Relationship Between Lipid Profile and Sensorineural Hearing Loss: An Institution Based Study.

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most frequent problem worldwide and is the most neglected condition. Thus, it is essential to understand the etiology and pathophysiology of SNHL. The main objective of the study is to find whether serum lipid parameters have any correlation with SNHL. 68 patients within the age group of 20-60 years with clinically diagnosed sensorineural hearing loss were included in this study. Informed written consent, otoscopy, pure tone audiometry were done on all patients. The subjects were subjected to Serum lipid profile. The mean age of subjects in this study was 53.25 ± 13.78 years and male to female ratio was found to be 1.125:1. The serum total cholesterol and serum triglyceride also showed significant relationship with the degree of hearing loss (p value < 0.001). With an increase in the serum LDL there was increase in the severity of hearing loss which was statistically significant (p value < 0.001) where as serum HDL level showed statistically insignificant and negative correlation with severity of hearing loss. Serum lipid profile can be used as important biomarker for assessing the severity of hearing loss. Subjects with deranged lipid parameters had higher degress of hearing impairement.

Long-Term Survival in Patients Treated by Cytoreductive Surgery with or Without HIPEC for Peritoneal Surface Malignancies-A report from the Indian HIPEC Registry.

A previous report from the Indian HIPEC registry showed acceptable early survival and morbidity in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) + / - hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The goal of this retrospective study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes in these patients. Three hundred seventy-four patients treated from December 2010 to December 2016 and enrolled in the Indian HIPEC registry were included. All patients had completed 5 years from the date of surgery. The 1-, 3-, 5- and 7-year progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) and factors affecting these were evaluated. The histology was epithelial ovarian cancer in 209 (46.5%), pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) in 65 (17.3%) and colorectal cancer in 46 (12.9%) patients. The peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was ≥ 15 in 160 (42.8%). A completeness of cytoreduction (CC) score of 0/1 resection was obtained in 83% (CC-0-65%; CC-1-18%). HIPEC was performed in 59.2%. At a median, follow-up of 77 months (6-120 months), 243 (64.9%) patients developed recurrence, and 236 (63%) died of any cause; 138 (36.9%) were lost to follow-up. The median OS was 56 months (95% CI 53.42-61.07), and the median PFS was 28 months (95% CI 37.5-44.4). The 1-, 3-, 5- and 7-year OS was 97.6%, 63%, 37.7% and 24% respectively. The 1-, 3-, 5- and 7-year PFS was 84.8%, 36.5%, 27.3% and 22% respectively. The use of HIPEC (p = 0.03) and PMP of appendiceal origin (p = 0.01) was independent predictors of a longer OS. CRS + / - /HIPEC may achieve long-term survival in patients with PM from different primary sites in the Indian scenario. More prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and identify factors influencing long-term survival. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13193-023-01727-7.

Influence of mercury from fly ash on cattle reared nearby thermal power plant.

