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Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began in China, in December 2019, and was declared a pandemic by WHO on March 11, 2020. The treatment is evolving and is mostly supportive in nature. Material and methods: This was a single-center retrospective study that included confirmed COVID-19 cases treated at our institute (a tertiary care hospital in Jammu and Kashmir, India), between March 2020 and December 2020. Patients with age more than 18 years were included in the study. Results: On evaluating the effect of various drug therapies used in management of COVID-19 patients of all severity, use of remdesivir and famotidine was associated with significantly higher odds of survival. In subgroup of patients with severe disease, use of systemic steroids was associated with significantly higher odds of survival in addition to remdesivir and famotidine. In patients with severe COVID-19 illness, likelihood of survival was significantly higher in those who received combination of systemic steroids plus remdesivir compared to steroids and remdesivir alone. Conclusion: Steroids were effective in severe COVID-19 illness and the combination of steroids and remdesivir was more effective in severe illness. There is a need to undertake more large scale prospective randomized trials to determine the most effective drug therapies to treat the sick patients and prevent worsening of mild cases.
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COPD is a growing global threat considering its increasing prevalence, morbidity and mortality. The only modality of treatment that has been proven to alter the late course of this disease is the long term oxygen therapy (LTOT). Considering that an increasing number of COPD patients are getting a prescription of LTOT, this study was done to recognize the common barriers that prevent its adequate compliance.METHODSA pre-set questionnaire was administered to patients and their caregivers regarding LTOT prescription, compliance to LTOT and reasons for their poor compliance to LTOT.RESULTS58 COPD patients included in the study completed the questionnaire. Only 12 (21.4%) patients used the recommended oxygen for more than 15 hours per day to give them the therapeutic benefit. 21 (37.5%) patients received recommended advice for the duration of using supplemental oxygen each day from their treating physicians. None of the patients received education about the correct use of using oxygen therapy at home.CONCLUSIONSOxygen usage among patients who have been prescribed home oxygen therapy is far from optimal, and both patient and physician related factors are responsible for it. Thus, the knowledge of major factors responsible for poor compliance of LTOT stresses upon the need for proper education of the treating physician and proper advice and counselling for this treatment modality at the time of prescription, for the patient.
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Introduction: Splenectomy addresses the role of the spleen in hematological disorders particularly those ofcellular sequestration and destruction and antibody production. Splenectomy is indicated in specific cases ofanemia.Material and methods: The study was conducted in the department of General and Minimal Invasive Surgery incollaboration with the department of Clinical Hematology, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagarfrom Jan 2012 to Jan 2016.The study included 33 patients The patients were studied in regards to thevariables1.clinical and demographic information. 2.surgical findings.3.preoperative and post operativehaematological profile.4.immediate and late complications.5.hospital stay6.persistence of disease.Result: In our study, out of 33 patients, laparascopic splenectomy(LS) was performed on 19 patients(57.6%) and14 underwent open splenectomy(OS).. Mean age was 28.89 years in LS group.and 36 years in OS group. Malefemale ratio was 4/15 in LS and 3/11 in OS. Mean operation time was 107.5 minutes in LS and 80.7 minutes in OS(pvalue <.001). Mean intraoperative blood loss was significantly lower for LS vs OS (76.43 mL vs 133.57 mL; P =.003). There was no statistical significant difference in complications between the two groups. Also, There wasno significant difference between LS and OS in terms of remission rates.Conclusion: Laparoscopic splenectomy is a safe and effective procedure in experienced hands. It is superior withregard to hospital stay, operative blood loss, postoperative pain and cosmesis as compared to Open Splenectomy.
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Background: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a malignancy of the cells of myeloid series characterized by the rapid growth of Myeloblasts. The diagnosis of AML is established by demonstration of more than 20% of the blood and/or bone marrow by leukemic myeloblasts. Immunophenotyping is one of the most useful tool for the confirmation, lineage assignment and subtyping of leukemias. This study was aimed to phenotype and classify acute leukemias by flow cytometry using commonly used markers for leukemia diagnosis and to establish whether CD 117 can be considered as a lineage specific marker in diagnosis and subclassification of AML.Methods: Flow Cytometric Immunophenotyping was employed for the study. The myeloid antibodies employed in AML in our study included - CD117, CD11c, CD13, CD15, CD33, CD34, CD36, CD41, CD65 and MPO.Results: In our study AMLs constituted 46% of all acute leukemias. CD117 positivity was seen in 86.56% of the French American British (FAB) category of AML. The blasts gated using CD45 v/s SSC revealed variable expression of CD34, CD13 and CD33. The expression of CD117 was consistent particularly in AML-M0, AML-M1 and AML M2.Conclusions: CD117 is virtually a myeloid blast marker with a high sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value. Among the various myeloid markers like cMPO, CD13, CD33 and CD117, it is just CD117 that has got a tremendous reproducibility in AMLs. Besides CD117 is a surface marker unlike MPO thus easier to process, time saving and less prone to nonspecific binding.
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Background: Plasma cell dyscrasia (PCD) is the term used to describe the disorders characterized by neoplastic proliferation of plasma cells with the abnormal production of immunoglobulins (Ig). Patients with multiple myeloma frequently have abnormal coagulation tests. Aim of the present study were to correlate prothrombin time (PT) and Activated Partial Thromboplastin time (aPTT) with Ig concentrations in patients with newly diagnosed with PCD and to compare PT and aPTT values in untreated and treated patients diagnosed with PCDMethods: This study was conducted in the department of clinical hematology of SKIMS, a tertiary care hospital in northern India from 2015 to 2016. Patients diagnosed with PCD were advised for coagulogram (PT, aPTT) as a base line investigation. A total of 72 patients were included in the study.Results: 37% of multiple myeloma cases (newly diagnosed) and 22% of light chain disease patients presented with prolonged PT whereas none of the patients in treated cases of PCD had prolonged PT. The mean Ig concentration was significantly higher in patients with prolonged PT and aPTT compared to that of patients with normal PT and aPTT values. In IgA myeloma, the mean immunoglobulin concentration was 3643 mg/dL with a mean PT and aPTT values of 18.8s and 36.6 (p value: 0.006). The mean free light chain concentration in kappa (k) light chain myeloma was 1727 mg/L with a mean PT value of 20.5 s, mean aPTT value of 37.4 s (p-value: 0.026).Conclusions: Patients with newly diagnosed myeloma presented with prolonged PT as compared to the treated cases. Also, mean Ig concentration was significantly higher in patients with prolonged PT and aPTT compared to that of patients with normal PT and aPTT values.