A Randomised Double-Blind Trial of Pentoxifylline Alone versus Pentoxifylline Plus N Acetyl Cysteine in the Treatment of Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Mysore, Karnataka

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 399-404
Author(s):  
Anurag Lavekar ◽  
Deepak Suvarna ◽  
Aradya V ◽  
Nandeesh P ◽  
Vijayakumar R ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Proven therapeutic options for treating severe alcoholic hepatitis are limited. The study was conducted to compare pentoxifylline alone versus combination of Pentoxifylline plus N acetylcysteine in severe alcoholic hepatitis patients. METHODS A randomised, parallel, double blind, active controlled trial was conducted in which, 240 cases were considered for analysis and were divided into two study groups i.e. tablet pentoxifylline alone versus tablet pentoxifylline plus tablet N acetylcysteine. The pentoxifylline group received 400 mg thrice daily for one month and the other group received tablet pentoxifylline 400 mg thrice daily with tablet N–acetyl cysteine 600 mg twice daily for one month. Enrolled patients were called for follow up at one and three months. The parameters were compared between the two study groups statistically and the results were obtained. RESULTS Forty-nine (20.4 %) patients expired in 3 months, out of which 35 (14.5 %) expired at the end of 1st month. There was no significant difference in survival between two groups at the end of one and three months (P = 0.58 and 0.10 respectively). Although liver function test (LFT), PT-INR (prothrombin timeinternational normalised ratio) improved significantly from baseline in both the groups (P < 0.0001), no significant difference was observed between the two groups. Prevalence of hepatic encephalopathy was significantly low in pentoxifylline plus N-acetylcysteine group at one and three months (P = 0.04 and 0.02 respectively). CONCLUSIONS Addition of N acetyl cysteine to pentoxifylline helps in reducing hepatic encephalopathy in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis; however, it does not improve the short-term survival. KEYWORDS Pentoxifylline, N-acetylcysteine, Alcoholic Hepatitis, Liver Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 1036
Author(s):  
Prathyusha . ◽  
Shreekrishna G. N. ◽  
Sinchana Bhat ◽  
Sahana P.

Background: Neonatal sepsis is a frequent and important cause of morbidity and mortality which accounts for one quarter of neonatal deaths. There are very few studies done in India to evaluate the role of MPV as diagnostic marker of neonatal sepsis.Methods: Prospective case control study in a tertiary care hospital. Neonates > 30 weeks gestation admitted to neonatal intensive care unit during the study period of 1 year with clinically suspected were included in the study. Neonates with Septic screen positive and culture positive sepsis were included in group A and normal neonates were included in Group B. MPV was done for all the subjects and values more than 10.2fl was considered positive. Newborns with congenital anomalies and who were already on antibiotics prior to admission were excluded from the study. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0.Results: 106 neonates were included in the study. MPV showed statistically significant difference between the study groups (mean 12.8±1.52, 10.82±1.20 respectively) at a cut of value of 10.2fl and a sensitivity of 93%, specificity of 84 % with a positive predictive value of 83% and negative predictive value of 94%.Conclusions: MPV can be used as an adjuvant marker along with established septic screen to ensure early diagnosis and treatment of neonatal sepsis with no additional expense.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 339-343
Author(s):  
Tanveer Hussain ◽  
Misbah Sattar ◽  
Sara Mustafa ◽  
Uzma Batool ◽  
Shafqat Iqbal ◽  
...  

