Comparative Evaluation of Microbial Contamination on the Mobile Phones Used by Dental Health-care Professionals versus Faculty of School System.

Introduction: Mobile phones are frequently used in environments of high bacteria presence. These can harbor various potential pathogens and become an exogenous source of nosocomial infections. Even in recent outbreak of COVID-19, it has become a point which needs to be sanitized to prevent and control further disease transmission as it is equally important for health-care professionals to use mobile phones in the hospital and other health and care settings, especially for communication. The present study was conducted to determine the potential role of mobile phones in the dissemination of disease. Objective: To compare the evaluation of microbial contamination on the mobile phones used by dental health-care professionals and faculty of senior secondary school and to access the microbial contamination of mobile phones by measuring the percentages of pathogens and to determine the type of bacteria commonly present on mobile phones. It also assesses the efficacy of 70% ethyl alcohol to be used as decontamination solution. Materials and Methods: A total of 126 mobile phones were screened in the study; 63 mobile phones belonging to dental health-care personnel from nine different specialties of dental college (Group 1 - test group) and 63 mobile phones belonging to nonhealth-care personnel like school teachers of senior schools (Group 2 - control group). All the samples were taken before and after cleaning with 70% ethyl alcohol. A total of 252 swab samples were taken. Results: Microbial contamination was approximately 68% in swab samples taken from mobile phones before cleaning with 70% of ethyl alcohol but even with one time disinfection with alcohol, decontamination was found to be only 95% effective. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the most common isolated organism in swabs collected from dental college. Pathogenic bacteria were more prevalent in samples of dental college than to school samples. Conclusion: Ninetythree percentage of cell phones of health-care workers were contaminated and they act as potential source of nosocomial infections. Alcohol should be used to disinfect the mobile phones.

Daily waiting time management for modern radiation oncology department in Indian perspective.

Introduction: Radiation therapy is one of the most technically sophisticated branch of medical sciences which caters to very ill patients, some of whom may be terminally ill. Since patients are treated on an outpatient basis which requires daily visit to hospital for a number of days, it can make them sensitive toward any increase in waiting time for their radiation treatment. This could be a source of stress for them. However, given the technical sophistication involved and varied clinical profile of patients, some amount of delay is inevitable. Aim & Objective: To compile and suggest strategies to manage patient waiting time in Radiation oncology department to achieve optimum patient' satisfaction. Method: The radiation oncologists in different institutes of the country were interviewed telephonically and were asked about the practices followed in their institutes/ departments in managing the patient waiting time during radiation treatment. The best practices being followed and the suggestions were compiled. Conclusion: Now it is being recognized that meticulous management of waiting time could go a long way in driving patient's satisfaction. Twoway communications are the best strategy. Apart from this many provisions could be made in waiting area as per institutional preferences and protocol to engage patient in waiting area of radiation treatment facility.

Significance of perineural invasion in locally advanced bucco alveolar complex carcinomas treated with surgery and postoperative radiation ± concurrent chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate prognostic factors, locoregional control, and survival in locally advanced bucco-alveolar complex cancers. METHODS: A retrospective review of 83 patients treated between January 2009 and December 2012 with bucco-alveolar complex cancers was conducted. All patients had surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with/without concurrent chemotherapy. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox regression model. RESULTS: On univariate and multivariate analysis, perineural invasion (PNI) was found to be an independent adverse risk factor. Patients with PNI-positive disease had significantly worse 2-year disease-free survival (DFS), locoregional failure free survival, and overall survival (OS) as compared to patients with PNI-negative disease (P < 0. 001, 0.001 and < 0. 001) respectively. CONCLUSION: Compared with patients with PNI-negative disease, patients with PNI-positive disease had much worse outcome despite aggressive adjuvant treatment. It warrants escalation of therapy and modification in radiation portals to cover neural pathways in patients with PNI-positive disease.

