Hawsh al-Basha: The Royal Cemetery in Cairo

This thesis focuses on Hawsh al-Basha, the royal cemetery near the mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi‘i, which is arguably one of the most intriguing architectural moments in Ottoman Cairo. Firstly, the historiography of Hawsh al-Basha is examined carefully in order to situate the mausoleum temporally and geographically. Secondly, for a critical rewriting of the historical narrative, this study systematically cross-references contemporary sources with nineteenth-century travel accounts, among other material evidence, to effectively reconstruct the complicated building chronology of Hawsh al-Basha and reassess when the mausoleum was built. Then, the study surveys the various categories of ornamentation employed at the royal cemetery, focusing on two chief categories: inscriptions and floral elements. In the process of a one-to-one mapping of Hawsh al-Basha’s eclectic blend of appropriated decorative motifs to local, eastern, and western models of inspiration, the definition of what constituted the Ottoman stylistic tradition during the nineteenth century is revised and expanded. Last but not least, this study develops a comparative trajectory between the artistic miliues in the imperial state of Istanbul and the khedival province of Cairo in order to analyze the vectors of influence driving the eclectic tendencies of Hawsh al-Basha’s stylistic evolution in relation to the broader contextual frameworks of Ottoman urban structures and socio-political agendas. Be it a strategically synthetic achievement or an unresolved hybrid monstrosity, Hawsh al-Basha represents a manifestation of power, a moment of decisive visual transformation, and a memory of a modernizing social order

Mechanical induction of labor and ecbolic-less vaginal birth after cesarean section: A cohort study

Objective: During delivery counseling, some women with previous uncomplicated cesarean section (CS) wish mechanical induction of labor (IOL) but they are not accepting the added risk of using ecbolics to induce and/or augment labor. The objective of the study was to assess the safety and efficacy of the isolated use of transcervical Foley's catheter balloon as a mean of mechanical cervical ripening (CR)/IOL and successful ecbolic-less vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC). Materials and methods: A cohort study was conducted in two tertiary care maternity hospitals between October 2013 and July 2016 and recruited women with singleton pregnancy and cephalic presentation who had previous one uncomplicated CS and were scheduled for mechanical CR/IOL at term for routine obstetric indications. No ecbolics were used for induction or augmentation of labor as per patients' request. The primary outcome variable was the rate of successful VBAC. Results: 108 Women had a completed trial of mechanical CR/IOL without ecbolics till delivery. Active labor started in 94 women (87%), however only 43 women (39.8%) had successful VBAC. No woman in the study cohort had uterine rupture, scar dehiscence, uterine tachysystole, postpartum hemorrhage and/or puerperal sepsis. No cases were admitted to intensive care units and there were no maternal mortalities. Prior successful VBAC and post-expulsion BS were the only independent predictors for successful VBAC and shorter duration of labor after balloon expulsion. Conclusion: Mechanical IOL with the mere use of transcervical Foley's catheter is a safe and effective method of VBAC in women refusing use of ecbolics

Pattern of antibiotic abuse – a population based study in Cairo

Background: Inappropriate use of antibiotics is a significant public health problem. The unnecessary use of antibiotics exposes the community to unwarranted medication and contributes to the development of antimicrobial resistance. Objective: Is to define pattern of usage of unprescribed antibiotics in Cairo and various contributing factors for such behavior including level of education, occupation and socioeconomic level. Methods: An interview questionnaire was held with 1057 subjects exploring their behavior toward antibiotic use in a 3 month-period. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. Findings: Among 1006 completed questionnaires, usage of unprescribed antibiotics in the 3 month period was 29.8%. Most antibiotics were used to treat respiratory infections (55.7%). The most common antibiotics used were penicillins. Behavior of seeking medical advice is affected significantly by different age groups but not by gender. Rates of consulting a physician were 69%, 60%, 41.3% and 29.9% among children, elderly, youth and adults respectively. Different socioeconomic levels among the surveyed sample preferred ways other than consulting physicians based on the belief that common diseases do not worth physician’s consultation 47.3%. Conclusion: This study showed high rates of antibiotic abuse among Cairo population. This needs to be guided through different strategies. An easy access to an affordable health care service with a considerable quality is the first step side by side with establishing a national antibiotic policy to be followed by all healthcare workers