Clinical Presentation of Cases with Upper Gastro - Intestinal Bleeding.

Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a common emergency and can be a serious condition that requires hospitalization, rapid evaluation and management. The usual presentation is hematemesis (vomiting of blood or coffee ground-like material) and/or melena (black, tarry stools) 1. UGIB occurs more commonly in men and older subjects. PUD is the most common cause of UGIB in the US accounting for about 50% of the cases, whereas in tropical country like India, esophageal varices attribute to half the cases. Esophago-Gastro-Duodenoscopy [EGD] is a primary diagnostic and therapeutic modality in the setting of UGIB. MATERIAL: Prospective study. Forty patients who have presented with frank blood or coffee ground color vomitus and/or melena were considered for this study. All patients greater than 18 years of age were included. Their clinical presentation, hemogram and endoscopic findings were analyzed. Descriptive statistical analysis has been applied. OBSERVATION: In our study, the age distribution was between 23 and 87 years. There is a male preponderance with 65 % males and 35%females. Among 40 patients,42.5%had varices, 17.5% had Peptic Ulcer Disease and12.5% had Erosive Gastritis. The other causes of UGIB include Pangastritis(10%), Mallory Weiss Tear(7.5%), Polyp(5%), Esophagitis(2.5%), Coagulopathy induced bleed(2.5%) and Carcinoma stomach(2.5%). Of the 40 cases admitted, only 3 patients (7.5%) had massive Upper GI Bleed.10 patients (25%) had moderate bleed and 27 patients (67.5%) had mild bleed. Amongst the patients with massive bleed, an important cause is esophageal varices(66.7%). A total of 21 (52.5%) patients have recovered. There was one death(2.5%) amongst the cases which was not attributed to UGIB. 14 patients(45%) has residual disease of which 42.5% were of variceal bleed. Patients with variceal bleed have undergone banding and have been asked to regularly follow up for check endoscopy and banding till their eradication. There was 1 patient of residual disease with Carcinoma stomach(2.5%) who has been initiated on chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Hematemesis is much commoner than melena in the presentation of upper GI bleed. EGD has a diagnostic as well as therapeutic role in UGIB .In this study endoscopy provided diagnosis in 97.5% of patients. In this cross sectional study, the most common cause of upper GI bleed was esophageal varices, with alcoholic cirrhosis being the main cause of portal hypertension. Varices remain to be the most common cause of UGIB in both males and females, however, the percentage is more in males as compared to females. Varices are an important cause of massive variceal bleed.

Synthesis and magnetic behaviour of Mn:ZnO nanocrystalline powders.

This paper reports on the magnetic properties of Mn:ZnO nanoparticles. XRD profiles have shown that the undertaken materials are in wurtzite structures. The crystallite size of the sample has been examined using TEM for one sample. In order to verify the lattice site occupancy and also valence state of the manganese ion, EPR spectral measurements have also been carried out for these samples. The magnetic properties of the samples have been investigated on a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM).