Browsing by Author "Shilpakar, Olita"
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Publication Epidemiological Study of Stroke Cases Presenting to the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Hospital: An Observational Study(Nepal Medical Association, 2025) Rajbhandari, Bibek; Man Shakya, Yogendra; Maharjan, Ramesh Kumar; Shakya, Yagya Laxmi; Aryal, Shiva Sharma; Bhandari, Pratiksha; Shilpakar, Olita; Neupane, Ram Prasad; Nakarmi, Rajan Narayan; Shrestha, CimonaIntroduction: Stroke remains a major global health burden, ranking as the second leading cause of death and third leading cause of disability worldwide. Low- and middle-income countries, including Nepal, face a disproportionate share of this burden, characterized by delayed treatment and limited healthcare infrastructure. This study aimed to determine the epidemiological profile of stroke cases presenting to the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Nepal. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using medical records of stroke patients presenting to the General Practice and Emergency Department from August 2022 to September 2023. Data on demographics, stroke type, clinical outcomes, and management were collected and analyzed descriptively using STATA version 17. Results: Of 39,702 emergency department visits, 1,174 (2.96%) were stroke cases. Ischemic stroke occurred in 896 (76.34%) patients, hemorrhagic stroke in 175 (14.89%), and transient ischemic attack in 103 (8.82%). The mean age was 61.79 ± 15.76 years, and 704 (60.00%) patients were male. Admission to the general ward occurred in 1,011 (86.10%) patients, and 43 (3.65%) patients were admitted to the ICU. Thrombolysis was administered to 22 (1.87%) patients, and 11 (0.93%) were referred for thrombectomy. A total of 151 (12.90%) patients arrived within 4.5 hours of symptom onset. Conclusions: The study highlights the predominance of ischemic stroke, delayed hospital presentations, and limited use of thrombolysis among stroke patients in a high-volume ED in Nepal.Publication Suspicious Case of a Body packer “Mule” in a Low Resource Country: A Case Report(Nepal Medical Association, 2021) Rajbhandari, Bibek; Shilpakar, Olita; Thapa, Subash; Singh, SumiAbstract: Body packing is the process of smuggling illicit drugs in the form of packages concealed within the gastrointestinal tract via ingestion or inserting into body orifices. These individuals are described as “body packers”, “stuffers”, “mules” or “swallowers” and resort to carrying drugs like heroin, cocaine and cannabis. They present to the hospital following the development of complications or brought dead due to the rupture of packets or directly from detention for further investigations. This case illustrates a suspected case detained from the airport who was found to be carrying 93 pellets of an illicit drug, heroin, weighing 900 grams, one of the highest quantity carried by any body packer in the country till date. This case further sheds light on the fact that a meticulous history, detailed clinical examination and radiographic investigations like abdominal radiograph and imaging are the keys to diagnose body packers in a resource limited setting.