Cervical pregnancy can be complicated by perfuse vaginal bleeding. Mechanical compression directed at tamponing the cervical vessels can control hemostasis. There are several types of balloon catheters that have been described for cervical compression. However use of a double balloon catheter is a novel approach for cervical tamponade, as one balloon is positioned below the external cervical os...

OBJECTIVE Brain abscess carries significant morbidity and mortality. Our objective was to elucidate the clinical presentation of brain abscess and to assess predictors of mortality in these patients. METHODS All patients with a brain abscess presenting to the Aga Khan University Hospital, a tertiary care referral center in Karachi, Pakistan, were studied retrospectively. Statistical analysis ...

Background Early presentation is desirable in all cases of acute prolonged chest pain. Causes of delayed presentation vary widely across geographic regions because of different patients' profile and different healthcare capabilities. Objectives To detect causes of delay of Non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) patients in our country. Methods Patients admitted with NSTE-ACS we...

INTRODUCTION Vestibular schwannoma (VS) is a benign, slow-growing tumour originating in the 8th cranial nerve. The treatment includes microsurgery, stereotactic radiotherapy and conservative management of tumours with periodic radiological tests. METHODS This was a retrospective study of patients with VS following conservative management in a tertiary hospital between 1993 and 2013. A total o...

INTRODUCTION Until recently, vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) infection or colonisation was a rare occurrence in Singapore. The first major VRE outbreak involving a 1500-bed tertiary care institution in March 2005 presented major challenges in infection control and came at high costs. This study evaluates the predictors of VRE carriage based on patients' clinical and demographic profiles...

OBJECTIVES Minimal research has been done on sociodemographic differences in utilization of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for refractory depression, especially among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. METHODS This study examined sociodemographic and diagnostic variables using retrospective data from Hawaii, an island state with predominantly Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Retros...

BACKGROUND Due to high rates of resistance and a limited number of efficacious antimicrobials for vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), appropriate antibiotic selection is vital to treatment success. The purpose of this study was to assess clinical and microbiologic outcomes associated with the use of linezolid or daptomycin in the treatment of VRE bacteremia. METHODS A retrospective analy...

OBJECTIVES In patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), the finding of less than five circulating tumor cells (CTCs)/7.5 mL blood before start of cytotoxic treatment or shortly thereafter indicates prolonged survival. In this descriptive pilot study, we investigated whether this association depends on the sequence of the therapeutic attempts. PATIENTS AND METHODS ...

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to present a possible discrete effect of heat therapy on the urinary system during physical therapy of a patient with lumbar discopathy. DESIGN This is a case report. Setting. This study was carried out in a a tertiary care university hospital. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS A 33-year-old man with the diagnosis of lumbar discopathy undertook physical th...

BACKGROUND Sputum smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients expel infectious viable bacilli for a period following commencement of treatment. Patients on Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse (DOTS) receive intermittent therapy with multidrug regimen. AIMS To determine the time to sputum smear and culture conversion following initiation of DOTS treatment and study the factors that infl...