An overview for biomedical waste management during pandemic like COVID-19.

Amid COVID-19, world has gone under environmental reformation in terms of clean rivers and blue skies, whereas, generation of biomedical waste management has emerged as a big threat for the whole world, especially in the developing nations. Appropriate biomedical waste management has become a prime concern worldwide in the pandemic era of COVID-19 as it may affect environment and living organisms up to a great extent. The problem has been increased many folds because of unexpected generations of hazardous biomedical waste which needs extraordinary attentions. In this paper, the impacts and future challenges of solid waste management especially the biomedical waste management on environment and human beings have been discussed amid COVID-19 pandemic. The paper also recommends some guidelines to manage the bulk of medical wastes for the protection of human health and environment. The paper summarizes better management practices for the wastes including optimizing the decision process, infrastructure, upgrading treatment methods and other activities related with the biological disasters like COVID-19. As achieved in the past for viral disinfection, use of UV- rays with proper precautions can also be explored for COVID-19 disinfection. For biomedical waste management, thermal treatment of waste can be an alternative, as it can generate energy along with reducing waste volume by 80-95%. The Asian Development Bank observed that additional biomedical waste was generated ranged from 154 to 280 tons/day during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic in Asian megacities such as Manila, Jakarta, Wuhan, Bangkok, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur.

Transient erythroblastopenia of childhood associated with transient neurologic deficit: report of a case and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with transient erythroblastopenia of childhood (TEC) may also have a transient neurologic disorder. We present a case history and propose a mechanism for this syndrome. PATIENT AND METHODOLOGY: We describe a 20-month-old girl with TEC and transient hemiparesis. Records from the period January 1993 through December 1994 were reviewed to identify other patients with TEC and to determine whether neurologic deficits were noted in these cases. RESULTS: Of seven patients diagnosed with TEC over a 2-year period, only one had a neurologic deficit. This child's hemiparesis resolved within 24 h after the appearance of her symptoms. Her TEC resolved within 4 weeks, without long-term sequelae. Our experience and review of the literature suggest that focal neurologic deficits in TEC patients are uncommon, transient, lack long-term sequelae, and usually resolve prior to hematologic recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Previous reports suggested that the anaemia resulting from TEC might induce neurologic deficits. We suggest an alternative mechanism in which viral infection triggers a host immune response that independently leads to both TEC and neurologic abnormalities. Future studies should address the role of viral infection in TEC patients with focal neuropathies.

Aluminum toxicity following intravesical alum irrigation for hemorrhagic cystitis.

Mental status changes in an immunosuppressed child can be due to a variety of causes; aluminum toxicity is rarely considered. We report a teenage girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who developed mental status changes, speech disturbance, coarse tremor, and abnormal EEG findings following intravesical 1% alum irrigation and administration of aluminum-containing antacids. Her serum aluminum levels were mildly elevated (14-22 milligram(s), normal 0-6 milligram(s)), and bone marrow biopsy specimens demonstrated aluminum deposition on special staining (Krueger's method). All abnormalities resolved after a nine-week course of intravenous deferoxamine.

Unusual cutaneous toxicity following treatment with dactinomycin: a report of two cases.

Dactinomycin-induced cutaneous toxicity is rare in pediatric patients not receiving radiation therapy. We describe dactinomycin-related lesions in the axilla, groin, and central line exit site of two children treated for rhabdomyosarcoma, neither of whom had received radiation treatment. One patient was initially treated with systemic antifungal therapy, and developed recurrent lesions on reexposure to the drug. The other was noted to have mild, diffuse hyperpigmentation. Skin biopsies revealed interface dermatitis with syringometaplasia in both cases. Both children recovered uneventfully within 4 weeks. Recognition of unusual rashes with a characteristic distribution in patients receiving dactinomycin should aid in diagnosis, and help avoid unnecessary therapeutic procedures.

Veno-occlusive disease of the liver after chemotherapy for rhabdomyosarcoma: case report with a review of the literature.

We describe the case of a 3-year-old girl who developed veno-occlusive disease of the liver while receiving chemotherapy for parameningeal rhabdomyosarcoma. After suffering lethargy and oral mucosal bleeding for one day, the patient exhibited a sudden weight gain and refractoriness to platelet transfusions. Symptoms rapidly worsened with elevation of liver enzymes, bleeding diatheses, and respiratory failure. An ultrasound scan of the liver demonstrated reversed flow in the portal vein. Maximal supportive care, including tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation, was required. The patient gradually recovered with no respiratory and minimal neurological sequelae. Veno-occlusive disease of the liver should be considered in children receiving chemotherapy who develop weight gain, a sudden drop in platelet count and derangement of liver enzymes. Aggressive supportive measures should be instituted if necessary, as patients surviving the acute phase can expect to make a full recovery.

Magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of childhood aplastic anemia.

PURPOSE: We prospectively evaluated the ability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the thoraco-lumbar vertebrae to determine the relative amount of red and fatty marrow in children with aplastic anemia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty pediatric patients (ages 1-19 years) with aplastic anemia underwent T1-weighted (T1W, n = 31) and short T1 inversion recovery (STIR, n = 30) MRI of the midline sagittal thoraco-lumbar spine. Bone marrow (BM) biopsies from the posterior iliac crest (n = 29) were also performed. All studies were evaluated by blinded observers; MR grading was based on visual inspection of signal intensity. Biopsy-estimated cellularity was compared with T1W and STIR grading when these were performed within 14 days of each other (n = 16). All studies were compared to a simultaneous absolute neutrophil count (ANC), absolute reticulocyte count (ARC), and platelet count. RESULTS: BM cellularity estimated by BM biopsy was significantly associated with STIR grading (p = 0.032, Jonckheere-Terpstra test), as were peripheral ANC (p = 0.044), ARC (p = 0.007), and platelet count (p = 0.003). T1W grade was significantly associated with ANC (P = 0.011) but not ARC (p = 0.053) or platelet count (p = 0.377). Biopsy-estimated cellularity was associated with ANC (p = 0.032) and ARC (p = 0.036), but not platelet count (p = 0.282). CONCLUSION: In childhood aplastic anemia patients, STIR (and, to a lesser extent, T1W) MRI of the thoraco-lumbar spine reflects BM activity, as measured by peripheral blood ANC, ARC, and platelet count, and BM cellularity, as measured by BM biopsy. MRI may thus provide a noninvasive measure of hematopoietic status.