Pub Date : 2023-01-23DOI: 10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)812
Tahir Usman, Irfan Khattak, Mustafa Kamal, Arsalan Rasheed, Johar Ali, Naimat Ullah Khan, Adnan Khan, Ibrar Muhammad Khan, Abdul Samad, Anwer Hussain, Tariq Ali
There have been 6,566,610 fatalities and 626,337,158 reported cases of COVID-19 worldwide. Pakistan presently has over 1,573,922 confirmed cases and 30,625 deaths. A survey-based study was performed from January to September 2022 among different university communities to find out their KAP level. Data was collected in Google Forms through a questionnaire. The Independent t-test, Multinomial regressions, and Non-parametric Mann-Whitney test were used to assess the level of significance (p-value ≤0.05). 317 out of 605 participants were male (52.5 %), the majority of participants were 15-29 years old (72.7 %), unmarried/divorced (71.6 %), have no children (82.1 %), residing in the urban area (54.9 %) and possess a college/university degree (59.5 %). The majority of participants correctly answered five out of six knowledge questions (M = 4.96, SD = 1.03) and correctly identified the primary symptoms of COVID-19 (94.4 %) along with the proper identification of mode of transmission (95.2 %) while 1.8% wrongly replied and 2.1 % did not reply. A knowledge test revealed the significant frequency of misconception, with nearly half of the respondents (46.3 %) assuming that illness might be contracted by eating or coming into touch with wild animals. Wearing a facial mask is highly practiced (M = 3.59, SD = 0.91), followed by avoiding crowded places (M = 3.44, SD = 0.95) and practicing hand hygiene (M = 3.36, SD = 1.04). Females, the elderly, and the less educated, on the other hand, have less understanding of COVID-19, making them especially susceptible to the pandemic. It is proposed that further awareness might contribute to a favorable attitude and practice.
{"title":"Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Covid-19 in Different Universities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan","authors":"Tahir Usman, Irfan Khattak, Mustafa Kamal, Arsalan Rasheed, Johar Ali, Naimat Ullah Khan, Adnan Khan, Ibrar Muhammad Khan, Abdul Samad, Anwer Hussain, Tariq Ali","doi":"10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)812","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)812","url":null,"abstract":"There have been 6,566,610 fatalities and 626,337,158 reported cases of COVID-19 worldwide. Pakistan presently has over 1,573,922 confirmed cases and 30,625 deaths. A survey-based study was performed from January to September 2022 among different university communities to find out their KAP level. Data was collected in Google Forms through a questionnaire. The Independent t-test, Multinomial regressions, and Non-parametric Mann-Whitney test were used to assess the level of significance (p-value ≤0.05). 317 out of 605 participants were male (52.5 %), the majority of participants were 15-29 years old (72.7 %), unmarried/divorced (71.6 %), have no children (82.1 %), residing in the urban area (54.9 %) and possess a college/university degree (59.5 %). The majority of participants correctly answered five out of six knowledge questions (M = 4.96, SD = 1.03) and correctly identified the primary symptoms of COVID-19 (94.4 %) along with the proper identification of mode of transmission (95.2 %) while 1.8% wrongly replied and 2.1 % did not reply. A knowledge test revealed the significant frequency of misconception, with nearly half of the respondents (46.3 %) assuming that illness might be contracted by eating or coming into touch with wild animals. Wearing a facial mask is highly practiced (M = 3.59, SD = 0.91), followed by avoiding crowded places (M = 3.44, SD = 0.95) and practicing hand hygiene (M = 3.36, SD = 1.04). Females, the elderly, and the less educated, on the other hand, have less understanding of COVID-19, making them especially susceptible to the pandemic. It is proposed that further awareness might contribute to a favorable attitude and practice.","PeriodicalId":36960,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: Part B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48002262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-22DOI: 10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)814
Maham Khan, Shahid Wahab, H. M. Ali, Sadia Khan, Reema Iqbal, Tariq Khan
Antibiotic resistance puts a tremendous strain on the healthcare system. Bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa that cause diseases like endocarditis, pneumonia, and Urinary tract infections have now become resistant to many previously used antibiotics. Antibiotic overuse must be reduced as it has become a public health threat paving the way to pandemics. Instead of creating new antibiotics, repurposing existing medicines that have faced resistance is one way forward. Plant-based antimicrobials have been explored as antibiotics to boost or augment the capability of existing antibiotics. It has been proposed that conjugates of plant-based products and antibiotics have increased activity and that the conjugated groups could help circumvent the beta-lactam antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Antibiotics have been combined with plant-based substances like Berberine, and a considerable synergy has been reported among them. Nanomaterials also promise a powerful environment-friendly strategy for weaponizing antibiotics with plant compounds. Nanoparticles could attach with many biological molecules such as DNA, enzymes, ribosomes, and lysosomes, further affecting the permeability of the cell membrane. The interaction of nanoparticles with many biological targets makes it hard for bacteria to develop resistance against them. Low molecular weight nanomaterial based on antibiotics could be very effective against multidrug-resistant gram-negative pathogens. Our study aims to analyze the progress done at the front of nanomaterials and nano-antibiotics against infectious diseases.
