A Study of Hypertension and Related Biophysical and Health-related Lifestyle Behaviors in Patients Suffering from Schizophrenia.

Background: Schizophrenia is a life-shortening disease. The standardized mortality ratio has been higher than that of the general population, and it has doubled what it was 3-4 decades ago. This rise is mostly attributed to the increased cardiovascular risk associated with high second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) use. Evidence from the first-generation antipsychotic (FGA) era shows a lower prevalence of hypertension (HTN) but data regarding SGAs is scarce. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess the prevalence of HTN and related factors using standardized methodology in patients with schizophrenia on treatment with SGAs. Methods: A cross-sectional study through convenient sampling was done. Blood pressure, anthropometry, physical activity, and health-related lifestyle factors were assessed using the standard World Health Organization (WHO) methodology of cardiovascular survey methods and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) version 2. The prevalence of HTN, obesity, inadequate physical activity, and other demographic and clinical correlates like antipsychotic use, duration of illness, and family history of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were studied. Results: The prevalence of HTN is 20.50%, and it increases with age. SGAs with the use of a single agent are the most common. In total, 45.50% of persons with schizophrenia have a positive family history of a NCD; 22.00% and 07.50% are current tobacco and alcohol users, respectively; and 70% have abdominal obesity, and 54% have generalized obesity. Waist circumference, obesity, and family history of NCDs are significant correlates of HTN. A family history of NCDs is the most significant predictor. Conclusion: The prevalence of HTN is lower than that of the general population despite the high prevalence of SGA use, obesity, and inadequate physical activity.

Rapid Decline of SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load in Single vs. Double-Dose (Short-Interval <6 Weeks) ChAdOx nCoV-19 Vaccinated Health-Care Workers.

The present work was carried out during the emergence of Delta Variant of Concern (VoC) and aimed to study the change in SARS CoV-2 viral load in Covishield vaccinated asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic health-care workers (HCWs) to find out the optimum isolation period. The SARS CoV-2 viral load was carried out in sequential samples of 55 eligible HCWs which included unvaccinated (UnV; n = 11), single-dose vaccinated (SDV, n = 20) and double-dose vaccinated [DDV, n = 24; short-interval (<6 weeks)] subjects. The mean load of envelope (E) gene on day 5 in SDV [0.42 × 105 copies/reaction] was significantly lower as compared to DDV [6.3 × 105 copies/reaction, P = 0.005] and UnV [6.6 × 105 copies/reaction, P = 0.001] groups. The rate of decline of SARS CoV-2 viral load in the initial 5 days of PCR positivity was significantly higher in SDV as compared to that in DDV (Mean log decline 0.39 vs. 0.19; P < 0.001). This was possibly due to interference of adenoviral immunity of first dose of adenovirus-vectored vaccine in double-dose vaccinated HCWs who had received vaccines within a shorter interval (<6 weeks).

Case Report: A Case of Complicated Typhoid Fever with Rhabdomyolysis and Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis.

Typhoid fever can have diverse extra-intestinal complications including encephalitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, endocarditis, myocarditis, osteomyelitis, renal abscess, and splenic abscesses. Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis with rhabdomyolysis is a rare complication of typhoid fever. Here, we present the case of an adolescent with typhoid fever complicated by rhabdomyolysis and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

Changing Clinical Profile and Predictors of Mortality in Patients of Acute Febrile Encephalopathy from North India.

