Guidelines for the Use of Procalcitonin for Rational Use of Antibiotics.

How to cite this article: Khilnani GC, Tiwari P, Zirpe KG, Chaudhary D, Govil D, Dixit S, et al. Guidelines for the Use of Procalcitonin for Rational Use of Antibiotics. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(S2):S77-S94.

Educational Attainment of Grandmothers and Preterm Birth in Grandchildren.

BACKGROUND: Maternal education has been shown repeatedly to be inversely associated with preterm birth. Both preterm birth and educational level of families are correlated across generations, but it is not clear if educational level of grandparents affects the risk of preterm delivery of their grandchildren, and, if so, if the association with grandmother's education is independent of mother's education. METHODS: We used New Jersey birth certificates to create a transgenerational dataset to examine the effect of grandmother's education on risk of PTB in White, Black and Hispanic grandchildren. We matched birth certificates of girls born in 1979-1983 to mothers listed on NJ birth certificates for the years 1999-2011. Thus, grandmothers were the women delivering in 1979-1983, and mothers were those born to the grandmothers who in turn delivered grandchildren in 1999-2011. We performed descriptive tabulations and multivariate logistic regression to develop risk estimates. RESULTS: Overall, maternal education was associated inversely with PTB in each of the demographic groups. There was a substantial inter-generational increase in education between grandmothers and mothers in each group, which was most striking in Hispanics After adjusting for maternal age and education, grandmother's education continued to be associated with preterm birth of her grandchildren. CONCLUSIONS: Grandmother's education was an additional, independent predictor of PTB in her grandchildren. This result supports the idea that mother's childhood and preconception socioeconomic environment, including the educational level of her childhood household affect her reproductive health.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Role of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Early and Late Phase of Sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: Early diagnosis of sepsis is necessary to decrease morbidity and mortality. This study aims to evaluate neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as diagnostic and prognostic of early and late phase of sepsis. METHODS: It was a prospective, observational study, conducted in Intensive Care and High Dependency Unit (Daycare) of the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (tertiary care center), Rohtak, from January 2017 to December 2017. A total of 56 cases of newly diagnosed cases of sepsis were included in the study and 20 healthy adults were taken as controls. Daily NLR was calculated in cases till the primary outcome. RESULTS: The results suggested that NLR seems to have promising role as diagnostic and prognostic marker (with P = 0.001 and P = 0.045, respectively) in sepsis. CONCLUSION: The study suggests that NLR can be a useful diagnostic and prognostic marker in sepsis.

Antibiotic susceptibilities, streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin gene profiles among clinical isolates of group C or G Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis & of group G S. anginosus group at a tertiary care centre.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Group C and group G streptococci (together GCGS) are often regarded as commensal bacteria and their role in streptococcal disease burden is under-recognized. While reports of recovery of GCGS from normally sterile body sites are increasing, their resistance to macrolides, fluoroquinolone further warrants all invasive ß haemolytic streptococci to be identified to the species level and accurately tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence, clinical profile, antimicrobial susceptibility and streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin gene profile (speA, speB, speC, speF, smeZ, speI, speM, speG, speH and ssa) of GCGS obtained over a period of two years at a tertiary care centre from north India. METHODS: The clinical samples were processed as per standard microbiological techniques. ß-haemolytic streptococci (BHS) were characterized and grouped. Antimicrobial susceptibility of GCGS was performed using disk diffusion method. All GCGS were characterized for the presence of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins (spe) and spe genes were amplified by PCR method. RESULTS: GCGS (23 GGS, 2GCS) comprised 16 per cent of ß haemolytic streptococci (25/142 ßHS, 16%) isolated over the study period. Of the 25 GCGS, 22 (88%) were recovered from pus, two (8%) from respiratory tract, whereas one isolate was recovered from blood of a fatal case of septicaemia. Of the total 23 GGS isolates, 18 (78%) were identified as Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp equisimilis (SDSE, large-colony phenotype), five (21%) were Streptococcus anginosus group (SAG, small-colony phenotype). The two GCS were identified as SDSE. All GCGS isolates were susceptible to penicillin, vancomycin, and linezolid. Tetracycline resistance was noted in 50 per cent of SDSE isolates. The rates of macrolide and fluoroquinolone resistance in SDSE were low. Twelve of the 20 SDSE isolates were positive for one or more spe genes, with five of the SDSE isolates simultaneously carrying speA+ speB+ smeZ+ speF or speB+ smeZ+speF, speI+speM+speG+speH or, speI+spe M+speH or speA+ speB+ speC+ smeZ+ speF. One notable finding was the presence of spe B in four of the five isolates of the Streptococcus anginosus group. No isolate was positive for ssa. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed no association between GCGS isolates harbouring streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins and disease severity. This might be attributed to the small sample size of spe-positive isolates.

