Hypertensive Phenotypes and Pattern of Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Patients of Diabetes Mellitus of Kashmir Valley.

Background: Patients of diabetes mellitus (DM) with hypertension (HTN) have a fourfold increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as compared to normotensive nondiabetic controls. However, many patients of DM who are normotensive or have controlled blood pressure on office BP measurement (OBPM) may assume that they do not have increased risk of CVD but may be having HTN or uncontrolled blood pressure on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Study Design Objective: A cross-sectional observational study to compare OBPM with ABPM and thus predict various hypertensive phenotypes like masked hypertension (MH) and white coat hypertension and pattern of blood pressure in diabetic patients of our population. Materials and Methods: Two hundred patients of DM with or without HTN were included in this study. The cases were subjected to detailed history, clinical examination, OBPM, and ABPM. Results: Out of 200 patients of DM, 32 were normotensives, 46 were hypertensives controlled on antihypertensive treatment, 22 were hypertensives not on anti-hypertensive treatment, and 100 were hypertensives uncontrolled on anti-hypertensive treatment. Among 32 normotensive diabetics, 17 (53%) patients had MH on ABPM. Out of these 32 normotensive patients, 7 (21.8%) had isolated nocturnal hypertension, 3 (9.3%) had isolated day-time HTN (IDH) and 7 (21.8%) had day-time and nocturnal HTN (DNH). Patients with MH had higher BMI, an observation that was statistically significant. Non-dipping pattern was found in 53% of patients of masked HTN. Out of 46 hypertensive diabetics with controlled OBPM on antihypertensive treatment, 26 (56.5%) had masked effect or masked uncontrolled hypertension on ABPM. Out of 22 diabetics with treatment naïve HTN, 7 (32%) were found to have white coat hypertension on ABPM. Fifteen (15%) patients out of 100 hypertensive diabetics with uncontrolled OBPM despite on anti-hypertensive were found to have white coat effect on ABPM. Patients with white coat effect had higher body mass index an observation that was statistically significant (p = 0.039). Non-dipping pattern was significantly associated with longer duration of diabetes (≥ 120 months), retinopathy and neuropathy. Conclusion: To rely exclusively on OBPM to diagnose HTN and monitor blood pressure may underestimate the CVD risk especially in diabetics. ABPM is a tool that may not only help clinicians in starting anti-HTN treatment perspicuously, but also may help in avoiding unnecessary anti-hypertensive treatment and/or withdrawing anti-hypertensive treatment as indicated and thus avoiding credulity.

Effect of automobile exhaust on pulmonary function tests among traffic police personnel in Kashmir valley.

Background: Automobile exhaust is an important cause of air pollution, which is a leading health menace and is growing perpetually. Traffic police personnel are exposed to automobile exhaust more than anyone else, and the resulting lung involvement may be asymptomatic. Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted among 136 traffic police personnel, aged 18-59 years, working for more than 6 months in the traffic police of Kashmir valley. In addition, 140 age- and sex-matched, healthy unexposed Kashmiri's served as controls. Pulmonary functions were measured by RMS Helios 401 PC based spirometer. Results: Sixteen (11.2%) out of 136 traffic police personnel had abnormal pulmonary function test (PFT) as compared to 5 (3.6%) out of 140 controls. Traffic police personnel's had significantly declined forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1) and forced vital capacity. Eight (5.8%) had obstructive, 7 (5.1%) had restrictive, and 1 (0.7%) traffic police personnel had mixed pattern on PFT. Duration of exposure to automobile exhaust of more than 10 years was significantly associated with pulmonary function abnormality (P = 0.038). Conclusion: Air pollution due to automobile exhaust may be the factor responsible for pulmonary function abnormalities in traffic police personnel. Besides protective measures during duty hours, traffic police personnel should be subjected to periodic assessment of their lung functions.

Clinical and Laboratory Profile of Dengue in Kashmir Valley.

BACKGROUND: As majority of cases of dengue are associated with thrombocytopenia, it is indispensable to study clinical presentation, biochemical parameters and outcome of dengue fever in a population known with low platelet count. METHODOLOGY: A prospective observational study was conducted from September 2016 to August 2017that included forty NS-1 antigen (IgM) Dengue positive patients. Clinical features, laboratory parameters and outcome of dengue patients were noted. RESULTS: All the patients had travel history outside the valley into the neighbouring state. Most patients (70%) had duration of stay between 21-30 days in dengue prevalent areas before catching the illness. Duration of symptoms was between 4-9 days in majority of patients (92.5%). Most patients (85%) presented in months of September to November. The three most common symptoms were fever (100%), chills (92.5%) and headache (80%). The most common laboratory features were thrombocytopenia (97.5%), leukopenia (87.5%), transaminitis (87.5%) and raised LDH (32.5%). One patient developed Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF). All patients recovered completely. CONCLUSION: DF in Kashmir is seen exclusively in travellers to other states especially in the monsoon season.DF in Kashmiri patients has a favourable outcome despite low baseline platelet count. DHF is uncommon in Kashmiri population.

Type 1 renal tubular acidosis in a patient of Type 1 diabetes mellitus: Is it coincidence or coexistence?

A 26-year-old male patient suffering from Type 1 diabetes mellitus got admitted with abdominal pain and high blood sugars. On further evaluation, he was found to have normal anion gap metabolic acidosis without ketonuria and urinary pH was alkaline. The patient was diagnosed as Type 1 renal tubular acidosis (RTA) (distal RTA) and was managed by alkali replacement in addition to control of blood sugars. The association of Type 1 RTA with Type 1 diabetes mellitus has been rarely reported in the literature. The association needs a different attention as diagnosis and management of diabetic ketoacidosis in such cases will be tricky. The case presented here is the first of its kind from our part of the world and second as far as English literature is concerned.

Bacteriological and clinical profile of Community acquired pneumonia in hospitalized patients.

The aim of our study was to obtain comprehensive insight into the bacteriological and clinical profile of community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization. The patient population consisted of 100 patients admitted with the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), as defined by British Thoracic society, from December 1998 to Dec 2000, at the Sher- i-Kashmir institute of Medical Sciences Soura, Srinagar, India. Gram negative organisms were the commonest cause (19/29), followed by gram positive (10/29). In 71 cases no etiological cause was obtained. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the commonest pathogen (10/29), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (7/29), Escherichia coli (6/29), Klebsiella spp. (3/29), Streptococcus pyogenes (1/29), Streptococcus pneumoniae (1/29) and Acinetobacter spp. (1/29). Sputum was the most common etiological source of organism isolation (26) followed by blood (6), pleural fluid (3), and pus culture (1). Maximum number of patients presented with cough (99%), fever (95%), tachycardia (92%), pleuritic chest pain (75%), sputum production (65%) and leucocytosis (43%). The commonest predisposing factors were smoking (65%), COPD (57%), structural lung disease (21%), diabetes mellitus (13%), and decreased level of consciousness following seizure (eight per cent) and chronic alcoholism (one per cent). Fourteen patients, of whom, nine were males and five females, died. Staphylococcus aureus was the causative organism in four, Pseudomonas in two, Klebsiella in one, and no organism was isolated in seven cases. The factors predicting mortality at admission were - age over 62 years, history of COPD or smoking, hypotension, altered sensorium, respiratory failure, leucocytosis, and staphylococcus pneumonia and undetermined etiology. The overall rate of identification of microbial etiology of community-acquired pneumonia was 29%, which is very low, and if serological tests for legionella, mycoplasma and viruses are performed the diagnostic yield would definitely be better. This emphasizes the need for further studies (including the serological tests for Legionella, mycoplasma and viruses) to identify the microbial etiology of CAP.