Brucellosis in India: a deceptive infectious disease.

Brucellosis is an important but neglected disease in India. This zoonotic disease is present in all livestock systems and increased demand for dairy products accompanied with changing and intensified farming practices has raised the concern for increased spread and intensified transmission of this infection to the human population with increased risk of disease. Brucellosis can be controlled by mass vaccination of livestock. Human brucellosis can be treated with a combination of antibiotics but is very difficult to diagnose and requires laboratory testing for confirmation. Only a few recent studies have addressed the prevalence and importance of brucellosis as a human disease problem in India. The disease may be overlooked and misdiagnosed because of the difficult diagnosis and the absence and lack of experience with laboratory testing. Alertness of medical staff is needed to recognize and diagnose the disease. Awareness of risk groups is needed to take appropriate preventive measures and to accept control measures.

Prepubertal testicular tumours in Kashmir--a histopathological report of 15 cases.

A total of 15 cases of prepubertal testicular tumours were reported by the department of pathology, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Kashmir over a period of 15 years, from January 1984 to December 1998. The cases included yolk sac tumour (10 cases; 67%), teratoma [(mature) 2 cases (13%)], rhabdomyosarcoma [(paratesticular) 2 cases (13%)] and NHL-Burkitt's lymphoma [one case (7%)]. The youngest patient was 10 months old and the oldest was of 14 years age. Ten cases (67%) occurred at or below the age of 4 years. The youngest patient had yolk sac tumour and oldest had rhabdomyosarcoma. In 2 cases both the testes were involved with one of these two cases having bilateral undescended testes.

Role of Intraperitoneal Antibiotic Lavage in Peritonitis

Although mortality and morbidity associated with generalized peritonitis has been brought down markedly, postoperative complications like wound sepsis, intra-abdomlnal collections, paralytic ileus and septicemia do occur in some cases. To minimize such complications different measures have been tried so far, including intraperitoneal lavage with saline solutions and antibiotics. We conducted a study involving fifty patients over a period of two years using the third generation cephalosporin, cefotaxime intraperitoneally with encouraging results.

Testicular and Paratesticular Neoplasms in Old Patients

Testicular and Para testicular tumours from 27 patients aged 60-85 yrs. were assessed with respect to histological types. The tumours of germ cell origin were 15 in number (55.5%) and non germ cell tumours were 12 in number (44.5%). There were 13 cases of seminoma and 2 cases of mixed germ cell tumour. Among non germ cell type, 7 were Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, 2 were leiomyosarcoma, 2 were metastatic deposits of adenocarcinoma and 1 was of adenomatoid tumour of epididymis.

Antibiotic sensitivity and resistance profile of the micro-organisms responsible for urinary tract infection observed in Kashmir, India.

Urinary tract infection happens to be common and is generally treated empirically by general practitioners, for which they need to be aware of the locally prevalent strains and their sensitivity pattern. Since over the last few decades the resistance pattern of urinary isolates has been showing dramatic changes all over the world, it was felt useful to study the existing microbiological pattern of the urinary tract infections in Kashmir valley and to assess the sensitivity profile of the isolated organisms to the generally used antibiotics for empirical therapy in primary health care settings. The retrospective analysis of 324 such samples which were found positive for pathological bacteria by the microbiology laboratory of Government Medical College, Srinagar, Kashmir revealed that 90.12% of the isolates were E. coli followed by klebsiella (7.72%) and staphylococcus (1.24%). Significantly 43.57% of the E. coli exhibited resistance to the commonly used antibiotics, and the most effective in-vitro agents were found to be amikacin followed by gentamicin among the injectables and ciprofloxacin among the orally administered ones. Other useful oral antibiotics were nitrofurantoin, chloramphenicol and nalidixic acid. The organisms showed resistance to currently preferred urinary antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents like co-trimoxazole, norfloxacin, pefloxacin and cephalexin. Conclusion was that among the orally administered antibiotics ciprofloxacin remains the choice while other quinolones or derivatives have turned ineffective and among the injectables gentamicin is still effective.

Bilateral Malignant Brenner Tumour

Bilateral malignant Brenner tumour of ovary is extremely rate. A case of malignant Brenner tumour involving both the ovaries with mctastasis to mesentery in a 48 year femalc is presented. Grossly ovarian masses were firm with soft areas, encapsulated and having bosselated external surfaces. Cut sections showed yellowish white surface with peripheral cysts (in both tumours). Microscopy revealed transitional cell carcinoma with squamoid differentiation at places. Metastatic deposits were found in the mesentery. Endometrium showed cystic glandular hyperplasia.

United Nations goals for global child health with special reference to Pakistan

The social goals established by UNO for Child Health in a world summit held on 30[th] Sep. 1990 are presented and discussed here with a view to draw up a national programme to achieve them by the year 2000

Assessment of vacancy rate and utilization of residential facilities at basic health units of Distt, Gujrat

The study was conducted in district Gujrat touching a few provisions at B.H.Us, i.e. staffing position and residential facilities with basic amenities. Study sample included 36 units out of 122 BHUs by stratified random technique. A simple pretested questionnaire was used. Data collected was processed manually. Vacancy rate of staff and utilization of residential facility was analysed and it was observed that vacancy rate was lesser in this distt. than that of other distts. in the Punjab. In most of the cases the residential facility was found under utilized by 50% of the available facility which was mainly due to nonavailability of basic amenities, i.e. water was not available at 28% BHUs, electricity was not provided at 50% BHUs and there was no road connection at 28% BHUs