{"title":"Biogenic Nanomaterials: A Way Forward in Preventing Bacterial Infections","authors":"Maham Khan, Shahid Wahab, H. M. Ali, Sadia Khan, Reema Iqbal, Tariq Khan","doi":"10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)814","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)814","url":null,"abstract":"Antibiotic resistance puts a tremendous strain on the healthcare system. Bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa that cause diseases like endocarditis, pneumonia, and Urinary tract infections have now become resistant to many previously used antibiotics. Antibiotic overuse must be reduced as it has become a public health threat paving the way to pandemics. Instead of creating new antibiotics, repurposing existing medicines that have faced resistance is one way forward. Plant-based antimicrobials have been explored as antibiotics to boost or augment the capability of existing antibiotics. It has been proposed that conjugates of plant-based products and antibiotics have increased activity and that the conjugated groups could help circumvent the beta-lactam antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Antibiotics have been combined with plant-based substances like Berberine, and a considerable synergy has been reported among them. Nanomaterials also promise a powerful environment-friendly strategy for weaponizing antibiotics with plant compounds. Nanoparticles could attach with many biological molecules such as DNA, enzymes, ribosomes, and lysosomes, further affecting the permeability of the cell membrane. The interaction of nanoparticles with many biological targets makes it hard for bacteria to develop resistance against them. Low molecular weight nanomaterial based on antibiotics could be very effective against multidrug-resistant gram-negative pathogens. Our study aims to analyze the progress done at the front of nanomaterials and nano-antibiotics against infectious diseases.","PeriodicalId":36960,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: Part B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44204496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-20DOI: 10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)editorial
Muhammad Ali, Irum Iqrar
Under the ANSO (Alliance of International Science Organizations) collaborative research grants (ANSO-CR-PP-2021-05), we arranged the first event “MAAP-PAS-ANSO hybrid workshop on ecosystem restoration: one-health and pandemics” (June 05, 2022; on the occasion of world environment day) at Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Islamabad. The workshop stresses communication and collaboration for sustainable health (human, animal, and environment) and gauged issues related to the health of the planet. Under the same project, the second event “ANSO-PAS-MAAP conference on the epidemic and pandemic preparedness” (December 05-07, 2022) was organized at the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Islamabad. The three days event emphasizes more scientific efforts and brainstorming to discuss strategies for controlling the current COVID-19 pandemic as well as future epidemics, pandemics, and emerging pathogens. The conference abstract book highlights the resource persons and their thoughts (in the form of abstracts and their biographies). Selected articles are published as a special issue in the Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: Part B. Life and Environmental Sciences. Moreover, the conference proceedings and recommendations have also been published in the special issue.
