Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Delay in diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancers in a developing country: A cross-sectional patient-based survey at country's largest pediatric oncology center.","authors":"Rahat Ul Ain, Ali Abdur Rahman, Asfand Tariq, Mahwish Faizan","doi":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.9663","DOIUrl":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.9663","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background & objectives: </strong>Pediatric cancers have a huge survival gap between the high-income and the low-middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite various other causes, the advanced stage of presentation is a major contributing factor but limited data is available from developing countries in this regard. This study aimed to identify delay in treatment and factors associated with it in our setup.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a Cross-Sectional survey conducted at the department of pediatric hematology-oncology Children Hospital Lahore using a questionnaire-based interview of parents of all newly diagnosed cases of pediatric cancers presenting to Pakistan's largest public-sector specialized center at the Children's Hospital Lahore, over two months, i.e. from December 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 119 new patients presenting to the hospital were included. The median total delay in treatment of children with cancer was 63 days which is less than comparable LMICs, but physician and healthcare system delay that makes up the major portion of the total delay is equivalent to some low-income countries. The patient delay was negligible. The statistically significant factors associated with delay were gender, age of the patient; and type of cancer. Whereas, the distance from the specialized center and the socio-economic status of the family did not contribute significantly.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Healthcare system delay is a major contributor therefore strengthening the existing medical services, development of medical referral systems, and medical professional awareness and education can improve delays in treatment and outcomes in our setup.</p>","PeriodicalId":19958,"journal":{"name":"Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"41 5","pages":"1267-1273"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12130928/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144226107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association of hypomagnesemia with chronic use of proton-pump inhibitors in patients visiting a tertiary care hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan.","authors":"Khushal Nadir Hadi, Niktash Khan Hadi, Ayesha Bangash, Fawad Rahim","doi":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.11993","DOIUrl":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.11993","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To determine the association between hypomagnesemia and chronic use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) among patients visiting a tertiary care hospital.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Medicine at Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan from July 2024 to December 2024. A total of 303 patients aged 18 years and above, who had used a PPI for at least one month, were enrolled. Age, gender, body mass index, patient setting, duration and type of PPI used, and the presence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus were documented. Serum magnesium levels were measured for all participants. The data were analyzed using SPSS.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Hypomagnesemia was observed in 51.5% (n=156) patients. Patients with hypomagnesemia had a significantly higher mean age compared to those without (48.9±12.3 vs 38.2±11.4 years, p <0.001). On multivariate analysis, PPI use for more than six months (AOR: 58.1, 95% CI: 22.2-152.5, p<0.001), diabetes mellitus (AOR: 23.1, 95% CI: 6.4-82.6, p<0.001), and hypertension (AOR: 3.2, 95% CI: 1.4 - 7.1, p<0.001) were identified as independent predictors of hypomagnesemia. No significant differences in serum magnesium levels were found among patients using different types of PPIs (p=0.131).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Hypomagnesemia was found in 51.5% of patients, irrespective of PPI type. Significant risk factors included advanced age, prolonged PPI use, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Raising awareness among healthcare professionals about PPI's potential adverse effects and advocating for prudent prescription practices is essential.</p>","PeriodicalId":19958,"journal":{"name":"Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"41 5","pages":"1388-1392"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12130951/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144226131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and validation of a nomogram model for predicting infection after radical resection of gastric cancer.","authors":"Liang Zhou, Hong Wu, Xin Chen","doi":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.11650","DOIUrl":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.11650","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To develop and validate a nomogram model for predicting infection after radical resection of gastric cancer (GC).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this retrospective cohort study clinical data of patients who underwent radical resection of GC in BenQ Medical Center in Nanjing, China from January 2020 to April 2024 was retrospectively selected. Patients were randomly assigned to the training cohort and the validation cohort in a ratio of 7:3. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the characteristics and screen the independent risk factors of infection after radical resection of GC to construct a predictive nomogram model. The prediction performance and clinical utility of the nomogram model were evaluated by drawing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and calculating the area under the curve (AUC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Records of 581 patients with GC after radical resection were included in this study. The incidence of postoperative infection was 19.1% (111/581). The nomogram model that included age, hypertension, open surgery, operation duration, lymphocyte count, and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) showed sufficient prediction accuracy, with the AUC of the training set and validation set of 0.833 (95% CI: 0.778-0.888) and 0.859 (0.859; 0.777-0.941), respectively. The calibration curve showed that the model's predicted value is basically consistent with the actual value, and the calibration effect is good. DCA also shows that the predictive model has good clinical utility.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The established nomogram model has a good predictive value in predicting infection after radical resection of GC in this study, which may be a reliable tool for clinicians to identify patients with GC at high risk of infection after radical gastrectomy.</p>","PeriodicalId":19958,"journal":{"name":"Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"41 5","pages":"1344-1351"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12130927/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144226210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the determinants of Suicide among Married Women in Chitral, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.","authors":"Jafaryad Hussain, Sahil Sajjad, Kausar Hussain","doi":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.9319","DOIUrl":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.9319","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to explore the factors that lead to committing suicide among married women of Chitral, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A qualitative study using a family ethnographic approach was utilized to explore the complex factors contributing to suicidal behavior among women in Chitral, aiming to understand the underlying causes and risk factors. Data collection took place between April to July 2016, employing a combination of semi-structured interviews, observation, and study records. To analyze the gathered data, a social-ecological model was used, which led to the identification of various categories and themes. It is important to note that the study received approval from the ethical committee of Aga Khan University Karachi, ensuring compliance with ethical guidelines. To protect the privacy and confidentiality of the participants, pseudonyms were assigned, ensuring anonymity throughout the research process.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>According to the research findings, domestic violence was the primary reason for suicide among the women, which was further divided into five categories, including: (i) personal factors; (ii) family level factors; (iii) community level factors; (iv) society level factors.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Study findings provided insights into determinants leading to suicide among married women in Chitral. The major contributing factor highlighted is domestic violence with sub-factors. The findings of the research study will make significant contributions to the prevention of suicide among women.</p>","PeriodicalId":19958,"journal":{"name":"Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"41 5","pages":"1435-1440"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12130955/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144226217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Re-exploring the association between the central venous pressure and the risk of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury according to the latest definition: Analysis of the MIMIC-IV database.","authors":"Yingxiu Liu, Baiqing Ren, Muqiao Cheng, Junming Du, Rongrong Ren","doi":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.12047","DOIUrl":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.12047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The lack of a standard definition for sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) makes the association between central venous pressure (CVP) and SA-AKI risk unclear. This study analyzed the relationship between CVP levels and the incidence and mortality of SA-AKI based on the most recent definition of the disease.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective observational study utilized clinical records of sepsis patients from 2008 to 2019 admitted to the critical care unit (ICU) and in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database were included. Based on the Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) definition of SA-AKI, patients were stratified into SA-AKI and non-SA-AKI groups. Patients were further categorized into four groups based on the CVP levels by the optimal prediction of SA-AKI incidence retrospectively. Cox proportional hazards models and a restricted cubic splines (RCS) model were employed to evaluate the relationship between CVP levels and SA-AKI risk. Additionally, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was conducted to compare disparities in primary and secondary endpoints across groups stratified by CVP levels.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 6129 patients were included. An independent relationship was observed between CVP levels and the risk of SA-AKI (p <0.001). Cox proportional hazards analysis demonstrated that SA-AKI incidence increased by 33% in patients with CVP≥10.19mmHg and 48% in patients with CVP≥13.67mmHg compared to patients with CVP<6.87mmHg. RCS analysis demonstrated a U-shaped association between CVP levels and mortality. In addition, the 90-day mortality risk decreased when CVP was between 4.89 and 13.12 mmHg (p< 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Elevated CVP levels are associated with the occurrence of SA-AKI in sepsis patients. Maintaining CVP levels between 4.89mmHg and 10.19mmHg may help reduce the incidence and mortality of SA-AKI.