Transmission dynamics, complications and mitigation strategies of the current mpox outbreak: A comprehensive review with bibliometric study.

As the mankind counters the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), it simultaneously witnesses the emergence of mpox virus (MPXV) that signals at global spread and could potentially lead to another pandemic. Although MPXV has existed for more than 50 years now with most of the human cases being reported from the endemic West and Central African regions, the disease is recently being reported in non-endemic regions too that affect more than 50 countries. Controlling the spread of MPXV is important due to its potential danger of a global spread, causing severe morbidity and mortality. The article highlights the transmission dynamics, zoonosis potential, complication and mitigation strategies for MPXV infection, and concludes with suggested 'one health' approach for better management, control and prevention. Bibliometric analyses of the data extend the understanding and provide leads on the research trends, the global spread, and the need to revamp the critical research and healthcare interventions. Globally published mpox-related literature does not align well with endemic areas/regions of occurrence which should ideally have been the scenario. Such demographic and geographic gaps between the location of the research work and the endemic epicentres of the disease need to be bridged for greater and effective translation of the research outputs to pubic healthcare systems, it is suggested.

Mind over Microbes: Investigating the Interplay between Lifestyle Factors, Gut Microbiota, and Brain Health.

BACKGROUND: The gut microbiota (GM) of the human body comprises several species of microorganisms. This microorganism plays a significant role in the physiological and pathophysiological processes of various human diseases. METHODS: The literature review includes studies that describe causative factors that influence GM. The GM is sensitive to various factors like circadian rhythms, environmental agents, physical activity, nutrition, and hygiene that together impact the functioning and composition of the gut microbiome. This affects the health of the host, including the psycho-neural aspects, due to the interconnectivity between the brain and the gut. Hence, this paper examines the relationship of GM with neurodegenerative disorders in the context of these aforesaid factors. CONCLUSION: Future studies that identify the regulatory pathways associated with gut microbes can provide a causal link between brain degeneration and the gut at a molecular level. Together, this review could be helpful in designing preventive and treatment strategies aimed at GM, so that neurodegenerative diseases can be treated.

ST2 levels and neurodegenerative diseases: is this a significant relation?

Interleukin-33 (IL-33), belonging to the interleukin-1 cytokine family, has a decoy receptor soluble ST2 (sST2). IL-33 is found in oligodendrocytes and astrocytes and is involved in central nervous system healing and repair, whereas ST2 is found in microglia and astrocytes. Some studies have found a link between changes in the IL-33/ST2 pathway and neurodegenerative disorders. This review article investigates the relationship between the interleukin-33 (IL-33)/ST2 pathway and neurodegenerative disorders. It was discovered that soluble st2 levels were increased. Furthermore, IL-33 levels were found to be lower in many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The association with other disorders, such as ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), was also observed. Various studies suggest that ST2/IL-33 signalling may be pivotal in the disease modulation of neurodegenerative disorders. The serum sST2 level test can be useful in determining the inflammatory status and severity of illness in many neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we will discuss recent findings concerning the interleukin-33 (IL-33)/ST2 pathway and its role in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases with neurodegeneration.

Navigating diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in ocular manifestations of Hansen's disease and trachoma: A narrative review.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) encompass a group of approximately 20 diseases prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, closely associated with poverty, affecting over a billion people in low-income countries. This manuscript aims to explore the ocular manifestations and burden of two significant NTDs, namely Hansen's disease and trachoma while addressing gaps in understanding and management. Hansen's disease, caused by Mycobacterium leprae , has a long history and presents with diverse neurological and ocular manifestations. Despite the availability of treatment, ocular complications persist, leading to significant visual impairment in some cases. The manuscript emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis, regular ophthalmic examinations, and follow-ups to prevent and control ocular complications, reducing the burden of visual impairment and blindness. Trachoma, caused by Chlamydia trachomatis , remains the leading infectious cause of blindness in underdeveloped and remote areas. The manuscript highlights the clinical diagnosis and implementation of the World Health Organization's (WHO's) SAFE (surgery, antibiotics, facial hygiene, and environmental sanitation) strategy to prevent transmission and associated blindness. However, challenges in health surveillance tools and underreporting of trachoma cases are addressed, emphasizing the need for improved strategies to combat the disease effectively. Through a comprehensive review of the ocular manifestations and management of Hansen's disease and trachoma, this manuscript contributes to the existing knowledge base and enhances a deeper understanding of these NTDs. Addressing gaps in understanding and management emphasizes the importance of implementing WHO's strategies and collaborative efforts to achieve the global goal of reducing the burden of NTDs and improving community health and well-being. The manuscript underscores the significance of early intervention, preventive measures, and technological advancements, providing valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and researchers working in the field of NTDs.