Background: Hepatic Encephalopathy is a syndrome observed in patients with liver cirrhosis. Various treatment modalities are in use for treatment of Porto Systemic Encephalopathy (PSE). Our study aimed to compare the efficacy of Rifaximin plus Lactulose vs.Lactulose alone in treating Hepatic Encephalopathy in local population. Materials & Methods: The study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital recruiting decompensated chronic liver disease(DCLD) patients with PSE. Using simple random sampling, patients were divided in two groups (A & B). Patients in group A received Lactulose plus Rifaximin while group B received Lactulose alone. Efficacy of treatment was assessed as return of the conscious level to pre-encephalopathy state as per clinical examination within 1 week after  start of the treatment. Results: A total of 124 patients were included in the study with each group (A & B) containing 62 patients. Frequency and percentage of efficacy among group A (Rifaximin plus Lactulose) verses group B (Lactulose alone) in treating Hepatic encephalopathy was 45 (72.6%) and 32 (51.6%) respectively. Conclusion: The study concluded that there is a significant difference in proportions of patients showing complete recovery from Hepatic encephalopathy treated with Lactulose plus Rifaximin as compared to Lactulose alone.


Author(s):  
Dr. Ajaya Kumar Anand ◽  
Dr. Govind Singh

Background: Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), the enzymes predominantly found in the hepatocytes, exhibit specific elevations in serum levels in different liver diseases. The ratios of their serum levels (AST: ALT ratio or De Ritis ratio) also exhibit specific patterns providing important diagnostic clues. The objective of the study is to establish the diagnostic utility of the AST: ALT ratio in liver diseases. Material and methods: The present study was conducted to measure the serum levels of these enzymes from the blood samples collected from a total of 60 patients with diagnosis of Alcoholic Hepatitis (AH, n= 18), Viral Hepatitis (VH, n= 18), Obstructive Jaundice (OJ, n= 06) and Chronic Hepatitis (CH, n= 18) to calculate their ratio as Mean ± SD, separately in each disease group. 24 normal healthy individuals were studied as control group. The data was analyzed using SPSS (Version 17.0) software and ‘p’ values were elicited using student-‘t’ test. Results: An AST: ALT ratio of 2.005±0.833, 0.648±0.228, 0.865±0.147 and 1.314±0.305 was observed in AH, VH, OJ and CH respectively. Control group showed a mean AST: ALT ratio of 1.001±0.158. A significant difference (p<0.05) was observed when each case group was compared with control except OJ vs Control where the ‘p’ value was observed >0.05.  A significant difference (p<0.05) was observed when comparison was done between any two of the disease groups. Conclusion: AST: ALT ratio can be useful in differentiating the liver diseases. Key words: AST:ALT ratio, De Ritis ratio, Alcoholic Hepatitis, Viral Hepatitis, Obstructive Jaundice and  Chronic Hepatitis.


Author(s):  
Sarwat Memon

Background: The palatal rugae are special constructions that are inalterable in their position and pattern during the lifestyles of an individual. This imparts them an exceptional role in the forensic dentistry and may play potential role in malocclusion identification. This study was aimed to see association of rugae pattern with sagittal skeletal malocclusion in orthodontic patients visiting tertiary care hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional examination was completed on pretreatment records (lateral Cephalometric radiographs and maxillary dental casts) of 384 subjects at the orthodontic department of Ziauddin Dental Hospital, Karachi. The study duration was from January to July 2019. The samples were sub-divided into three sagittal skeletal groups based on ANB angle proposed by Steiner’s on lateral Cephalometric radiographs (Class I with ANB angle between 0° to 4°; Class II: ANB angle greater than 5°; Class III: ANB angle less than 0°). The shapes of three most-anterior primary rugae were then evaluated bilaterally using Kapali et al., Classification. Chi Square test was applied to find association of rugae pattern among sagittal skeletal malocclusions groups. Results: Circular and curved rugae shapes were the most prevalent in all skeletal malocclusions. The primary palatal rugae pattern was seen to be significantly different among three skeletal malocclusion groups (p<0.05). The right and left sided palatal rugae pattern showed significant difference in all three skeletal malocclusion groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: The present study showed no specific palatal rugae pattern associated with sagittal skeletal malocclusion. Further studies on larger sample and use of modern 3D technologies to scan the maxillary casts are required for results that are more precise.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Animesh Ray ◽  
Dr. Komal Singh ◽  
Souvick Chattopadhyay ◽  
Farha Mehdi ◽  
Dr. Gaurav Batra ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 is an important tool to estimate the true extent of infection in a population. However, seroprevalence studies have been scarce in South East Asia including India, which, as of now, carries the third largest burden of confirmed cases in the world. The present study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody among hospitalized patients at one of the largest government hospital in India OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this study is to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody among patients admitted to the Medicine ward and ICU METHODS This cross-sectional study, conducted at a tertiary care hospital in North India, recruited consecutive patients who were negative for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR or CB-NAAT. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels targeting recombinant spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein of SARS CoV-2 were estimated in serum sample by the ELISA method RESULTS A total of 212 hospitalized patients were recruited in the study with mean age (±SD) of 41.2 (±15.4) years and 55% male population. Positive serology against SARS CoV-2 was detected in 19.8%patients(95% CI 14.7-25.8). Residency in Delhi conferred a higher frequency of seropositivity 26.5% (95% CI 19.3-34.7) as compared to that of other states 8% (95% CI 3.0-16.4) with p-value 0.001. No particular age groups or socio-economic strata showed a higher proportion of seropositivity CONCLUSIONS Around, one-fifth of hospitalized patients, who were not diagnosed with COVID-19 before, demonstrated seropositivity against SARS-CoV-2. While there was no significant difference in the different age groups and socio-economic classes; residence in Delhi was associated with increased risk (relative risk of 3.62, 95% CI 1.59-8.21)