Cattle grazing nearby coal-fired power stations are exposed to fly ash. The present investigation aims to assess the environmental and health impacts of fly ash containing mercury emitted from thermal power plant. The health effect of fly ash were studied using 20 lactating cattle reared within a 5-km radius of s thermal power plant for the possible effect of fly ash such as the alterations in hematological and biochemical parameters of blood, milk, and urine. Results indicated that the hemoglobin levels (6.65 ± 0.40 g/dl) were significantly reduced in all the exposed animals. Biochemical parameters viz., blood urea nitrogen (27.35 ± 1.19 mg/dl), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (43.39 ± 3.08 IU/l), albumin, and creatinine were found to be increased, whereas serum glutamate pyruvic transaminase (29.26 ± 2.02) and Ca(2+) were observed to be statistically insignificant in exposed animals. Mercury concentrations estimated in the blood, milk, and urine of exposed (n = 20) and control (n = 20) animals were 7.41 ± 0.86, 4.75 ± 0.57, 2.08 ± 0.18, and 1.05 ± 0.07, 0.54 ± 0.03, 0.20 ± 0.02 µg/kg, respectively. The significant increase (P < 0.01) in the levels of mercury in blood, milk, and urine of exposed animals in comparison to control indicated that the alterations of biochemical parameters in exposed cattle could be due to their long term exposure to fly ash mercury which may have direct or indirect impact on human populations via food chain.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC): a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols have been questioned in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with/without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for peritoneal malignancies. This survey was performed to study clinicians' practice about ERAS in patients undergoing CRS-HIPEC. METHODS: An online survey, comprising 76 questions on elements of prehabilitation (n=11), preoperative (n=8), intraoperative (n=16) and postoperative (n=32) management, was conducted. The respondents included surgeons, anesthesiologists, and critical care specialists. RESULTS: The response rate was 66% (136/206 clinicians contacted). Ninety-one percent of respondents reported implementing ERAS practices. There was encouraging adherence to implement the prehabilitation (76-95%), preoperative (50-94%), and intraoperative (55-90%) ERAS practices. Mechanical bowel preparation was being used by 84.5%. Intra-abdominal drains usage was 94.7%, intercostal drains by 77.9% respondents. Nasogastric drainage was used by 84% of practitioners. The average hospital stay was 10 days as reported by 50% of respondents. A working protocol and ERAS checklist have been designed, based on the results of our study, following recent ERAS-CRS-HIPEC guidelines. This protocol will be prospectively validated. CONCLUSIONS: Most respondents were implementing ERAS practices for patients undergoing CRS-HIPEC, though as an extrapolation of colorectal and gynecological guidelines. The adoption of postoperative practices was relatively low compared to other perioperative practices.

Serum and urine nitric oxide levels in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura during activity and remission: a study from North India.

The objective of this study is to compare serum and urine reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) and citrulline levels in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) during activity and remission. The study group consisted of 14 children with HSP. We measured serum and urine RNI and citrulline levels by spectrophotometry in the active phase of the disease and then during remission. Serum RNI levels were 303.95 +/- 221.44 nmol/ml in children with active HSP and 72.57 +/- 26.56 nmol/ml during remission, the differences being statistically significant (P = 0.002). Mean urine RNI levels in children with active HSP were significantly higher than that seen during remission (3.25 +/- 1.80 vs. 1.68 +/- 0.65 nmol/ml; P = 0.003). Similarly, serum citrulline levels during disease activity were 790.65 +/- 707.87 nmol/ml as compared to 281.49 +/- 307.29 nmol/ml at the time of remission, the differences being statistically significant (P = 0.002). Mean urine citrulline levels in children with active disease was 1,969.94 +/- 1655.42 nmol/ml as compared to 1,099.34 +/- 955.82 nmol/ml in children with remission, (P = 0.007). Serum and urine RNI and citrulline levels were significantly higher during the acute phase of HSP as compared to the levels obtained during the phase of disease remission. These findings suggest that nitric oxide may perhaps have a role in the pathogenesis of HSP. Further, these laboratory parameters could be of value in monitoring disease activity. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the most comprehensive work published on the subject so far. Our findings, however, need to be confirmed on a larger study sample before firm conclusions can be drawn.

Sudden-onset ptosis caused by midbrain neurocysticercosis in 2 children.

Neurocysticercosis is the most common parasitic infestation of the central nervous system, which manifests commonly as acute-onset focal seizures. We report a rare nonepileptic manifestation of neurocysticercosis: midbrain neurocysticercosis presenting as sudden-onset ptosis in 2 children. To our knowledge, this has not been reported previously in children.

The Initial Indian Experience with Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC in the Treatment of Peritoneal Metastases.

