Nepalese Patients Research Articles

Comorbidities in Nepalese psychiatry out-patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder


 Introduction: Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is among the most prevalent and debilitating mental illnesses. Associated physical and psychiatric comorbidities furthur complicate its outlook. The present study was conducted to sort out psychiatric and major physical comorbidities among Nepalese OCD patients presenting to a psychiatric out-patient service.
 Material And Method: We used the ‘ICD-10: Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders’ for diagnosis and the ‘Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale’ (YBOC) for rating OCD symptoms. Psychiatric comorbidity diagnoses were made as per the ICD-10 and physical diagnoses according to the departments from or to where subjects were referred.
 Results: Of total, 45 (60%) were male. The most commonly affected age groups were 20-29 (39%) and 30-39 (32%). More than half subjects presented after more than five years of illness. Thirteen percent subjects had suicidal intents. Nearly two third subjects had presented with the YBOC score of severe range. Forty percent subjects reported past history and 55% family history of significant illness. One fourth revealed substance use and assessment indicated premorbid cluster C traits/ problems among nearly 45%. Ninteen percent had physical and 63% comorbid psychiatric disorders. Mood, mainly depressive and other anxiety disorders were the most common ones.
 Conclusion: Many of Nepalese OCD patients present late to psychiatric service when they are severely affected and have other comorbidities. Depressive and other anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric comorbidities.

Comparison of EuroSCORE II with EuroSCORE in Cardiac Surgical Patients in a Tertiary Level Teaching Hospital in Nepal

Introduction: European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) is the standard tool for risk stratification of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Its relevance has been validated in European, Asian countries and also in Nepal. Its limitations led to development of EuroSCORE II. This study was carried out to compare EuroSCORE II with EuroSCORE in Nepalese cardiac surgical patients. Methods: A retrospective analytical cohort study of 3 years duration in 972 adult cardiac surgeries was conducted. Scores obtained from EuroSCORE (Logistic and Additive) and EuroSCORE II was compared with the observed mortality. Calibration was calculated by Hosmer- Lemeshow (H-L) test (Chi Square test) and discrimination by calculating the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. Results: Observed mortality was 4.11%. EuroSCORE additive, logistic and EuroSCORE II predicted mortality were 4.32%, 4.55% and 2.13% respectively. H-L chi square calculation for EuroSCORE additive model could not hold as all observed and expected frequencies match exactly. Hence it can be considered as a good fit. EuroSCORE logistic model (H-L, Chi-square 7.743, p<0.001) and EuroSCORE II (H-L, Chi-square 11.631, p = 0.168) also showed good fit i.e. both can predict mortality satisfactorily. AUC of ROC curve of EuroSCORE additive, logistic and EuroSCORE II were 0.632, 0.636 and 0.616 respectively, which showed fair discrimination power. Conclusion: Mortality prediction of adult cardiac surgical patients by EuroSCORE (additive and logistic) and EuroSCORE II was satisfactory.

Comparison of EuroSCORE II with EuroSCORE in Cardiac Surgical Patients in a Tertiary Level Teaching Hospital in Nepal

Introduction European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) is the standard tool for risk stratification of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Its relevance has been validated in European, Asian countries and also in Nepal. Its limitations led to development of EuroSCORE II. This study was carried out to compare EuroSCORE II with EuroSCORE in Nepalese cardiac surgical patients.
 MethodsA retrospective analytical cohort study of 3 years duration in 972 adult cardiac surgeries was conducted. Scores obtained from EuroSCORE (Logistic and Additive) and EuroSCORE II was compared with the observed mortality. Calibration was calculated by Hosmer- Lemeshow (H-L) test (Chi Square test) and discrimination by calculating the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve.
 ResultsObserved mortality was 4.11%. EuroSCORE additive, logistic and EuroSCORE II predicted mortality were 4.32%, 4.55% and 2.13% respectively. H-L chi square calculation for EuroSCORE additive model could not hold as all observed and expected frequencies match exactly. Hence it can be considered as a good fit. EuroSCORE logistic model (H-L, Chi-square 7.743, p<0.001) and EuroSCORE II (H-L, Chi-square 11.631, p = 0.168) also showed good fit i.e. both can predict mortality satisfactorily. AUC of ROC curve of EuroSCORE additive, logistic and EuroSCORE II were 0.632, 0.636 and 0.616 respectively, which showed fair discrimination power.
 ConclusionMortality prediction of adult cardiac surgical patients by EuroSCORE (additive and logistic) and EuroSCORE II was satisfactory.

