hematological reference intervals for healthy children [Hb g/dl, HCT%, RBCs count x106μL, MCV/fL ,MCH /pg., MCHC g/dl ,WBCs count x10³/μL, Neutrophil count%, Eosinophil count %, Basophile count %, lymphocyte count ,Monocytes count%, RDW CV and PLTs count×10³/μL] are [(12.4±1.2),(37±4),(5.0 ±0.4), (82±5.0), (26±3.0), (32±3.0) ,(7.0±2.0) (47±10), (1±0.1) ,(0±0),(45± 10),(7 ± 4), (13±1.8) &(227±91)] respectively. The hematological RI for healthy children in Elobied was established in this study to be representative of this population, there was a significant gender-based difference in all the evaluated hematological parameters, they were found to be higher in males than in females except for basophil (%). Finally, the results of this study would shed a light on the importance of establishing RI for the children population in Elobied

Exploring the Power and Promise of In Silico Clinical Trials with Application in COVID-19 Infection

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically engulfed the world causing catastrophic damage to human society. Several therapeutic and vaccines have been suggested for the disease in the past months, with over 150 clinical trials currently running or under process. Nevertheless, these trials are extremely expensive and require a long time, which presents the need for alternative cost-effective methods to tackle this urgent requirement for validated therapeutics and vaccines. Bearing this in mind, here we assess the use of in silico clinical trials as a significant development in the field of clinical research, which holds the possibility to reduce the time and cost needed for clinical trials on COVID-19 and other diseases.Methods: Using the PubMed database, we analyzed six relevant scientific articles regarding the possible application of in silico clinical trials in testing the therapeutic and investigational methods of managing different diseases.Results: Successful use of in silico trials was observed in many of the reviewed evidence.Conclusion: In silico clinical trials can be used in refining clinical trials for COVID-19 infection

Delayed intestinal obstruction from an unintentionally retained surgical gauze in a 24-year old woman two years after caesarean section: a case report

Abstract Background One of the most common surgical emergencies, intestinal obstruction is rarely the result of an inadvertently retained foreign object (also known as a gossypiboma), which may not present symptoms for a lifetime. It also carries additional legal burdens, which may account for the rarity of its reports. Case presentation We report a 24-year-old Sudanese female with a history of emergency Caesarean section two years before the admission presented with abdominal distension and absolute constipation, which was diagnosed as intestinal obstruction with a retained gauzed found within the small intestine. Moreover, a review of recent African-reported cases was done to find relatively similar cases. Conclusion Adhering to the standard of care in surgical theaters and integrating new methods of prevention like tagged gauze could help to decrease the rate of such cases in the future

Convalescent Plasma a Potential Therapy in Covid-19 Patients in Low Resource Setting: Rapid Review

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). At the time of writing, neither a cure nor a vaccine has been approved by the World health organization (WHO)  for this disease. Given the fact that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus  (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) viruses have a genetic sequencing similar to SARS-CoV-2, and since the use of convalescent plasma therapy (CP) has proved its efficacy in SARS and MERS virus infections, researchers are starting to focus more on it as a possible therapy for the COVID-19 disease. The main objective of this rapid review is to report and summarize the published evidence on the role of convalescent plasma therapy in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The PICO method was used to establish the review question. Moreover, papers were gathered from PubMed and Google scholar, critically appraised for the best evidence. Piersons 5-component scheme was used to check the quality of the review papers. Results: After website screening: 10 papers in PubMed and 6 papers from Google scholars were retrieved. There were encouraging reports regarding the uses of CP in the previous viral outbreaks likes SARS and Ebola, yet there is still a doubt on the efficacy of this mode of therapy in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: CP is a very promising treatment approach for COVID-19 patients; however, more clinical trials are required to validate the effectiveness of this therapy. Keywords: COVID-19, convalescent plasma therapy, SARS-CoV-2, therapy

The educational value of ward rounds as a learning and teaching opportunity for house officers, medical officers, and registrars in Sudanese hospitals: a multi-center cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Ward rounds are a cornerstone in the educational experience of junior doctors and an essential part of teaching patient care. Here, we aimed to assess the doctors’ perception of ward rounds as an educational opportunity and to identify the obstacles faced in conducting a proper ward round in Sudanese hospitals. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted from the 15th to the 30th of January 2022 among house officers, medical officers, and registrars in about 50 teaching and referral hospitals in Sudan. House officers and medical officers were considered the learners, while specialist registrars were considered the teachers. Doctors’ perceptions were assessed using an online questionnaire, with a 5-level Likert scale to answer questions. Results A total of 2,011 doctors participated in this study (882 house officers, 697 medical officers, and 432 registrars). The participants were aged 26.9 ± 3.2 years, and females constituted about 60% of the sample. An average of 3.1 ± 6.8 ward rounds were conducted per week in our hospitals, with 11.1 ± 20.3 h spent on ward rounds per week. Most doctors agreed that ward rounds are suitable for teaching patient management (91.3%) and diagnostic investigations (89.1%). Almost all the doctors agreed that being interested in teaching (95.1%) and communicating appropriately with the patients (94.7%) make a good teacher in ward rounds. Furthermore, nearly all the doctors agreed that being interested in learning (94.3%) and communicating appropriately with the teacher (94.5%) make a good student on ward rounds. About 92.8% of the doctors stated that the quality of ward rounds could be improved. The most frequently reported obstacles faced during ward rounds were the noise (70%) and lack of privacy (77%) in the ward environment. Conclusion Ward rounds have a special value in teaching patient diagnosis and management. Being interested in teaching/learning and having good communication skills were the two major criteria that make a good teacher/learner. Unfortunately, ward rounds are faced with obstacles related to the ward environment. It is mandatory to ensure the quality of both ward rounds' teaching and environment to optimize the educational value and subsequently improve patient care practice