Sub total aortic replacement using simultaneous Bentall and elephant trunk procedure

A 22 year old female with valvular heart disease, moderate mitral valve insufficiency, moderate aortic insufficiency, extensive aneurysmal dilatation of the entire ascending aorta and arch, and segmental dilatation of descending aorta underwent entire anterior aortic replacement. We performed aortic root and valve replacement with a composite graft, followed by coronary artery reimplantation using the Bentall and De Bono technique. Simultaneously, we carried out a graft replacement of the transverse arch and descending aortic aneurysms with a woven Dacron graft using the Elephant Trunk technique. The goal of this surgery was to correct or optimally treat the multiple sites of aortic disease. To the best of our knowledge, there is no reported case from Pakistan with extensive aortic grafting from root to descending aorta using the Bentall and Elephant Trunk technique simultaneously

Estrogen replacement therapy induces functional asymmetry on an odor memory/discrimination test

The secondary afferents of the olfactory system largely project to the ipsilateral cortex without synapsing in the thalamus, making unilateral olfactory testing a useful probe of ipsilateral hemispheric activity. In light of evidence that lateralized performance on some perceptual tasks may be influenced by estrogen, we assessed left:right nostril differences in two measures of olfactory function in 14 post-menopausal women receiving estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) and 48 post-menopausal women receiving no such therapy. Relative to women not taking ERT, those receiving ERT exhibited better performance in the left nostril and poorer performance in the right nostril on an odor memory/discrimination test. Similar laterality effects were not observed for an odor detection threshold test employing phenyl ethyl alcohol. These results suggest that estrogen influences the lateralization of an odor memory/discrimination task and that hormone replacement therapy in the menopause may be an excellent paradigm for understanding lateralizing effects of hormones on some sensory processes. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Classification and Clinical Features of Headache Disorders in Pakistan: A Retrospective Review of Clinical Data

Background: Morbidity associated with primary headache disorders is a major public health problem with an overall prevalence of 46%. Tension-type headache and migraine are the two most prevalent causes. However, headache has not been sufficiently studied as a cause of morbidity in the developing world. Literature on prevalence and classification of these disorders in South Asia is scarce. The aim of this study is to describe the classification and clinical features of headache patients who seek medical advice in Pakistan. Methods and Results: Medical records of 255 consecutive patients who presented to a headache clinic at a tertiary care hospital were reviewed. Demographic details, onset and lifetime duration of illness, pattern of headache, associated features and family history were recorded. International Classification of Headache Disorders version 2 was applied. 66% of all patients were women and 81% of them were between 16 and 49 years of age. Migraine was the most common disorder (206 patients) followed by tension-type headache (58 patients), medication-overuse headache (6 patients) and cluster headache (4 patients). Chronic daily headache was seen in 99 patients. Patients with tension-type headache suffered from more frequent episodes of headache than patients with migraine (p,0.001). Duration of each headache episode was higher in women with menstrually related migraine (p = 0.015). Median age at presentation and at onset was lower in patients with migraine who reported a first-degree family history of the disease (p = 0.003 and p,0.001 respectively). Conclusions/Significance: Patients who seek medical advice for headache in Pakistan are usually in their most productive ages. Migraine and tension-type headache are the most common clinical presentations of headache. Onset of migraine is earlier in patients with first-degree family history. Menstrually related migraine affects women with headache episodes of longer duration than other patients and it warrants special therapeutic consideration. Follow-up studies to describe epidemiology and burden of headache in Pakistan are needed

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA): a population based gap analysis of trauma patients in England and Wales

INTRODUCTION: Non-compressible torso haemorrhage (NCTH) carries a high mortality in trauma as many patients exsanguinate prior to definitive haemorrhage control. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is an adjunct that has the potential to bridge patients to definitive haemostasis. However, the proportion of trauma patients in whom REBOA may be utilised is unknown. METHODS: We conducted a population based analysis of 2012-2013 Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) data. We identified the number of patients in whom REBOA may have been utilised, defined by an Abbreviated Injury Scale score ≥3 to abdominal solid organs, abdominal or pelvic vasculature, pelvic fracture with ring disruption or proximal traumatic lower limb amputation, together with a systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg. Patients with non-compressible haemorrhage in the mediastinum, axilla, face or neck were excluded. RESULTS: During 2012-2013, 72 677 adult trauma patients admitted to hospitals in England and Wales were identified. 397 patients had an indication(s) and no contraindications for REBOA with evidence of haemorrhagic shock: 69% men, median age 43 years and median Injury Severity Score 32. Overall mortality was 32%. Major trauma centres (MTCs) received the highest concentration of potential REBOA patients, and would be anticipated to receive a patient in whom REBOA may be utilised every 95 days, increasing to every 46 days in the 10 MTCs with the highest attendance of this injury type. CONCLUSIONS: This TARN database analysis has identified a small group of severely injured, resource intensive patients with a highly lethal injury that is theoretically amenable to REBOA. The highest density of these patients is seen at MTCs, and as such a planned evaluation of REBOA should be further considered in these hospitals