Introduction: Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) or acute febrile encephalopathy is a clinical condition characterized by altered mental status occurring after or along with a short febrile illness. In developing countries, infections are the predominant cause of AES. Prominent infections known to cause AES include viruses (such as herpes simplex virus [HSV], Japanese Encephalitis [JE] virus, dengue, enteroviruses [EVs]), bacteria, fungus, and parasites. In the present study, we aim to analyze the etiology, clinical features, and predictors of mortality in patients presenting with acute febrile encephalopathy or acute encephalitic syndrome. The present study was a prospective observational study conducted at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research a tertiary care center in Chandigarh, India. Methods: A total of 105 patients with ≥18 years of age with fever (body temperature >101° F for duration ≤14 days) and altered sensorium (Glasgow coma scale [GCS] score ≤10) lasting for more than 24 h, either accompanying the fever or following it were enrolled. Demographic and clinical details were recorded on pro forma. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis was performed for all the enrolled patients at admission for cytology, CSF glucose to blood glucose ratio, protein levels, gram stain and culture sensitivity, adenosine deaminase levels, polymerase chain reaction for HSV/EV/mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) and immunoglobulin M Enzyme-linked immune assay for JE. Computed tomography of the brain was done in all patients while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was carried out in 75 patients. Results: Among the 105 patients, tubercular meningitis was seen in 27 (25.7%) patients followed by acute pyogenic meningitis in 18 (17.1%) patients. Probable viral encephalitis was present in 12 (11.4%) cases. Septic encephalopathy (n = 10) and scrub typhus encephalitis (n = 8), HSV encephalitis (n = 6), dengue encephalitis (n = 4), leptospirosis (n = 3) were the other infections causing acute febrile encephalitis in our study. In addition to fever and altered sensorium common symptoms observed were headache (52.4%), vomiting (35.2%), and seizures (29.5%). The factors predicting increased mortality were female gender, fever of more than 38°C at admission, GCS <7, MRI showing disease-related findings like altered signal intensity bilateral medial temporal and insular area in herpes simplex encephalitis, etc., changes, and the group of patients where a definite diagnosis could not be established during the hospital stay. Conclusions: Tubercular meningitis/central nervous system TB is the predominant cause of acute febrile encephalopathy in developing countries. Scrub and dengue encephalitis are emerging as an important cause of acute febrile encephalopathy and occur predominantly in postmonsoon seasons. Acute febrile encephalopathy remains an important cause of mortality in patients presenting to Emergency Department (ER). The strongest predictors of mortality are low GCS and undiagnosed cases of AES.

Characteristics and outcome of infectious complications after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation in multiple myeloma patients.

BACKGROUND: Infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. There has been a rapid advancement and evolution in MM treatment landscape in the last decade. There is limited information on post-AHCT infectious complications among MM patients with or without levofloxacin prophylaxis from developing countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study to explore the incidence, pattern, and clinical outcome of infections following AHCT in MM patients from 2010 to 2019 at our center. Patient-specific, disease-specific, and transplant-specific details were retrieved from the case files. The characteristics of infectious complications (site, intensity, organism, treatment, and outcomes) were analyzed. All patients who underwent transplantation from 2010 to 2016 received levofloxacin antibiotic prophylaxis. Common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE) criteria (v5.0) were used for the grading of infections and regimen-related toxicity. International Myeloma Working Group updated criteria were used for the assessment of disease response before transplant and at day +100. RESULTS: Ninety-five consecutive patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) (n = 85), RRMM (n = 7), plasma cell leukemia (n = 2), and Polyneuropathy, Orgaomegaly, Endocrinopathy, Monoclonal gammopathy, skin abnormalities (POEMS) syndrome (n = 1) underwent AHCT during the study period. Their median age was 55 years (range 33-68); 55.8% were males. Immunoglobulin IgG kappa was the most common monoclonal protein (32.6%), International Staging System stage III disease was present in 45.3%, and 84.2% of patients achieved more than very good partial response before AHCT. The median time from diagnosis to AHCT was 10 months (range 4-144). Eighty-nine patients (93.7%) developed fever after AHCT. Fever of unknown focus, microbiologically confirmed infections, and clinically suspected infections were found in 50.5%, 37.9%, and 5.3% of patients, respectively. Clostridiodes difficile-associated diarrhea was observed in eight patients (8.4%). Neutrophil and platelet engraftment occurred after a median of 11 days (range 9-14) and 12 days (range 9-23), respectively. The median duration of hospital stay was 16 days (range 9-29). Only two patients (2.1%) required readmission for infections within 100 days of AHCT. Transplant-related mortality (TRM) in the study population was 4.2% (n = 4). The levofloxacin prophylaxis group (n = 32, 33.7%) had earlier neutrophil engraftment (day +10 vs. day +11) and platelet engraftment (day +11 vs. day +12), but time to fever onset, duration of fever, hospital stay, TRM, and day +100 readmission rates were not significantly different from those of patients without levofloxacin prophylaxis. There was no significant difference in the spectrum of infections between patients with and without levofloxacin prophylaxis. The overall survival and progression-free survival of the study population at 5 years were 72.7% and 64.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the incidence of infections and TRM are higher in MM patients from lower-middle income countries after AHCT than in those from developed countries. The majority of such patients lack clinical localization and microbiological proof of infection. There was no significant difference in the spectrum of infections and their outcomes in patients with and without levofloxacin prophylaxis.