{"title":"PAS-ANSO Strategic Planning for Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness","authors":"Muhammad Ali, Irum Iqrar","doi":"10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)editorial","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)editorial","url":null,"abstract":"Under the ANSO (Alliance of International Science Organizations) collaborative research grants (ANSO-CR-PP-2021-05), we arranged the first event “MAAP-PAS-ANSO hybrid workshop on ecosystem restoration: one-health and pandemics” (June 05, 2022; on the occasion of world environment day) at Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Islamabad. The workshop stresses communication and collaboration for sustainable health (human, animal, and environment) and gauged issues related to the health of the planet. Under the same project, the second event “ANSO-PAS-MAAP conference on the epidemic and pandemic preparedness” (December 05-07, 2022) was organized at the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Islamabad. The three days event emphasizes more scientific efforts and brainstorming to discuss strategies for controlling the current COVID-19 pandemic as well as future epidemics, pandemics, and emerging pathogens. The conference abstract book highlights the resource persons and their thoughts (in the form of abstracts and their biographies). Selected articles are published as a special issue in the Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: Part B. Life and Environmental Sciences. Moreover, the conference proceedings and recommendations have also been published in the special issue.","PeriodicalId":36960,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: Part B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47520738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-20DOI: 10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)773
H. Javed, Rimsha Khan, Warda Fatima
During COVID-19 Pandemic, diagnostic laboratories played a vital role in outbreak investigation, surveillance, patient monitoring, and therapeutic effectiveness, and hampered the transmission cycle globally. In Pakistan, the health department took an initiative to build BSL-III labs at divisional levels. A qualitative study was conducted among healthcare professionals from 13 major public health national-level laboratories through in-depth interviews with key informants to note down the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic during diagnostic testing. In this study, 77 % of public health laboratories faced sampling, administrative, and leadership issues. 53 % of laboratories have faced the unavailability of well-trained staff and human resources while both the biosafety and biosecurity protocols, and the lack of resources were compromised in 69 % of labs. Some lab staff (54 %) felt the wastage of resources in terms of excessive testing and fake sampling, while others (54 %) discussed a lack of training and work experience issues. As the majority of the technical lab staff was hired in temporary consultancy mode so 61 % of issues were related to late salaries. 38 % of issues were about fake reporting pressure from higher authorities. 69 % had issues with the continuous supply chain of kits, reagents, PPEs, etc. The work environment was not up to the mark of 69 %. High workload and mental health issues were faced by 92 %, while waste management was 23 %, shortage of lab space for massive testing by 38 %, and stigma and discrimination among healthcare workers and the general public due to involvement in COVID-19 testing were felt by 46 %.
{"title":"Public Health Laboratories Response to SARS-COV-2 Diagnostic Testing during COVID Pandemic in Pakistan","authors":"H. Javed, Rimsha Khan, Warda Fatima","doi":"10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)773","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)773","url":null,"abstract":"During COVID-19 Pandemic, diagnostic laboratories played a vital role in outbreak investigation, surveillance, patient monitoring, and therapeutic effectiveness, and hampered the transmission cycle globally. In Pakistan, the health department took an initiative to build BSL-III labs at divisional levels. A qualitative study was conducted among healthcare professionals from 13 major public health national-level laboratories through in-depth interviews with key informants to note down the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic during diagnostic testing. In this study, 77 % of public health laboratories faced sampling, administrative, and leadership issues. 53 % of laboratories have faced the unavailability of well-trained staff and human resources while both the biosafety and biosecurity protocols, and the lack of resources were compromised in 69 % of labs. Some lab staff (54 %) felt the wastage of resources in terms of excessive testing and fake sampling, while others (54 %) discussed a lack of training and work experience issues. As the majority of the technical lab staff was hired in temporary consultancy mode so 61 % of issues were related to late salaries. 38 % of issues were about fake reporting pressure from higher authorities. 69 % had issues with the continuous supply chain of kits, reagents, PPEs, etc. The work environment was not up to the mark of 69 %. High workload and mental health issues were faced by 92 %, while waste management was 23 %, shortage of lab space for massive testing by 38 %, and stigma and discrimination among healthcare workers and the general public due to involvement in COVID-19 testing were felt by 46 %.","PeriodicalId":36960,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: Part B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41339493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-19DOI: 10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)815
Tazeen, Sidra Rahman, Rizwan Abbas, Syed Ahsan Shahid, Z. Shinwari, Muhammad Ishtiaq Ali
Cosmetics products are the most essential and frequently used components in our daily life. Besides improving human health, they provide healthy lifestyles and boost our self-esteem. Globally cosmetics market is projected to be 287 billion USD in 2021 to 415 billion USD in 2022. This research study aims at the isolation, identification, and characterization of bacterial strains isolated from cosmetics. Six bacterial colonies were isolated by inoculating different cosmetics products on tryptic soya agar media. All the strains showed optimum growth at 37 °C. All strains were assessed through biochemical tests by using different media such as MacConkey agar, SIM, and Simmons citrate agar and were further proceeded for nucleotide sequencing through Sanger sequencing. Different bacterial strains were revealed in cosmetics products including Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Cytobacillus oceanisediminis, Robertmurraya andreesnii, Cytobacillus firmus, Falsibacillus pallidus, and Acinetobacter junii. Most of these strains were found to be pathogenic however, Sphingomonas has the potential for bioremediation and can be utilized for degrading toxic compounds to make the environment better. Similarly, Cytobacillus is found to be involved in biomineralization and also aids in fermentation. Our results have shown that there is a dire need to assure strict safety regulations regarding cosmetics. Improper manufacturing practices can lead to the contamination of cosmetics which could lead to severe consequences of deteriorating the quality of health. Further studies are needed to explore the potential of these isolates so that they can be utilized to improve our health as well as the environment.