Author(s):  
Vanajakshamma Velam ◽  
Vyshnavi Kancherla ◽  
Latheef Kasala ◽  
Anusha Kancherla ◽  
Mounica Reddy Pillaram

Abstract Background This study was an attempt to assess and compare the gender-wise lifestyle patterns and well-being status among the employees of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Material and Methods This is a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study conducted at a tertiary care hospital between May and August 2019. A total of 777 employees belonging to both genders (male and female) and working at different professional levels were assessed. All the enrolled employees were subjected to a comprehensive study tool consisting of various dimensions of their health, which included physical, mental, social, spiritual and intellectual health dimensions. Results Among the participants, 327 (42.1%) were male and 450 (57.9%) were female. There was no significant difference in the mean age of male (37.91 ± 7.52) and female (36.85 ± 8.16) employees (p = 0.07). A significantly higher proportion of diabetes and hypertension were seen in male employees (9.8% and 14.4%, respectively) than in female (5.6% and 6.2% respectively). The overall well-being was better in male employees than in females and was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). We found that male employees had statistically significant better well-being in terms of physical, mental and social health whereas female employees had intellectual health. Conclusion The overall well-being in healthcare staff was good at our tertiary care hospital, and the outstanding/good well-being rate was higher in male employees than in female employees. Female employees experienced risks with regard to their physical health.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 204993612110365
Author(s):  
Kundan Mishra ◽  
Suman Kumar ◽  
Sandeep Ninawe ◽  
Rajat Bahl ◽  
Ashok Meshram ◽  
...  

Introduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the commonest leukemia in adults. Mortality in thew first 30-days ranges from 6% to 43%, while infections account for 30–66% of early deaths. We aim to present our experience of infections in newly-diagnosed AML. Method: This prospective, observational study, was undertaken at a tertiary care hospital in Northern India. Patients with confirmed AML (bone marrow morphology and flow cytometry) and who had developed febrile neutropenia (FN), were included. Result: A total of fifty-five patients were included in the study. The median age of the patients was 47.1 years (12–71) and 28 (50.9%) were males. Fever (33, 60%) was the commonest presentation at the time of diagnosis. One or more comorbid conditions were present in 20 patients (36.36%). Infection at presentation was detected in 17 patients (30.9%). The mean duration to develop febrile neutropenia since the start of therapy was 11.24 days. With each ten-thousand increase in white blood cell (WBC) count, the mean number of days of FN development decreased by 0.35 days ( p = 0.029). Clinical and/or radiological localization was possible in 23 patients (41.81%). Thirty-four blood samples (34/242, 14.04%) from 26 patients (26/55, 47.3%) isolated one or more organisms. Gram negative bacilli (GNB) were isolated in 24 (70.58%) samples. Burkholderia cepacia (8/34, 23.52%) was the commonest organism. The number of days required to develop febrile neutropenia was inversely associated with overall survival (OS). However, when compared, there was no statistically significant difference in OS between patients developing fever on day-10 and day-25 ( p = 0.063). Thirteen patients (23.63%) died during the study period. Discussion: Low percentage of blood culture positivity and high incidence of MDR organisms are a matter of concern. Days to develop febrile neutropenia were inversely associated with overall survival (OS), emphasizing the importance of preventive measures against infections. Conclusion: Infections continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality among AML patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 185
Author(s):  
Adriana Calderaro ◽  
Mirko Buttrini ◽  
Sara Montecchini ◽  
Giovanna Piccolo ◽  
Monica Martinelli ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was the detection of infectious agents from lower respiratory tract (LRT) samples in order to describe their distribution in patients with severe acute respiratory failure and hospitalized in intensive care units (ICU) in an Italian tertiary-care hospital. LRT samples from 154 patients admitted to ICU from 27 February to 10 May 2020 were prospectively examined for respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, bacteria and/or fungi. SARS-CoV-2 was revealed in 90 patients (58.4%, 72 males, mean age 65 years). No significant difference was observed between SARS-CoV-2 positives and SARS-CoV-2 negatives with regard to sex, age and bacterial and/or fungal infections. Nonetheless, fungi were more frequently detected among SARS-CoV-2 positives (44/54, 81.4%, p = 0.0053). Candida albicans was the overall most frequently isolated agent, followed by Enterococcus faecalis among SARS-CoV-2 positives and Staphylococcus aureus among SARS-CoV-2 negatives. Overall mortality rate was 40.4%, accounting for 53 deaths: 37 among SARS-CoV-2 positives (mean age 69 years) and 16 among SARS-CoV-2 negatives (mean age 63 years). This study highlights the different patterns of infectious agents between the two patient categories: fungi were prevalently involved among SARS-CoV-2-positive patients and bacteria among the SARS-CoV-2-negative patients. The different therapies and the length of the ICU stay could have influenced these different patterns of infectious agents.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (04) ◽  
pp. 233-238
Author(s):  
Ashvini K. Yadav ◽  
Suneel Bhooshan ◽  
Allen Johnson ◽  
Dinesh P. Asati ◽  
Shashwati Nema ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) is an emerging pathogen that is highly resistant to antibiotics and is capable of causing persistent infections that are difficult to treat. Methods & Materials Acne vulgaris patients visiting dermatology OPD of our tertiary care hospital during the study period of 2 months were recruited. Skin swabs were collected, and the sample was processed on 5% sheep-blood agar for anaerobic culture by the GasPak method. Isolates were identified by the standard biochemical test. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed for clinically relevant antibiotics by the E-strip method. The clinical response was evaluated after 1-month follow-up to the prescribed antibiotics. Results Minocycline, doxycycline, ceftriaxone, and tetracycline were the most effective antibiotics. Nonsusceptibility to clindamycin and erythromycin were observed in 11.9% and 31% isolates, respectively, with 9.5% isolates being nonsusceptible to both. For none of the antibiotics we found significant difference in the proportion of susceptible and nonsusceptible isolates between mild, moderate, and severe grades of acne vulgaris. For none of the antibiotic regimens, significant difference was observed between nonresponders and responders. Twenty-seven patients received clindamycin and among them 16 of 19 responders and 6 of 8 nonresponders yielded growth of clindamycin-susceptible isolates (p = 0.57). Conclusion We observed significant prevalence of resistant strains of C. acnes among patients with acne vulgaris. No association was observed between in vitro susceptibility results and treatment outcome.


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