ABSTRACT
Introduction:Aprobiotic used as an adjunct in Salmonella typhi infection along with antibiotic is postulated to interfere with the virulence and growth of Salmonella. To determine the effectiveness of Lactobacillus rhamnosusGG (LGG), as an adjunct with intravenous ceftriaxone, compared with a placebo in defervescence and toxemia resolution in children with enteric fever. Settings and Design: This hospital‑based randomized double‑blinded controlled trial was conducted among 56 study participants who were children below the age of 12 years, admitted as inpatients with fever and whose blood culture grew S. typhi. Materials and Methods: Study participants were equally allocated into intervention or control group by simple randomization. The intervention group received injection ceftriaxone and oral LGG (probiotic) for 7 days while the control group received an injection ceftriaxone and oral placebo for 7 days. Statistical Analysis: Kaplan–Meier curves and mantel cox log‑rank test were used to compare the duration for defervescence and toxemia resolution after treatment initiation. Results: Mean duration for defervescence in the intervention and control groups was 3.87 (1.57) days and 3.35 (1.19) days, respectively. The mean time taken for the resolution of toxemia was 3.00 (1.15) days in the intervention group and 2.64 (0.87) days in the control group. Conclusions:The addition of oral LGG at a dose of 3 × 109 colony‑forming units for 7 days to the standard antibiotic therapy for enteric fever did not show a significant reduction in the time taken for defervescence (P = 0.099) or resolution of toxemia (P = 0.148)
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Challenges faced by the primary caregivers during the COVID‑19 pandemic help to identify their needs and health seeking behavior during pandemic. Objectives: (1) To describe the factors associated with periodic follow‑up at the hospital which posed as difficulties to their primary caregivers during the COVID‑19 pandemic. (2) To identify the measures adopted by these primary caregivers to overcome those difficulties. MaterialsandMethods: This hospital‑based cross‑sectional observational study was conducted from May to August 2021 among 57 primary caregivers of children with chronic diseases registered before March 1, 2020, who were under periodic follow‑up in our pediatrics department. Data were collected by direct or telephonic interview using a predesigned semi‑structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics like mean, standard deviation, proportions and paired “t”‑test using Epi info and IBM SPSS trial version 28.0. Results: Frequency of hospital visits of 14 (24.6%) subjects were reduced during the COVID pandemic compared to the prepandemic period. During the COVID pandemic, 42 (73.7%) subjects had faced transportation difficulties, 23 (40.3%) had faced financial difficulties, 22 (38.6%) had skipped their scheduled follow‑up visits and around 31.6% of them have feared of contracting COVID. None had availed telemedicine consultation for their children either before or during the pandemic. Conclusions: Difficulties faced in transportation, fear of contracting COVID, financial difficulties, and lack of awareness of teleconsultation services were identified as their major obstacles.