A survey in Nepalese patients with acute leukaemia: a starting point for defining financial toxicity of cancer care in low-income and middle-income countries

A survey in Nepalese patients with acute leukaemia: a starting point for defining financial toxicity of cancer care in low-income and middle-income countries

Etiological profile of hypothyroidism in Nepalese patients

Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)

MLH1 and MSH2 mismatch repair protein profile using immunohistochemistry in Nepalese colorectal cancer patients

BACKGROUND Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, or Lynch syndrome, caused by germline mutations or genetic defects in mismatch repair (MMR) genes (MLH1, MSH2, PMS2, MSH6, and epithelial cellular adhesion molecule), is an autosomal dominant condition accounting for 2–5% of all colorectal carcinomas (CRCs). Reports on MMR loss in many populations are available; however, there are no reports on the frequency of MMR protein expression in Nepalese cohorts. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the expression profiles of MLH1 and MSH2 protein by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in Nepalese CRC patients.
 METHODS This retrospective study used archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from 43 Nepalese CRC patients. IHC staining was performed using MLH1 and MSH2 antibodies. IHC scoring analysis was assessed using semiquantitative scoring.
 RESULTS Of the 43 CRC patients, 8 (18.6%) showed loss of staining for MLH1 antibody, 5 (11.6%) showed loss of staining for MSH2 antibody, and 4 (9.3%) showed loss of staining for both MLH1 and MSH2 antibodies.
 CONCLUSIONS IHC is a potential screening method of determining the MMR expression profile of Nepalese CRC patients. IHC can be performed in local clinical laboratories to find MMR protein defects in selected cases prior to expensive molecular tests.

Translation, validation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) in Nepali language.

To translate, cross-culturally adapt and test the psychometric properties of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) in Nepali language (Nepali FIQR). The translation was performed following the methodological standards described by Beaton. Comprehensibility testing of the preliminary version was done in 40 fibromyalgia patients, and a pre-final version was prepared after making changes in the original version to maintain the equivalence with the target version. Psychometric testing was done in another group of 130 fibromyalgia patients to test for content validity and reliability. Construct validity was tested with visual analog score (VAS) for pain and Short Form (SF)-36. Nepali FIQR was comprehensible to 92.5% patients. The internal consistency was also acceptable with Cronbach's alpha of 0.900, 0.714 and 0.863 for function, overall and symptoms domain, respectively. Construct validity was also acceptable with a moderate correlation between Nepali FIQR and VAS and SF-36. Test-retest reliability of the total Nepali FIQR and of each item were acceptable with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of >0.7 in all items except for question 1 of function domain (ICC: 0.65). Nepali FIQR is a comprehensible, reliable and valid tool for evaluation of the functional status of Nepalese patients with fibromyalgia and should be implemented in routine clinical care and research settings.

Helicobacter pylori was not detected in oral squamous cell carcinomas from cohorts of Norwegian and Nepalese patients

Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is an established causative agent for gastric cancer. Although the oral cavity is a part of the gastrointestinal system, the presence and possible causative role of HP in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a subject of controversy. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate HP infection in two cohorts of OSCC patients with different demographic characteristics, lifestyles and habitual risk factors. A total of 242 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded OSCC specimens from two different patient cohorts (Norway, n = 171 and Nepal, n = 71) were used to examine HP using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Two different HP specific genes (23S rRNA and ureA) were used for TaqMan-based qPCR, and for subsequent verification using HP specific RIDAGENE HP kit and SYBR Green based qPCR. All of the OSCC specimens from both cohorts were found to be negative for HP infection with IHC and qPCR, although the positive control specimens tested positive. Our findings suggest that HP is absent in the examined OSCC cohorts, irrespective of race, lifestyle and habitual risk factors. This indicates that, in contrast to gastric cancer, HP is an unlikely contributing factor for OSCC pathogenesis.

