Tele-rehabilitation for persons with vision impairment during COVID-19: Experiences and lessons learned

Purpose: The COVID?19 pandemic imposed challenges to access rehabilitation intervention to individuals with visual impairment, thereby increasing their disability effects. This study explored the viability maintaining the continuum of care through telerehabilitation. Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of individuals with vision impairment who underwent telerehabilitation at the center of excellence in eye care at Hyderabad, Telangana, India, between April and September 2020. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework was followed to provide services such as counseling for mental well?being, information and resources, educational interventions, Assistive Technology programs, therapeutic interventions for children with multiple disabilities, access to digital audio books and rehabilitation helpline. A team of professionals involved in the service care. Phone and what’s app calls were used to facilitate the training. The duration and the number of training sessions were individual need?based with an average of 45 minutes per session and 175 training sessions. Results: Three hundred and fifty individuals and their families benefited. The service include early intervention (n = 129), and low vision care (n = 176) inclusive of computer training (n = 53), soft skills (n = 53), digital books (n = 55). Nearly two?thirds of the participants were male (n = 205). Conclusion: Evidence from this study suggests telerehabilitation as a successful model of care. A well?planned telerehabilitation approach can expand the scope of reaching the visually impaired from geographically isolated areas where scarcity of service providers and service centers.

Molecular analysis of rpoB gene mutations in rifampicin resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates by multiple allele specific polymerase chain reaction in Puducherry, South India

rpoB gene mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis [MTB] make the bacteria resistant to rifampicin. Thus, these mutations are surrogate markers for multi-drug resistance [MDR]. The objective of this study was to evaluate an allele-specific multiplex-polymerase chain reaction [MAS-PCR] assay to detect mutations at codons 516, 526 and 531 of the rpoB gene. In total, 127 M. tuberculosis clinical isolates were subjected to standard drug susceptibility tests. A MAS-PCR assay was then performed to detect mutations in the rpoB gene. Three different allele-specific PCR assays were performed [single-step MAS-PCR] and the amplified products were sequenced. Of the 127 isolates, 69 [54.3%] were multidrug resistant M. tuberculosis [MDR-TB], 21 [16.5%] were rifampicin mono-resistant and 37 [29.1%] were drug susceptible. The frequency of mutations at codons 531, 526 and 516 was 54.4%, 18.9% and 5.6%, respectively. A triple mutation was found in 4 [4.4%] isolates. Mutations in regions other than the 81-bp region were observed at codons 413 [11.1%], 511 [12.2%] and 521 [15.6%] of the rpoB gene. The simplicity and specificity of the MAS-PCR assay allows for easy implementation in clinical laboratories to detect rifampicin drug resistance in MDR-TB strains

AIDS Awareness among Clinical Dental Students of Karnataka, India.

Objective: HIV-infected patients, with or without knowledge of their own serologic status are seeking dental care in increasing numbers. Dental students are at the risk of exposure to the HIV infections during their clinical training if adequate and stringent infection control measures. The objective of the present study was to assess the level of understanding and awareness of this disease among the third year clinical dental students at a private dental institution in Mangalore, Karnataka, India. Materials and methods: A cross sectional survey of 100 third year clinical dental students of Karnataka was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised of sociodemographic details, apart from 8 questions on knowledge and 2 questions on attitude towards HIV/AIDS patient. Descriptive analysis was carried out. Results: The response rate was 100%. Majority of students’ knew that AIDS is a disease of immunity. About 78% of the students knew that HIV/ AIDS is transmitted by contaminated blood products. Eighty six percent of the subjects knew which test was done to detect AIDS while others were not quite sure of it. Only 15% answered correctly regarding the percentage risk of transmission of HIV to a health care worker following contaminated needle stick injury. Most of the students were either not aware or not sure about the universal precaution measures to be taken while treating an AIDS patient. Conclusion: The results showed that the third year dental students of Karnataka, India had fair knowledge and good attitude regarding HIV/AIDS. However it did reveal some of the inadequacies and misconceptions regarding the disease among the dental students.

Effect of Oscillatoria willei – a marine cyanobacterium on hydrazine induced toxicity

Aims: To find out the effect of crude extract of Oscillatoria willei, a marine cyanobacterium on hydrazine induced toxicity. Methodology and Results: In this study, the experimental mice were injected intramuscularly with 5 mg of hydrazine/kg body weight continuously for 20 days. Crude extract of Oscillatoria willei was given to the animals induced with hydrazine toxicity. The animals were subjected to various biochemical and immunological parameters after exposing to hydrazine and followed up treatment. The results revealed that intra-peritoneal administration of O. willei reduced interleukin 2 (IL-2), reducing sugar, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), liver enzymes, bilirubin, creatinine and uric acid level. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: O. willei treatment was found to reduce the ill effects induced by hydrazine.