Cytology as the guiding light: Prompt cytomorphologic diagnosis of cystic metastases from a jejunal neuroendocrine tumor masquerading as hepatic abscesses.

Hepatic cystic lesions are commonly seen in radiology and can occur due to infective or neoplastic causes. It is imperative to determine the precise nature of these hepatic cysts owing to significant therapeutic and prognostic differences. Hepatic metastases from gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) mostly present as solid hypervascular lesions. Cystic presentation of the metastatic NETs is extremely rare. A 64-year-old woman presented with an abdominal lump of 3 months duration and high-grade fever from the last 2 days. An ultrasound abdomen revealed multiple hypoechoic liver lesions suggestive of liver abscesses. An ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) from the cystic liver lesions revealed a NET confirmed by immunocytochemistry. The Ki-67 index was 5%; hence, a final diagnosis of metastatic NET, grade 2, was given with advice to work up for localizing the primary tumor. Subsequently, a contrast-enhanced computerized tomography of the abdomen revealed a polypoidal lesion in the proximal jejunum, which showed intense expression on the whole-body DOTANOC scan (SUVmax-76.5), indicating it to be the likely primary tumor along with somatostatin receptor-expressing multiple lymph nodes and hypodense liver lesions. Thus, a final diagnosis of a jejunal NET with abdominal lymph node and liver metastases was made. The present report highlights the importance of FNA as a reliable modality in diagnosing metastatic NETs presenting as unusual cystic hepatic metastases masquerading as liver abscesses. Additionally, the cell block helps confirm the cytologic diagnosis and enables upfront tumor grading, thereby helping in prognostication and therapeutic decision-making.

Adult-onset Still's disease and fever of unknown origin in India.

Despite an essential differential diagnosis for fever of unknown origin (FUO) in young adults, adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is infrequently considered and remained underdiagnosed in low-middle-income countries. The present study analyzed the clinical, serological, radiological, and pathological characteristics of AOSD presented as FUO in India. A hospital-based retrospective study of patients aged > 13 years admitted with FUO and later diagnosed with AOSD in Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh (India), was conducted between January 2014 and December 2020. Petersdorf and Beeson's criteria were used to define FUO. The diagnosis of AOSD was made based on Yamaguchi's criteria. Twenty-seven patients (median age 26 years, 14 females) were enrolled. All presented with intermittent fever with a median duration of 10 weeks. The typical features of AOSD at admission were arthralgia (n = 24), hepatosplenomegaly (n = 21), spiking fever ≥ 39 °C (n = 19), lymphadenopathy (n = 18), typical rash (n = 17), and sore throat (n = 11). Leukocytosis (n = 25) and neutrophilia (n = 19) were frequent. Hyperferritinemia was universal (range, 700-145,003 ng/ml; ≥ 2000, n = 23). At admission, AOSD was suspected in only nine FUO cases, while tuberculosis (n = 16), undifferentiated connective tissue disorder (n = 14), and lymphoproliferative disorder (n = 11) were common diagnostic possibilities. Crispin et al. clinical scale detected AOSD in only 15 (55.5%) FUO patients. Whole-body imaging (n = 27), including fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (n = 12), demonstrated reticuloendothelial organ-system involvement and serositis. Seventeen (63%) patients had macrophage activation syndrome at the time of AOSD diagnosis. AOSD FUO presents with typical but nonspecific features; thus, early differentiation from common causes (e.g., tuberculosis, lymphoma) is difficult. Macrophage activation syndrome is common in AOSD with FUO presentation.