Comparison of Nepalese and Swedish Patients with Colorectal Cancer Regarding Tumor Suppressor Methylation in Tumor and Mucosa Samples

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is common with wide variation in incidence. However, the incidence in younger adults is showing an increasing trend with rectal preponderance. Such cases appear to present in advanced stage with poorly differentiated histopathology and the trend is stronger in developing countries. The aim of the study was to compare the MLH1 and in matched mucosa and tumor samples obtained from the large gut of Nepalese and Swedish patients with CRC. Methods: Patients diagnosed and operated for CRC at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Nepal (n=39) matched for age with those operated at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden (n=39) were included in the study. Demographics and clinicopathological data were compared. The tissue methylation status was compared in the Nepalese and Swedish populations and correlated to clinicopathological data. Results: There were 56% men and 44% women in the study. Their mean age was 53 years with a range of 20 to 78 years. Colon cancer amounted to 70% and 60% in the Nepalese and Swedish patients respectively and the majority of lesions were on the right colon. The colorectal cancer was commonly of stage III (52% and 38%) in the Nepalese and Swedish group respectively. Most of the tumors were well differentiated (41%) in the Nepalese population where as in Swedish patients it the differentiation was medium to low (52% and 11%). Methylation of MLH gene, in different CpG sites, when analyzed independently, showed that in about 18-20% of the cases, the degree of methylation is significantly higher in tumor tissue as compared to sites at least 10 cm away from the lesion. Conclusion: Colon cancer is more common in men in Nepal with predominantly more on the right colon. Most of them present in advanced stage with higher MLH1 methylation.

Comparison of Nepalese and Swedish Patients with Colorectal Cancer Regarding Tumor Suppressor Methylation in Tumor and Mucosa Samples

Introduction Colorectal cancer (CRC) is common with wide variation in incidence. However, the incidence in younger adults is showing an increasing trend with rectal preponderance. Such cases appear to present in advanced stage with poorly differentiated histopathology and the trend is stronger in developing countries. The aim of the study was to compare the MLH1 and in matched mucosa and tumor samples obtained from the large gut of Nepalese and Swedish patients with CRC.
 MethodsPatients diagnosed and operated for CRC at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Nepal (n=39) matched for age with those operated at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden (n=39) were included in the study. Demographics and clinicopathological data were compared. The tissue methylation status was compared in the Nepalese and Swedish populations and correlated to clinicopathological data.
 ResultsThere were 56% men and 44% women in the study. Their mean age was 53 years with a range of 20 to 78 years. Colon cancer amounted to 70% and 60% in the Nepalese and Swedish patients respectively and the majority of lesions were on the right colon. The colorectal cancer was commonly of stage III (52% and 38%) in the Nepalese and Swedish group respectively. Most of the tumors were well differentiated (41%) in the Nepalese population where as in Swedish patients it the differentiation was medium to low (52% and 11%). Methylation of MLH gene, in different CpG sites, when analyzed independently, showed that in about 18-20% of the cases, the degree of methylation is significantly higher in tumor tissue as compared to sites at least 10 cm away from the lesion.
 ConclusionColon cancer is more common in men in Nepal with predominantly more on the right colon. Most of them present in advanced stage with higher MLH1 methylation.

Assessment of Nepalese prosthodontist’s attitude towards morphological completeness of dental arches in partially dentate older patients

Background: Complete dentition is not always appropriate for old aged medically compromised and financially weak individuals. It is the dentist to decide what minimum number of teeth should be restored to have the proper oral function. The aim was to find out the opinion of prosthodon­tists of Nepal regarding the suitability of shortened dental arch as treatment modality and how frequently is this treatment choice for an old aged Nepalese patient.
 Methods: A pretested close ended questionnaire was usedin this study.After taking ethical clear­ance from Nepal Health Research Council, online questionnaire was sent to the participants along with the consent. Analysis was done using SPSS (version 21) statistical software package. Descrip­tive statistics was used. Percentage and frequencies were calculated.
 Results: Among respondents, 96.2% (n=51) had heard about shortened dental arch therapy but 3.8 % (n=2) had never heard about it. Forty-two (79.2%) do support shortened dental arch. Eleven (20.8%) do not favorshortened dental arch. Their main reason for replacing molars was to improve masticatory function.Instead of shortened dental arch,n=5(45.5%) prefer cast partial denture and 6(54.5%) advice implant supported fixed prosthesis. Among Prosthodontists who recommended shortened dental arch therapy, eight (19.1%) always advised patients not to replace molars. Twen­ty-four (57.1%) prosthodontists who support shortened dental arch therapy mentioned chewing function in shortened dental arch patients as satisfactory.
 Conclusions: Majority of Prosthodontists agree that shortened dental arch is a suitable treatment option for older people in developing countries like Nepal. But the treatment is not employed in clinical practice as required.

