Effect of skill-based educational training for ambulance personnel on neonatal transport for newborn care in coastal South India - a single arm intervention study.

Background: Education of '108' ambulance personnel involved in transporting neonates may improve outcomes. We assessed i) perceptions/practices of '108' ambulance personnel for transporting neonates, ii) clinical parameters of transported neonates at arrival, and iii) outcomes such as survival/mortality and NICU stay (before and after skill-based educational intervention). Methods: We conducted a single-arm intervention study (pre-and post) over 18 months. We assessed the perceptions and practices of 77 ambulance personnel on neonatal transport pre- versus post-intervention. Checklists assessed ambulance equipment availability/usage in both phases. We compared clinical parameters and outcomes of transported neonates between the pre-intervention (n=62) and post-intervention (n=53) phases. We analyzed data using SPSS version 25. Results: Post-intervention, there was a significant reduction in the levels of hypothermia (p < 0.001), hypoglycemia (p=0.010), and prolonged capillary refill time (p=0.042), along with improvement in the use of intravenous fluids (p <0.001), a reduction in the positivity of umbilical swab growth (p=0.002) and in the duration of NICU stay (p = 0.001), significant improvement (p < 0.001) in the perceptions/practices of ambulance personnel towards neonatal transport. There was an improvement in the ambulance equipment availability/usage post-intervention. Conclusions: The perceptions and practices of the '108' ambulance towards transporting neonates had significantly improved post-educational intervention. Further, a significant decrease in hypothermia, hypoglycemia, and duration of NICU stay was seen in neonates transported post-intervention.

Molecular and Clinical Features of Heterogeneous Vancomycin-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus in Tertiary Care Hospitals in South India.

Objectives: This study aimed to detect heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (hVISA) among methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolated from healthcare-associated infections and identify staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types. Methods: This study was conducted from February 2019 to March 2020 and included patients admitted in 4 tertiary care hospitals in Karnataka, India. Isolation and identification of MRSA were done using standard bacteriological methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion; macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B phenotypes were identified using the D test. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of vancomycin was determined using agar dilution. hVISA were confirmed by the modified population analysis profile-area under the curve test. SCCmec types and the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (pvl) gene were detected using multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Results: Of 220 MRSA stains, 14 (6.4%) were hVISA. None of the MRSA isolates was vancomycin-intermediate or -resistant and all hVISA were susceptible to linezolid and teicoplanin. The macrolide-streptogramin B phenotype was present in 42.9% of hVISA; 92.9% of the hVISA strains had vancomycin MIC in the range of 1-2 µg/mL. Majority of the hVISA and vancomycin-susceptible MRSA were isolated from patients with skin and soft tissue infections. SCCmec III and IV were present in 50% and 35.7% of hVISA, respectively; 14.3% of the hVISA harboured SCCmec V. Conclusion: The prevalence rate of hVISA among MRSA was 6.4%. Therefore, MRSA strains should be tested for hVISA before starting vancomycin treatment. None of the isolates was vancomycin-intermediate or -resistant and all the hVISA strains were susceptible to linezolid and teicoplanin. The majority of the hVISA were isolated from patients with skin and soft tissue infections and harboured SCCmec III and IV.

Impact of baseline fluorescent antinuclear antibody positivity on the clinical outcome of patients with primary autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

INTRODUCTION: Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) is an autoimmune disorder that can present in primary or secondary forms. The literature looking at impact of baseline fluorescent antinuclear antibody (FANA) positivity on outcomes of AIHA patients is infrequent. OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of baseline FANA positivity in patients with primary AIHA. METHOD: A prospective cohort study involving 29 consecutive primary AIHA patients presenting to the Haematology department from 2013 to 2015 was analysed. After recording baseline investigations including fluorescent ANA, all patients were treated as per the standard therapeutic protocols. Clinical remission, disease free survival, relapse, mortality were compared between the FANA positive and FANA Negative AIHA groups. RESULTS: Baseline FANA positivity was found in 17 patients (58.62%). Both the groups were comparable in terms of age, sex, Hemoglobin, LDH at presentation, number of lines of treatment needed and duration of follow up. Evan's syndrome was seen in six of FANA positive patients which was statistically significant (0 v/s 6, p = 0.023). FANA positive patients had significantly higher rates of relapse per patient month follow up (1.22 v/s 3.57, p = 0.023) and lower rates of complete response (83.33% v/s 35.29%, p = 0.0118) and relapse free survival at five years. Morbidity and mortality were numerically higher in FANA positive patients. CONCLUSION: Baseline FANA positivity among AIHA patients was found to be associated with lower complete response rates and higher relapse rates with possible higher rates of morbidity. Presence of FANA will give us prognostic value and help us in deciding the treatment options.