</p>","PeriodicalId":19958,"journal":{"name":"Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"41 5","pages":"1393-1401"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12130932/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144226255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Retrospective analysis of the efficacy of total glycosides of paeony capsules combined with hydroxychloroquine in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome.","authors":"Tianxiao Fu, Wenwen Lu, Danbin Wu, Guolin Wu","doi":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.11102","DOIUrl":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.11102","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>In this retrospective analysis, total glucosides of paeony (TGP) were compared with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in the treatment of patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this retrospectively analysis, 157 patients with SS treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine hospital between January 2020 and December 2023 were included. The analysis included the flow rates of saliva and tears before and after treatment in the control group and observation group, as well as levels of white blood cells (WB), hemoglobin (Hb), platelets (PLT), and immunoinflammatory indicators including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels, disease evaluation scores and occurrence of adverse reactions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Clinical baseline data were not statistically significant after six months of treatment between the two groups (<i>P</i>>0.05). In the observation group, the efficacy of treatment was 93.65%, whereas in the control group, it was 81.67% (<i>P<</i>0.05). Blood routine indicators (WB, Hb, PLT) significantly increased in the observation group (<i>P</i><0.05). A significant decrease in immunoinflammatory markers (ESR, CRP, IgG) was observed in the observation group, compared with the control group (<i>P</i><0.05). Disease evaluation scores scores in the observation groups significantly decreased (<i>P</i><0.05). Adverse reactions showed no statistically significant (<i>P></i>0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In the treatment of pSS, TGP capsules and HCQ are combined to improve salivary and lacrimal gland function, suppress the release of inflammatory factors, repair damage to the blood system, control disease activity, show significant clinical efficacy, and have few adverse reactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":19958,"journal":{"name":"Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"41 5","pages":"1429-1434"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12130948/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144226256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combined effect of Tislelizumab and chemotherapy on tumor control rate and prognosis in patients with small cell lung cancer.","authors":"Ning Zhong, Menglan Zhong, Wei Zhuang","doi":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.11530","DOIUrl":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.11530","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Exploring the effect of the combined regimen of Tislelizumab and chemotherapy on tumor control rate and prognosis in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective analysis included data of 80 SCLC patients treated in Jiangxi Cancer Hospital from April 2021 to April 2023. Forty patients who were treated with a combination of chemotherapy and Tislelizumab (the Combined group) were matched in a 1:1 ratio with a cohort receiving chemotherapy alone (the Chemotherapy group). Levels of tumor markers and T cell subsets in both groups were compared before and after treatment. After six months of follow-up, the early disease recurrence rate and survival rate of the two groups were compared.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The tumor control rate of the Combined group was higher than that of the Chemotherapy group (<i>P</i><0.05). After treatment, the serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and cytokeratin-19-fragment (CYFRA21-1) in both groups decreased compared to before treatment and were lower in the Combined group compared to the Chemotherapy group (<i>P</i><0.05). Combined treatment was associated with higher levels of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ (<i>P</i><0.05). The disease recurrence rate was lower, and the survival rate was higher in the patients who received the combined treatment than those treated by the chemotherapy alone(<i>P</i><0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Adopting the conventional combination of Tislelizumab and chemotherapy to treat SCLC can downregulate tumor marker levels, improve immune function, enhance treatment efficacy, and ensure disease prognosis. Longer follow-up is needed to confirm long-term prognostic benefits.</p>","PeriodicalId":19958,"journal":{"name":"Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"41 5","pages":"1331-1336"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12130931/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144226104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of individualized psychological interventions on the psychological state and pregnancy outcomes of patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion.","authors":"Yanan Yang, Chong Liu, Na Han, Guohui Wang, Wei Zhao, Jiayin Shen","doi":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.10466","DOIUrl":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.10466","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To investigate the effects of individualized psychological interventions on the psychological state and pregnancy outcomes of patients experiencing recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a retrospective study. Eighty-eight patients with RSA treated at Langfang TCM Hospital from December 2022 to December 2023 were selected as study subjects. They were randomly divided into a control group, which received standard nursing care, and an intervention group, which underwent individualized psychological interventions. The psychological states and pregnancy outcomes of patients in both groups were compared through assessments of anxiety and depression scores, quality of life, recurrence rate of miscarriage, newborn Apgar scores, and patient satisfaction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Before the intervention, no significant difference was observed in the baseline characteristics between the two groups(P>0.05). After the intervention, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group, respectively. The quality of life scores were all higher in the intervention group than in the control group. The recurrence rate of miscarriage in the intervention group (4.55%) was significantly lower than that in the control group (18.18%). The Apgar scores of newborns at birth, one minute after birth, and five minutes after birth were all higher in the intervention group. The satisfaction rate of the intervention group was significantly higher than that of the control group, with all differences being statistically significant(<i>P</i><0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Individualized psychological interventions can effectively improve the psychological state and pregnancy outcomes of patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion.</p>","PeriodicalId":19958,"journal":{"name":"Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"41 5","pages":"1470-1474"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12130934/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144226211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Kangaroo-mother care combined with infant touch on premature infants.","authors":"Qiuying Du, Hongbin Zhu, Man Guo, Huichan Yang, Yanfei Ma","doi":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.10187","DOIUrl":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.10187","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To explore the effect of Kangaroo-mother care combined with infant touch on premature infants.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a retrospective study. Ninety two premature infants in Maternity & Child Care Center of Qinhuangdao from July 2022 to July 2023 were included. The enrolled patients were randomly divided into a control group (routine nursing intervention) and an observation group (Kangaroo-mother care combined with infant touch) using a random number table method (n=46 each group). Further comparison was made on physical development, nutritional status, and sleep quality between groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There was no statistically significant difference in body height and weight between the two groups of infants at birth(<i>P</i>>0.05). The body height and weight of the two groups of infants both increased at 3 days, 7 days and 30 days after birth, which were higher in the observation group than those in the control group(<i>P</i><0.05). Furthermore, the levels of zinc, iron, and prealbumin in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group at 30 days and 90 days after birth, respectively(<i>P</i><0.05). Moreover, the good sleep quality rate of infants in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (63.04% vs. 36.96%), while the poor sleep quality rate of infants in the former group was obviously lower than that in the latter group (8.70% vs. 26.09%), with statistically significant differences(<i>P</i><0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Kangaroo-mother care combined with infant touch has a significant effect on premature infants, which can promote their physical development, improve their nutritional status and sleep quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":19958,"journal":{"name":"Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"41 5","pages":"1447-1451"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12130938/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144226212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Ramadan fasting during third trimester on Doppler indices, non-stress test of fetus and perinatal outcomes.","authors":"Rabia Jamil, Saba Mughal, Sonam, Saba Sohail, Nazli Hossain","doi":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.11529","DOIUrl":"10.12669/pjms.41.5.11529","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To assess the Effects of Ramadan fasting during third trimester on Doppler indices, non-stress test and perinatal outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This prospective, cross-sectional research was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology unit 1, Dr Ruth KM Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi from March 2024 to May 2024. The study involved 100 participants they were divided into two groups, fasting group with minimum 10 days of fasting (Group-I) and non-fasting group (Group-II). Umbilical artery systolic/diastolic ratio, pulsatility index, middle cerebral artery pulsatility index and amniotic fluid index was measured during third trimester. This was followed by for non-stress test (cardiotocography) for about 30 minutes. Both groups were followed till delivery. At delivery placental weight, baby birth weight, head circumference, length and mid arm circumference of baby were recorded.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 100 pregnant women were included. 52% (n=26) observed continuous fasting and 48% (n=24) observed intermittent fasting. Overall median age and BMI of pregnant women were 27 (IQR: 23-30) years and 25 (IQR: 24-29) kg/m², respectively. Amniotic fluid index was a bit higher in women who were not fasting (Median: 13.7, IQR: 11.0-15.0) as compared to those who fasted during pregnancy (Median: 12.3, IQR: 10.7-15.0). Although Doppler assessment and CTG findings did not show any significant association with the fasting status of pregnant women except median pulsatility index which was significantly higher in non-fasted group (1.0, IQR: 0.9-1.4 vs. 0.9, IQR: 0.7-1.1, p-value=0.002). Overall median weight of baby and Apgar score at 5-min were 3.0 (IQR: 2.8-3.2) kg and 8 (IQR: 8-10), respectively. The anthropometric measurements were similar in both groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Maternal fasting during Ramadan does not adversely affect Doppler indices, amniotic fluid index, non-stress test and fetal condition.</p>","PeriodicalId":19958,"journal":{"name":"Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"41 5","pages":"1423-1428"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12130960/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144226214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}