{"title":"Isolation and Detection of Bacterial Strains from Cosmetics Products Available in Pakistan","authors":"Tazeen, Sidra Rahman, Rizwan Abbas, Syed Ahsan Shahid, Z. Shinwari, Muhammad Ishtiaq Ali","doi":"10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)815","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)815","url":null,"abstract":"Cosmetics products are the most essential and frequently used components in our daily life. Besides improving human health, they provide healthy lifestyles and boost our self-esteem. Globally cosmetics market is projected to be 287 billion USD in 2021 to 415 billion USD in 2022. This research study aims at the isolation, identification, and characterization of bacterial strains isolated from cosmetics. Six bacterial colonies were isolated by inoculating different cosmetics products on tryptic soya agar media. All the strains showed optimum growth at 37 °C. All strains were assessed through biochemical tests by using different media such as MacConkey agar, SIM, and Simmons citrate agar and were further proceeded for nucleotide sequencing through Sanger sequencing. Different bacterial strains were revealed in cosmetics products including Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Cytobacillus oceanisediminis, Robertmurraya andreesnii, Cytobacillus firmus, Falsibacillus pallidus, and Acinetobacter junii. Most of these strains were found to be pathogenic however, Sphingomonas has the potential for bioremediation and can be utilized for degrading toxic compounds to make the environment better. Similarly, Cytobacillus is found to be involved in biomineralization and also aids in fermentation. Our results have shown that there is a dire need to assure strict safety regulations regarding cosmetics. Improper manufacturing practices can lead to the contamination of cosmetics which could lead to severe consequences of deteriorating the quality of health. Further studies are needed to explore the potential of these isolates so that they can be utilized to improve our health as well as the environment.","PeriodicalId":36960,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: Part B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45197158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-18DOI: 10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)797
Ayesha Khan, Hadia Batool, S. Shahzad
Antiviral pills are oral medications that treat infections through the inhibition of the viral growth and replication cycle. Paxlovid by Pfizer and Molnupiravir by Merck are the two pills effective for high-risk SARS-CoV-2 patients. Paxlovid works by inhibiting the replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2 using cysteine residues in-vitro. These cysteine residues inhibit the main protease of the virus by functioning as reversible covalent inhibitors. Molnupiravir works by introducing a high rate of mutations in the viral RNA causing the virus to become biologically unstable and non-functional. Both antiviral drugs can bridge the gap in the preparedness for viral outbreaks in low-income countries like Pakistan by mitigating the chances of fatality and inpatient treatment in high-risk, unvaccinated individuals. Pakistan has been plagued by various epidemics over the years however SARS-CoV-2 outbreak caused many deaths along with an economic crisis. The country lacks the resources to endure high inpatient treatment rates in case of SARS-CoV-2 infections, which is why the need for antiviral pills like Paxlovid and Molnupiravir is empirical to overcome epidemics and viral outbreaks. This work outlines the antiviral pills and their efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 with a focus on how these drugs can overcome significant gaps in epidemic preparedness and response in Pakistan. We aim to highlight how antiviral pills against SARS-CoV-2 can ensure resilience to future epidemic threats in Pakistan.
{"title":"Antiviral Pills against SARS-CoV-2 Virus to Combat Future Epidemic Threats in Pakistan","authors":"Ayesha Khan, Hadia Batool, S. Shahzad","doi":"10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)797","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)797","url":null,"abstract":"Antiviral pills are oral medications that treat infections through the inhibition of the viral growth and replication cycle. Paxlovid by Pfizer and Molnupiravir by Merck are the two pills effective for high-risk SARS-CoV-2 patients. Paxlovid works by inhibiting the replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2 using cysteine residues in-vitro. These cysteine residues inhibit the main protease of the virus by functioning as reversible covalent inhibitors. Molnupiravir works by introducing a high rate of mutations in the viral RNA causing the virus to become biologically unstable and non-functional. Both antiviral drugs can bridge the gap in the preparedness for viral outbreaks in low-income countries like Pakistan by mitigating the chances of fatality and inpatient treatment in high-risk, unvaccinated individuals. Pakistan has been plagued by various epidemics over the years however SARS-CoV-2 outbreak caused many deaths along with an economic crisis. The country lacks the resources to endure high inpatient treatment rates in case of SARS-CoV-2 infections, which is why the need for antiviral pills like Paxlovid and Molnupiravir is empirical to overcome epidemics and viral outbreaks. This work outlines the antiviral pills and their efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 with a focus on how these drugs can overcome significant gaps in epidemic preparedness and response in Pakistan. We aim to highlight how antiviral pills against SARS-CoV-2 can ensure resilience to future epidemic threats in Pakistan.","PeriodicalId":36960,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: Part B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49468955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-17DOI: 10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)792
Zul Kamal, Haleema Shah, Uzma Bibi, Muhammad Esa, Muhammad Naeem, Saleh Ahmad, Muhammad Shafique
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now a global pandemic and a future threat to the existence of many clinical antibiotics. The excessive overuse in fisheries, poultries, and dairy farms and its irrational prescribing practices are the key factors that lead us to AMR explosions. The current main research objective is to evaluate the empirical practices of ampicillin along with cloxacillin, which are one of the running antibiotics in clinical practices, in most of the tertiary care hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. In this study, the prescribing attitude, sensitivity and responsiveness of these two combinatory antibiotics (ampicillin-cloxacillin) in pediatric/adult pneumonia patients were evaluated in one of the public sector tertiary care hospitals in Mardan. Retrospective data was collected from pediatric ward A and medical A ward (adult), among which a total of n= 90 patient’s prescriptions were evaluated for prescribing practices, WHO core indicators, polypharmacy as well as responsiveness and sensitivity of ampicillin and cloxacillin from hospital longevity. The ampicillin responsiveness was sorted out among all those patients that stayed for a long time in the hospital, and during which the antibiotic therapies were switched from time to time. A total of n= 90 pneumonia patients (40 % & 60 % female) cases were evaluated for ampicillin/cloxacillin (combination) hospital stay longevity and responsiveness. 46 % of patients were under the age of 1–20 years, whereas 31 % were adults between the age of 61–80 years. WHO indicators revealed, that in the prescribed medications (n=918 drugs total, among n=90 patients) 22.33 % of antibiotics were prescribed, where 31.37 % consisted of injectables. Among the antibiotics classes, 17 % of pneumonia patients received penicillin, among which 26.25 % were ampicillin + cloxacillin in the prescribing practices. Ampicillin + cloxacillin responsiveness in pneumonia patients was recorded from the hospital stay and longevity (days) of the patients during their empirical therapy. 46.98 % of pneumonia patients recovered within three days, whereas 40.96 % of patients recovered within six days with ampicillin + cloxacillin (combination therapy). While 10.84 % were stabilized within nine days, though, some patients (1.20 %), recovered after 12 days with ampicillin/cloxacillin (combination therapy). Thus, it may be concluded from the current studies, that the decrease in responsiveness to ampicillin/cloxacillin (combination therapy) and the increase in the hospital longevity of patients, may be an indication of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in pneumonia patients. Though the studies are limited to a very specific number of patients, as well as only to the hospital longevity (stay) parameters of the patients in a tertiary care hospital. These studies should be subjected further to more extensive vigilant research.