Indocyanine green based antimicrobial photodynamic therapy as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal treatment in periodontal maintenance patients: a clinico-microbiological study.

Background: Antimicrobial Photodynamic therapy for the treatment of periodontitis is being increasingly gaining attention but at present, very limited data are available on the clinical and microbiological outcomes obtained following Indocyanine Green as the photosensitizer in Maintenance patients. The objective was to evaluate the efficiency of Indocyanine(ICG)-green based photodynamic therapy as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in patients enrolled in maintenance therapy. Methodology: Using a split mouth study design, 24 participants enrolled in the maintenance therapy, having diagnosed as Periodontitis, were randomly subjected to scaling and root planing(SRP). The test group additionally received ICG-based (Aurogreen ®, Aurolabs, Madurai, India,1mg/ml) aPDT with an 810nm diode laser. Clinical assessment of Plaque index, modified Sulcus bleeding index, Probing pocket depth, Clinical loss of attachment and microbiological analysis of A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis, T. forsythia and F.nucleatum were performed at baseline and 3 months after treatment. Results: It was observed that although there was no significant difference between the test and control group at baseline and 3 months, there was a statistically significant reduction in the mean values in both the groups at 3 months. Microbiological analysis showed substantial reduction in detection frequency of the bacteria assessed at 3 months in both the groups. Conclusion: Within the limits of the study, ICG-based aPDT did not show additional advantage over SRP alone at 3 months, though it could be a promising treatment modality in maintenance patients in terms of patient comfort and the treatment time taken. More randomised clinical trials should be employed to understand the exact mode of action of ICG based aPDT and its role in treatment of periodontal disease.

Impact of baseline fluorescent antinuclear antibody positivity on the clinical outcome of patients with primary autoimmune hemolytic anemia

Abstract Introduction Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) is an autoimmune disorder that can present in primary or secondary forms. The literature looking at impact of baseline fluorescent antinuclear antibody (FANA) positivity on outcomes of AIHA patients is infrequent. Objective To study the impact of baseline FANA positivity in patients with primary AIHA. Method A prospective cohort study involving 29 consecutive primary AIHA patients presenting to the Haematology department from 2013 to 2015 was analysed. After recording baseline investigations including fluorescent ANA, all patients were treated as per the standard therapeutic protocols. Clinical remission, disease free survival, relapse, mortality were compared between the FANA positive and FANA Negative AIHA groups. Results Baseline FANA positivity was found in 17 patients (58.62%). Both the groups were comparable in terms of age, sex, Hemoglobin, LDH at presentation, number of lines of treatment needed and duration of follow up. Evan's syndrome was seen in six of FANA positive patients which was statistically significant (0 v/s 6, p= 0.023). FANA positive patients had significantly higher rates of relapse per patient month follow up (1.22 v/s 3.57, p= 0.023) and lower rates of complete response (83.33% v/s 35.29%, p= 0.0118) and relapse free survival at five years. Morbidity and mortality were numerically higher in FANA positive patients. Conclusion Baseline FANA positivity among AIHA patients was found to be associated with lower complete response rates and higher relapse rates with possible higher rates of morbidity. Presence of FANA will give us prognostic value and help us in deciding the treatment options.

Comparing the disinfecting efficacy of pomegranate peel extract oil, Garlic oil, Tulsi leaf oil, and Clove leaf oil with standard autoclaving on dental round burs tested against Enterococcus faecalis: An in vitro study.

