Pakistan BioMedical Journal

Subcentimeter Ureteric Calculi on Plain Computed Tomography KUB in Patients Presenting with Renal Colic

Tayyaba Tahira, Yasser Khan, Zobia Saleem, Asim Raza, Aqsa Aslam — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Renal colic, often caused by ureteric stones, is a common and painful condition. Subcentimeter ureteric stones are frequently identified using CT KUB. Understanding the demographics, pain levels, and distribution of these stones can help in better diagnosing, managing and treating the condition. Objective: To determine the prevalence of subcentimeter ureteric calculi in patients who have renal colic. Methods: Between September and December of 2024, a four-month descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at the Diagnostic Center of CMH, Lahore. The target population included all patients presenting with renal colic, undergoing CT KUB. Sample size of 266 was calculated using WHO calculator and Cochran's formula. Data were collected using proforma and CT KUB reports, and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26.0. 95% confidence intervals were provided for the results, and statistical tests including the Kruskal-Wallis, Shapiro-Wilk, Mann-Whitney U, and Normality tests were employed. Findings: Patients ranged in age from 18 to 71 years old, with an average age of 43. Results: The majority of patients were between the ages of 20 and 35, with more men (59.8%) than women (40.2%). Pain levels varied, with an average of 5.36 on the visual analog scale. Moderate pain was the most common, experienced by 38.33% of patients. Intermittent pain was more common (68.8%) than continuous pain (31.2%). Dysuria was the most common urination issue (35.71%). Ureteric stones were present in 77.82% of patients, with the right and left renal locations being the most common sites. The most common type of stones found were subcentimeters (60.9%). Conclusions: The distribution of subcentimeter ureteric stones and pain levels in patients with renal colic are described in this study on the identification of ureteric calculi in patients presenting with renal colic on CT KUB. The findings mostly seen in middle aged male patients with intermittent pain, right and left renal calculus were the most common sites and subcentimeter ureteric calculi were frequently observed category. Also describes the other findings like Hydronephrosis, cyst, and peripheral fat.

Detection of Uterine Fibroids Through Ultrasound Among Women of Reproductive Age Presenting with Abnormal Uterine Bleeding in A Tertiary Care Hospital

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Fibroids are the leading cause of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). Objective: To detect uterine fibroids through ultrasound among women of reproductive age presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Diagnostic Center of Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Lahore. Data were collected from 200 women of reproductive age (15–49 years) with AUB. Women with adenomyosis, endometrial polyps, endometriosis and other gynecological problems were excluded. A consecutive non-probability sampling method was employed, and data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26.0. The chi-square test was applied for the comparison of categories. Results: The Average age of participants was 29.50 ± 8.32 years. From the participants with fibroids, common symptoms included pelvic pain (47%), back pain (46%), frequent urination (39%), and painful bleeding (68%). Out of the total, 53.5% had bleeding from other causes, and 46.50% had fibroids. Out of all participants, 46% had one fibroid, 0.5% had multiple fibroids, and 53.5% had none at all. There were 21.5% posterior wall fibroids and 25% anterior wall fibroids. Of the fibroids, 39.5% were hyperechoic and 7% were hypoechoic. The majority of fibroids 37.5% did not cause any distortion of the endometrial cavity. The endometrial thickness was normal in 84% of patients and increased in 32%. Conclusions: It was concluded that uterine fibroids were a common cause of AUB in women of reproductive age, with a significant proportion of cases presenting with symptoms such as pelvic pain, painful bleeding and frequent urination.

Quality of Life among Individuals with HIV in Lahore: The Role of Resilience

Mansoor Ahmed, Abia Nazim, Hephsibah Younis — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Resilience is the ability to bounce back in difficult situations such as trauma, stress, and adversity. Being diagnosed with Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an extremely traumatic and stressful experience that can also lead to stigma and discrimination. Objectives: To find any significant association between resilience and Quality of Life (QOL) among individuals with HIV. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Forman Christian College from June 2020 to December 2020. The participants were mainly selected from the 3 different HIV rehabilitation centers based in Lahore (n=300) with age ranges from 18 to 65 years (Mean=32.7, SD=7.93). Results: The findings of the study illustrate that there is a positive association between resilience and QOL among individuals with HIV; Resilience is also positively associated with demographic variables like income, education, and gender. Furthermore, study findings demonstrate that resilience predicts a direct positive effect on individuals with HIV’s QOL. Conclusions: It was concluded that by cultivating resilience, individuals with HIV can improve their physical and mental health and effectively manage their illness.