ASSESSMENT OF NEPALESE PROSTHODONTIST’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS MORPHOLOGICAL COMPLETENESS OF DENTAL ARCHES IN PARTIALLY DENTATE OLDER PATIENTS

Background: Complete dentition is not always appropriate for old aged medically compromised and financially weak individuals. It is the dentist to decide what minimum number of teeth should be restored to have the proper oral function. The aim was to find out the opinion of prosthodon­tists of Nepal regarding the suitability of shortened dental arch as treatment modality and how frequently is this treatment choice for an old aged Nepalese patient.
 Methods: A pretested close ended questionnaire was usedin this study.After taking ethical clear­ance from Nepal Health Research Council, online questionnaire was sent to the participants along with the consent. Analysis was done using SPSS (version 21) statistical software package. Descrip­tive statistics was used. Percentage and frequencies were calculated.
 Results: Among respondents, 96.2% (n=51) had heard about shortened dental arch therapy but 3.8 % (n=2) had never heard about it. Forty-two (79.2%) do support shortened dental arch. Eleven (20.8%) do not favorshortened dental arch. Their main reason for replacing molars was to improve masticatory function.Instead of shortened dental arch,n=5(45.5%) prefer cast partial denture and 6(54.5%) advice implant supported fixed prosthesis. Among Prosthodontists who recommended shortened dental arch therapy, eight (19.1%) always advised patients not to replace molars. Twen­ty-four (57.1%) prosthodontists who support shortened dental arch therapy mentioned chewing function in shortened dental arch patients as satisfactory.
 Conclusions: Majority of Prosthodontists agree that shortened dental arch is a suitable treatment option for older people in developing countries like Nepal. But the treatment is not employed in clinical practice as required.

Complete Genome Sequence of a 2019 Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Strain Isolated in Nepal.

A complete genome sequence was obtained for a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain isolated from an oropharyngeal swab specimen of a Nepalese patient with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), who had returned to Nepal after traveling to Wuhan, China.

Efficacy and Safety of Rituximab in Immunobullous Diseases: A Retrospective Study from a Tertiary Care Centre of Nepal

Introduction: Rituximab is effective and safe treatment of immunobullous disorders. There are variations in doses of drugs used in different studies and uncertainties on when to use it along with use of adjuvant therapies. Efficacy and safety of this drug has not been described in Nepalese population till date. Dermatologists have hesitation in starting this drug in immunobullous diseases because of lack of data on efficacy and safety. Aim: To assess the efficacy and side effects of Rituximab therapy in treating immunobullous disorders in Nepalese patients. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients with immunobullous diseases treated with Rituximab in Dermatological ward of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal from May 2018 to August 2019. Data were analysed for duration of disease and treatment received before Rituximab therapy, duration of steroid used before Rituximab, adverse effects due to prolonged steroid use, time to remission from 1st Rituximab pulse, duration of remission, relapse, duration of steroid and adjuvant drug used post 1st pulse and adverse effects associated with Rituximab. SPSS version 20 was used for data entry and descriptive statistics was used for analysis of the data. Results: Nine patients (Pemphigus Vulgaris-8 (PV-8), Bullous Pemphigoid-1 (BP-1) were treated with Rituximab. Seven were treated for refractory disease not controlled by conventional therapy and two received Rituximab as first-line therapy. The patients were under follow-up for 15-60 weeks (mean 31.89±15.62 weeks). Out of these nine patients, eight were free of lesions in one to eight weeks (mean 5.125±2 weeks) of first pulse. One patient with Oral Pemphigus had persistence of old lesions, however there were no new cutaneous lesions after first pulse. Adverse effects were seen in four patients that included infusion reaction in one and infection in three. There was relapse in one patient at last follow-up. Conclusion: Rituximab is efficacious and is safe in treating immunobullous disorders in Nepalese Population.

