JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association
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Pakistan's public health interventions include a range of programs lead by the federal government with implementation arms at the provincial and district levels. Some of the programs are disease specific such as the respective programs on HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases and Hepatitis; others are specific to life cycle domains such as in the case of maternal and child health whereas still others such as the National Program for Family Planning and Primary Healthcare and the National Expanded Program for Immunization are cross-cutting. Although these programs have contributed to improving health outcomes at intermediate outcomes level, a number of critical impediments to maximizing their impact have been noted. ⋯ The Gateway Paper makes a number of recommendations to obviate these issues such as recommendations to integrate programs, strengthen surveillance systems, and with reference to obviating issues to implementation, emphasis is laid on decentralizing decision-making and central control, institutionalizing managerial audit, and prioritizing specific governance and management reforms. The Paper also stresses on the need for establishing a national coordination mechanism for fostering federal/provincial harmony and ensuring the creation of appropriate counterpart institutional arrangements in the provinces and districts. Recommendations on restructuring BHUs at a management, oversight, quality related and community participation level will play a vital role in determining the manner in which the efficiency of these public health programs can be enhanced.
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Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is an entity which is not rare and can have devastating consequences if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Although, the gold standard for diagnosing this entity is a catheter angiogram, magnetic resonance venography, by virtue of its non-invasiveness and detailed demonstration of the cerebral venous structures, has become the diagnostic modality of choice for this entity. However, in a resource-strapped country like Pakistan, CT scan remains the primary first (and sometimes the only) diagnostic modality used in patients with neurological problems. ⋯ These CT findings of CVT are discussed in this paper. The CT findings of CVT have been divided into direct and indirect findings and the same have been described for noncontrast and postcontrast CT scans separately. A brief discussion of CT venography, which has come around as a promising tool for diagnosing CVT as a result of newer innovations in CT technology, is also included here.
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Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is an under diagnosed condition for acute or slowly progressive neurological deficit. CVT is less frequent than arterial thrombosis. CVT has a wide spectrum of signs and symptoms, which may evolve suddenly or over the weeks. ⋯ The mean age among females was 27.75 years and among males was 41.5 years. Of the 4 females two were postpartum; one was on oral contraceptive and in one Antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA) were positive. Amongst two males one had hyperhomocysteinemia and one had hyperlipidemia.
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Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a challenging condition because of the variability of clinical presentations. CVT can present at all ages, but is seen more in young and middle-aged women. CVT does not necessarily occur only when there is an obvious underlying etiology. ⋯ Magnetic resonance imaging with venography is the investigation of choice to diagnose CVT; computed tomography alone will miss a significant number of cases. One must keep in mind the possibility of CVT in every patient who presents with new-onset headache of any type, any severity, and in any location, particularly when there is worsening in spite of analgesics. Earlier the diagnosis, earlier the treatment, better is the outcome.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparison between tramadol and pethidine in patient controlled intravenous analgesia.
To compare the efficacy and side effects related to Tramadol with Pethidine in patient controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) after total abdominal hysterectomies. ⋯ Tramadol produces equivalent analgesia and less sedation and can be used as an alternative to Pethidine in Patient Controlled Intravenous Analgesiafor postoperative pain relief after Total Abdominal Hysterectomy (TAH).