Purtscher's like retinopathy - A rare ocular complication of acute pancreatitis.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Purtscher retinopathy is the rare form of occlusive microvasculopathy, characterized by multiple retinal white areas around the optic nerve head and fovea with paravascular clearing and may be related to intraretinal hemorrhages. Acute Pancreatitis (AP) is one of the most common gastrointestinal reasons for hospital admissions globally. The complications of Acute Pancreatitis may include Purtscher's-like retinopathy, which has a low incidence rate of less than 0.24 instances per million cases. This case report highlights the value of thorough medical history taking and examination, and it apprises the consideration of ophthalmological manifestation in patients of Acute Pancreatitis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old female came to the emergency room due to intense abdominal pain associated with nausea and vomiting, which worsened over the last 24 h. The pain was described as continuous, sharp, and cramping-like in the upper abdomen, radiating to the back. Lab tests revealed elevated serum amylase and lipase levels, indicating pancreatitis, along with slight leukocytosis. A contrast-enhanced CT scan confirmed acute pancreatitis with mild inflammation and enlargement of the pancreas. Two days after admission, the patient experienced a sudden and painless loss of central vision in both eyes. There was no history of trauma or any other significant relevant history, other than pancreatitis. The ophthalmologist's examination found reduced visual acuity (6/60 in the right eye, 3/60 in the left eye), normal corneas, and anterior chambers. DISCUSSION: Inkeles and Walsh established the first link between acute pancreatitis and Purtscher-like retinopathy when they reported three cases of the distinctive retinal appearance in individuals with acute pancreatitis in 1975. CONCLUSION: The recovery and prognosis in cases of Purtscher-like retinopathy is variable and further research is required to ascertain the usage of corticosteroids and pentoxifylline in improving the course of a patient's with Purtscher's-like retinopathy.

An unusual presentation of penile fracture with complete transection of urethra: a case report.

Penile fracture is one such urologic emergency that occurs when the penis is struck bluntly during sexual activity, and in less than 5-10% of cases, the concurrent urethral damage is evident, but complete transection is very rare. A 37-year-old male presented with a history of 'snap' sound and immediate detumescence of penis during intercourse, when he fell and hit the pubic bone of his partner. There was acute retention of urine, an attempt to pass a catheter failed and the patient underwent supra-pubic catheterization. On examination, there was classical 'eggplant deformity' of the penis with blood at the tip of the meatus. MRI showed a tunical tear on both sides at the penoscrotal junction with indistinct urethra and extensive hematoma in the proximal penile shaft. Surgical management was successfully done by anastomotic urethroplasty and cavernosal repair.

Implementation of the pharmacovigilance database in the usage of antibiotics in a tertiary care hospital: A pilot study.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has evolved into a severe public health issue that defies all current control strategies and needs multidisciplinary, creative solutions. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) activities demand a set of tools and abilities that can be used by health systems. In view of the growing AMR and the difficulty for the surveillance of it in the developing country, this study was conducted to incorporate pharmacovigilance (PV) in the AMS program. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted to collect the PV database of antimicrobials induced adverse drug reactions (ADR) from the Adverse Drug Reactions Monitoring Center (AMC) of the institute for a period of 2 months from August 2022 to September 2022. The information from the database was analyzed to estimate the usage of antibiotics from the PV database from AMC and classified it under the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical, to assess the rationality of the antimicrobial's usage based on "Access," "Watch," and "Reserve" (AWaRe) classification, and to assess the ADR of the antibiotics. The analysis was done by using the SPSS version 20.0 for Windows. Results: The results showed that the prevalence of ADRs were more in adults' population with preponderance in female. The antibiotics usage was as per with World Health Organization standard and most of the antibiotics used were from the Access group of AWaRe classifications. Tetracyclines and penicillins were the most used antibiotic group of drugs. The number of patients included in the study was 70. Most of the causality assessment was "possible" (62.85%). In the study, almost 90% of the drug was withdrawn and 70% of the patients were in the recovering stage. Conclusion: Using existing PV approaches to address usage of antibiotics and AMR issues would allow PV to progress as a field, and governments will get a stronger return on their PV investments.

Current approaches in smart nano-inspired drug delivery: A narrative review.

