Nontubercular bacterial and fungal infections in patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Introduction: Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), frequently due to respiratory tract infection is the major cause of morbidity and mortality, and estimate suggests that it is currently the third leading cause of death worldwide. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to study the prevalence of nontubercular bacterial and fungal infections in patients of COPD. Materials and Methods: It is an observational study done for 1-year period from August 2017 to July 2018. A total of 100 COPD patients who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were analyzed in the present study. These cases were classified according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) combined assessment criteria and subjected to sputum or in some cases Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid examination for nontubercular bacterial and fungal pathogens. Serum galactomannan assay, bronchoscopy, and computed tomography chest were done in selected cases. Results: The age of the study population ranged from 40 to 85 years and the mean age was 60.01 ± 9.85 years. Majority of the patients were male (81.0%) and most (78.0%) of them were smokers. Most of the patients belonged to GOLD Grades 2 and 3. Forty-six percent of the patients did show pathogenic organisms in sputum examination. Out of these, 80.4% were bacterial, mainly Gram-negative organisms (Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, Proteus, and Citrobacter) and 19.6% of cases were having fungal infections (Candida and Aspergillus). Conclusions: Increasing patient age, smoking habit, and severity of COPD were related to an increasing frequency of bacterial and fungal infections. Early detection and proper treatment could help in preventing the morbidity and mortality related to COPD.

Résumé Introduction: L'exacerbation aiguë de la maladie pulmonaire obstructive chronique (MPOC), souvent en raison de l'infection des voies respiratoires, est la principale cause de morbidité et de mortalité, et l'estimation suggère qu'il s'agit actuellement de la troisième cause de décès dans le monde. Objectifs et objectifs: Cette étude vise à étudier la prévalence des infections bactériennes et fongiques non tubulaires chez les patients de la MPOC. Matériaux et méthodes: Il s'agit d'une étude d'observation réalisée pour une période de 1 an d'août 2017 à juillet 2018. Un total de 100 patients atteints de MPOC qui remplissaient les critères d'inclusion et d'exclusion ont été analysés dans la présente étude. Ces cas ont été classés selon l'initiative globale des critères d'évaluation combinés chroniques obstructifs (OR) et soumis à des expectorations ou dans certains cas examen des liquides de lavage bronchoalvéolaire (BAL) pour les agents pathogènes bactéries et fongiques non tubulaires. Le test de galactomannane sérique, la bronchoscopie et le poitrine de tomodensitométrie ont été effectués dans certains cas. Résultats: L'âge de la population d'étude variait de 40 à 85 ans et l'âge moyen était de 60,01 ± 9,85 ans. La majorité des patients étaient des hommes (81,0%) et la plupart (78,0%) d'entre eux étaient des fumeurs. La plupart des patients appartenaient à GOLD GRADES 2 et 3. Quarante-six pour cent des patients ont montré des organismes pathogènes à l'examen des expectorations. Parmi ceux-ci, 80,4% étaient des organismes bactériens, principalement à Gram - négatifs (Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, Proteus et Citrobacter) et 19,6% des cas avaient des infections fongiques (Candida et 23 aspergillus). Conclusions: L'âge croissant du patient, l'habitude du tabagisme et la gravité de la MPOC étaient liés à une fréquence croissante des infections bactériennes et fongiques. La détection précoce et le traitement approprié pourraient aider à prévenir la morbidité et la mortalité liées à la MPOC. Mots-clés: Maladie pulmonaire obstructive chronique, infection fongique, initiative mondiale pour la maladie pulmonaire obstructive chronique, infection bactérienne non tuberculeuse.

Is International HIV Dementia Scale good enough to diagnose HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders?

Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) comprise impairment of multiple cognitive domains and cause significant morbidity. International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS) is a quite sensitive and specific method for screening for HAND, and Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS), though nonspecific, contains more parameters for screening for neurocognition. Hence, we compared 3MS and IHDS as screening tools for HAND with an aim to find out which was a better screening tool for HAND. Methods: Using 3MS and IHDS, we assessed the cognitive status of 200 HIV-positive patients (65% males) and 84 controls, presenting to the Department of Medicine, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India from September 2015 to September 2019. Results: According to 3MS, 42 (21%) HIV-positive patients were neurocognitively impaired (mean 76.24 ± 1.51), and 158 (79%) patients were not (mean 87.02 ± 4.16). As per IHDS, 185 (92.5%) HIV patients were neurocognitively impaired (mean 8.45 ± 0.88), and 15 (7.5%) patients were not (mean 11.13 ± 0.35). The mean 3MS score of controls was 87.56 ± 4.26, and the IHDS score was 9.73 ± 1.00. According to Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), moderate depression occurred in only 3.5% of the patients, and the rest had only minimal or mild depression. In IHDS, psychomotor speed was the most affected parameter, whereas in 3MS, similarities were the most affected. Conclusion: IHDS may be over diagnosing neurocognitive impairment in HIV patients due to difficulty in understanding the test, especially psychomotor speed testing. 3MS may be more accurate for detecting neurocognitive impairment in HIV patients, and scale combining both these methods may be a still better choice.

Prevalence of HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorder using Modified Mini Mental State Examination and its Correlation with CD4 Counts and Anti-retroviral Therapy.

INTRODUCTION: HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND) is still prevalent even in the ART (Anti-Retroviral Therapy) era. It may have some association with CD4 counts and Anti-Retroviral Therapy. The prevalence of HAND in HIV-patients, was, therefore studied in the context of ART and CD4 counts. METHODS: Modified Mini Mental State Examination scores of 200 (65% males) HIV-positive patients and 200 controls were analyzed in the context of ART and CD4 counts. RESULTS: Maximum number of participants were educated between 8th-12th class (89.5%), aged between 25-50 years (81.5%) and a higher proportion of males had a CD4 count <500 (69.2%) (p=0.007). Using 3MS, 21% patients (mean 76.24±1.51) and none of the controls were found to be neurocognitively impaired. Mean scores of patients with CD4 counts<500(82.54±5.58) were lesser in comparison to those of patients with CD4 counts>500 (p<0.001). Those with an ART duration of <48 months had a lower score in comparison to those with an ART duration of >72 months (p=0.005).Most decrease from maximum value was seen in similarities (48.3 %), second recall (36.1 %), repetition (33.4 %), copying two pentagons (28.3 %), read and obey (24.0 %), mental reversal (22.7 %) and first recall (21.3%) parameters of Modified Mini Mental State Examination. CONCLUSIONS: HAND was less prevalent in the present study in comparison to past literature. CD4 counts and ART duration had an inverse association with the degree of cognitive impairment. The parameters of Modified Mini Mental State Examination showing maximum impairment may be compiled to form a short screening questionnaire.

Meningitis with Digital Gangrene in Meningococcal Infection: An Atypical Presentation.

Meningococcal infection is an important public health concern. Neisseria meningitidis usually colonizes the nasopharynx of healthy adolescents and adults and remains as asymptomatic colonizer, while in rare cases it may present as invasive disease as either meningitis or septicemia or both. Most of the cases have typical presentation of rashes. We hereby present a case of a 40-year-old male who presented with meningococcal meningitis and peripheral digital gangrene but without development of typical rashes. He improved by early institution of appropriate intravenous antibiotics with supportive care.

Methanol poisoning: characteristic MRI findings.

Acute methanol intoxication is not an unusual poisoning. It can have serious neurological sequelae. We emphasize how neuroimaging can help in distinguishing methanol poisoning from other causes of acute unconsciousness in alcoholic patients such as hypoglycemic brain damage and carbon monoxide poisoning or head injury, which are frequently observed in alcoholic patients and are also responsible for altered sensorium. The most important findings in MR brain imaging in methanol poisoning have been bilateral putaminal hemorrhagic necrosis. Other less common findings are subcortical and deep white matter lesions, cerebral and cerebellar cortical lesions, and midbrain lesions, cerebral and intraventricular hemorrhage, and even enhancement of necrotic lesions, we found almost the entire spectrum of MRI findings in this patient with methanol poisoning. Neurological sequelae can entail the course and prognosis in methanol poisoning. The patient died because of ventilator-associated pneumonia that developed in the course of prolonged hospitalization.