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Background: The primary treatment for epilepsy is Antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy. Non-compliance to AEDs can result in break-through seizure, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, fractures, head injuries and increased mortality. Thus, compliance to AEDs is crucial to be studied. Objective is to study compliance and factors influencing compliance with AEDs among patients with epilepsy.Methods: This observational study was conducted in 105 patients with epilepsy on AED therapy in community in Ludhiana (Punjab) after approval from Institutional Ethics Committee. Demographic data and drug history was collected. Monthly follow up for 6 months was done by paying home visits and data regarding type, dose, frequency of administration of AED was recorded on a semi-structured performa. Pill count was done by recording number of pills dispensed and number of pills remaining with patient. Response to Morisky’s Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS) was also recorded. Results were correlated with patient demographics, type, frequency and number of AEDs.Results: Out of 105 patients, 65 were males and 40 were females. Fifty-four patients were non-compliant with both pill-count and MMAS. Non-compliance was high in first month and decreased gradually. Poly-therapy, lower socio-economic status and multiple dosing regimens were most commonly associated with non-compliance.Conclusions: Under-dosing was more common among non-compliers, which explains the high reporting of forgetfulness to take medicine in MMAS. Both pill count and MMAS are effective non-invasive tools to study compliance.
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Background: Carbapenems have the broadest activity spectra of any β-lactam antibiotic and are often the most appropriate agents for use in the treatment of infections caused by multi resistant gram negative bacteria. The recent worldwide emergence and dissemination of carbapenemase-producing Gram negative rods that are resistant to carbapenems is a significant concern with respect to patient care and infection control strategies. Hence this study was undertaken to study the magnitude of carbapenem resistance among routine clinical isolates of family Enterobacteriaceae so as to guide the clinicians in selection of appropriate antimicrobial chemotherapies and infection control measures.Methods: The present study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology over a period 18 months from January 2017 to July 2018. All the clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae were screened for carbapenem resistance as per CLSI guidelines. Such strains were then subjected to phenotypic confirmation of carbapenemase production by the Modified Hodge test. All isolates that gave a positive screening test were further evaluated for metallo-β-lactamase production. The technique used was the Combined Disk Test using a combination of Imipenem and Imipenem-EDTA.Results: Out of the 400 total clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae isolated in the laboratory,57 were found to be Meropenem resistant (14.25%) and were labelled 'Carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae" or CRE. Modified Hodge test (MHT) performed on the 57 carbapenem resistant isolates showed 41 (71.93%) isolates to be carbapenemase enzyme producers. Combined disc test (CDT) conducted on the 57 isolates of CRE detected Metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) enzyme production in 39 isolates (68.42%).Conclusions: Since there is a high prevalence of carbapenemase resistance in our setting hence we need to be cautious with the indiscriminate use of broad spectrum antimicrobials, more so, the carbapenems.
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Background: Acute febrile illness is a common presenting complaint during the rainy season. Rains predispose to both water and vector borne diseases. Co-infection of dengue with malaria, leptospirosis, typhoid, scrub typhus and other arboviral diseases can occur in endemic areas. Such dual infections are difficult to diagnose and create a diagnostic dilemma for the treating physician. Here in this study authors attempt to find out rates of concurrent dengue and typhoid infection.Methods: This retrospective study was done between August to November 2017. 403 patients presenting with acute febrile illness were studied. Diagnosis of dengue was done by rapid card test detecting NS1 antigen, IgM and IgG antibodies. Serodiagnosis of Salmonella infection was done by tube Widal test.Results: : Out of 403 febrile sera samples tested 154 (38.2%) were positive for dengue (either NS1 antigen or IgM antibodies or both), 71(17.6%) were positive for Widal test O and H titres ≥1:160) and 28 (6.9%) were positive for both dengue as well as Salmonella (Widal test).Conclusions: Acute febrile illnesses with diagnostic dilemma may be seen in cases of co-infection. Only better clinical judgement and right choice of laboratory tests can diagnose these diseases timely and prevent fatal outcomes.
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Aim: Comparing the role and finding sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography with that of conventional MRI techniques in patients presenting with rotator cuff injury. Methods: 50 patients who presented with shoulder pain and/or disability and clinically suspected rotator cuff tears in orthopedic out patient department (OPD) of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar, referred to department of Radiodiagnosis and imaging for ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging. Results: USG shows sensitivity of 83.7%,specificity of 100%,PPV of 100% and NPV of 68.4% for partial thickness tear and 100% sensitivity,specificity ,PPV and NPV in complete thickness tear. The strength of agreement between USG and MRI for diagnosis of rotator cuff tear was found to be (k= 1.0) for full thickness tears (very good agreement) and good agreement for partial thickness tears. Conclusions: From our study, USG is proven to be an effective imaging modality with results comparable with MRI in patients presenting with shoulder pain and /or disability and clinically suspected case of rotator cuff tendon tears.ultrasound by an experienced radiologist should be considered as a primary diagnostic tool for imaging the rotator cuff pathologies. At present, MRI can be reserved for patients with suspicious USG results.
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Background: Tuberculosis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the Indian subcontinent. A major challenge to clinical microbiology is the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as accurately as possible. Objective: Tthe most important tool in the diagnosis of tuberculosis is direct microscopic examination of appropriately stained specimens for acid- fast bacilli and the gold standard for diagnosing tuberculosis is MTB convention culture on L-J media So, the present study was undertaken to compare smear microscopy by Z – N staining with conventional culture on L-J media, in cases of clinically suspected Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Extra Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Methods: 279 samples were processed within 24 hours of receipt. Samples from non-sterile sites were subjected to decontamination by the modified Petroff’s method. Sterile samples were directly processed as per conventional methods. Smear microscopy was done by Z- N staining and culture was done on L- J media. A control organism in the form of M. tuberculosis H37Rv was also tested with each batch of clinical isolates. Result: Results of smear microscopy and conventional culture of pulmonary and extra pulmonary specimens were compared. 22 and 14 more cases were detected by culture as compared to smear in case of pulmonary and extra pulmonary specimens respectively. Conclusion: From this study we can state that direct microscopic examination of appropriately stained Pulmonary and Extra Pulmonary specimens for acid fast Bacilli is an important tool in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. The Technique is simple, inexpensive and fast .However many Paucibacillary cases may be missed on smear microscopy. Thus specimens from all suspected cases of Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis should be subjected to conventional culture on LJ media. This is the Gold Standard for Diagnosing Tuberculosis.
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Angiosarcomas are uncommon malignant neoplasms characterized by rapidly proliferating extensively infiltrating anaplastic cells derived from blood vessels and lining irregular, blood-filled spaces. The cells manifest many of the functional and morphological properties of normal endothelium. They are collectively one of the rarest forms of soft tissue neoplasms. Here we present two cases of pericardial angiosarcoma, one of them showing widespread dissemination, which caused considerable diagnostic dilemma and the diagnosis could only be established very late in their course of disease.
Subject(s)
Adult , Fatal Outcome , Hemangiosarcoma/diagnosis , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Metastasis/diagnosis , Pericardium/pathologySubject(s)
Adult , Humans , Male , Risk Factors , Trigeminal Neuralgia/diagnosis , Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency/complicationsABSTRACT
A 23-year-old male presented with clinical and radiological features of left lung collapse. Fibre-optic bronchoscopy revealed a smooth globular mass almost completely occluding the left main bronchus. Needle aspiration and endobronchial biopsy from the mass revealed it to be a case of anaplastic large cell lymphoma, a subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This report documents the rare presentation of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as an endobronchial mass.