Background and Aim: The traditional drug delivery approach involves systemic administration of a drug that could be nonspecific in targeting, low on efficacy, and with severe side-effects. To address such challenges, the field of smart drug delivery has emerged aiming at designing and developing delivery systems that can target specific cells, tissues, and organs and have minimal off-target side-effects. Methods: A literature search was done to collate papers and reports about the currently available various strategies for smart nano-inspired drug delivery. The databases searched were PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Based on selection criteria, the most pertinent and recent items were included. Results: Smart drug delivery is a cutting-edge revolutionary intervention in modern medicines to ensure effective and safe administration of therapeutics to target sites. These hold great promise for targeted and controlled delivery of therapeutic agents to improve the efficacy with reduced side-effects as compared to the conventional drug delivery approaches. Current smart drug delivery approaches include nanoparticles, liposomes, micelles, and hydrogels, each with its own advantages and limitations. The success of these delivery systems lies in engineering and designing them, and optimizing their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics properties. Conclusion: Development of drug delivery systems that can get beyond various physiological and clinical barriers, as observed in conventionally administered chemotherapeutics, has been possible through recent advancements. Using multifunctional targeting methodologies, smart drug delivery tries to localize therapy to the target location, reduces cytotoxicity, and improves the therapeutic index. Rapid advancements in research and development in smart drug delivery provide wider and more promising avenues to guarantee a better healthcare system, improve patient outcomes, and achieve higher levels of effective medical interventions like personalized medicine.

Face Transplantation: What You Need to Know?

Since the 1990s, face transplants have gotten a lot of press and public attention across the world. After a transplant was disclosed in November 2005, the first recipient, Isabelle Dinoire, found herself at the center of a spectacular event of surgical innovation. Up till August 2020, 47 transplants have been performed globally (including two retransplants), all of which have received substantial media attention. Hundreds of publications addressing the procedure's medicinal, physical, psychological, and ethical ramifications have been published in the scholarly literature, far outnumbering the procedure's occurrence. Face transplants have also appeared in films, television shows, and novels, indicating a desire to explore the social and interpersonal consequences of face variance. This is an attempt to present a comprehensive context of face transplantation progress and practice, based mostly on extant documentary sources. It traces the history of face transplants, identifying major milestones and themes along the way and focusing on its development as a therapeutic option for individuals with severe facial abnormalities. There are still important questions to be asked about the patient's perspective, as well as the complex philosophical and sociological meanings of the face, but this article focuses on the institutional and cultural factors that have allowed for such an ethically complex and radical surgery to take place. Opportunity and financial feasibility are among them, as are expertise, ambition, and an awareness of patient needs.

An extremely rare case of feeding jejunostomy proceeding to intussusception.

Key Clinical Message: Feeding jejunostomy (FJ) is one of the frequently performed surgical procedures for enteral nutrition, but intussusception a very rare complication with quite challenging clinical outcome. It symbolizes a surgical emergency requiring prompt diagnosis. Abstract: Feeding jejunostomy (FJ) is a minor surgical intervention, which might lead to consequences that are potentially fatal. Mechanical issues such as infection, tube dislocation or migration, electrolyte and fluid imbalances, as well as complaints of gastrointestinal tract, are the most frequent consequences. A 76-year-old female, who is a known case of carcinoma (CA) esophagus: Stage 4 with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Class 3 presented with complaints of difficulty in swallowing and vomiting. As a part of palliative treatment, FJ is done and patient was discharged on postoperative day (POD) 2. Patient again presented to emergency department after 2 months with complaints of pain abdomen, unable to pass flatus and stools for 2 days. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography was done, which revealed intussusception of jejunum with lead point as tip of feeding tube. Intussusception of jejunal loops is noted 20 centimeters distal to the site of insertion of FJ tube with tip of feeding tube as lead point. Reduction of bowel loops was achieved by gentle compression of distal part and are found to be viable. FJ tube was then removed and repositioned after which the obstruction got relieved. Intussusception is an extremely rare complication of FJ, where the clinical presentation can be likely to the various causes of small bowel obstruction. The fatal complications like intussusception in FJ can be prevented by remembering some technical considerations, such as attaching a 4-5 cm segment of the jejunum to the abdominal wall rather than a single-point fixation and maintaining a minimum distance of 15 cm between the duodenojejunal (DJ) flexure and the FJ site.

ViSHWaS: Violence Study of Healthcare Workers and Systems-a global survey.

