OBJECTIVE:To determine the frequency of transient hyperglycemia, impaired glucose tolerance and gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM) in preterm pregnant women receiving antenatal steroids. METHODOLOGY:This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in Maternal and Child Health Center unit 1 (MCH-1) at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Islamabad Pakistan from January 2017 till August 2017. A total of 365 pregnant women presenting to emergency and outpatient department with preterm labor (alive morphologically normal babies), with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) and other conditions which require early delivery including preeclampsia, IUGR requiring preterm delivery, severe oligohydramnios, antepartum hemorrhage(APH), women receiving two doses dexamethasone and all those with BSR>126mg/dl were included in the study. Multiple pregnancies, advanced preterm labor (cervix > 5cm dilated), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or type I/II diabetes mellitus (DM), chorioamnionitis and taking any medication that affects glucose metabolism were excluded from the study. After ethical approval, informed consent was taken from study participants. Blood sugar levels before the commencement of 1st dose of dexamethasone were noted. Blood sugar profile (fasting, 2 hours after lunch, 2 hours after dinner) were carried out. 2nd dose of dexamethasone was given after 12 hours of 1st dose. Profile was carried out till euglycemia or 5 days if sugars remain deranged.  Patients having deranged levels for greater than 5 days were advised 75 g oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT) and labelled as having impaired glucose tolerance or gestational diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: In our study, 57.57%(n=213) were between 18-30 years, 42.43%(n=157) were between 31-40 years of age, mean age was calculated as 28.92+5.54 while mean gestational age was 31.19+1.92 weeks. Frequency of transient hyperglycemia, impaired glucose tolerance and gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM) in preterm pregnant women receiving antenatal steroids revealed 62.16%(n=230) had transient hyperglycemia, 9.46%(n=35) had impaired glucose tolerance, 2.16%(n=8) had gestational diabetes and 26.22%(n=97) had no blood glucose abnormality.   CONCLUSION: We concluded that the frequency of abnormal glucose levels increases in preterm pregnant women receiving antenatal steroids. Therefore, single blood sugar level done routinely before dexamethasone therapy are insufficient to judge the glucose metabolic status and should be closely monitored during the use of antenatal corticosteroids. KEYWORDS: Preterm delivery, antenatal steroids, transient hyperglycemia, impaired glucose tolerance and gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM)

Sever blood lose in carcinogenic colorectal hemorrhage due to longitudinal ulcer, ultimately become fatal if left untreated.

IntroductionHepatitis C has gradually become endemic in Pakistan, with infectivity rates one of the highest in the world. The emergence of direct acting antivirals (DAAs) has become a ray of sunshine in eradicating this menace from this region. The combination of sofosbuvir, daclatasvir and ribavirin (SOF/DACLA/RIBA) has had phenomenal success all over the world in eradicating this virus. Our study aims to see the effectiveness of this regime in this part of the world.MethodsAfter approval from the institutional review board (IRB), retrospective analysis of data of treatment naïve patients who have been treated with the above mentioned regimen was collected to assess the efficacy by calculating the sustained virological response (SVR) at 12 weeks after completion of therapy.ResultsData of 300 patients (172 females, 128 males) was collected. Mean age was 39.66 years. Majority (almost 90%) of patients were from District Multan Age range was from 18 years to 60 years. Eighty-three percent of the patients were non-cirrhotics, 15.7% had compensated cirrhosis, while only 1 % had decompensated cirrhosis. Out of the 300 patients, 291 patients had undetectable HCV RNA on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at 12 weeks after completion of treatment, achieving SVR rates of 97%. There was no significant association of SVR rates with gender and age of patients.ConclusionThe combination of SOF/DACA/RIBA is highly efficacious for treatment of hepatitis C patients.