Biomedical subjects

D S Akram

Publications and source records attributed to D S Akram.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Enteric viral infections in pre-school children in Karachi, Pakistan.

A prospective study was conducted in Karachi, Pakistan on the virology of enteropathogens excreted by children with acute gastroenteritis and the results were compared with a control group of healthy children. Rotavirus and Adenovirus detection was done using ELISA techniques, while enterovirus isolation was done by virus culture. In 1990, 12.3% children with acute watery diarrhoea excreted rotavirus, as compared to 24.4% children in 1991. None of the healthy children excreted adenovirus 40 and 41. Preliminary results of 1992 revealed that rotavirus was seen in 13% of children with acute watery diarrhoea and adenovirus in 10% of children. Enteroviruses were isolated in the same frequency in all three groups i.e. children with acute watery diarrhoea, children with poliomyelitis and healthy children. Non-polio enteroviruses were excreted in 50-52% in all the 3 groups. The rate of enterovirus excretion is much higher than seen in other developed countries and is the same in children with diarrhoea and healthy children.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Nerve conduction studies and its importance in diagnosis of acute poliomyelitis.

Motor nerve conduction velocities was performed on 50 subjects in the pediatric age group. Thirty two patients with acute poliomyelitis and 18 controls. The MNCV was studied in the median nerve in the upper limb and the posterior tibial in the lower limb. The motor nerve conduction velocity in polio patients matched well with the controls, as well as within the accepted standards for normal. The MNCV of the median nerve ranged from 41.8 +/- 2.76 m/sec in under 1 year to 44 +/- 2.1 m/sec in 3-8 years, in polio patients, while the range in controls varied from 37 to 53 m/sec. Similarly, for the posterior tibial nerve, in polio patients the value of MNCV varied from 38.7 +/- 4.9 m/sec to 42.5 +/- 3.1 m/sec. In the controls, also the MNCV ranged from 38.5 +/- 6.3 m/sec to 48.4 +/- 3.42 m/sec. Thus, no delay on the motor nerve conduction velocity was seen. Poliomyelitis is a major problem in developing countries like Pakistan and India, where serological diagnosis is a luxury. The determination of motor nerve conduction velocity provides a quick and easy method of distinguishing poliomyelitis from other motor nerve disorders esp. Guillain Barre syndrome.

Child↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Growth parameters of Pakistani children.

A longitudinal study to determine anthropometric measurements was done in 1100 Pakistani children. They were selectively chosen from a high socioeconomic back-ground to eliminate factors of malnutrition and poor environmental sanitation. Measurements were compared with NCHS standards. Results indicate weight and length curves of the study group duplicating NCHS standards at all centiles. However the OFC measurements show a slight deviation whereby both the 50th and 90th centile are above NCHS standards. These results emphasise that differences between South Asian and Western standards of growth which are usually cited, are due to malnutrition, repeated infections etc. Once these biases are removed, South Asian children grow as well as their Western counterparts.

Anthropometry↗