OBJECTIVE: To provide insights into the nature, risk factors, impact and existing measures for reporting and preventing violence in the healthcare system. The under-reporting of violence against healthcare workers (HCWs) globally highlights the need for increased public awareness and education. METHODS: The Violence Study of Healthcare Workers and Systems study used a survey questionnaire created using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) forms and distributed from 6 June to 9 August 2022. Logistic regression analysis evaluated violence predictors, including gender, age, years of experience, institution type, respondent profession and night shift frequency. A χ2 test was performed to determine the association between gender and different violence forms. RESULTS: A total of 5405 responses from 79 countries were analysed. India, the USA and Venezuela were the top three contributors. Female respondents comprised 53%. The majority (45%) fell within the 26-35 age group. Medical students (21%), consultants (20%), residents/fellows (15%) and nurses (10%) constituted highest responders. Nearly 55% HCWs reported firsthand violence experience, and 16% reported violence against their colleagues. Perpetrators were identified as patients or family members in over 50% of cases, while supervisor-incited violence accounted for 16%. Around 80% stated that violence incidence either remained constant or increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among HCWs who experienced violence, 55% felt less motivated or more dissatisfied with their jobs afterward, and 25% expressed willingness to quit. Univariate analysis revealed that HCWs aged 26-65 years, nurses, physicians, ancillary staff, those working in public settings, with >1 year of experience, and frequent night shift workers were at significantly higher risk of experiencing violence. These results remained significant in multivariate analysis, except for the 55-65 age group, which lost statistical significance. CONCLUSION: This global cross-sectional study highlights that a majority of HCWs have experienced violence, and the incidence either increased or remained the same during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in decreased job satisfaction.

COVID-19 Era and the Constantly Reemerging Novel SARS-CoV-2 Variants Calls for Special Attention for the Geriatrics: A Real Challenge.

Global public health is significantly challenged due to the continuing COrona VIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak brought forth by the severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) [...].

Caffeine: What Is Its Role in Pain Medicine?

Caffeine is the world's most widely used psychoactive legal substance. The involvement of caffeine in pain management has gotten minimal attention in the past, but it is getting more attention now. This article provides a brief assessment of the literature to clarify the role of caffeine as a pain reliever and stimulate the interest of researchers. Caffeine affects adenosine receptors, which are involved in nociception, and plays a significant role in pain regulation. Caffeine's usage as an adjuvant therapy has been extensively documented in the literature, and it is now accessible in certain over-the-counter drugs. The mixture of coffee and morphine for pain reduction in individuals with terminal cancer has shown mixed outcomes in studies. Caffeine can be utilized for hypnic headaches and post-dural puncture headaches since it is crucial in pain regulation. Caffeine has the potential to help in pain management. Caffeine's usage for migraines and end-stage cancer disease is not well acknowledged. Further research is essential to focus on caffeine's potential role in various forms of pain, including dosage escalation and outcome assessment standardization.

Multiple-choice questions in assessment: Perceptions of medical students from low-resource setting.

BACKGROUND: In curriculum reforms under Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) introduced by the National Medical Commission, medical students are recognized as one of the stake holders. The well-designed multiple-choice questions (MCQs) help students in assessment as well as promote deep learning. The objective of this study is to assess the perceptions of the Indian medical students towards the examination patterns in their undergraduate curriculum with particular reference to MCQs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted among the medical colleges in India. A total of 7875 students took part in the study. The study instrument was a validated pretested self-administered questionnaire. The study was conducted as an online survey using the Google Forms platform. Inclusion criteria were students from all professional years as well as interns and those who were willing to participate in the study. RESULTS: For the question of initiation of MCQs as a tool for the assessment, many of the students (46%) expressed that it should start from the 1st MBBS itself. The majority of the students (85%) felt that MCQ oriented preparation will be helpful for MBBS professional (theory and practical) examinations. Most of the students (90.9%) preferred that the MCQs should be concept and case scenario based. To the question of whether the current system of the university theory examinations of essays and short notes be replaced in total with MCQs so that they are more prepared for NEXT and USMLE examination, 65.5% responded with an answer of yes. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study provide input to the regulatory authorities and other stakeholders responsible for designing and implementing the medical curriculum.

Association of TNFSF11 rs2200287 and TNFSF11 rs2148072 gene polymorphisms in preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: Various cytokines released by white blood cells like lymphocytes are linked to the immune system during pregnancy. The polymorphism of the TNFSF11 (rs2200287 and rs2148072) gene is related to the preeclampsia of pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a prospective study involving 304 pregnant women with preeclampsia (n = 152) and controls (non-preeclamptic pregnant women) (n = 152). To investigate the rs2200287 and rs2148072 SNP's of TNFSF11 gene polymorphism by using the PCR-RFLP techniques. RESULTS: A significantly different genotype distribution of TNFSF11 (rs2200287 and rs2148072) polymorphisms were observed between the two groups, with the G allele of variant rs2200287 was highly significant in the preeclamptic group (P = 0.000; .5814; OR = .5814; 95% CI = .4211-.8012). And the C allele of variant rs2148072 was also highly significant in the preeclamptic group (P = 0.000; OR = .5076; 95% CI, .362-.71) in this study. CONCLUSION: The outcomes of the present study indicate that there was an association in TNFSF 11 (rs2200287 and rs2148072) gene polymorphism with preeclampsia compared to non-preeclampsia women.