Worldwide, cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has been used for nearly 3 decades to treat peritoneal metastases (PM), improve quality of life, and prolong survival substantially in selected patients. In India, the use of the combined modality of treatment dates back a decade with majority of the efforts taking place within the last 5 years. The first PSOGI workshop (India) held in April 2015, at Bangalore, India offered an opportunity for Indian surgeons performing CRS and HIPEC to share their experience. To study the methodologies of CRS and HIPEC (hospital set up, equipment, training and surgical background) as well as the outcomes in terms of perioperative morbidity and mortality and short and long term survival of patients treated in India, Indian surgeons who had treated at least 10 patients with this combined modality were invited to present their experience. Data collection was retrospective. Analysis of the pooled data was carried out. Eight surgeons treated 384 patients with CRS and HIPEC over a period of 10 years. The commonest primary sites were ovary (as first line therapy n = 124), followed by appendix, including pseudomyxoma peritonei (n = 99), colorectum (n = 77), recurrent ovary (as second line therapy, n = 33), stomach (n = 15), primary peritoneal cancer (n = 10), peritoneal mesothelioma (n = 9) and rare tumors in 17 patients. The weighted mean PCI for all 384 patients was 18.25. 349/384 patients (90.88 %) had a complete cytoreduction (completeness of cytoreduction score of CC-0/1). Grade 3-5 complications developed in 108 patients (27.34 %) and 30 day mortality occurred in 28 (7.29 %) patients. This study showed that CRS and HIPEC can be performed with an acceptable morbidity and mortality in Indian patients. Most of the surgeons are on the learning curve and further improvement in these outcomes is expected over a period of time. Pooling of data related to both common and rare peritoneal cancers would be useful in knowing the disease behavior, response to treatment and outcomes in Indian patients. The 2015 PSOGI meeting provided a unique platform for data presentation with feedback from international experts in the field of peritoneal surface oncology. Future meetings are planned to expand the evaluation of Indian data and progress.

Mutation analysis of hMSH2 and hMLH1 in colorectal cancer patients in India.

The aim of this work was to study the mutation profile in hMSH2 and hMLH1 genes in hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) patients in India. On the basis of the Bethesda criteria, 31 colorectal cancer patients were studied first for microsatellite instability, using the five markers recommended by the Bethesda guidelines. Twelve of 31 tumor samples were found to be MSI-H, 9 of 31 were MSI-L, and the rest were MSS. The 12 patients with MSI-H were analyzed for mutations in hMSH2 and hMLH1 genes using PCR-denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC), followed by sequencing of samples showing abnormal peaks. Of the five mutations detected, three were found to be deleterious mutations (hMSH2-R680X, hMLH1-E671X, and a splice junction mutation IVS16-2A --> G); one had a mutation of probable significance (hMLH1-C680G) and one was of unknown significance (hMSH2-R171K). This study has also shown that most of the early-onset colon (4/7) and early-onset rectal (15/21) cancers are MSS or MSI-L. This is the first study to describe the mutation in hMSH2 and hMLH1 in Indian patients, a low incidence region for colorectal cancer. A two-stage procedure using MSI testing followed by PCR-dHPLC was found to be an efficient method in studying the mutation profile in high-risk patients.

Pelvic exenteration: a perspective from a regional cancer center in India.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic exenteration is an extensive surgical procedure performed for locally advanced cancers in the pelvis. AIMS: The twenty-year experience with this procedure at the Cancer Institute has been analyzed for morbidity, failure pattern and survival. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The case records of all the patients who had undergone pelvic exenteration between 1981 and 2000 at Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai were retrieved from Tumor Registry and were analyzed. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Forty-eight patients underwent Pelvic Exenteration from 1981 to 2000 at the institute. Twenty-nine of them had rectal cancer, 15 had cervical cancer, 3 had bladder cancer, and 1 had ovarian cancer. There were 43 women and 5 men with a median age of 45 years. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The survival rates were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method using EGRET statistical software package. RESULTS: The operative mortality and postoperative morbidity were 10.42% and 62.50% respectively. The 5-year overall survival for the patients with Ca rectum and Ca cervix were 54.2% and 77.6% respectively. All 4 patients with Ca bladder or Ca ovary survived for more than 5 years. On multivariate analysis, nodal involvement and number of positive nodes emerged as significant prognostic factors for patients with Ca rectum. Although no factor reached statistical significance for patients with Ca cervix, those with adjacent organ invasion had a trend towards poorer survival. CONCLUSIONS: For carefully selected locally advanced cancer in the pelvis, pelvic exenteration may provide the opportunity of long-term survival.

Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in apparently healthy children in north India.

