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Introduction: Anemia in elderly patients of any degree contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality and has a significant effect on the quality of life. Despite of high prevalence, very few studies have examined the effect of anemia in elderly patients in India. Hence, this study is undertaken to know the prevalence and clinicopathological pattern of anemia in elderly patients. Objectives: 1. To estimate the prevalence of anemia in the elderly aged 65 years and above. 2. To determine the severity, clinicohematological patterns, and causes of anemia in the elderly aged 65 years and above. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was done. The study was conducted for 1 year; during this period, elderly patients aged 65 years and above admitted for other medical conditions were recruited in the study using consecutive sampling technique until the desired sample size of 236 was achieved and they were evaluated for anemia. Among them with hemoglobin cutoff value <13 g% for men, <12 g% for women were further evaluated to known the cause of anemia and its clinicohematological pattern. Ethical committee approval was obtained. Data were analyzed using SPSS Software version 23.0. Results: The mean age of the participants was 73.9 ± 7.4 (standard deviation [SD]) years. Majority, 53.8%, of the participants were males. Among the 236 elderly patients, recruited in the study 65.3% were anemic and among them 44.2 had mild anemia and 37% had moderate anemia. Mean hemoglobin value of the participants was 10.7 ± 2.83 SD and it ranged from 3 to 16.3 g/dl. There was no significant difference in the hematological parameters between male and female elderly patients in the study. The main cause of anemia was found to be due to chronic diseases followed by iron‑deficiency anemia. Conclusion: This study concludes that anemia was highly prevalent among elderly patients and most of them had identifiable and treatable etiology. Hence, all elderly patients with anemia should be evaluated properly for underlying etiology and treated accordingly to reduce the mortality and morbidity in elderly patients with multiple comorbidities.
ABSTRACT
Spent oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida) compost as tremendous source for isolation of industrial significantenzymes such as amylase, protease, and cellulase. This study was conducted to achieve efficient extraction oflignocellulolytic enzymes amylase (EC 3.2.1.1), cellulase (EC 3.2.1.4), and protease (EC 3.4.21.14) from spent oystermushroom (P. florida) compost waste. Optimal enzyme recovery was achieved when spent oyster mushroom compostwastes and concentrated by acetone precipitation. The purification was performed by column chromatography. Theenzymes such as cellulase, amylase, and protease released from oyster mushroom (P. florida) compost waste wereshowed activities of 15.78 U/ml, 3.42 U/ml, and 0.042 U/ml, respectively. These were utilized in various industrialand environmental applications such as starch processing in potato waste from food industry using amylase andbiotreatment of cotton waste using cellulase.
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Background: Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) for 6 months is the optimal way of feeding infants. NFHS4 data shows 45.5% of children were exclusively breastfed at 6 months in Puducherry. The Global Nutrition Targets 2025 aims at increasing EBF rates in first 6 months up to at least 50%. The main objective is to find areas of needed intervention using LATCH scoring and to find factors responsible for fall in rates of EBF.Methods: A prospective study was conducted between November 2017 and April 2019 (1'years). Mothers were educated about breastfeeding. LATCH score assessed at 8 and 48 hours of life. At 48hours, score >8 indicates there is a high chance for EBF for next 6 months and score <8 indicates, mother is having difficulty in feeding and are intervened at this point. Data about EBF and reason for early weaning at 6 weeks and 6 months collected.Results: LATCH score at 8 hours was >8 in infants delivered via NVD: 50% as against 9.6% in babies delivered via LSCS. At 48 hours LATCH score improved in both groups: 60.8% in babies delivered via NVD, 38.3% in babies delivered via LSCS.' Compared to Primi-mothers, infants born to multigravida mothers had higher scores at 48 hours: 62.2% as against 31.1%. 84% were EBF at 6 weeks. 51% were EBF at 6 months. When mothers with LATCH score <8 at 48 hours were intervened, EBF rate at 6 weeks improved. Most common reason for early weaning at 6 weeks was maternal problems: 6.6% and at 6 months- due to influence of relatives: 27%.Conclusions: LATCH score helps in predicting breastfeeding duration as early as 48 hours of life. Low scores indicate, it requires intervention and identifies the areas of needed intervention. Counselling regarding EBF must include not only mothers but also relatives.
ABSTRACT
Amrtottara kvatha is a decoction which is used primarily in the management of hyperpyrexia (jwara). Fresh stem of Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers (Guduchi), dried fruit rind of Terminalia chebula Retz (Haritaki), and dried rhizome of Zingiber offficinale Roscoe (Shunti) in the ratio 3:2:1 are its ingredients. From the point of view of drug design, it has the peculiarity that, its ingredients are specified to be added in a particular ratio, rather than in equal amounts as is the case in most of the compound formulations in Ayurveda. But, the rationale behind the drug design are not detailed enough to give much information regarding the effect of alteration of the drug ratio etc. Thus, in the present study an exploration was made with respect to its phytochemistry, by comparing with the decoction prepared in the general ratio of 1:1:1. The compounds Gallic acid and Ellagic acid were used for quantitative evaluation and comparison using HPTLC method. Estimation of Gallic acid in the samples showed that the amount of Gallic acid in Amrtottara kvatha prepared in classical ratio of 3:2:1 is significantly higher than that prepared in the altered ratio of 1:1:1 with a p value <0.05, though the amount by weight of Haritaki (source of Gallic acid) was unaltered in both, thus indicating the possibility of some complex phytochemical interactions among the constituents. With respect to Ellagic acid, there was no statistically significant difference in its quantity in the two decoctions compared. The method developed for HPTLC analysis in this study can be used as a technique for standardization of Amrtottara kvatha.