{"title":"Prescribing Pattern of Ampicillin and Cloxacillin: Sensitivity and Responsiveness in Pneumonia","authors":"Zul Kamal, Haleema Shah, Uzma Bibi, Muhammad Esa, Muhammad Naeem, Saleh Ahmad, Muhammad Shafique","doi":"10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)792","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)792","url":null,"abstract":"Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now a global pandemic and a future threat to the existence of many clinical antibiotics. The excessive overuse in fisheries, poultries, and dairy farms and its irrational prescribing practices are the key factors that lead us to AMR explosions. The current main research objective is to evaluate the empirical practices of ampicillin along with cloxacillin, which are one of the running antibiotics in clinical practices, in most of the tertiary care hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. In this study, the prescribing attitude, sensitivity and responsiveness of these two combinatory antibiotics (ampicillin-cloxacillin) in pediatric/adult pneumonia patients were evaluated in one of the public sector tertiary care hospitals in Mardan. Retrospective data was collected from pediatric ward A and medical A ward (adult), among which a total of n= 90 patient’s prescriptions were evaluated for prescribing practices, WHO core indicators, polypharmacy as well as responsiveness and sensitivity of ampicillin and cloxacillin from hospital longevity. The ampicillin responsiveness was sorted out among all those patients that stayed for a long time in the hospital, and during which the antibiotic therapies were switched from time to time. A total of n= 90 pneumonia patients (40 % & 60 % female) cases were evaluated for ampicillin/cloxacillin (combination) hospital stay longevity and responsiveness. 46 % of patients were under the age of 1–20 years, whereas 31 % were adults between the age of 61–80 years. WHO indicators revealed, that in the prescribed medications (n=918 drugs total, among n=90 patients) 22.33 % of antibiotics were prescribed, where 31.37 % consisted of injectables. Among the antibiotics classes, 17 % of pneumonia patients received penicillin, among which 26.25 % were ampicillin + cloxacillin in the prescribing practices. Ampicillin + cloxacillin responsiveness in pneumonia patients was recorded from the hospital stay and longevity (days) of the patients during their empirical therapy. 46.98 % of pneumonia patients recovered within three days, whereas 40.96 % of patients recovered within six days with ampicillin + cloxacillin (combination therapy). While 10.84 % were stabilized within nine days, though, some patients (1.20 %), recovered after 12 days with ampicillin/cloxacillin (combination therapy). Thus, it may be concluded from the current studies, that the decrease in responsiveness to ampicillin/cloxacillin (combination therapy) and the increase in the hospital longevity of patients, may be an indication of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in pneumonia patients. Though the studies are limited to a very specific number of patients, as well as only to the hospital longevity (stay) parameters of the patients in a tertiary care hospital. These studies should be subjected further to more extensive vigilant research.","PeriodicalId":36960,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: Part B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45911452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-16DOI: 10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)791
Asiya Nawaz, Asim Saeed, Sidra Rahman, Nighat Haider
Measles is a contagious disease caused by an RNA virus. Resurgence of measles after Covid-19 and its severity among children has led to many speculations about the Measles vaccination coverage and its efficacy. In this study, the clinical data of children <9 years (n=19) admitted at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in the measles ward was analyzed. The blood samples were processed for hematology and routine biochemistry tests. The results obtained were statistically analyzed on SPSS-21 software by using One-Way ANOVA for Complete Parameters (CP), Kruskal Wallis, and Mann-Whitney test for Differential leucocyte count (DLC) and Biochemical parameters. A p<0.05 was considered significant. The results suggest no significant difference in Complete blood parameters (CP) among non-vaccinated, partially vaccinated and fully vaccinated patients. Among DLC Basophils level was significantly different (p=0.024), being lower in partially vaccinated than non-vaccinated patients. Biochemical parameters showed that serum urea level was significantly different (p=0.013), showing a decline in fully vaccinated patients as compared to non-vaccinated patients. Moreover, a significantly higher level of Alkaline phosphatase as compared to the normal range was observed in fully vaccinated patients. However, lower levels of MCH, MCV, MCHC, RBC, Hb, eosinophils, and a higher level of RDW-CV were observed overall as compared to the normal range (healthy individuals). The results suggest improvements are needed in vaccination strategies for effectively controlling the disease. Anemic conditions in overall measles patients indicate poor health conditions. This study contains a limited sample size, further research on measles virus (MeV) mutations, and vaccine optimization could be helpful for the complete eradication of measles from Pakistan.