Essential oil nebulization in mild COVID-19(EONCO): Early phase exploratory clinical trial.

Background: Medications studied for therapeutic benefits in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have produced inconclusive efficacy results except for steroids. Objective: A prospective randomized open-label, parallel-arm Phase I/II clinical trial was planned to compare essential oil (EO) blend versus placebo nebulization in mild COVID-19. Methods: A Phase I safety evaluation was carried out in a single ascending and multiple ascending dose study designs. We assessed Phase II therapeutic efficacy on COVID-19 and general respiratory symptoms on days 0, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14 on the predesigned case record form. Viremia was evaluated on day 0, day 5, and day 10. Results: Dose-limiting toxicities were not reached with the doses, frequencies, and duration studied, thus confirming the formulation's preliminary safety. General respiratory symptoms (p < 0.001), anosmia (p < 0.05), and dysgeusia (p < 0.001) benefited significantly with the use of EO blend nebulization compared to placebo. Symptomatic COVID-19 participants with mild disease did not show treatment benefits in terms of symptomatic relief (p = 1.0) and viremia clearance (p = 0.74) compared to the placebo. EO blend was found to be associated with the reduced evolution of symptoms in previously asymptomatic reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-positive study participants (p = 0.034). Conclusion: EO nebulization appears to be a safer add-on symptomatic relief approach for mild COVID-19. However, the direct antiviral action of the EO blend needs to be assessed with different concentrations of combinations of individual phytochemicals in the EO blend.

Validation of a noninvasive aMMP-8 point-of-care diagnostic methodology in COVID-19 patients with periodontal disease.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to validate an active matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-8) point-of-care diagnostic tool in COVID-19 patients with periodontal disease. SUBJECTS, MATERIALS, AND METHODS: Seventy-two COVID-19-positive and 30 COVID-19-negative subjects were enrolled in the study. Demographic data were recorded, periodontal examination carried out, and chairside tests run for evaluating the expression of active MMP-8 (aMMP-8) in the site with maximum periodontal breakdown via gingival crevicular fluid sampling as well as via a mouth rinse-based kit for general disease activity. In COVID-19-positive patients, the kits were run again once the patients turned COVID-19 negative. RESULTS: The overall (n = 102) sensitivity/specificity of the mouthrinse-based kits to detect periodontal disease was 79.41%/36.76% and that of site-specific kits was 64.71%/55.88% while adjusting for age, gender, and smoking status increased the sensitivity and specificity (82.35%/76.47% and 73.53%/88.24, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for the adjusted model revealed very good area under the ROC curve 0.746-0.869 (p < .001) and 0.740-0.872 (p < .001) (the aMMP-8 mouth rinse and site-specific kits, respectively). No statistically significant difference was observed in the distribution of results of aMMP-8 mouth rinse test (p = .302) and aMMP-8 site-specific test (p = .189) once the subjects recovered from COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study support the aMMP-8 point-of-care testing (PoCT) kits as screening tools for periodontitis in COVID-19 patients. The overall screening accuracy can be further increased by utilizing adjunctively risk factors of periodontitis. The reported noninvasive, user-friendly, and objective PoCT diagnostic methodology may provide a way of stratifying risk groups, deciding upon referrals, and in the institution of diligent oral hygiene regimens.