Histopathological Insight of a Case of Adenoid Ameloblastoma: A Rare Odontogenic Tumor.

Adenoid ameloblastoma with dentinoid had been perceived as a rare odontogenic tumor with bridging histopathological features between ameloblastoma and adenomatoid odontogenic tumor. Due to the mixture of histopathological features of two separate and well-recognized entities, adenoid ameloblastoma was also regarded as a hybrid lesion. The diversity in the histopathological presentation among the cases has disaccorded the nature, behaviour, and prognosis of this pathology. Despite the literature acknowledging the histopathological diversity, categorizing all these variations into one and addressing them as a single entity was lagging till the 5th edition of the odontogenic tumor classification by the WHO was forwarded. With the establishment of the new terminology of adenoid ameloblastoma and the enlistment of its diagnostic criteria, the scientific literature has advocated updating, contributing, and redefining the various aspects of this pathology. Here, we present a case of a 34-year-old male who presented with a chief complaint of swelling in the lower front region of his jaw in the past one month. The swelling was associated with pain that was sudden in onset with a progressive increase in size. The swelling was also associated with discharge that resembled pus. A panoramic radiograph showed a mixed radiopaque and radiolucent area, extending from the distal aspect of 32 up to the distal aspect of 43. The entire cystic lining along with the growth was excised and sent for histopathological examination. Correlating clinically, the histopathological features are suggestive of adenoid ameloblastoma. Scientific literature has stood as a boon to evidence-based practice. The diagnosis for the present case report is truly an outcome of the literature-based update which helped the diagnosis of the case as a separate entity rather than as a hybrid pathology. The goal was to enhance the understanding of the lesions in terms of their clinical characteristics and diverse histopathological morphology.

Implementation of a short course of prophylactic antibiotic treatment for prevention of postoperative infections in clean orthopaedic surgeries.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis constitutes the bulk of antimicrobial consumption in any hospital. This study was conducted at a level 1 Trauma Centre of a tertiary care hospital of India to assess the efficacy of a short (24 h) course of perioperative antibiotic prophylactic regimen in preventing surgical site infections (SSI) in open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of closed fractures of limbs and to assess if the same can be implemented as a general policy. METHODS: Patients of either sex, aged 18 yr or more, who were scheduled for ORIF and were willing and able to give informed consent, were included in the study. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups. Group 1 (n=100) received 3 doses of 1 g i.v. cefuroxime perioperatively spaced 12 h apart and group 2 (n=97) received the conventional existing regimen [5 days of i.v. antibiotics (cefuroxime 1 g twice daily along with amikacin 15 mg/kg in 2 divided doses), followed by oral cefuroxime, 500 mg twice daily till suture removal]. RESULTS: Of the 197 patients, four patients developed a surgical site infection (three with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and one Acinetobacter baumanii). Of these, two patients were in group 1 and the remaining two in group 2. These patients were treated with i.v. antibiotics based on the culture and antimicrobial sensitivity reports. The cost of the short course treatment was ` 150 per patient as compared to ` 1,900 per patient for conventional regimen. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in rates of SSI among the two groups in our study. Cost evaluation revealed that shorter course was less expensive than conventional long course regimen. Implementation of a short course perioperative regimen will go a long way in reducing antimicrobial resistance, cost and adverse reactions to antimicrobials.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis in a pediatric patient: A typical presentation with oral manifestations.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare hematological disorder characterized by abnormal proliferation of Langerhans cells. Head and neck region is commonly involved with oral manifestations appearing first in many instances. A thorough knowledge of the disorder and an interdisciplinary approach warrant for the better outcome of the condition.

