ABSTRACT
In recent years, India has undergone rapid urbanization and socioeconomic development. Changes in time trends have resulted in erratic lifestyle, characterized by physical inactivity, unhealthy eating habits and resultant increase in obesity and diabetes. Diabetes is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in India and its prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate. Chronic complications of diabetes, especially coronary artery diseases and chronic renal diseases results in frequent hospitalization. The main aim of the investigation was to study the somatic status and diabetic complications among the female hospitalized and nonhospitalized patients. A total of 80 female volunteers (40 hospitalized and 40 nonhospitalized) of a private hospital in Mysore, with known history of type 2 diabetes mellitus for more than two years, were recruited for the study. The tools were developed to collect information on personal history, demography, socioeconomic status, dietary habits, and anthropometric measurements. Suitable statistical analysis was applied to the data. The results projected that majority of the patients were hospitalized on an average of at least three times a year. More than 90% of the subjects exhibited blood sugar >300 mg on admission. The reason for high morbidity status included poor dietary habits and erratic lifestyle practices among the female hospitalized patients as compared to nonhospitalized patients. Adapting a healthy lifestyle and maintenance of normal blood sugar level can reduce the incidence of complications and hospitalization among the subjects.
ABSTRACT
This study was undertaken to assess the distribution pattern, outcome and possible predictors affecting the mortality and the need for ventilator support in patients who had consumed organophosphorus compound pesticides. 91 patients who were admitted to the ICU between April 2009 and March 2010 with history of ingestion of organophosphorus pesticide, were studied. Baseline clinical assessment and investigations were undertaken and SOFA and APACHE II scores were calculated. Out of 91 patients, 39 required ventilator support. Of these 39 patients, 2 died, one due to severe sepsis and multiorgan dysfunction, and the other, a chronic alcoholic with chronic liver disease, due to hepatic encephalopathy and multiorgan dysfunction. The time elapsed since ingestion of poison, SOFA and APACHE II scores were significantly associated with patients requiring ventilator support. However with logistic regression analysis, none of these variables were able to either predict mortality or the need for ventilator support. The overall outcome in these cases was favourable as the mortality rate was 2.3%. Though the time elapsed since ingestion of the pesticide and the APACHE II score were found to predict the need for ventilation in many earlier studies, they failed to predict either the need for ventilation or mortality in the present study. The improved mortality rate could be attributed to an organized approach through protocols between the emergency department and the ICU in order to successfully manage patients with organophosphorus compound poisoning.