Effect of dietary habit and physical activity on overnutrition of schoolgoing adolescents: A longitudinal assessment in a rural block of West Bengal

Background: Overweight among adolescents has high prevalence on the eastern part of India, especially West Bengal. Objectives: The current study was conducted to estimate and compare the effects of different dietary habits and habits related to physical activity in the development of overweight and obesity among rural schoolgoing adolescents. Methods: A prospective repeated measures study was conducted on 645 schoolgoing adolescents from selected rural government-aided schools from June 2017 to December 2017. Dietary habits of the students and physical activity-related factors were the major predictors. Adjusting for the age and sex of the participants, effect of these factors on the development of overweight and obesity was analyzed by generalized estimating equations for 2 repeated measures, taken 6 months apart. Results: Most of the respondents were aged ?16 years (56.90%), female (52.87%), Hindu (76.74%), from a nuclear family (76.74%), and studying in the secondary level (57.68%). There was a stark rise in proportion of overweight from 0.93% to 7.44%. The prevalence of unhealthy dietary habits was 68.99% at the baseline, and 66.82% on follow-up. The overall prevalence of inadequate physical activity increased to 48.68% from 47.91%. Female gender and older age group were at higher risk of being overweight or obesity. Overall fast food showed highest risk (3.04, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.86–4.95), while among the boys, it was with less vegetable consumption (4.64, 95% CI: 1.84–11.69). Conclusions: Strong evidence was generated of dietary practices being more rigidly related to overweight among the adolescents. Healthy dietary practices coupled with physical activity should be promoted to mitigate the risk of obesity.

Risk behaviors contributing to recent serious unintentional injuries among school-going adolescent boys in Kolkata: Application of zero-inflated count model

Background: Unintentional injuries have become a major noncommunicable disease burden, especially among the adolescents. Objective: The current study was conducted to estimate the effect of different aspects of daily activities of adolescence for sustaining serious unintentional injuries in the past 1 year. Methods: A cross-sectional survey with multistage sampling with validated pretested questionnaire was done among the school-going adolescent boys in Kolkata. Poisson regression was used to model the counts of serious injuries. To account for the excess of zero in the outcome, zero-inflated Poisson regression was performed. Results: Among the participants, 73.5% did not report any serious unintentional injury sustained in the past 1 year, 11.9% reported to have sustained serious unintentional injury once in the past 1 year, and rest had more than one count. Statistically significant higher chance of sustaining an episode of injury was found among frequent users of motorbike (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 1.183), frequently walking on roads (IRR: 1.910), and frequently crossing major roads on bicycle (IRR: 2.181) were observed. A statistically significant protective rate ratio was also obtained for those frequently obeying traffic signals while crossing roads (IRR: 0.493) and frequent users of bicycles (IRR: 0.384). Significantly lower rate ratio for sustaining a serious injury was observed with frequently getting into fight at home (IRR: 0.343) and getting beaten up at school (IRR: 0.595). Conclusions: The study revealed traveling in a car and obeying traffic rules were protective from sustaining serious injury. However, walking and participation in sports appeared to be risky, especially for sustaining another episode of serious injury.

A study on bed utilization in the gynaecological ward of a district hospital in West Bengal.

A study was conducted in a non-paying gynaecological ward of the district hospital, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal to assess different bed efficiency indicators. Total 331 patients were admitted in 23 study beds (12 OPD beds and 11 emergency beds) during an observation period of six months. Overall average number of admissions were 14.4 and average length of stay 14.7days. Bed turnover rate was 13.8 and was higher for emergency beds (22.1) compared to OPD beds (9). Bed occupancy rate was 61.3% with significant difference between OPD beds (57.5%) and emergency beds (65.4%).

Medical arthroscopy--emerging era of rheumatological intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and diagnostic value of arthroscopy performed by a rheumatologist. METHODS: Decisions for performing arthroscopy were taken when detailed clinical history-and relevant rheumatological investigations failed to arrive at a definite diagnosis. Arthroscopies were performed under local anesthesia as a daycare procedure. Synovial biopsies taken during procedures were subjected to histopathological examination (HPE). RESULTS: Of the 50 patients enrolled, 39 were males while 11 were females with mean age of 35.5 years. In lower limb oligoarthritis group of patients, three had macroscopic picture of crystal arthropathy, rest of the 29 patients revealed gross picture indicative of non-specific synovitis. While in polyarticular group of eight patients, three had macroscopic picture suggestive of crystal arthropathy (probably polyarticlar gout) while five were indicative of rheumatoid arthritis. In monoarticular disease pattern (n= 10) macroscopic picture findings were as follows- crystal arthropathy-two, tubercular-three, synovial chondromatosis-one and non-specific synovitis-two. HPE of synovium did not correlate in many cases. CONCLUSION: Arthroscopy using a 4 mm scope under local anesthesia in the hands of rheumatologists is a safe daycare procedure. In few cases arthroscopy helped in arriving at a final diagnosis but many patients remained undiagnosed. Both the rheumatologists and the pathologists require further experience in this field.

Humoral immune responses in different clinical forms of tuberculosis.

To assess the antibody responses in different clinical forms of tuberculosis in an attempt to ascertain the specificity of such a response, so that it may be used as a diagnostic tool, 93 tuberculosis cases and 62 normal healthy controls were included in the study. All the cases were diagnosed as tuberculosis by clinical picture including radiological findings, blood picture, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) or histopathological features, sputum examination or urine culture for acid-fast bacilli. IgM and IgG antibodies in the cases and controls were detected by ELISA using A60 antigen from M. bovis and compared with common diagnostic parameters of tuberculosis like presence of acid-fast bacilli in smear and tuberculin response. Antibody responses with A60 antigen has not been found to be specific and often failed to detect a new case.