Histopathological Characterization of a Series of Oral Basaloid Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a rare, distinctive, and aggressive variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) primarily seen in the upper aerodigestive tract with epiglottis, soft palate, and base of the tongue being site of high preference in head and neck region. It differs from conventional SCC histologically and immunologically, is most frequently found in males in their sixth and seventh decades, and is frequently linked to alcohol and tobacco use. High stage disease with distant metastases, a high recurrence rate, and a dismal prognosis is how BSCC typically manifests. In the present article, we report four cases of BSCC.

Indian Guidelines on Nebulization Therapy.

Inhalational therapy, today, happens to be the mainstay of treatment in obstructive airway diseases (OADs), such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and is also in the present, used in a variety of other pulmonary and even non-pulmonary disorders. Hand-held inhalation devices may often be difficult to use, particularly for children, elderly, debilitated or distressed patients. Nebulization therapy emerges as a good option in these cases besides being useful in the home care, emergency room and critical care settings. With so many advancements taking place in nebulizer technology; availability of a plethora of drug formulations for its use, and the widening scope of this therapy; medical practitioners, respiratory therapists, and other health care personnel face the challenge of choosing appropriate inhalation devices and drug formulations, besides their rational application and use in different clinical situations. Adequate maintenance of nebulizer equipment including their disinfection and storage are the other relevant issues requiring guidance. Injudicious and improper use of nebulizers and their poor maintenance can sometimes lead to serious health hazards, nosocomial infections, transmission of infection, and other adverse outcomes. Thus, it is imperative to have a proper national guideline on nebulization practices to bridge the knowledge gaps amongst various health care personnel involved in this practice. It will also serve as an educational and scientific resource for healthcare professionals, as well as promote future research by identifying neglected and ignored areas in this field. Such comprehensive guidelines on this subject have not been available in the country and the only available proper international guidelines were released in 1997 which have not been updated for a noticeably long period of over two decades, though many changes and advancements have taken place in this technology in the recent past. Much of nebulization practices in the present may not be evidence-based and even some of these, the way they are currently used, may be ineffective or even harmful. Recognizing the knowledge deficit and paucity of guidelines on the usage of nebulizers in various settings such as inpatient, out-patient, emergency room, critical care, and domiciliary use in India in a wide variety of indications to standardize nebulization practices and to address many other related issues; National College of Chest Physicians (India), commissioned a National task force consisting of eminent experts in the field of Pulmonary Medicine from different backgrounds and different parts of the country to review the available evidence from the medical literature on the scientific principles and clinical practices of nebulization therapy and to formulate evidence-based guidelines on it. The guideline is based on all possible literature that could be explored with the best available evidence and incorporating expert opinions. To support the guideline with high-quality evidence, a systematic search of the electronic databases was performed to identify the relevant studies, position papers, consensus reports, and recommendations published. Rating of the level of the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendation was done using the GRADE system. Six topics were identified, each given to one group of experts comprising of advisors, chairpersons, convenor and members, and such six groups (A-F) were formed and the consensus recommendations of each group was included as a section in the guidelines (Sections I to VI). The topics included were: A. Introduction, basic principles and technical aspects of nebulization, types of equipment, their choice, use, and maintenance B. Nebulization therapy in obstructive airway diseases C. Nebulization therapy in the intensive care unit D. Use of various drugs (other than bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids) by nebulized route and miscellaneous uses of nebulization therapy E. Domiciliary/Home/Maintenance nebulization therapy; public & health care workers education, and F. Nebulization therapy in COVID-19 pandemic and in patients of other contagious viral respiratory infections (included later considering the crisis created due to COVID-19 pandemic). Various issues in different sections have been discussed in the form of questions, followed by point-wise evidence statements based on the existing knowledge, and recommendations have been formulated.

