Iron Deficiency Anemia as a Potential Risk Factor for Unprovoked DVT in Young Patients: A Case Series

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition due to the occurrence of pulmonary embolism (PEs) in the acute phase. DVT can be provoked or unprovoked. Provoked DVT can be associated with transient or persistent causes. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) with reactive thrombocytosis can act as a prothrombotic condition. We present two case reports of lower limb DVT which was associated with moderate anemia. Association between IDA and thrombosis has been reviewed.

Prophylactic Vitamin K Administration in Neonates on Prolonged Antibiotic Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: To compare the prevalence of vitamin K deficiencyafter intramuscular vitamin K or no treatment in neonates withsepsis on prolonged (>7 days) antibiotic therapy.Study Design: Open label randomized controlled trial.Setting: Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).Participants: Neonates with first episode of sepsison antibioticsfor ≥7 days were included. Neonates with clinical bleeding,vitamin K prior to start of antibiotic therapy (except the birth dose),cholestasis or prenatally diagnosed bleeding disorder wereexcluded.Intervention: Randomized to receive 1 mg vitamin K (n=41) or novitamin K (n=39) on the 7th day of antibiotic therapy.Main outcome measure: Vitamin K deficiency defined as ProteinInduced by Vitamin K Absence (PIVKA-II) >2 ng/mL after 7 ± 2days of enrolment.Results: The prevalence of vitamin K deficiency was 100%(n=80) at enrolment and it remained 100% even after 7 ± 2 days ofenrolment in both the groups.Conclusion: Neonates receiving prolonged antibiotics haveuniversal biochemical vitamin K deficiency despite vitamin Kadministration on 7th day of antibiotic therapy.

Bilateral lower limb polio, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and recurrent acute coronary syndrome in a poly tobacco user: A preventable triple tragedy.

Non communicable diseases in most of the developing countries have surpassed the morbidity and mortality arising from communicable diseases. However there are people who continue to suffer from the residual disabilities of some communicable disease acquired at younger age like polio and develop non communicable diseases like COPD and coronary syndrome at older age primarily because of their tobacco habits. Both of these combination of communicable and non communicable diseases are preventable if timely preventive measures and healthy life style is adopted. This case highlights one such case where patient despite suffering from polio and restrictive lung disease started using tobacco and suffered from obstructive lung disease and coronary syndrome.

Congenital CMV infection in symptomatic infants in Delhi and surrounding areas.

Many viral infections are associated with significant maternal and fetal consequences during pregnancy among which cytomegalovirus is one of the most important agent, globally. Both primary and recurrent infection due to this virus can result in fetal infection. Samples from Congenital Anoammaled babies are referred to NICD from Delhi based Government hospitals and surrounding areas for diagnosis of congenital infections like Toxoplasm, Rubella, CMV and Herpes. In the present study, accumulated data is presented for the most common teratogenic virus--Cytomegalovirus prevalence as a causative agent for congenital infection in New Born babies at Delhi and surrounding areas. 96 samples from symptomatic babies in the age group of few days to 6 months exhibiting different congenital anomalies, were reported between 1 st Jan 04 to 30 th April/05. All the blood samples were tested for the detection of CMV (IgM) antibodies using m-capture ELISA technique. 18(18.75%) samples from babies showed positive titres for CMV-IgM antibodies. None of the mothers of positive babies were found positive for CMV-IgM antibodies but all were serologically exposed to CMV virus previously as their serum samples were positive for CMV-IgG antibodies indicating primary infection in the past or reactivation/reinfection with a different strain of CMV in the early pregnancy.

Cloning and sequencing of complete tau-crystallin cDNA from embryonic lens of Crocodylus palustris.

tau-Crystallin is a taxon-specific structural protein found in eye lenses. We present here the cloning and sequencing of complete tau-crystallin cDNA from the embryonic lens of Crocodylus palustris and establish it to be identical to the a-enolase gene from non-lenticular tissues. Quantitatively, the tau-crystallin was found to be the least abundant crystallin of the crocodilian embryonic lenses. Crocodile tau-crystallin cDNA was isolated by RT-PCR using primers designed from the only other reported sequence from duck and completed by 5'- and 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) using crocodile gene specific primers designed in the study. The complete tau-crystallin cDNA of crocodile comprises 1305 bp long ORF and 92 and 409 bp long untranslated 5'- and 3'-ends respectively. Further, it was found to be identical to its putative counterpart enzyme a-enolase, from brain, heart and gonad, suggesting both to be the product of the same gene. The study thus provides the first report on cDNA sequence of tau-crystallin from a reptilian species and also re-confirms it to be an example of the phenomenon of gene sharing as was demonstrated earlier in the case of peking duck. Moreover, the gene lineage reconstruction analysis helps our understanding of the evolution of crocodilians and avian species.