Laryngopharyngeal Reflux and Proton Pump Inhibitors.

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) refers to the backflow of stomach contents into the throat that is into the hypopharynx.LPR is different from classical GERD. Although PPIs appear to be effective, higher doses for a longer duration are necessary as compared with esophageal GERD disease. In this study we focused on clinical characteristics and role of proton pump inhibitors in Laryngopharyngeal Reflux. Material and Methods: The prospective observational study was done in LPR patients in the Department of ENT and HNS of SKIMS Medical College and Government Medical College Srinagar for a period of 2 years from 2010 to 2012 .Sixty cases were enrolled in the study. LPR was diagnosed on the basis of RFS and RSI. Role of PPI was assessed by the changes of RSI and RFS with Proton pump inhibitors. Results: Total number of patients included in the study were 60, 42 (70%) cases were females, 18 (30%) were males. Frequent clearing of throat was the most common symptom. Mean RSI of all patients was 25.25 before treatment. Significant change in RSI occurred after first 10 weeks of therapy and no further significant change occurred in the next 10 weeks. Most common laryngeal finding was erythema/hyperaemia; Mean RFS of the patients was 13 before treatment with proton pump inhibitors. There was slight response after 10 weeks of therapy in physical findings and significant response after 20 weeks. Conclusion: LPR is a common condition presenting in ENT settings, the symptoms and signs may be complex. PPI are treatment of choice and should be continued for about 5 months because clinical symptoms take about two month to resolve while signs take about 5 months to resolve.

Vertical transmission of dengue: first case report from Bangladesh.

We report a case of vertical transmission of dengue infection in a new born from Bangladesh. The mother was primigravida with an uneventful antenatal period except the fever she developed at 37 weeks of gestation. She underwent cesarean section for decreased fetal movement. The fever lasted for 7 days and was associated with intense bodyache, and a positive tourniquet test. She did not experience any hemorrhages including from the surgical wound. Her platelet count fell at its lowest to 100,000/mm3. She had bilateral mild pleural effusions and positive anti-dengue antibodies (both IgG and IgM). She received symptomatic treatment. The baby was deeply meconium stained and was resuscitated by a pediatrician. His postnatal period went well until day-3 of life when he developed fever and respiratory distress. There were no signs of meconiun aspiration syndrome (MAS) and the septic work up was negative. The platelets count fell to its lowest of 40,000/mm3 on day-3 and day-5 of his illness. Anti-dengue antibodies (both IgG and IgM) were positive with a nearly four-fold rise of IgM antibodies in the convalescent sera. The boy was treated with platelet transfusions and was discharged on day-6 after becoming ill. This report emphasizes that in a dengue epidemic or when dengue is endemic (which Bangladesh has experienced recently), a pregnant woman with fever, myalgia and/or bleeding manifestations should raise a high suspicion that the baby may develop the disease, and both the mother and baby should be closely followed-up. Viral isolation could not be done due to the unavailability of the test.

Zinc in CSF of patients with febrile convulsion.

OBJECTIVE: This prospective study was carried out from July-December 1999 to see the status of zinc in CSF of children with febrile convulsion and to compare this to that of control. METHODS: Forty-two cases of febrile convulsion and 30 controls (fever without convulsion) were enrolled into the study. CSF zinc was estimated by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) in Atomic Energy Center, Dhaka and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The mean zinc level in CSF in the study sample was 40.19mgm/L and that in control was 74.98mgm/L. This difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The study concludes that a significantly lower of zinc exists in CSF of children with febrile. However no relationship was found between CSF zinc status with age, sex, degree & duration of fever and time of lumbar puncture after convulsion.

Adopting integrated management of childhood illness module at local level in Bangladesh: implications for recurrent costs.

This study estimated the recurrent cost implications of adopting Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) at the first-level healthcare facilities in Bangladesh. Data on illnesses of children who sought care either from community health workers (CHWs) or from paramedics over a four-month period were collected in a rural community. A total of 5,505 children sought care. About 75% of symptoms mentioned by mothers were directly related to illnesses that are targeted in the IMCI. Cough and fever represented 64% of all reported complaints. Referral of patients to higher facilities varied from 3% for the paramedics to 77% for the CHWs. Had the IMCI module been followed, proportion of children needing referral should have been around 8%. Significant differences were observed between IMCI-recommended drug treatment and current practice followed by the paramedics. Adoption of IMCI should save about US$ 7 million on drugs alone for the whole country. Proper implementation of IMCI will require employment of additional health workers that will cost about US$ 2.7 million. If the current level of healthcare use is assumed, introduction of IMCI in Bangladesh will save over US$ 4 million.