Biomedical subjects

Omer Ashraf

Publications and source records attributed to Omer Ashraf.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2005

Attitude toward organ donation: a survey in Pakistan.

This study was conducted to get an insight into the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the people of Pakistan regarding organ donation (OD), and to understand the various factors that influence these. Systematic sampling was used to generate a sample size of 357. Data collection was carried out via a questionnaire in the outpatient units of our hospital. All kinds of medical and surgical patients were interviewed. Knowledge of ODs that occur in Pakistan and the rest of the world was found to be 65.5 and 72.8%, respectively. The percentage of those willing to donate their organ/s was 59.9%. Knowledge of OD was significantly associated with education and socioeconomic status. Willingness to donate had a significant association with gender. It also had a moderate association with education and socioeconomic status. Awareness of OD and the knowledge that OD can save lives was also significantly associated with the willingness to donate.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

A case of non-resolving cough and weight loss.

Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous multi-system disease with a clinical picture often mimicking tuberculosis. We present a case of a patient who presented with a clinical picture akin to both of these granulomatous disorders and was started on anti-tuberculous regimen despite the lack of any solid evidence pointing towards tuberculosis. As a result her clinical condition continued to deteriorate for months until finally a bronchoscopic biopsy established her disease process as sarcoidosis. She was then started on systemic corticosteroid therapy for sarcoidosis and during the ensuing period has shown marked improvement in her clinical picture with near normalization of the biochemical and radiographic parameters of her pathology. This case illustrates the need for vigilant interpretation of the clinical scenario in patients such as these where a misdiagnosis may lead to significant patient distress as well as weighing down on the economic and health resources.

Chronic Disease↗

PubMed2005

Pulmonary embolism in pemphigus vulgaris, the need for judicious immunotherapy.

Pemphigus vulgaris is a serious chronic mucocutaneous ailment. In recent decades advances in diagnostic and therapeutic measures have led to a significant decline in morbidity and mortality. However, with the advent of active and prolonged immunotherapy involving corticosteroids, there has been a rise in steroid-associated complications. This has led to significant concern globally over the sensible use of treatment regimen in pemphigus patients. We present a patient who underwent a massive pulmonary embolism following over usage of corticosteroid therapy for pemphigus vulgaris. Whilst the patient survived owing to timely assessment and aggressive surgical intervention, the need for cautious and judicious immunotherapy in pemphigus is emphasized.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

PubMed2005

A case of transient diabetes insipidus following cardiopulmonary bypass.

Cardiopulmonary bypass surgery has been linked with a number of postoperative complications. One of the frequently reported physiological alterations is the relative diuresis seen in the immediate post-op period. Rarely reported though is the development of full-blown diabetes insipidus in such patients. The etiology is unknown and has only been hypothesized in the past. We present the clinical course of a 54 year old male who developed transient diabetes insipidus post bypass surgery with subsequent recovery following exogenous vasopressin administration. The physiological alteration leading to the development of diabetes insipidus in a small fraction of bypass patients remains unknown. We propose that the variation in natriuretic peptide levels in the post-bypass period could account for the transient event.

Cardiopulmonary Bypass↗