Distribution of dermatophytes and other related fungi in Jaipur city, with particular reference to soil pH.

Screening of 217 soil samples of different habitats, such as PG study centre, garden, farmhouse, nursery, roadside, hostel, animal habitat, bird habitat, marriage garden, temple, vegetable market and house dust, was carried out for the presence of dermatophytes and related fungi in relation to soil pH. A total of 461 isolates belonging to 26 genera and 34 species were recorded. Soil pH values vary from 3 to 10.5. Trichophyton verrucosum, Microsporum audouinii and M. canis were isolated for the first time in Jaipur from pH range 7.0 to 9.0. Chrysosporium tropicum (46.08%) was the most predominant fungus isolated from pH range 6.5 to 9.5. Trichophyton mentagrophytes (24.88%) was the second most common fungal species isolated from pH 6.5 to 9.5. Most of the keratinophilic fungi were isolated from pH 6.5 to 8.5. Only one isolate of Fusarium moniliforme was reported from a highly acidic site at pH 3. Roadside and garden soils were found to be the most suitable sites for almost all keratinophilic fungi.

Risk of peripartum hysterectomy by mode of delivery and prior obstetric history: data from a population-based study.

PURPOSE: To provide an estimate of the incidence of peripartum hysterectomy in the state of New Jersey and calculate the effect of mode of delivery and prior obstetric history. METHODS: A perinatal-linked dataset provided by the Maternal Child Health Epidemiology Program in the New Jersey Department of Health was used to obtain information from birth certificates and hospital discharge records. Using multivariate logistic regression, various demographic and clinical factors were assessed for association with peripartum hysterectomy. RESULTS: A total of 1,004,116 births were identified between 1997 and 2005 and 853 peripartum hysterectomies were performed (0.85/1,000 deliveries). Parity increased the risk of hysterectomy with nulliparous women having approximately half the risk compared to multiparous women. Cesarean delivery with no previous c-section almost doubled the risk (OR 2.20, CI 1.80-26.69) while in the presence of a previous c-section the risk was almost four times higher (OR 4.51, CI 3.76-5.40). Operative vaginal delivery did not result in any increase in the risk. CONCLUSIONS: Mode of delivery and prior obstetric history are major risk factors for peripartum hysterectomy. Patients desiring cesarean delivery need to be counseled on the risk of this serious complication.

Clinico-pathological profiling of peripheral ossifying fibroma of the oral cavity.

POF represents a separate entity with diverse histological presentation. Considerable overlapping of clinical and histological features are present among different reactive gingival lesions, which warrant a meticulous review for the diagnosis of POF.

Obstetric outcomes in normal weight and obese women in relation to gestational weight gain: comparison between Institute of Medicine guidelines and Cedergren criteria.

We compared obstetric outcomes based on gestational weight gain in normal-weight and obese women using traditional Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines and newly recommended Cedergren criteria. Using the New Jersey Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) database and electronic birth records, perinatal outcomes were analyzed to estimate the independent effects of prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain by IOM versus Cedergren criteria. Of 9125 subjects in PRAMS database from 2002 to 2006, 53.7% had normal BMI, 12.3% were overweight, 18.2% were obese, and the rest were underweight. Among normal-weight mothers, when compared with the IOM guidelines, macrosomia (6.45% versus 4.27%) and cesarean delivery rates (30.42% versus 29.83%) were lower using Cedergren criteria but the rates of preterm delivery (5.06% versus 9.44%), low birth weight (0.38% versus 2.42%), and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions (7.02% versus 10.86%) were higher with the Cedergren criteria. Similarly, among obese patients, when compared with IOM guidelines, macrosomia (10.79% versus 5.47%) and cesarean delivery rates (43.95% versus 40.71%) were lower using Cedergren criteria but the rates of preterm delivery (6.83% versus 8.32%), low birth weight (0.87% versus 1.88%), and NICU admissions (8.92% versus 13.78%) were higher with the Cedergren criteria. Based on our results, ideal gestational weight gain is presumably somewhere between the IOM and Cedergren's guidelines.