{"title":"Hematological and Biochemical Assessment of Children Infected with Measles Virus: 2022 Outbreak in Pakistan","authors":"Asiya Nawaz, Asim Saeed, Sidra Rahman, Nighat Haider","doi":"10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)791","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)791","url":null,"abstract":"Measles is a contagious disease caused by an RNA virus. Resurgence of measles after Covid-19 and its severity among children has led to many speculations about the Measles vaccination coverage and its efficacy. In this study, the clinical data of children <9 years (n=19) admitted at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in the measles ward was analyzed. The blood samples were processed for hematology and routine biochemistry tests. The results obtained were statistically analyzed on SPSS-21 software by using One-Way ANOVA for Complete Parameters (CP), Kruskal Wallis, and Mann-Whitney test for Differential leucocyte count (DLC) and Biochemical parameters. A p<0.05 was considered significant. The results suggest no significant difference in Complete blood parameters (CP) among non-vaccinated, partially vaccinated and fully vaccinated patients. Among DLC Basophils level was significantly different (p=0.024), being lower in partially vaccinated than non-vaccinated patients. Biochemical parameters showed that serum urea level was significantly different (p=0.013), showing a decline in fully vaccinated patients as compared to non-vaccinated patients. Moreover, a significantly higher level of Alkaline phosphatase as compared to the normal range was observed in fully vaccinated patients. However, lower levels of MCH, MCV, MCHC, RBC, Hb, eosinophils, and a higher level of RDW-CV were observed overall as compared to the normal range (healthy individuals). The results suggest improvements are needed in vaccination strategies for effectively controlling the disease. Anemic conditions in overall measles patients indicate poor health conditions. This study contains a limited sample size, further research on measles virus (MeV) mutations, and vaccine optimization could be helpful for the complete eradication of measles from Pakistan.","PeriodicalId":36960,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: Part B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44655978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-15DOI: 10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)783
H. Hashmi, Nazia Jamil
Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are of global concern nowadays. Environmental sources like water and soil are playing a key role in spreading antibiotic-resistance genes to humans, animals, and other environments. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify and report the presence of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRs) in environmental water sources that can direct the spread of resistant genes to other bacteria/environments. Methodology: Environmental water samples were collected from 2 livestock farms and a fish pond. Bacterial isolation and identification were carried out by following Burgey’s manual of systematic bacteriology. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done using the disk diffusion method and CLSI guidelines. Multiple antibiotic-resistant indexes were calculated. Whole genome sequences of previously reported bacteria were downloaded from NCBI to detect the resistance genes associated with phenotypic drug resistance and compared using the bioinformatics approach. Results: Microbial load was significantly high in all water sources. Following Genera were the most common: Klebsiella, Escherichia, Proteus, Serratia, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, and Staphylococcus. Out of 10 classes of antibiotics, resistance against 8 classes were identified. Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index range of isolated strains was between 0.4 and 0.9. Key Findings: Resistance against beta-lactam antibiotics was highest in our isolated strains with a MAR index of greater than 0.4 altogether. Conclusion: High burden of multidrug-resistant bacteria were detected in all water samples which can trigger the silent pandemic of antibacterial resistance.