Demographic and Clinical Features of Dengue Fever in Pakistan from 2003–2007: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Demographic features of dengue fever have changed tremendously in Pakistan over the past two decades. Small scale studies from all over the country have reported different aspects of individual outbreaks during this time. However, there is scarcity of data looking at the overall trend of dengue virus infection in the country. In this study, we examined annual trends, seasonality, and clinical features of dengue fever in the Pakistani population.Methods: Demographic information and dengue IgM status of all patients tested for dengue IgM antibody at Aga Khan University Hospital from January 2003 to December 2007 were analyzed to look for trends of IgM-positive cases in Pakistan. In addition, clinical and biochemical parameters were abstracted retrospectively from medical records of all patients hospitalized with IgM-proven dengue fever between January 2006 and December 2007. These patients were categorized into dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever according to the WHO severity grading scale.Results: Out of a total of 15040 patients (63.2% male and 36.8% female), 3952 (26.3%) tested positive for dengue IgM antibody. 209 IgM proven dengue patients were hospitalized during the study period. During 2003, IgM positive cases were seen only during the months of July-December. In contrast, such cases were detected throughout the year from the 2004– 2007. The median age of IgM positive patients decreased every year from 32.0 years in 2003 to 24.0 years in 2007 (p,0.001). Among hospitalized patients, nausea was the most common presenting feature found in 124/209 (59.3%) patients. Children presented with a higher median body temperature than adults (p = 0.010). In addition, neutropenia was seen more commonly in children while raised serum ALT levels were seen more commonly in adults (both p = 0.006). While a low total white cell count was more common in patients with dengue fever as compared to Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (p = 0.020), neutropenia (p = 0.019), monocytosis (p = 0.001) and raised serum ALT level (p = 0.005) were observed more commonly in the latter group.Conclusions: Dengue virus is now endemic in Pakistan, circulating throughout the year with a peak incidence in the post monsoon period. Median age of dengue patients has decreased and younger patients may be more susceptible. Total and differential leukocyte counts may help identify patients at risk of hemorrhage

Circulating Mitochondrial and Bacterial DNA as Biomarkers of Sepsis

Introduction: Sepsis is a leading cause of death in critically ill patients. Conventional methods of diagnostics in patients with suspected sepsis have limited sensitivity and long turnaround times. These factors contribute to indiscriminate use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance. Our goal was to investigate where direct molecular analysis of circulating cell-free DNA in plasma could identify the microbial etiology of sepsis and improve assessment of prognosis. Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 30 consecutive patients suspected of sepsis in the Surgical Trauma ICU and compared with 22 healthy volunteer controls. Longitudinal plasma samples were collected at the time of workup for sepsis (day 0) and on days 7 and 14. Blood samples were collected in Streck Cell-Free DNA tubes and processed within 24 hours. DNA was extracted using QIAamp Circulating Nucleic Acid Kit. We measured mtDNA levels in plasma using real-time quantitative PCR targeting the mitochondrial NADH1 gene. Absolute mtDNA copies were calculated by comparing with known standards, pre-quantified using droplet digital PCR. Whole genome sequencing of cell-free DNA from plasma samples of three patients with positive blood cultures and 1 healthy volunteer control were performed to detect pathogen DNA. Results: We analyzed 72 serial plasma samples from 30 patients with suspected sepsis. Median mtDNA levels in controls were 602 ± 636 copies/µL of plasma (median ± IQR). In comparison, median mtDNA levels at day 0 in patients with SIRS were 3318 ± 1960 copies/µL (p<10⁻⁸, area under the ROC curve: 0.939). mtDNA levels were correlated with peripheral WBC count and respiratory rate (p=0.026 and 0.013 respectively) but not with temperature, heart rate or systolic BP. 3/30 patients died within the same hospital stay and last recorded mtDNA levels were higher as compared to survivors (p=0.028). Three out of thirty patients with a diagnosis of sepsis had positive blood cultures. Concordant results were found between conventional microbiology and next-generation sequencing of cell-free plasma DNA in 1 patient. Conclusions: Circulating mtDNA levels in patients with suspected sepsis are five-fold higher than healthy controls. Longitudinal changes in mtDNA are correlated with conventional markers of systemic inflammatory response and can be a biomarker for outcomes. Sequencing of cell-free DNA in plasma of sepsis patients can enable identification of bacteria and viral pathogens, although additional optimization of laboratory and informatics protocols is needed

