Liquid-based cytology versus conventional cytology in fine-needle aspirates of salivary gland neoplasms

Background: Liquid-based cytology (LBC) is a method of retrieving and processing of cytological material for the assessment of both gynecological and nongynecological cases introduced in 1996. Mostly conventional smears (CS) are prepared in Indian scenario; however, due to increasing popularity of LBC in nongynecology specimens, LBC is also used in few centers for diagnosing salivary gland neoplasm. Aim: The aim of this study is to compare CS and LBC in fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the salivary gland neoplasms in terms of cytomorphological details, adequacy, ease of interpretation, pitfalls, and diagnostic efficiency. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational, comparative study which included 64 salivary gland neoplasms. Both CS and LBC (SurePath) were prepared as per standard protocols and examined. Results and Conclusion: In our study, specificity and positive predictive value of both the techniques (conventional and LBC) were found to be 100%. Sensitivity of both the techniques was found to be similar (66.7%). Negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of conventional technique were found to be almost similar to that of LBC technique (97.6% vs. 97.2% and 97.7% vs. 97.4%). In terms of adequacy and cellularity, CSs were better than LBC. Ease of interpretation was better with CSs due to abundant chondromyxoid stroma, an important clue in the diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma. Nuclear details and background were better in LBC as compared to CS. Hence, we conclude that in salivary gland FNAC, both CS and LBC have similar diagnostic efficiency. however, interpretation of conventional smears is easier than Liquid Based Cytology especially in cases of pleomorphic adenoma. However, some advantages of LBC in respect to conventional cytology, with better-preserved morphology obtained from LBC becomes furthermore obligatory.

Assessment of primary immunization coverage in children between 12 to 23 months in Bhadravathi taluk, Shimoga.

Background: Immunization prevents approximately 4 lakh under-five deaths from vaccine preventable diseases in India. Immunization is a proven cost-effective and relatively inexpensive public health intervention for improving child survival. Under the national immunization program infants are immunized against 7 vaccine preventable disease namely diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, tuberculosis and measles. In India, inequity in the coverage of immunization persists within and between states, emphasizing the continuing need of coverage assessment surveys with a focus on quality of the health service. Aims & Objective: (1) To assess the primary immunization coverage of children aged 12-23 months; and (2) To know the reasons for partially or not immunizing the child. Materials and Methods: This was a cross sectional study. The method was adapted from WHO 30 cluster sampling, a two stage sampling technique involving a random selection of clusters based on probability proportional to size and then a random selection of households in the selected clusters. Mothers of the children were interviewed using a pretested and semi- structured questionnaire. Results: Out Of the 210 surveyed children, 104 (49.5%) were males and 106 (50.5%) were females. Coverage was highest for BCG (100%) followed by DPT1 (99.5%), DPT3 (95.7%) and lowest for Measles (93.8%). As far as the dropout rate is concerned, it was 3.83% for both DPT1 to DPT3, 3.38% for OPV1 to OPV3, 4.83% for HEP1 to HEP3 and 6.19% for both BCG to measles and 5.74% for DPT1 to Measles. Amongst the various reasons main reasons for dropout or non-immunization of children were the lack of awareness about the need for immunization in 38.70% and unawareness of the need to return for 2nd or 3rd doses in 25.58%. Conclusion: Improvement should focus on reducing the dropout rate from DPT1/OPV1/HepB1 to DPT3/OPV3/HepB3 and improving coverage of measles and also Vitamin A.

A descriptive study of the socio-demographic determinants influencing adolescent pregnancy in Shimoga Town, Karnataka.

Background: Young age at pregnancy carries significant risk for the mother and baby, adding to the burden of maternal and child mortality. Aims & Objective: (1) To study the socio-demographic factors influencing adolescent pregnancy; (2) To take an account of the awareness among women about the right age for child-bearing. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based study was undertaken during September to December 2013 among mothers attending the antenatal clinic, in Mc Gann Hospital, Shimoga. The study group comprised of 214 mothers aged 15–18 years. Data was collected about the socio-demographic variables, tabulated on Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analysed using EpiInfo application. Results: All women were married. The mean age at marriage was 17.4 years, and mean interval between marriage and conception was 1 year. All were primigravids. 185 (86%) women were 18 years old and 29 (14%) were 17 years old. 15 (7%) women were married at 16 years, 92 (43%) at 17 years and 107 (50%) at 18 years. Non-consanguineous marriages were 122 (57%), while 92 (43%) were consanguineous. 172 (80%) women were Hindu, 34 (16%) were Muslim and 8 (4%) were Christian. 107 (51%) women belonged to socio-economic Class V, 22 (10%) to Class IV, and 37 (18%), 24 (11%) and 21 (10%) to classes III, II and I respectively. 75 (35%) women discontinued education after 10th standard and 100 (47%) before 10th standard. 39 (18%) studied up to the Pre-University course. Reasons cited were marriage by 41 (19%), poverty by 62 (29%) and 111 (52%) for disinterest. Among the husbands, 4 (2%) had never been to a school, 131 (61%) studied up to 9th standard, 60 (28%) quit after 10th standard and 19 (9%) studied beyond 10th standard, which included 4 graduates. 77 (36%) women were of first birth order of their mothers, while 80 (37%) of birth order 2. Anemia was detected in 128 (60%), 7 had bronchial asthma and 3 had congenital cardiac valve diseases. 17-19 years was the common age at pregnancy in the community and families of 188 (88%) women. 26 (12%) women said that the common age at first pregnancy was above 20 years in their community. 60 (28%) were forced into wedlock. 17 (8%) admitted were facing domestic pressure. 167 (78%) preferred to have the first child delivered before 19 years, 26 (12%) said after 20 years of age and 21 (10%) after 22 years. 126 (59%) women said early pregnancy is good, 56 (26%) took the opposite stand and 31 (15%) women were indifferent. 205 (96%) women were aware about contraception, but practice was zero. None had received sex education. Conclusion: Observations throw light on the fact that knowledge about the risks involved in adolescent pregnancy is lacking among the adolescent mothers. Contraception is not being practised. Also, the average educated and adequately aware women, were falling preys to poverty, traditions and domestic pressure, when it came to deciding the right age for child-bearing.