Rapid Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Sputum Samples by Cepheid Xpert Assay: A Clinical Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the commonest opportunistic infection and the leading cause of death in HIV patients in developing countries. HIV infection is a well recognised risk factor for both activation of initial infection and reactivation of latent infection. This study was done to find out the co-prevalence and the trend of HIV infection among tuberculosis patients and to determine the prevalence of MDR Tuberculosis in HIV positive patients using Xpert MTB/RIF assay (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, United States). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sputum samples are received from five districts of Punjab. Sputum samples of the patients with symptoms suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis including both new cases and on treatment are received from the various district and civil hospitals of five districts. Sputum specimen was processed for TB detection by Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification testing (CB-NAAT) using Xpert MTB/RiF assay technology. RESULTS: The study period is from October 2013 to September 2014. A total of 907 patients with symptoms suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis including both new cases and on treatment. Out of these patients 733 were reported MTB detected. Out of these 907 patients 29 were reported HIV positive and out of 733 patients 19(2.5%) were reported positive for (HIV +TUBERCULOSIS). Of these 19 cases 16(84.21%) cases were sensitive to rifampicin (RIF) and 3(15.78%) cases were showing resistance to rifampicin (RIF) Drug. CONCLUSION: Co-existence of HIV and tuberculosis is high and there is high Prevalence of MDR tuberculosis in HIV patients.

Water borne hepatitis a and hepatitis e in malwa region of punjab, India.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis-A virus infection (HAV) and Hepatitis E virus infection (HEV) are faecally contaminated water borne infection of great public interest in developing countries. HAV has a world-wide /dablestribution and affects infant and young children in developing countries and its epidemics are not very common. HEV is restricted to tropical countries and affects older children and young adults and its epidemics are common. Studies suggested that HEV is etiologically responsible for 10%-95% of admitted cases of hepatitis. Exposure rates over a period of time are different in different parts of the country and in different socio-economic groups. Aim of the study 1. To study the prevalence of HAV and HEV in the outbreak of hepatitis in certain areas of Malwa region of Punjab, India. 2. To determine the age specific prevalence rates of HAV and HEV. 3. To determine any change in the epidemiology of these infections. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology in GGMC and Hospital Faridkot, A leading Tertiary care hospital and the major referral centre of malwa region of Punjab,India. Collection and Serological Tests: 1.Venous blood samples of patients of acute hepatitis were taken. 2.Relavent information regarding their Age, Sex Education, Socio-economic status, personal and community hygiene were recorded. All of the sera were screened for IgM Antibody to HEV and HAV using IgM capture ELISA Kit (ASIA-LION Biotechnology for HEV and GENERAL BIOLOGICAL CORPORATION for HAV ) in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Result and Conclusion : 1.The outbreak was due to hepatitis A &E virus(HEV predominating resulting from fecal contamination of drinking water). 2.Hepatitis E is more widely prevalent 3.There is a change in the epidemiology of HAV so,more cases are seen in age group of more than 20 years.

A phantom study on bladder and rectum dose measurements in brachytherapy of cervix cancer using FBX aqueous chemical dosimeter.

The ferrous sulphate-benzoic acid-xylenol orange (FBX) chemical dosimeter, due to its aqueous form can measure average volume doses and hence may overcome the limitations of point dosimetry. The present study was undertaken to validate the use of FBX dosimeter for rectum and bladder dose measurement during intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) and transperineal interstitial brachytherapy (TIB). We filled cylindrical polypropylene tubes (PT) and Foley balloons (FB) with FBX solution and used them as substitutes for rectum and bladder dose measurements respectively. A water phantom was fabricated with provision to place the Fletcher-type ICBT and MUPIT template applicators, and FBX filled PT and FB within the phantom. The phantom was then CT scanned for treatment planning and subsequent irradiation. Our results show that the average difference between DVH derived dose value and FBX measured dose is 3.5% (PT) and 13.7% (FB) for ICBT, and 9% (PT) and 9.9% (FB) for TIB. We believe that the FBX system should be able to provide accuracy and precision sufficient for routine quality assurance purposes. The advantage of the FBX system is its water equivalent composition, average volume dose measuring capability, and energy and temperature independent response as compared to TLD or semiconductor dosimeters. However, detailed studies will be needed with regards to its safety before actual in-vivo dose measurements are possible with the FBX dosimeter.