BACKGROUND: The data on the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) in apparently healthy children from India is limited. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of VDD in apparently healthy children. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: Apparently healthy children from the age groups of 3 months-12 years, from the upper socioeconomical status (USES), attending the outpatient department (OPD) of a private pediatric hospital in Chandigarh, India, for minor ailments were enrolled over a period of 6 months (March-August 2013). METHODS: Plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] were measured by competitive electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. RESULTS: In total, 338 children (188 boys, 150 girls) with mean age of 3.31 years were enrolled. The percentages of children with deficient, insufficient, and sufficient levels of 25(OH)D were 40.24%, 25.44%, and 34.32%, respectively. Clinical signs of VDD were seen in only 8.53% of the children. The mean (±SD) levels of 25(OH)D were 27.48 (15.99) ng/mL. On univariate analysis, deficient levels of 25(OH)D were associated with relatively younger age group, female sex, failure to thrive, exclusive breastfeeding, inadequate sun exposure, and no vitamin D supplements. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of clinical and biochemical VDD was noted in apparently healthy children belonging to the USES.

Monosomy 3pter-p25.3 and trisomy 1q42.13-qter in a boy with profound growth and developmental restriction, multiple congenital anomalies, and early death.

Albeit rare, 3pter-p25 monosomy or 1q42-qter trisomy syndromes have been documented in the literature. Here, we report a unique case with a combination of 3pter-p25 monosomy and 1q42-qter trisomy, delineated by array comparative genomic hybridization analysis. The proband was a newborn male with multiple congenital anomalies that included brain malformation, ocular anomalies, trachea-laryngomalacia, cardiac defects, intestinal malrotation, and cutaneous findings in conjunction with biochemical anomalies, profound growth and developmental restriction, and early death. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of this unique chromosomal imbalance.

Liver fluid collection in neonates and its association with the use of a specific umbilical vein catheter: Report of five cases.

In newborns, the presence of liver fluid collection is a rare event. The reported cases are isolated or described over long periods. Within four months, five neonates were diagnosed with liver fluid collection from safety occurrence reports. Clinical, laboratory and radiological data were extracted from medical records. The definite diagnosis was made by ultrasound. Four of the patients were preterm, male and had very low birth weights. The osmolality of the infused solution was within the acceptable range. Investigations revealed that the use of a new brand of umbilical vein catheter introduced in the neonatal intensive care unit, one month before the first case, was associated with this cluster. Low positioning of the umbilical vein catheter tip appeared to be a second contributory factor. Neonatal practitioners may benefit from the present report when facing the occurrence of similar lesions.

Outcomes of late-preterm infants: a retrospective, single-center, Canadian study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of major morbidities and mortality of inborn, late-preterm infants. Methods. A retrospective review was conducted from 2004 to 2008. Descriptive outcomes were compared with predefined aggregate outcomes of term infants during the same period. RESULTS: Data on 1193 late-preterm and 8666 term infants were compared. Majority of late-preterm infants were 36 weeks (43.6%), followed by 35 weeks (29.2%) and 34 weeks (27.2%), respectively. The prevalence of intensive care admission, respiratory support, pneumothorax, and mortality in late preterm infants was significantly higher compared with term infants. Mechanical ventilation and continuous positive airway pressure rates substantially decreased with increased gestational age. Although only 1.0% had positive cultures, 28.5% received parenteral antibiotics. The late-preterm group had a 12-fold higher risk of death with an overall mortality rate of 0.8%. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the high-risk status of late-preterm infants with worse mortality and morbidities compared with term infants.

Immune mediated hemolysis in visceral leishmaniasis.

Anemia in visceral leishmaniasis is a usual manifestation; however, Coombs positive hemolytic anemia has been infrequently reported. In this brief communication, we report occurrence of immune hemolytic anemia in a young child with visceral leishmaniasis. She was successfully treated with liposomal amphotericin.

Stroke following a bicycle injury.

Stroke is not an uncommon problem in children. However, stroke following intraoral trauma is rare. A high index of suspicion of neurological complications following apparently asymptomatic oral trauma helps to identify this peculiar form of childhood stroke.