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Background : Measuring antimicrobial consumption is necessary to understand the volume and patterns of use, to design appropriate interventions to reduce and rationalize its use. Materials and Methods : The antimicrobial consumption in Neurology ICU and IPD were measured over a 5-year period using WHO Defined Daily Dose (DDD) methodology. Results : There was an increasing trend in Antimicrobial Consumption (AMC) from 125.7 to 155.5 DDDs/100 days over 5 years with highest consumption in 2017-2018 (190.7 DDDs). The consumption of Watch group of antibiotics was higher than access group antibiotics both in ICU and IPD and constituted more than 75% of total antibiotic consumption. Conclusions : The initiation of empiric therapy though may be necessary depending on the patients condition, however, duration of antibiotic therapy and reducing usage of prophylactic antibiotics for aspiration pneumonia and reducing consumption of Watch group of antibiotics were identified as stewardship opportunities. Feedback on AMC data and persuasive educational interventions to rationalize and reduce antimicrobial use are required.
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Mucormycosis is an acute fungal infection with 90% of cases in the form of rhino-orbito-cerebellar. It is an aggressive and life-threatening fungal infection causing 50% mortality in people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In COVID-infected patients due to, diabetic ketoacidosis, epithelial damage, ciliary dysfunction, dysfunctional phagocytic mechanism, and immunosuppression, there is impaired chemotaxis and defective intracellular killing leads to fungal spores to invade, germinate and penetrate in surrounding tissues. The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics disrupts the normal microbiomes and increases the probability of growth of Rhizopus spp. Commercially available probiotics such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, and Saccharomyces when administered in adequate quantities form siderophores which induces iron stress in fungus and inhibits spore germination.
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Objectives: To determine the optimum range of phenytoin (PHT) and valproate (VAP) levels and find out the critical drug levels below which chances of breakthrough seizures increase in North Indian population. Methodology: A cross-sectional, case-controlled, record-based study was conducted in a quaternary care hospital from September 2018–2019. The case group comprised epilepsy patients on monotherapy with PHT/VAP presenting with breakthrough seizures after at least 6 months of seizure control. Noncompliant, overdose, toxicity, no or partial response, any other psychiatric or neurological disorder, adverse effects, and patients taking two or more antiepileptic drugs were excluded. Results: Data of 100 patients in each group were analyzed. Significantly lower mean levels in cases were observed in PHT (5.74 ± 3.68 mg/L vs. 13.75 ± 4.27 mg/L control) and VAP (24.13 ± 27.39 mg/L vs. 76.37 ± 17.71 mg/L control). A negative correlation of drug levels was observed with age and weight in both the groups. The level/dose ratio in controls (0.05 ± 0.03; 0.09 ± 0.06) was significantly (P < 0.0001) higher than cases (0.02 ± 0.01; 0.02 ± 0.03) in PHT and VAP, respectively. Conclusions: This study identifies the critical levels and level/dose ratio at which the risk of breakthrough seizures increases. A wide level/dose ratio was found in controls, more so in the VAP group. A prospective study with larger group size along with genetic studies should be done to evaluate further.
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Background: Anal fissure is a painful tear in distal anal canal extending from just below the dentate line to anal verge. Patient presents with pain during or after defecation and passage of bright red blood per anus. Various studies investigating chronic anal fissures show a large variation in healing rates for different modalities. The present study was carried out to evaluate effectiveness of closed versus open lateral internal sphincterotomy in treatment of patients with chronic anal fissure.Methods: A prospective study was conducted in the Department of Surgery, Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak. Group A and group B included 20 patients each with chronic anal fissure and managed by closed and open lateral internal sphincterotomy respectively and effectiveness was evaluated with regards to fissure healing, pain reduction, recurrence and incontinence after surgical treatment.Results: The mean pain scores on visual analogue scale at end of 1 week in group A and group B was not found to be statistically significant, whereas it was found to be statistically significant at 3 week and at 6 weeks. Delayed healing was seen in 1 patient of group B, whereas no patient in group A had delayed healing or absence of healing postoperatively.Conclusions:There was a significant difference between closed and open methods of lateral internal sphincterotomy in terms of relief in post-operative pain but as a whole both techniques did not show any statistically significant difference in terms of fissure healing, postoperative complications or recurrence at 3 months.