Background: The study was conducted to compare and evaluate the disinfecting efficacy of four different herbal oils with standard autoclaving against Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis). Fifty round burs were infected with E. faecalis and dipped into the chemical test solution for 10 min. The disinfecting efficacy for each test chemical was checked using culture method on blood agar plate and peptone water test to check for turbidity. Clove leaf oil and Tulsi leaf oil have very good antimicrobial efficacy against E. faecalis which are similar and comparable to that of autoclaving. Aim: This stusy aimed to compare the efficacy of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) oil, Garlic oil, Tulsi leaf oil, and Clove leaf oil with standard autoclaving on dental round burs tested against E. faecalis. Settings and Design: The disinfecting capability of four different experimental oils against autoclave was evaluated on 50 round burs exposed to E faecalis in an In-vitro study. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 round dental burs were exposed to E. faecalis and the disinfecting capability of four different experimental oils against autoclave was evaluated by counting colony-forming units (CFUs) and turbidity test. Statistical Analysis: Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0 (IBM), Chicago. The CFUs between the five groups (I, II, III, IV, V) were compared using the Chi-square test. The level of significance was kept at 5%. Results: Clove leaf oil showed the best disinfection efficacy comparable to autoclaving, followed by Tulsi leaf oil with no statistically significant difference between them, whereas garlic oil and PPE oil were significantly less effective against E. faecalis. Conclusion: Clove leaf oil and Tulsi leaf oil can be used for disinfecting dental burs, infected with E. faecalis, as alternatives to autoclaving.

Research Note: Characterization of antibiotic resistant phenotypes and linked genes of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae from healthy broiler chickens, Karnataka, India.

The study was carried out to estimate the burden and pattern of antibiotic resistance and to identify antibiotic resistance genes with focus on ESBL producers, plasmid mediated quinolone resistance, and tetracycline efflux genes, in faecal bacterial isolates collected from poultry farms of coastal Southern Karnataka, India. High resistance to fluoroquinolones was observed with 94% Escherichia coli and 80% Klebsiella pneumoniae being resistant to both ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin. All the Escherichia coli strains were resistant to tetracycline (100%). qnrB (38%) was the most common gene detected followed by qnrS (27%) and qnrA (21.5%). All Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates resistant to tetracycline harbored tetA gene. Most of the isolates in our study had high MAR indices indicating rampant use of antibiotics.

Validity of a CB-NAAT assay in diagnosing tuberculosis in comparison to culture: A study from an urban area of South India.

•CB-NAAT performance compared in 831 suspected pulmonary and extrapulmonary suspected cases.•The conventional stained smear and CB-NAAT results were compared to the MGIT culture.•Sensitivity and specificity of CB-NAAT was 84.43% and 94.93%.•The rapid results from CB-NAAT confirms its use in the tuberculosis diagnostic algorithm.•The benefits of disease diagnosis and prevention outweighs the price tag of the CB-NAAT tests.•This is more so for the resource poor countries where the burden of the disease is high.

Mycotic keratitis due to Cylindrocarpon lichenicola: Successful salvage of the eye.

We hereby report a successfully salvaged eye due to mycotic keratitis by Cylindrocarpon lichenicola in a 60-year-old female from Kasaragod (Kerala). The patient came with a history of pain, photophobia and decreased vision of the right eye. The microbiological investigations of the corneal scraping revealed C. lichenicola. C. lichenicola is a soil saprophyte. Since the ulcer worsened paracentesis followed by therapeutic keratoplasty and adjunct therapy with natamycin drops, voriconazole drops and oral ketoconazole was given. We stress that evidence-based timely medical and surgical intervention helped in the restoration of the vision in an infected eye.

The antibiotic susceptibility patterns of uropathogenic Escherichia coli, with special reference to the fluoroquinolones.

CONTEXT: The emergence of drug resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, the penicillins, cephalosporins, and fluoroquinolones by Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) has limited the options for selecting the appropriate antibiotic for the treatment of urinary tract infections. AIMS: The The E. coli isolates, which were obtained from the culture of urine samples,were studied for their antibiotic resistance patterns, with special reference to the antimicrobial activity of the fluoroquinolones and the production of the extended spectrum ß-lactamases. (ESBL), Settings and Design: This was a hospital based, prospective study which was done for a period of eighteen months. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was done by using the standard culture techniques for urine samples, the modified Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method for the antibiotic susceptibility testing and the disk diffusion method to confirm the ESBL production by the clinical isolates of E. coli in urine. The sensitivity pattern was correlated with the clinical condition and the presence of the risk factors. The statistical analysis which was used: The statistical analysis was done by using the proportions of sensitive, resistant and intermediates. Descriptive statistics like the total, mean and percentage were done by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 15.0. RESULTS: The hospital isolates showed high degrees of resistance to the penicillins, cephalosporins, nalidixic acid and the fluoroquinolones, with 59% of the isolates being ESBL producers. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of the multidrug resistant strains of Escherichia coli has been steadily increasing over the past few years. The knowledge on the resistance pattern of the bacterial strains in a geographical area will help in guiding the appropriate and the judicious use of antibiotics. Also, the formulation of an appropriate hospital antibiotic policy will go a long way in controlling these infections.