{"title":"High Burden of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Detected in Different Water Sources Can Direct the Spread of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Environment","authors":"H. Hashmi, Nazia Jamil","doi":"10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)783","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53560/ppasb(60-sp1)783","url":null,"abstract":"Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are of global concern nowadays. Environmental sources like water and soil are playing a key role in spreading antibiotic-resistance genes to humans, animals, and other environments. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify and report the presence of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRs) in environmental water sources that can direct the spread of resistant genes to other bacteria/environments. Methodology: Environmental water samples were collected from 2 livestock farms and a fish pond. Bacterial isolation and identification were carried out by following Burgey’s manual of systematic bacteriology. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done using the disk diffusion method and CLSI guidelines. Multiple antibiotic-resistant indexes were calculated. Whole genome sequences of previously reported bacteria were downloaded from NCBI to detect the resistance genes associated with phenotypic drug resistance and compared using the bioinformatics approach. Results: Microbial load was significantly high in all water sources. Following Genera were the most common: Klebsiella, Escherichia, Proteus, Serratia, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, and Staphylococcus. Out of 10 classes of antibiotics, resistance against 8 classes were identified. Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index range of isolated strains was between 0.4 and 0.9. Key Findings: Resistance against beta-lactam antibiotics was highest in our isolated strains with a MAR index of greater than 0.4 altogether. Conclusion: High burden of multidrug-resistant bacteria were detected in all water samples which can trigger the silent pandemic of antibacterial resistance.","PeriodicalId":36960,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: Part B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47179653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hendro Prasetyo, Roy Hendroko Setyobudi, P. G. Adinurani, Zane Vincēviča-Gaile, Ahmad Fauzi, Trias Agung Pakarti, Rusli Tonda, Nguyen Van Minh, Maizirwan Mel
Soil is paramount to sustaining living in biomass production, water quality control, climatic mitigation, and biodiversity endurance. Closely associated with sustainable agriculture, it degrades soil in the long run, robbing the soil of its production capacity and food-generating ability. In Probolinggo, a regency in Indonesia, intensifying the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides yet a declining trend in yield production was discovered. This research analyzed the acid, nitrogen, organic carbon, and nutrients focusing on phosphor, potassium, iron, and manganese contents. Organic carbon/nitrogen ratio, soil organic compound rate, and cation exchange capacity were also discussed in order to illustrate the correlations among chemical substances and their roles in soil and plant maintenance. While such a study has yet to be performed in Probolinggo, the results should show the degree of land deterioration and future attempts at damage control and correction open to facilitate. Employing a simple random method, soil and plant samples were collected from 18 villages in six districts and their chemical contents were compared to the standard set in Government Regulations No 150/2000. The results showed low N-total, P-Bray, P-Olsen, K, C-Organic, and C/N ratio availabilities at 0.18, 13.88, 14.41, 0.37, 1.36, and 7.38 respectively, contrasted to high rates on pH (5.94), Fe (153.46 mg kg–1) and Mn (37.96 mg kg–1). Biomass production is conclusively imperative to fix the land composition and meet the plant nutrient requirements through an organic approach; fertilizers from digester biogas are therefore recommended. This action requires field agricultural advisors to raise awareness of sustainable agriculture.
{"title":"Assessment of Soil Chemical Properties for Monitoring and Maintenance of Soil Fertility in Probolinggo, Indonesia","authors":"Hendro Prasetyo, Roy Hendroko Setyobudi, P. G. Adinurani, Zane Vincēviča-Gaile, Ahmad Fauzi, Trias Agung Pakarti, Rusli Tonda, Nguyen Van Minh, Maizirwan Mel","doi":"10.53560/ppasb(59-4)811","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53560/ppasb(59-4)811","url":null,"abstract":"Soil is paramount to sustaining living in biomass production, water quality control, climatic mitigation, and biodiversity endurance. Closely associated with sustainable agriculture, it degrades soil in the long run, robbing the soil of its production capacity and food-generating ability. In Probolinggo, a regency in Indonesia, intensifying the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides yet a declining trend in yield production was discovered. This research analyzed the acid, nitrogen, organic carbon, and nutrients focusing on phosphor, potassium, iron, and manganese contents. Organic carbon/nitrogen ratio, soil organic compound rate, and cation exchange capacity were also discussed in order to illustrate the correlations among chemical substances and their roles in soil and plant maintenance. While such a study has yet to be performed in Probolinggo, the results should show the degree of land deterioration and future attempts at damage control and correction open to facilitate. Employing a simple random method, soil and plant samples were collected from 18 villages in six districts and their chemical contents were compared to the standard set in Government Regulations No 150/2000. The results showed low N-total, P-Bray, P-Olsen, K, C-Organic, and C/N ratio availabilities at 0.18, 13.88, 14.41, 0.37, 1.36, and 7.38 respectively, contrasted to high rates on pH (5.94), Fe (153.46 mg kg–1) and Mn (37.96 mg kg–1). Biomass production is conclusively imperative to fix the land composition and meet the plant nutrient requirements through an organic approach; fertilizers from digester biogas are therefore recommended. This action requires field agricultural advisors to raise awareness of sustainable agriculture.","PeriodicalId":36960,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: Part B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48959377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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