A rare case of secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in visceral leishmaniasis.

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis occurs due to an uncontrolled inflammatory state and can be life threatening. Common triggers are infections, autoimmune diseases, malignancy or can be familial. Early treatment is life-saving especially in cases due to secondary infections. Here we present a rare case of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in visceral Leishmaniasis, where complete response resulted following treatment of the primary disease.

"Face of a Giant Panda" and "Beating Wings" in a Young Male.

Mutations in the gene coding for ATPase copper transporting beta polypeptide (ATP7B) cause Wilson's disease, located on chromosome 13. It has mainly hepatic and neurological presentations. Movement disorders are a characteristic finding in Wilson's disease, and "wing-beating tremors" are classical characteristics found on physical examination. We came across and managed a case of Wilson's disease with primarily neurological presentation with classical wing-beating tremors and "face of a giant panda" on radiology. As the patient had very typical findings and he also improved with the treatment, it will be beneficial to the clinicians in their daily practice to identify the disease seeing these clinical findings.

Short term, high-dose vitamin D supplementation for COVID-19 disease: a randomised, placebo-controlled, study (SHADE study).

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D has an immunomodulatory role but the effect of therapeutic vitamin D supplementation in SARS-CoV-2 infection is not known. AIM: Effect of high dose, oral cholecalciferol supplementation on SARS-CoV-2 viral clearance. DESIGN: Randomised, placebo-controlled. PARTICIPANTS: Asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 RNA positive vitamin D deficient (25(OH)D<20 ng/ml) individuals. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomised to receive daily 60 000 IU of cholecalciferol (oral nano-liquid droplets) for 7 days with therapeutic target 25(OH)D>50 ng/ml (intervention group) or placebo (control group). Patients requiring invasive ventilation or with significant comorbidities were excluded. 25(OH)D levels were assessed at day 7, and cholecalciferol supplementation was continued for those with 25(OH)D <50 ng/ml in the intervention arm. SARS-CoV-2 RNA and inflammatory markers fibrinogen, D-dimer, procalcitonin and (CRP), ferritin were measured periodically. OUTCOME MEASURE: Proportion of patients with SARS-CoV-2 RNA negative before day-21 and change in inflammatory markers. RESULTS: Forty SARS-CoV-2 RNA positive individuals were randomised to intervention (n=16) or control (n=24) group. Baseline serum 25(OH)D was 8.6 (7.1 to 13.1) and 9.54 (8.1 to 12.5) ng/ml (p=0.730), in the intervention and control group, respectively. 10 out of 16 patients could achieve 25(OH)D>50 ng/ml by day-7 and another two by day-14 [day-14 25(OH)D levels 51.7 (48.9 to 59.5) ng/ml and 15.2 (12.7 to 19.5) ng/ml (p<0.001) in intervention and control group, respectively]. 10 (62.5%) participants in the intervention group and 5 (20.8%) participants in the control arm (p<0.018) became SARS-CoV-2 RNA negative. Fibrinogen levels significantly decreased with cholecalciferol supplementation (intergroup difference 0.70 ng/ml; P=0.007) unlike other inflammatory biomarkers. CONCLUSION: Greater proportion of vitamin D-deficient individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection turned SARS-CoV-2 RNA negative with a significant decrease in fibrinogen on high-dose cholecalciferol supplementation. TRIAL REGISTER NUMBER: NCT04459247.

Measuring antibody titres following rabies postexposure prophylaxis in immunosuppressed patients: a norm rather than the exception.

We present a case of a 51-year-old immunosuppressed man with underlying chronic lymphoproliferative leukaemia (CLL), who presented to us in emergency with breathlessness, hydrophobia, anxiety and restlessness. He had a history of category 3 dog bite 2 months ago and had received a full course of rabies immunoglobulin and antirabies vaccine (ARV) as per the national schedule. As there were frank clinical reports of rabies, the patient was managed according to Milwaukee regimen. The patients died within a week of the appearance of symptoms. The brain autopsy revealed Negri bodies conforming the mortality due to rabies.Immunosuppressed patients, like our patient who had CLL have low antibody formation after rabies prophylaxis. Antibody titres in immunosuppressed patients need to be measured after the 2-4 weeks of the last injection of ARV to decide whether a booster of ARV needs to be administered or not.