Use of Boey’s score in peptic perforation disease in the Nepalese population: a prospective observational study

Introduction: Peptic ulcer perforation carries high mortality and morbidity. Boey’s score is shown to be a simple scoring system to help predict morbidity and mortality. This is a prospective observational study to evaluate the applicability of Boey’s score in predicting mortality and morbidity in Nepalese patients.
 Methods: This study was conducted in the Dept. of Surgery, Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospital (NMCTH), Attarkhel, Jorpati between 1st of July 2012 to 30th June 2019 over a period of 7 years. This was a prospective observational study. All patients who underwent laparotomy for suspected peptic ulcer perforation peritonitis were included in the study.
 Results: Fourty-seven patients were included in the study. Male patients outnumbered females by a ratio of almost 4:1. Eighteen (38%) patients had Boey’s score of 1, and 7 (15 %) patients had a Boey’s score of 3. Overall postoperative mortality was 7 (15%). Boey’s score predicted morbidity and mortality with a p-value of <0.01. The length of hospital stay was also more in patients with a higher score and it was statistically significant.
 Conclusions: Boey’s score is both easy and effective in predicting postoperative morbidity, mortality and length of hospital stay.

Clinical Profile on Keratoconus Presenting at A Tertiary Eye Care Centre- Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology.

Keratoconus (KC), is a bilateral, noninflammatory degenerative disease of the cornea which is characterized by progressive corneal ectasia and loss of visual function. The onset of KC is commonly seen at puberty and affects approximately 1 in 2000 in the general population. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical profile of keratoconus in the tertiary eye centre in Nepal. It is a retrospective, hospital based, consecutive study from June 2017 to May 2018. A total of 66 patients (114 eyes) were diagnosed cases of Keratoconus presented in Cornea clinic of Tilganga institute of Ophthalmology. Parameters investigated included patients' demography, keratometric readings, visualacuity and manifest refraction. Classification of keratoconus was based on Amslern-Krumeich grading system (modified). The mean age of subjects was 18.73 (range: 10-65). Male/female distribution was 48 (72.7%) and 18 (27.3%) respectively. 48 (72.7%) had bilateral keratoconus and 18 (27.3%) were unilateral. Mean Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) was 0.80 (range: 0.01-1.00), mean visual acuity ( VA) with spectacle correction was 0.47 (range: 0.01-1.00). Mean spherical amount of refractive was -2.17 (range: -0.50 to -17.00D) and mean cylindrical amount of refraction was -2.85 (range: 0.00 to -6.00). Mean spherical equivalent (SE) of refraction was -4.26 (range: -0.50 to -22.50D). Mean flattest keratometric reading (K1) was 49.63 (range: 40.63-76.70D) and mean steepest keratometric reading (K2) was 53.14 (range: 41.63-73.21D). Mean average keratometric reading was 51.43 (range: 41.63-72.10D). Regarding disease severity, 35.68% of subjects were classified as mild keratoconus, 29.73% as moderate keratoconus, 9.73% as advance keratoconus, while 24.86% were found with the severestage of keratoconus. 78.9% of total eyes presented with minimum pachymetry of 401 to 500 mm. Clinical profile of Nepalese keratoconus patients looks similar to that reported earlier worldwide. The condition was found to manifest at a younger age and was more common in males.

Serum Vitamin D Level in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and its Relation with Severity: A Single Centre Study

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a public health problem of epidemic proportion. Several studies have shown low serum vitamin D levels in patients with COPD. The aim of this study was to compare serum vitamin D level in patients with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases (GOLD) COPD stage II, III and IV with controls and correlate serum vitamin D level with severity of COPD.
 Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted from June 2014 to November 2015 at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH). A total of 154 subjects were enrolled for study that consisted of 77 cases of COPD and 77 controls for comparison. Participants were taken from medical wards and outpatient department. COPD staging was done as per GOLD guidelines and stage II, III and IV were labeled as advanced COPD cases. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were performed in SPSS version 20.
 Results: Stage II, III and IV COPD were 30%, 36% and 34% respectively. Mean serum vitamin D level was 15.16±7.19 ng/ml in COPD cases and 33.99±12.37 ng/ml in healthy controls showing statistically significant relation of low serum vitamin D in patients with advanced COPD (p <0.0001). Serum vitamin D was found to be in decreasing trend with increasing severity of COPD.
 Conclusion: Patients with advanced COPD (GOLD stage II, III and IV) had low serum vitamin D levels compared to normal population and serum vitamin D level correlated with GOLD severity in Nepalese patients with COPD.