Neurological complications in late-stage hospitalized patients with HIV disease.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The nervous system is the most frequent and serious targets of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In spite of a wide prevalence of neurological manifestations in HIV there are not many studies to look into it, especially from this part of the world. We investigated various neurological manifestations of HIV and their association with CD4 and CD8 counts at the time of presentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All HIV-infected patients who presented to 750 bedded teaching hospital in North India were subjected to thorough neurological and neuropsychological evaluation. Wherever indicated, neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid study, electromyography, and nerve-conduction studies were performed to confirm the diagnosis. CD4 and CD8 counts were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 416 HIV-positive patients were seen. Of them 269 were males. A total of 312 neurological events were identified in 268 patients having evidence of neurological involvement. HIV-associated dementia (HAD) was the most common cause of morbidity (33.65%), followed by CNS infections (21.63%). Most common CNS infection was tuberculosis (65.56%). CD4 counts in CNS infections and HAD were 64.8/µl and 83.52/µl, respectively. Most of the patients in our study had low scores on MMSE (22.32). CONCLUSIONS: Even in the absence of overt neurological disease, subclinical involvement in the form of subtle cognitive and motor decline is found to occur with greater frequency. Most of these patients have lower CD4 and CD8 counts, thus substantiating the proposition that neuroAIDS is a late manifestation. Significant correlation exists between CD4 counts and type of neurological manifestation. We concluded that neuropsychological assessment should be mandatory for all HIV-positive patients.

Applicability of the Moyers mixed dentition probability tables and new prediction aids for a contemporary population in India.

INTRODUCTION: The Moyers mixed dentition space analysis method is among the most commonly used in clinical practice for detecting tooth size-arch length discrepancies. In view of reported secular trends, racial, and sex differences in tooth sizes, the purposes of this study were to evaluate the applicability of Moyers probability tables in a contemporary orthodontic population of India and to formulate more accurate mixed dentition prediction aids. METHODS: Odontometric data were collected from 300 male and 300 female subjects of Indian descent, who had fully erupted mandibular permanent incisors and maxillary and mandibular canines and premolars. We measured the mesiodistal crown widths with vernier scale dial calipers. The odontometric values obtained were then subjected to statistical and linear regression analysis. RESULTS: All tooth groups showed significant differences (P <0.001) between mesiodistal widths of male and female subjects. Regression equations for the maxillary arch (males, Y = 7.15 + 0.67X; females, Y = 7.44 + 0.65X) and the mandibular arch (males, Y = 5.55 + 0.71X; females, Y = 6.15 + 0.67X) were used to develop new probability tables on the Moyers pattern. Significant differences (P <0.05) were found between our predicted widths and the Moyers tables at almost all percentile levels, including the recommended 75% and 50% levels. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that these new prediction aids could be considered for a more precise mixed dentition space analysis in Indian children.

Experimental investigation of fluid drop spreading on heterogeneous and anisotropic porous media.

Study of spreading phenomena on porous substrates is important from theoretical as well as applications point of view. An example of such applications is composite processing, where operations involve displacement of air/volatiles by polymeric fluids through porous media composed of fibers. In this work, dynamics of drop spreading was investigated on fibrous porous substrates used in composite processing. These porous media are heterogeneous and anisotropic. Spreading front of silicon oil drops was tracked on borosilicate glass, quartz, and two different kinds of glass fiber mats: woven fabric and unidirectional. For the woven fabric, spreading front was observed to progress in steps of increasing and decreasing rate. For the unidirectional mat, the spreading front progressed with decreasing rate. The dynamics of spreading were fitted to power law in order to compare results with other porous substrates.