Impact of broad-spectrum antibiotic exposures and multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteremia on hematopoietic cell transplantation outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: There is a close association between the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, gut microbiome alteration, multidrug resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacilli (GNB) bacteremia, graft versus host disease (GVHD), and mortality post-allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). This study reports the impact of the high use of carbapenems and colistin and MDR bacteremia pre- and post-HCT on HCT outcomes. METHODS: This was a single-center, partial retrospective, and prospective study from 2016 to 2020. Both pre- and post-HCT antibiotic exposures and blood culture/sensitivity were recorded. MDR GNB was defined as either non-susceptibility to third-generation cephalosporin or carbapenems. In the absence of positive cultures, the treating physician escalated antibiotics from third-generation cephalosporins to carbapenem and/or colistin as per clinical discretion. De-escalation policy was not strictly enforced. RESULTS: MDR GNB bacteremia was seen in 29 of 76 (38%) of patients peri-HCT. The utilization rates for carbapenems and colistin was significantly higher in the cohort with MDR GNB bacteremia pre-HCT (70% vs. 32%, p = 0.002 and 31% vs. 6.4%, p = 0.007, respectively) and post-HCT (100% vs. 74.5%, p = 0.002, and 55.2% vs. 8.5%, p < 0.0001, respectively). The cohort with MDR GNB bacteremia had significantly more severe acute GVHD at day+100 (45% vs. 17.5%, p = 0.009). The median survival was 204 days compared to not reached in the cohort without any MDR GNB bacteremia (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: This study shows pre- and post-HCT MDR GNB bacteremia is associated with an increased risk of severe acute GVHD and mortality. Patients with MDR GNB bacteremia had higher exposure to pre- and post-HCT carbapenems and colistin.

Role of pre-transplant chest high-resolution computed tomography and serum galactomannan index in predicting post-transplant invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients.

INTRODUCTION: The role of pre-HCT chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and serum galactomannan index (GMI) in predicting the post-allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is debatable. METHODS: This was a single-center, prospective study from 2014 to 2019. The primary objective was to study if pre-HCT chest HRCT and serum GMI predicted IPA post-HCT. The secondary objective was day +100 mortality. All consecutive, consenting patients of ≥12 years of age undergoing allo-HCT were included and had pre-HCT chest HRCT and serum GMI. All patients received mold active antifungal prophylaxis. The EORTC/MSG criteria were used for the diagnosis of IPA. RESULTS: A total of 82 patients with median age 27 years (12-59 years) were included. The underlying diagnoses included hematological malignancies (79%) and aplastic anemia (21%). Fifteen percent of patients was treated for prior history of probable IPA (>6 weeks before HCT). Pre-HCT chest HRCT satisfied EORTC clinical criteria in 24% patients. Serum GMI ≥0.5 was seen in 27% of patients. Post-HCT probable IPA was seen in 24% of patients. There were more patients with pre-HCT chest HRCT findings satisfying EORTC clinical criteria (45% vs. 18%, P = .014) and GMI ≥0.5 (45% vs. 21%, P = .03) in the group with post-HCT IPA compared to those without IPA. There was higher day+100 mortality in patients with post-HCT IPA (55% vs. 18%, P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of EORTC clinical criteria on pre-HCT chest HRCT, serum GMI ≥0.5, and prior history of IPA predicted post-HCT IPA.

Relationship of substance dependence and time to RT-PCR negative status in patients with COVID-19 infection.

