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Biomedical subjects

K A Abbas

Publications and source records attributed to K A Abbas.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Therapeutic re-appraisal of multiple drug resistant Salmonella typhi (MDRST) in Pakistani children.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of multi drug-resistant Salmonella typhi (MDRST) in many developing countries including Pakistan, has led to a search for suitable alternatives to conventional therapy. Quinolones have been found to be an effective alternative for the treatment of MDRST, in adults as well as in children. METHODS: The efficacy of various therapeutic regimens currently used for the treatment of Typhoid was analysed. Children 1 month to 12 years of age admitted to the Children's Hospital from 1990 to 1993 with fever and Salmonella typhi isolated from blood cultures were included in this retrospective analysis. RESULTS: The cumulative prevalence of Multiple Drug Resistant Salmonella typhi (MDRST) was 67.2%. Only 32.8% of isolated Salmonella typhi were susceptible to chloramphenicol and amoxicillin. The cumulative cure rate with conventional therapy (chloramphenicol or amoxicillin) was 47.4% and 53.6% children needed a change of therapy. The average hospital stay for the non-responders to conventional therapy was 9.2 days as compared to 7.7 days for the responders. The average hospital stay of the patients treated with a third generation cephalosporin was 12.7 days. Patients treated with ofloxacin, a flouroquinolone drug, did not need a change of therapy. The average hospital stay of the patients treated with flouroquinolones was 6.2 days. CONCLUSION: There was a high prevalence of multiple drug resistant typhoid fever in hospitalized children, leading to a high failure rate with conventional therapy. This resulted in frequent change of therapy, delayed defervesence and prolonged hospital stay. The flouroquinolones were found to be the most effective drug against MDRST.

Amoxicillin↗
PubMed1999

Fat absorption in persistent diarrhoea using 13C-labelled trioctanoin breath test.

A study was undertaken to investigate intestinal fat absorption in young children suffering from persistent diarrhoea in comparison with normal children of similar age. Absorption studies were performed using the breath test technique. Following oral administration of labelled triglyceride ([13C]trioctanoin), interval breath sampling was done for 6 h. The time course of excretion of 13CO2 in the breath was determined by isotope ratio mass spectrometric analysis of the gas samples. Excretion curves were constructed from the mean values of 13CO2 dose (per cent) excreted at each time point in breath samples and areas under the curve were determined for diarrhoea cases as well as for normal subjects. The time course of 13CO2 excretions and areas under the curve thus obtained were compared with each other and also with a reference study in which data from known malabsorption cases were available. The time of peak 13CO2 excretion in diarrhoea cases ranged from 60 to 240 min (average 150 min) compared with 120 to 270 min (average 195 min) for normal subjects, the level of peak of 13CO2 excreted/h was 4.8 +/- 1.2 per cent in diarrhoea cases and 5.3 +/- 2.3 per cent in normal children (NS). Mean areas under the curve for the two groups were 18.9 +/- 3.4 per cent for normal and 17.6 +/- 4.1 per cent dose 13CO2 excreted/6 h for diarrhoea cases (NS). These results indicate that intestinal absorption of medium chain triglycerides was not impaired significantly in the cases of persistent diarrhoea studied.

Area Under Curve↗
PubMed1996

Dexamethasone and bacterial meningitis in Pakistan.

The objective of this study was to assess, in a developing country setting, the effect of dexamethasone therapy on bacterial meningitis outcomes. A prospective double blind placebo controlled trial was conducted in 89 children aged from 2 months to 12 years suffering from bacterial meningitis. Neurological, developmental, and hearing assessments were conducted at one, four, and 12 months after discharge. Forty eight patients received dexamethasone and 41 placebo. Initial antimicrobial drugs used were ampicillin and chloramphenicol. For all patients at the time of admission the mean duration of illness was 5.7 days; 47% had had seizures and 56% had impaired consciousness. Seventeen of 89 (19%) patients died. The mortality for the dexamethasone group was 25% as compared with 12% in the group receiving placebo. Presentation to the hospital after four days of symptoms and with impaired conscious state were independent predictors of death. Of the dexamethasone group survivors, 26.5% had neurological sequelae and 42.3% had hearing impairment, whereas in the placebo group it was 24% and 30% respectively. Altered state of consciousness was a predictor of neurological sequelae. The presence of neurological sequelae and high cerebrospinal fluid protein independently predicted hearing loss. No beneficial effect of dexamethasone was observed on morbidity or mortality of this group of patients with bacterial meningitis. Dexamethasone is therefore not useful in developing countries as adjunctive treatment in patients seriously ill with bacterial meningitis, who present late for treatment and have been partially treated.

Ampicillin↗
PubMed1989

Clinical profile of acute rheumatic fever in children.

A prospective study was done to determine the clinical profile of acute rheumatic fever in the first attacks and in recurrences separately. The data were compared with those from other countries. Eighty children were in their first attack while 46 had recurrences. Arthritis, the most common manifestations, was seen in 61 per cent of patients with first attack followed by carditis in 41 per cent, chorea in 28 per cent and subcutaneous nodules in 3 per cent. However, in the recurrences, arthritis was present in 52 per cent, carditis in 81 per cent, chorea in 11 per cent, and nodules in 4 per cent of cases. In both the groups, no case with erythema marginatum was seen. The results show that in the first attack the clinical picture broadly resembles that in European and North American countries. The presenting symptoms and signs are different during recurrence.

Acute Disease↗