Hemodialysis Catheter-Related Infection in a Teaching Hospital of Central Nepal

Introduction: Infection of the central venous catheter (CVC) is a major complication seen among patients undergoing hemodialysis. Identifying CVC related infection (CRI) and its risk factors and causative organisms is important for better implementation of preventive strategies.
 Methods: A prospective study was conducted at Chitwan Medical College for duration of 2 years from January 2017to December 2018 among the patients undergoing hemodialysis via CVC. The data collected were related to patients’ demographics, site of catheter insertion, and duration, microbiological data including cultures from catheter sites, blood, and catheters’ tips and antibiotic sensitivity. Catheter related infection was divided into catheter related local infection (CRLI) and catheter related blood stream infection (CRBSI). Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 21.0.
 Results: A total of 41 cases of CVC related infection (CRI) were documented with an incidence rate of 6.94 episodes per 1000 catheter days at risk. Out of the total CRI, 39.02% were CRLI and 60.98% were CRBSI. Fever with chills and rigor were the most common clinical presentation. Risk factors for the development of CRI were duration of catheter in situ, repeated change of CVC and the use of CVC for indications other than hemodialysis (HD).Staphylococci and Klebsiella were the most common organisms isolated in culture.
 Conclusion: The rate of CRI among Nepalese patients undergoing hemodialysis is high. Prolonged duration of CVC usage, recent change of catheter and the use of the HD catheter for the purpose of institution of intravenous medication have been found as the risk factors for CRI.

Serum Vitamin D Level in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and its Relation with Severity: A Single Centre Study

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a public health problem of epidemic proportion. Several studies have shown low serum vitamin D levels in patients with COPD. The aim of this study was to compare serum vitamin D level in patients with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases (GOLD) COPD stage II, III and IV with controls and correlate serum vitamin D level with severity of COPD. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted from June 2014 to November 2015 at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH). A total of 154 subjects were enrolled for study that consisted of 77 cases of COPD and 77 controls for comparison. Participants were taken from medical wards and outpatient department. COPD staging was done as per GOLD guidelines and stage II, III and IV were labeled as advanced COPD cases. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were performed in SPSS version 20. Results: Stage II, III and IV COPD were 30%, 36% and 34% respectively. Mean serum vitamin D level was 15.16±7.19 ng/ml in COPD cases and 33.99±12.37 ng/ml in healthy controls showing statistically significant relation of low serum vitamin D in patients with advanced COPD (p <0.0001). Serum vitamin D was found to be in decreasing trend with increasing severity of COPD. Conclusion: Patients with advanced COPD (GOLD stage II, III and IV) had low serum vitamin D levels compared to normal population and serum vitamin D level correlated with GOLD severity in Nepalese patients with COPD.

Hemodialysis Catheter-Related Infection in a Teaching Hospital of Central Nepal

Introduction: Infection of the central venous catheter (CVC) is a major complication seen among patients undergoing hemodialysis. Identifying CVC related infection (CRI) and its risk factors and causative organisms is important for better implementation of preventive strategies. Methods: A prospective study was conducted at Chitwan Medical College for a duration of 2 years from January 2017 to December 2018 among the patients undergoing hemodialysis via CVC. The data collected were related to patients’ demographics, site of catheter insertion, and duration, microbiological data including cultures from catheter sites, blood, and catheters’ tips and antibiotic sensitivity. Catheter related infection was divided into catheter related local infection (CRLI) and catheter related blood stream infection (CRBSI). Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 21.0. Results: A total of 41 cases of CVC related infection (CRI) were documented with an incidence rate of 6.94 episodes per 1000 catheter days at risk. Out of the total CRI, 39.02% were CRLI and 60.98% were CRBSI. Fever with chills and rigor were the most common clinical presentation. Risk factors for the development of CRI were duration of catheter in situ, repeated change of CVC and the use of CVC for indications other than hemodialysis (HD). Staphylococci and Klebsiella were the most common organisms isolated in culture. Conclusion: The rate of CRI among Nepalese patients undergoing hemodialysis is high. Prolonged duration of CVC usage, recent change of catheter and the use of the HD catheter for the purpose of institution of intravenous medication have been found as the risk factors for CRI.