<p><strong>Background and Objective:</strong> The pandemic caused by Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is notably becoming similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome viruses (MERS) for causing poor feto-maternal outcome. There is not much data available about COVID-19 during pregnancy in Pakistan therefore the objective of this study is to determine maternal and fetal outcome in pregnant women affected with COVID-19 and to find out frequency of vertical transmission. <strong>Methods: </strong>This descriptive case series was conducted from 1st April 2020 to 10th May 2020 at Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, COVID ward, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore. A total of 20 women were included in the study that were found positive for viral RNA by Real-Time Reverse TranscriptionPolymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-PCR) of nasopharyngeal specimens. Demographics, duration of gestation, fetomaternal outcome and vertical transmission were noted in the respected proformas. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. <strong>Results:</strong> The mean age of these gravid females was 29.3 &plusmn; 4.17 years. The mean gravidity was 2.60 &plusmn; 1.14 and mean gestational age was 29 &plusmn; 9.53 weeks. Among 20 patients, 4(20%) were primigravida, 5(25%) females were gravida 2 and remaining 11(55%) cases were gravida 3 and 4. The most common presenting complaints were fever followed by dry cough, myalgia and shortness of breath. Nine patients were delivered by lower segment cesarean section in which fetal distress was observed in 5(55.6%) newborns and 1(10%) newborn was preterm. Among all newborns, 02 developed respiratory distress syndrome and were admitted in pediatric intensive care unit. All pharyngeal swabs of newborns were negative at 12 and 24 hours of life. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> COVID-19 in pregnant females is not different than in general population. The fetomaternal outcome is usually good and there is no evidence of vertical transmission in any newborn.</p>

Abstract Introduction: Educational environment or learning environment is a context in which teaching, training and grooming of post graduate residents occurs. Surgical specialty as a whole and operating rooms in particular are very important in terms teaching and training. Perception of residents as to this learning environment is quite vital to their learning and should be assessed objectively to identify weak and strong areas of the environment. The Surgical Theatre Educational Environment Measures (STEEM) questionnaire is an instrument that can be used to assess perception of residents about learning environment in operation theatre. Objective: To evaluate the perception of surgical post-graduate residents about their learning environment in operating rooms and compare this perception among different strata of residents as to age, gender, and year of residency. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at The Children’s Hospital & The Institute of Child Health Lahore. STEEM questionnaire was used to check the perceptions of educational environment in surgical theatres. This study was carried out from July 2019 to September 2019. A total of 62 surgical residents were given printed questionnaire after informed consent. The data was analyzed through SPSS V24 and descriptive and inferential analyses performed.   Results: Out of 62 surgical residents, 61 responded (Response rate 98.3%). Mean age of residents was 29.27 years (±2.37); 45 residents were male whereas 16 were females (2.8:1). Majority of residents were from 3rd (34.4%) and 4th (21.3%) year of their residency. The total mean score was 147.66 (±18.57). No difference in mean scores were found as to age and sex of participants; whereas, responses were statistically more positive for residents in their first year or fifth year of their residency. Overall 53 residents gave favorable/positive response.  Conclusion: Overall residents had good perception about their training and supervisors, learning opportunities in operation theatre, atmosphere in operation theatre, and supervision being provided to them.   Key words STEEM, Surgical, Perception, Surgical residents, Learning environment, Operation theatre learning.

Objective: To determine the relationship between periodontitis and preterm labour in pregnant women presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Lahore. Methods: This case control study was conducted at Obstetrics & Gynecology Unit 4 of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore for six months. The delivering women, who consented to participate, were divided into two case and control groups. For each case one control was enrolled who met the inclusion criteria, so total sample size was 380 women. Women delivered before 37 weeks of gestation were case group and those delivered after 37 weeks were control group. A patient was considered having periodontitis if she had probing pocket depth of ≥3mm in at least 3 sites. Data was collected and analyzed on SPSS version 21. Results: In this study the mean age of the case group patients was 28.52±6.45 years while of the control group was 28.67±6.35 years. The mean value of probing depth pocket in the case group was 3.872±1.37 while the mean value probing depth pocket of the control group was 3.58±1.52. Out of 380 patients the periodontitis was found in 275 patients. The odds of having periodontitis in case group was 1.85 times higher than control group i.e. OR=1.85[1.17-2.92]. Conclusion: Periodontitis is a preventable risk factor of preterm labour in women presenting at a tertiary care hospital. Keywords: Preterm Labour, Periodontitis, dental hygiene, preterm delivery

Background: Diazinon is a globally used pesticide. Morus nigra (Black Mulberry) possesses flavonoids and phenols, which act as antioxidants. The objective of this study was to determine the possible protective effects of Morus nigra leaf extract on Diazinon-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Material and Method: It was an experimental study conducted in the Department of Anatomy, Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore. A total of 36 healthy male Wistar albino rats were divided into three groups with 12 rats in each group. Group I was the control group. Group II was treated with 60 mg/kg body weight (bw) Diazinon daily for 4 weeks through orogastric intubation. Group III was treated with Diazinon 60 mg/kg bw daily along with 350 mg/kg bw of Morus nigra extract daily for 4 weeks through orogastric intubation. Blood samples were collected through cardiac puncture, for estimation of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels. Liver dissection was done, slides of the hepatic tissue were prepared and studied under light microscope. The histology of hepatocytes, portal lobule, portal vein and sinuosoids was observed. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis. One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test was applied to establish difference among groups with P-value ≤0.05 considered as statistically significant. Results: Histology of Liver tissue in group I showed normal morphology while group II revealed hypertrophy and vacuolization of hepatocytes, congested central vein and sinusoids and presence of necrotic foci. These toxic effects were reversed by the co-administration of Diazinon with Morus nigra in group III which showed normal histology of the hepatic tissue. Similarly, Diazinon administration resulted in significant elevation of ALT and AST levels (P-value<0.05), while, Morus nigra resulted in a considerable decline in the levels of these enzymes (P-value <0.05). Conclusion: Morus nigra extract has hepatoprotective effects against liver toxicity induced by Diazinon.