BACKGROUND: To date, no study has evaluated the association of alcohol dependence with the outcome of the COVID-19 infection. AIM: The current study aimed to evaluate the association of substance dependence (alcohol and tobacco) with the outcome (i.e., time to have two consecutive negative test reports) of the COVID-19 infection. RESULTS: The mean age of the study participants (n = 95) was 37.2 yrs (SD-13.2). More than half of the participants were males. About one-fourth (N = 25; 26.3 %) were consuming various substances in a dependent pattern. Alcohol dependence was present in 21 participants (22.1 %), and Tobacco dependence was present in 10.5 % of participants. Even after using gender, age, and physical illness as covariates, patients with any kind of substance dependence had a significantly lower chance of having a negative report on RT-PCR on 14th day, 18th 23rd day. CONCLUSION: Persons with substance dependence takes a longer time to test negative on RT-PCR, once diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. Mental health professionals involved in the care of patients with COVID-19 should accordingly prepare these patients for a possible longer hospital stay to reduce the distress associated with prolongation of hospital stay.

Aetiology of pyrexia of unknown origin in north India.

The aetiology of pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) varies dramatically according to epidemiology. We studied the cause and spectrum of PUO in Indian adults. A total of 152 patients (112 prospectively and 40 retrospectively) met Petersdorf and Beeson's criteria. The diagnostic evaluation was guided by potentially diagnostic clues, based on a 'step-wise' approach. The five main categories, i.e. infectious, neoplastic, non-infectious inflammatory, miscellaneous and undiagnosed comprised 43.4%, 21.5%, 19.7%, 2.0% and 12.5%, respectively. The top three causes were tuberculosis (n = 43, 28.3%), lymphoma (n = 19, 12.5%) and adult-onset Still's disease (n = 12, 7.9%). Tuberculosis predominated in all age groups, and about 70% of cases had the extrapulmonary form, the most common being gastrointestinal. Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas were equally distributed, but solid malignancies were uncommon. Adult-onset Still's disease was the second commonest cause in adults aged ≤ 40 years. Fever resolved spontaneously in 12/19 cases of undiagnosed cause. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis remains the most prevalent PUO in India.

How to Use a Prioritised Approach for Treating Hematological Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemic in India?

The current pandemic coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is known to cause severe infection (COVID-19) in patients with comorbidities, particularly cancer or an immunosuppressed state. Most healthcare systems in the country are likely to be overwhelmed soon if the pandemic moves to a stage of community transmission. Currently, limited evidence is available for managing patients with hematological disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current review summarises the possible challenges clinicians are likely to face, key considerations to guide decision making, and possible solutions to the anticipated challenges. Disease specific recommendations and possible guidance for decision making have been suggested for most hematologic diseases that are feasible in our health setup. It is not meant to replace individual clinical judgment, but to provide a template to formulate local policies.

No Traces of SARS-CoV-2 In Wounds of COVID-19 Positive Patients: A Pilot Study.

Background This study was performed to investigate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus in wounds of COVID-19 positive patients. Methods This is a single-center observational study. COVID-19 patients with wounds (traumatic/infective/surgical) were included in this study. Preoperative, intraoperative, or postoperative specimens were collected and analyzed with real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) to know the presence of the virus. Results A total of eight patients were included in this study. Eleven samples were collected (seven wound swabs, two peritoneal fluids, and two tissue specimens) and analyzed. None of the samples from the wound tested positive for the virus while they were tested positive for nasal swab taken simultaneously or within 3 days prior. Conclusion The wounds of COVID-19 patients are considered negative and can be managed with routine wound precautions.

Scrub typhus cholecystitis.

Acute acalculous cholecystitis is usually seen in association with systemic medical illness, or after surgery, trauma or burn and is considered as a more severe disease than acute calculous cholecystitis. We recently had the opportunity of observing a patient who was admitted in a surgical emergency with clinical features of acute cholecystitis and was found to have Orientia tsutsugamushi infection after a strong clinical suspicion of acute tropical fever illness.