Essays on the Impact of Technology, Health, and Financial Shocks on Economic Development Outcomes

This dissertation consists of three chapters in development economics and finance. A common theme throughout these chapters is using empirical techniques to study how technological, health, and financial innovations impact development outcomes. Chapter 1 studies how loan officers and machine learning algorithms differentially respond to revealed demographics of loan applicants. I conducted an experiment in Pakistan involving 30 loan officers and 5,500 digitally submitted loans. The intervention assigned loans to either the officers or an algorithm and provided applicant identities for a subset of loans to each decision-maker. I find that the algorithm achieves substantially lower loan default versus a loan officer when both agents view an anonymized set of applicant characteristics. I also provide novel experimental estimates of discrimination and find that displaying applicant identities lowers the officers’ discrimination against women; an officer preference for gender equity drives this result. Conversely, algorithmic discrimination against women worsens with the disclosure of identities. The results show that blinding algorithms to applicant demographics may boost efficiency and ensure equity in developing economy credit markets. Chapter 2, co-authored with Emily Battaglia, studies the impact of malaria eradication programs on Black-white economic disparities in the early 1900s U.S. South. Using linked census records, we find that while the health benefits of disease eradication accrued to both races, only white men experienced the associated economic benefits. Blacks exposed to malaria eradication were more likely to be farm laborers, and both Blacks and whites were more likely to migrate out of state. Our findings suggest that malaria eradication, a broadly applied intervention, widened racial gaps. Finally, Chapter 3, co-authored with Minh Phan, investigates whether a consumer demand shock propagates through industry input-output networks. In November 2016, India demonetized 86% of its currency, creating a nationwide demand shock. We construct upstreamness measures to evaluate the impact of demonetization on firms based on their network position. In contrast to current literature, the shock does not propagate through the network. We identify pricing power, inventory frictions, and export intensity as viable explanatory mechanisms. These frictions suggest that downstream firms are particularly vulnerable to demand shocks

TO GIVE OR NOT TO GIVE: INTERACTIONS BETWEEN RURAL RELIEF CLIENTS AND SOCIAL WORKERS DURING THE EMERGENCY RELIEF PERIOD OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION, 1933 TO 1935

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, millions of Americans suffered from long term unemployment and subsistence poverty while the federal government\u27s New Deal attempted to address the problems of poverty. But the rural poor were affected by a kind of chronic poverty that would prove more difficult to address with government-run relief efforts. Because traditional methods of relief from poverty were embedded in the socioeconomic culture of rural America, it was not always possible to apply the same federal relief methods in the countryside as in the urban areas of the nation. The rural poor stood to benefit from modern social relief services and, for a brief period, it seemed as if those services would become available for their benefit. However, as I argue in this dissertation, economic conservatism hindered the potential effectiveness of the two-year federal emergency relief program. From 1933 to 1935, the United States federal government backed the unprecedented expenditure of billions of dollars in direct emergency relief. Abiding the advice of prominent social workers, the government created an emergency relief program to address the alarming needs of impoverished Americans. These programs affected those who suffered the effects of long term unemployment and those trapped in rural poverty. The federal government created social welfare policies that had the power to ease the misery of those forced to subsist at the bottom. Government benefits and impoverished beneficiaries met through social work. For a brief span of time, the New Deal emergency relief period of early 1933 to mid-1935 offered an opportunity for social workers to promote a nationalized system of social welfare. This is an understudied aspect of American history, and is the focus of this dissertation