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Myocysticercosis is not a common disorder and in particular quadriceps muscle is rarer. We are reporting this rare case of myocysticercosis involving quadriceps muscle of right thigh with ultrasonographic demonstration of nodular scolex and associated edema with no neurological involvement.
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Nonconvulsive status epileptics comprises a group of syndromes that display a great diversity regarding response to anticonvulsants ranging from virtually self-limiting variants to entirely refractory forms cephalosporins are thought to provoke seizure through inhibitory effects on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transmission and GABA receptors. Interference with GABA transmission result in pre-disposition towards excitatory neurotransmission, which can leads to seizures. Antibiotics can alter the serum concentration of anti-epileptic, resulting in seizures and anti-epileptic drugs toxicity.
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Cyproheptadine is a H1 and 5- HT1/2 receptor antagonists, impairing the anticonvulsant activity of antiepileptic drugs and reduces threshold, increases severity of seizures, when administered chronically. Anuj a 13 years old male from Delhi, known case of SSPE stage-III with epilepsy, on oral anti-epileptic drug has seizure induction followed the use of oral cyproheptadine. Stopping cyproheptadine, patient didn’t sustain any further seizures.
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Background: This study was designed to assess the treatment effect of myo-inositol and l-5, methyltetrahydrofolate in oocyte quality, pregnancy outcome in clomiphene citrate resistance PCOS cases.Methods: Authors conducted prospective open label, randomized, parallel group study in SIMS Hapur, U.P. Eligible patients full filling inclusion criteria were randomized into two groups having 25 patients in each group using myo-inositol 580mg and l-5, methyltetrahydrofolate 800mcg in treatment group and tab folic acid 400mcg in placebo group for 12 weeks. The follow-up visits are on weeks 4, 8 and 12.Results: 12 weeks later, 21 patients in treatment group restored one spontaneous menstrual cycle and 19 patients maintained the normal ovulatory activity in follow up cycle. Ovulation induction done in 18 patients with clomiphene citrate at the dose of 50mg during treatment out of which 10 conceive, as compared with only 9 women out of the 25 women (36 percent) in the placebo group ovulate (P>0.001) out of which 4 conceived. There was significant decrease in Sr. testosterone, DHEA and AMH level and estradiol level, while statically significant increase in Sr. SHBG and FSH level seen in treatment group(p<0.001).Conclusions: In the study, more number of studied patients get back to normal menstrual cyclicity, insulin-lowering activity and its intracellular role in oocyte maturation. Significant Dec seen in serum estradiol level at the day of HCG administration.
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Background: Cholecystectomy is the procedure of choice for symptomatic gall stones. Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC) may be rendered difficult by various problems encountered during surgery. Several factors have been implicated with a difficult case, but no reliable criteria are available yet to identify patients preoperatively with a difficult LC. Preoperative prediction of a difficult LC can help the patient as well as the surgeon prepare better for the intraoperative risk and the risk of conversion to open cholecystectomy. The present study was undertaken to evaluate role of various factors responsible for conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy and also to study the intraoperative problems faced by the surgeon responsible for conversion in order to make the procedure safer for the patient as well as the surgeon. Methods: In 50 consecutive patients who underwent LC during 2013 to 2014 patient’s characteristics, clinical history, laboratory data, ultrasonography results and intraoperative details were prospectively analyzed to determine predictors of difficult LC. Results: Of 50 patients 3 (06%) required conversion to open cholecystectomy. Significant predictors of conversion were obscured anatomy of Calot’s due to adhesions, sessile gall bladder, male gender and gall bladder wall thickness >3 mm. Conclusions: With preoperative clinical and ultrasonographic parameters, proper patient selection can be made to help predict difficult LC and a likelihood of conversion to open cholecystectomy.