Antiviral activity of ecasol against feline calicivirus, a surrogate of human norovirus

Human norovirus [NoV] is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in closed settings such as hospitals, hotels and cruise ships. The virus survives on inanimate surfaces for extended periods of time, and environmental contamination has been implicated in its transmission. The disinfection of contaminated areas is important in controlling the spread of NoV infections. Neutral solutions of electrochemically activated [ECA]-anolyte have been shown to be powerful disinfectants against a broad range of bacterial pathogens. The active chemical ingredient is hypochlorous acid [HOCl], which is registered as an approved food contact surface sanitizer in the United States by the Environmental Protection Agency, pursuant to 40 CFR 180.940. We evaluated the antiviral activity of Ecasol [an ECA-anolyte] against feline calicivirus [FCV], a surrogate of NoV. FCV dried on plastic surfaces was exposed to Ecasol for 1, 2, or 5 min. After exposure to Ecasol, the virus titers were compared with untreated controls to determine the virus inactivation efficacy after different contact times. Ecasol was found to decrease the FCV titer by >5 log[10] within 1 min of contact, indicating its suitability for inactivation of NoV on surfaces

A Serine12Stop mutation in PB1-F2 of the 2009 pandemic (H1N1) influenza A: a possible reason for its enhanced transmission and pathogenicity to humans

As the scientific community scrambles to define the ancestry and lineages of the eight segments of new pandemic H1N1 strain, we looked for unique genetic events in this virus's genome to explain the newly found enhanced virulence and transmissibility among humans. Genome annotations of this virus identified a stop mutation replacing serine at codon 12 (S12Stop) of the PB1-F2 protein, a virulence factor in influenza A viruses. Here, we discuss the significance of this finding and how it may contribute to host specialization, explaining the virtual absence of the H1N1 influenza A virus strain in pig populations. This finding is expected to lead to a better understanding of the transmission and pathogenesis of the 2009 pandemic strain.

Effect of low level helium-neon (He-Ne) laser therapy in the prevention & treatment of radiation induced mucositis in head & neck cancer patients.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Oral mucositis is a common debilitating complication of radiotherapy occurring in about 60 per cent of cancer patients. Considerable buccal toxicity of radiotherapy or chemotherapy in cancer patients to become discouraged and can affect their quality of life. In addition, such toxicity can alter the treatment plan. At present, there is no clinically appropriate prophylaxis efficacious antidote for mucositis. The low level laser (LEL) appears to be a simple, non-traumatic technique for the prevention and treatment of radiation induced mucositis. Therefore the present study was carried out to find out the effect of low-level helium-neon (He-Ne) laser in the prevention and treatment of radiation induced mucositis in head and neck cancer patients. METHODS: The patients with carcinoma of oral cavity with stages II-IV a being uniformly treated with curative total tumour dose of 66 Gy in 33 fractions over 6 wk were selected for the study. The patients were divided based on computer generated randamosization into laser (study group) and control groups with 25 patients in each group. Both study and control groups were comparable in terms of site of the lesion, stage of the cancer and histology. The study group patients were treated with He-Ne laser (wavelength 632.8 nm and output of 10mW) and control group patients were given oral analgesics, local application of anaesthetics, 0.9 per cent saline and povidine wash during the course of radiotherapy. RESULTS: All patients tolerated the laser treatment without any adverse effect or reactions. The result showed a significant difference in pain and mucositis (P<0.001) between the two groups. At the end of radiotherapy (after 6 wk) mean pain sure and mucositis grade were significantly lower (P<0.001) in the study group compared to control. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The low-level He-Ne laser therapy during the radiotherapy treatment was found to be effective in preventing and treating the mucositis in head and neck cancer patients. Further studies need to be done on a larger sample to find the mechanism.