Predictors of early neurological deterioration in patients with acute ischaemic stroke with special reference to blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine ratio & urine specific gravity.

Background & objectives: Early neurological deterioration (END) occurs in about 20 to 40 per cent of patients with acute ischaemic stroke and results in increased mortality and functional disability. In recent studies relative dehydration has been found to be associated with END in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. This study was conducted to identify factors useful for predicting END and to assess the role of blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio (BUN/creatinine) and urine specific gravity (USG) as predictors of END in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. methods: The present study was an observational prospective study. Various parameters comprising demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiological variables along with stroke severity were assessed and studied as predictors of early neurological deterioration in 114 consecutive patients presenting to the Emergency department during 2012. BUN/creatinine >15 and USG >1.010 were studied as markers of relative dehydration contributing to END. results: of the 114 patients enrolled in the study, END was observed in 25 (21.9%) patients. National Institutes Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS) ≥ 12 at admission was found to be an independent risk factor for END. Amongst markers of relative dehydration, BUN/creatinine >15 at admission was found to be an independent risk factor for END, as also USG >1.010. Also, cerebral oedema and size of hypodensity >1/3rd of the middle cerebral artery territory on cranial CT were observed to be independent risk factors for END. Interpretation & conclusions: Our study findings highlighted a possible association of relative dehydration, as indicated by BUN/creatinine ratio >15, with END along with other parameters like stroke severity at presentation, extent of hypodensity >1/3rd of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory and cerebral oedema. Dehydration being a treatable condition, the use of BUN/creatinine >15 as a marker of relative dehydration, can be helpful in detecting patients with dehydration early and thus play a role in preventing END.

Diabetic gastroparesis.

Our understanding of gastric motility disorder--diabetic gastroparesis has advanced in the last ten to fifteen years, but the published data regarding pathogenesis are confusing and show conflicting results. The pathogenesis is sometimes linked with hyperglycemia, autonomic neuropathy, gastrointestinal hormone or myogenic mechanism. Antral hypomotility is often associated with hyperglycemia which is often accompanied by reduction in duodenal waves. Varying level of motilin, a gastrokinetic hormone has been reported. However none of the mechanism could explain the exact pathogenesis. The relationship of this mortality disorder with clinical symptoms is not always established, however nausea and vomiting lasting for days or weeks are the prominent symptoms. Other symptoms are post-prandial fullness, early satiety, bloating, belching, and vague abdominal discomfort. In a few cases, it may be the cause of poor nutrition, uncontrolled diabetes and recurrent ketoacidosis. Last one or two decades have seen some advancement in the investigational procedures like scintigraphy, radio-opaque markers, breath test, electrogastrography and MRI. Which can lead to a proper diagnosis. Such objective assessment is all the more important as nearly half of the patients do not have any symptom. Symptomatic improvement of gastroparetic patients should be the aim and in asymptomatic patients, treatment is often not recommended. Some dietary advice and prokinetic agents like metoclopramide, cisapride etc. are often prescribed but much needs to be further known as management is not always uniformly rewarding.

Experience in adult population in dengue outbreak in Delhi.

A dengue outbreak has recently hit the Indian capital. We studied the clinical profile of adult patients. Five hundred and sixty patients of dengue infection were admitted in a specially created ward according to the criteria laid down by WHO. Haematemesis (28.28%), epistaxis (26.78%) and malena (14.28%) were some of the common presentations. Similarly lymphadenopathy, especially cervical (30.89%), palatal rashes (26.96%) and hepatomegaly (23.75%) were the most commonly encountered findings on physical examination. Most of the cases were of dengue fever with haemorrhage and only 2.5% cases were classified under dengue haemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome. The average hospital stay was 3.4 days but only 9.8 hours in the eleven patients who died, suggesting their late arrival in preterminal situation giving little time for resuscitation. Thrombocytopenia was not a feature and only 12.85% patients had platelet count less than 70,000/cmm. Most of the patients who were admitted with thrombocytopenia, showed normalization in their platelet counts in next few days. Serological examination demonstrated evidence of recent dengue infection in 41.17% patients. Few patients required blood or platelet concentrate transfusion. Eleven patients died, three due to DIC, one of intracranial haemorrhage and seven due to massive gastric haemorrhage. Rest of the patients recovered completely. Thus we can conclude that recent outbreak in Delhi was of dengue fever with haemorrhage and mortality was very low in patients who came early to the hospital.