Compare the Educational Environment and Prevalence of Myopia in Public and Private Schools

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Myopia is a major cause of worldwide avoidable blindness, and its prevalence is increasing rapidly. Objectives: To investigate the relationship between myopia and educational environmental characteristics in public and private sectors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from August to December 2024, implementing a stratified sampling technique. Two schools were chosen at random from each of the public and private school strata. From each grade level, students were then selected at random. Individuals with ocular problems or those who declined to participate were not included. 621 students between the ages of 8 and 15 took part. Ocular examination included refraction and visual acuity. A self-structured questionnaire was utilized to assess the home and school educational environment variables. SPSS version 26.0 was used for data analysis. Results: Among 621 students (mean age 13 ± 1.89 years), 46.53% were male and 53.46% were female. 387 students attend public schools, while 234 attend private. 33.8% myopia prevalence, with 10% having high, 33.33% having moderate and 56.66% having mild myopia. There were 109 myopes from private schools and 101 from public schools. 109 out of 234 students in private schools (46.58%) have myopia. A pleasant study area and the amount of time spent on homework are all factors linked to myopia in public and private school types. Conclusions: It was concluded that a notable difference was found in the public and private sectors’ educational environments. More artificial lighting, fewer outside activities, and a stronger focus on digital learning resources like laptops and tablets are features associated with private schools.

Association of Screen Time and Headache and Its Impact on ADLs in Freelancers

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Freelancers are especially vulnerable to Cervicogenic headaches and migraines as a result of prolonged screen time because of inadequate cervical neck curvature and over-illumination. Persistent migraine and Cervicogenic headaches can have a significant impact on a person’s activities of daily life. Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between screen time and headaches and their effects on activities of daily living. Methods: The data of 200 freelancers were collected within 3 months of age 18-45, and descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were done to explore the associations between screen time, headaches, and activities of daily living. Results: The mean age of participants was 25, with 77% of freelancers having Cervicogenic headaches and 23% Migraine, among which 25.5% had mild pain, 49.5% had moderate pain, and 25% had severe headaches. The HALDI score of 60.77% showed that freelancers had severe impairments in activities of daily living caused by migraine or Cervicogenic headaches. A p-value of 0.00 showed that screen time was significantly associated with headaches, and a p-value of 0.017 revealed a significant impact of headaches on freelancers' activities in daily life. Conclusions: It was concluded that screen time is significantly associated with headaches, and freelancers suffering from migraine or Cervicogenic headaches can have a severe impact on activities in daily life.

Healthcare Entrepreneurship Innovation Among Young Health Professionals

Zeeshan Mehboob — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In public health entrepreneurship, an entrepreneur uses their commercial expertise to solve a public health issue or start a health-related company. This can take the kind of creating a new product, funding a public health organisation or even investing a portion of a company's income into research and development for health-related projects and activities. In order to improve outcomes, economic development, and society well-being, healthcare entrepreneurship is acknowledged as crucial. Startups in the healthcare industry have faced structural, regulatory, organisational and behavioral challenges in the past but new business owners are looking for ways to improve access, affordability and quality. Despite a sluggish investment market healthcare venture capital managed to raise $19 billion in 2023 to fund new initiatives. Many things including consumer demand, local competition and business concepts go into determining the most lucrative healthcare benefits company. However medicines, medical technology, cosmetic, surgery, specialized clinics, telemedicine and laboratories have all demonstrated substantial profitability as a result of high demand and distinctive products. In order to reduce the learning curve especially when building the evidence base for the service, it is advisable for venture teams to have members with expertise in both healthcare and entrepreneurship. One way to get in touch with entrepreneurial accelerators or university tech transfer and commercialisation offices that one might have worked with before is to ask for their help in assembling the team. When developing new healthcare solutions, entrepreneurs should think about ways to involve patients or end-users. One strategy that may improve the solution's applicability and focus on the patient is to collaborate with appropriate patient advocacy groups. New revenue streams and business models may need to be developed by entrepreneurs in the healthcare industry. Healthcare is a fundamental human right but it cannot be provided indefinitely without adequate funding. Participating in healthcare entrepreneurship groups, accelerators and other community initiatives that encourage and facilitate entrepreneurial healthcare participation is one way to fortify one's "business and calling" mentality. Not only do we provide these useful insights for healthcare entrepreneurs but we also include them for other important players. Partnerships that standardise co-produced ideas may be incentivised by corporations. Entrepreneurs with venture capitalists may come up with new ways to finance projects that are tied to unconventional results. By bringing together experts from different fields, non-profits may bring attention to the need for healthcare entrepreneurs. Politicians should think about how to foster business climates that are competitive while maintaining appropriate pricing and cost structures.

Cyber Security and Privacy Safeguarding Pharmaceutical Innovation in a Digital Age

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In order to improve efficiency and creativity, the pharmaceutical sector is going through a major digital revolution that contains the broad use of digital technologies including cloud computing, IoT devices, EHR systems, and artificial intelligence. Although this change presents new prospects, it also makes the industry more susceptible to sophisticated and frequent attacks. For preserving trust, comply with laws like GDPR and possibly HIPAA, and preserving pharmaceutical innovation, organizations in this sector must protect the vast and sensitive datasets they handle, such as patient medical histories, financial records, research findings, and rational property. In order to protect pharmaceutical innovation and uphold investor confidence, this review paper attempts to give a thorough overview of the digital transition in the pharmaceutical sector and stress the vital significance of strong cybersecurity protections and data privacy rules. It will look at future trends, cybersecurity risks, privacy issues, digital transformation, safeguarding strategies, regulatory frameworks, and policy and industry propositions.