Carbon monoxide poisoning.

OBJECTIVES: We studied the clinical profile and autopsy findings of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning encountered at a hospital located at the altitude of 5,000 ft above mean sea level. METHODS: Clinical and postmortem findings in 25 and 15 cases of accidental CO poisoning respectively were evaluated. The diagnosis was made on circumstantial evidences, definite history of "Bukhari" burning and positive Kunkel's test for carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb). Detailed routine investigations including pulse oxymetry, X-ray chest and electrocardiographical monitoring was carried out in all the 25 patients. Oxygen (100%) via an endotracheal tube in all the comatosed patients and by conventional non-rebreathing plastic face masks was the mainstay of treatment. All patients were monitored and followed up for any delayed neurological sequelae. RESULTS: Most of the patients were young adults and the duration of exposure varied between three to eight hours. The initial diagnosis was stroke in three, seizure in one, encephalitis in two and ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in four. Neurological and respiratory signs and symptoms were noted in 19 and 18 of 25 patients respectively. SPO2 measured by pulse oxymetry was normal in all cases. ECG was suggestive of IHD in four patients. No delayed neurological sequelae was noted in any patients. Autopsy revealed deep red discoloration of skin and serous membranes in 80%, pulmonary oedema in 100% and cerebral oedema with widespread multiple pin point haemorrhages mainly in thalamus and globus pallidus in 40%. CONCLUSION: A high level of suspicion and routine history about the kind of indoor heating, specially in cold climate areas during winter will help in early diagnosis and decrease the incidence of misdiagnosis of CO poisoning. Oxygen (100%) or hyperbaric oxygen, if available should be administered without waiting for COHb levels to decrease morbidity and mortality.

Near drowning in cold water.

Drowning and near drowning is a common cause of accidental death all over the world; specially in road traffic accidents over bridges, swimming pool and boat tragedies. Cold water drowning resulting in hypothermia can lead to instant death before actual drowning. Five cases of near drowning (ND) in cold water, who presented with varied clinical picture like coma with decerebrate rigidity and fixed dilated pupils, hypertension with coma and delayed pulmonary oedema (Secondary drowning) are reported. Energetic management with continuous positive airway pressure was very rewarding in all patients with ND except in one who had transient organic psychosis persisting for two weeks followed by minimal cognitive defect in the form of slow mentation, lack of drive and mild irritability (Bender Gestald Test Score of 53). We have tried to analyse some of the clinical features of ND and the sequel associated with it. The management as well as recent developments in the field are also discussed.

Near drowning in cold water.

Drowning and near drowning is a common cause of accidental death all over the world; specially in road traffic accidents over bridges, swimming pool and boat tragedies. Cold water drowning resulting in hypothermia can lead to instant death before actual drowning. Five cases of near drowning (ND) in cold water, who presented with varied clinical picture like coma with decerebrate rigidity and fixed dilated pupils, hypertension with coma and delayed pulmonary oedema (Secondary drowning) are reported. Energetic management with continuous positive airway pressure was very rewarding in all patients with ND except in one who had transient organic psychosis persisting for two weeks followed by minimal cognitive defect in the form of slow mentation, lack of drive and mild irritability (Bender Gestald Test Score of 53). We have tried to analyse some of the clinical features of ND and the sequel associated with it. The management as well as recent developments in the field are also discussed.

Carriage rate of group B streptococci in pregnant women and evaluation of different isolation media.

A study was conducted in 507 pregnant women of different parities, trimesters of pregnancy and age groups for finding out the colonisation rate of group B streptococci either in throat or vagina or from both sites. Incidence of carriage rate in throat was 4.73%, in vagina 9.66% and in both sites 12.03%. Age, parity, gestational period of women were not found to have any significant influence on the colonisation rate at different sites. Isolation rate of the organism was greatly enhanced using two selective media for isolation compared to using single selective medium or combination of non-selective media and a single selective medium.

Hepatitis D infectivity profile among hepatitis B infected hospitalised patients in Calcutta.

450 hospitalised cases of hepatic and non hepatic disorders and 100 normal individuals were examined for serum Hepatitis B Surface antigen and Delta Virus antigen by ELISA to find out its association with different clinical disorders. 105 patients (23.3%) and 2 control (2%) were positive for HBsAG. 60 cases with jaundice (26%) were HBsAg positive. 65% of HBsAg positive jaundiced patients had serum bilirubin level more than 2 mg per dl with a mean SGPT level of 488 iu/L. Only two cases were positive for HDV antigen among 60 HBsAg positive jaundice patients indicating a lower rate of prevalence of infection (3.3%). 62 (59%) out of 105 HBsAg positive cases did not show any history of blood transfusion or surgical interference indicating a positive HBV transmission through needle prick during investigative procedures.

A study of perinatal mortality and associated maternal profile in a medical college hospital.

Study of perinatal mortality in a Medical College Hospital revealed stillbirth rate as 38.4, early neonatal death rate as 29.3 and overall perinatal morality rate as 67.7 per 1000 live births. More than half (53.6%) of the perinatal deaths were in primipara and another 22.8% in mothers of parity more than 3. Most mothers (85.9%) did not receive adequate antenatal care services. On admission 35.1% mothers presented with some risk factors. The major risk factors identified were toxaemia of pregnancy (14.8%), severe anaemia (13%) and antepartum haemorrhage (2.6%).