Comparison of Surgical Pleth Index-guided analgesia using fentanyl versus conventional analgesia technique in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Surgical Pleth Index (SPI) is an objective index and reflects the patient's nociception-antinociception balance during surgery. There are few studies on clinical implication of use of SPI in laparoscopic surgery. The aim of this study was to compare fentanyl requirement using SPI guided administration versus conventional analgesia technique in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: One hundred forty patients of ASA physical status I and II, scheduled to undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly allocated to SPI group and control group. In SPI group, fentanyl boluses of 0.5 mcg/kg were administered to keep SPI between a range of 20 to 50. In control group, fentanyl boluses 0.5 mcg/kg were given whenever heart rate or mean arterial pressure rose 20% above baseline. Intraoperative heart rate, blood pressure, fentanyl requirement, duration of surgery and recovery time were noted. SPI was monitored only in SPI group. Postoperative Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score, fentanyl requirement, postoperative nausea, vomiting and respiratory depression were recorded. RESULTS: Mean intraoperative fentanyl consumption was significantly higher in SPI group as compared to control group (169±47.2 vs. 151±39.34, P=0.017). Hemodynamic changes and recovery time were comparable in both the groups. Post-operative VAS and adjuvant fentanyl consumption were significantly higher in control group as compared to SPI group (P<0.05). PONV and respiratory depression were comparable in both the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Higher doses of fentanyl are required intraoperatively with lesser postoperative rescue analgesic requirements when SPI is used to guide intraoperative analgesia as compared to conventional analgesia technique.

Oral Subcutaneous Midline Leiomyomatous Hamartoma Presenting as Congenital Incisive Papilla Overgrowth in a Toddler.

Congenital soft-tissue tumors of oral cavity are mostly hyperplastic and benign in nature. This article presents an unusual case of congenital subcutaneous hamartoma of incisive papilla in a 2-year-old female child causing feeding and breathing difficulty. Total excisional biopsy was done under local anesthesia. Histopathology of tissue in reticulin-stained slide showed the presence of immature muscle fibers whereas Masson's trichrome stain revealed collagen fibers and smooth muscles confirming the diagnosis of oral midline subcutaneous smooth muscle (leiomyomatous) hamartoma of incisive papilla. It is important for dental professionals to be aware of this oral lesion present from birth mimicking overgrowth of incisive papilla, by its presentation, differential diagnosis, histopathology, and management.

A young man with hemoptysis: Rare association of idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis, celiac disease and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (IPH) is a rare cause of recurrent diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) with no specific treatment. Herein, we discuss a case of hemoptysis, who had IPH and other rare associations. A 19-year-old man presented with recurrent hemoptysis, generalized weakness and progressive dyspnea for 3 years. Earlier, he was diagnosed with anemia and was treated with blood transfusions and hematinics. On examination he had pallor, tachycardia and was underweight. Investigations revealed low level of hemoglobin (7.8 g/dl) and iron deficiency. An electrocardiography (ECG) showed sinus tachycardia, interventricular conduction delay and T-wave inversion. Echocardiography revealed dilated cardiomyopathy with left ventricular dysfunction. Computed tomography of the chest demonstrated bilateral diffuse ground glass opacity suggestive of pulmonary hemorrhage. Pulmonary function tests showed restrictive pattern with increased carbon monoxide diffusion. Bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial lung biopsy showed hemosiderin-laden macrophages. Patient could recall recurrent episodes of diarrhea in childhood. Serum antitissue transglutamase antibodies were raised (291.66 IU/ml, normal <30 IU/ml). Duodenal biopsy showed subtotal villous atrophy consistent with celiac disease. He was started on gluten-free diet, beta blockers and diuretics. After two years of treatment, he has been showing consistent improvement. Screening for CD is important in patients with IPH. Cardiomyopathy forms rare third association. All three show improvement with gluten-free diet.