Decade Long Unexplained Anemia: Alert to ANCA Associated Vasculitis.

A 13-year old girl presented with a decade long anemia, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage and interstistial lung disease; was eventually diagnosed as ANCA associated vasculitis. High index of suspicion is thus warranted for alternative diagnosis in chronic anemia, despite increased prevalence of infectious diseases and nutritional anemia.

Adverse drug reactions & their risk factors among Indian ambulatory elderly patients.

Background & objectives: Several studies have reported adverse drug events ranging from 5 to 35 per cent in all age group from outpatient setting. However, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) particularly among a large sample of ambulatory elderly patients in India has not been reported. This study has attempted to identify ADRs and assessed their causality, preventability and severity, and also their risk factors in Indian ambulatory elderly patients. Methods: A 2 year long term prospective study included 4005 ambulatory elderly patients (60 yr or above; either sex) at a public teaching hospital. Suspected ADRs were assessed for causality, preventability and severity using Naranjo's probability scale, modified Schumock and Thornton's criteria, and modified Hartwig's criteria, respectively. Results: Of the total 4005 prescriptions, 406 were identified with ADRs, giving the occurrence of 10 per cent ADRs in elderly. The total number of ADRs was 422 in 406 prescriptions. Type A ADRs accounted for 46 per cent of the total ADRs. Majority of the ADRs (88.6%) were classified as ‘probable’. The definitely preventable reactions were 22 per cent. The percentage of moderate reaction was 16 per cent. Only 1.6 per cent ADRs was severe in nature. The most common type of ADR was peripheral oedema. The most commonly offending class of drug was cardiovascular drugs (57.6%). Using logistic regression analysis, the risk factors which contributed to ADRs were age above 80 yr (OR=1.7), prescription of multiple drugs (OR=1.8), longer duration of treatment (OR=2.28) and multiple diagnoses (OR=1.8). Interpretation & conclusions: In this study, 10 per cent ambulatory elderly patients were found to have ADRs. This indicates that the elderly patients should be closely monitored for ADRs, to avoid clinically significant harmful consequences. The awareness of risk factors of ADRs would help physicians to identify elderly patients with greater risk of ADRs and, therefore, might benefit from ADRs monitoring and reporting programme.

Isolation of Salmonella paratyphi A from renal abscess.

Intrarenal abscesses remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality as well as a diagnostic dilemma because a plethora of microorganisms can cause this condition. A definitive diagnosis is made by demonstrating the organisms from the aspirate and the success or failure of therapy depends upon the antimicrobial sensitivity pattern. Enteric fever is a multisystem disorder caused by invasive strains of salmonella. Salmonellosis continues to be a major public health problem, especially in developing countries. Classic enteric fever is caused by S. typhi and usually less severe enteric fevers are caused by S. paratyphi A, B, or C. However, at times S. paratyphi is capable of causing serious and often life-threatening infections like infective endocarditis, pericarditis, empyma, sino-venous thrombosis, osteomyelitis, meningitis, bone marrow infiltration, hepatitis and pancreatitis. There are anecdotal case reports in world literature of abscesses being caused by this organism. Renal involvement like bacteriuria, nephrotic syndrome and acute renal failure have been reported due to S. parayphi A. S. paratyphi A has never been implicated in renal abscess, we report one such case that was managed successfully with medical therapy.

Achalasia cardia in mother and son.

Familial occurrence of achalasia cardia is rare. Most associations are among siblings or in monozygotic twins. Parent-child association is even rarer and only six such instances have been reported till date. We report a 29-year-old man with achalasia cardia and his mother who had the same illness two and half years later. Both of them were successfully treated with balloon dilatation.

Isolated nocardial subcapsular and perinephric abscess.

We report a rare presentation of Nocardia infection in a 60 years old diabetic and cirrhotic patient who had perinephric and subcapsular renal abscess. This localized type of infection was successfully treated with oral cotrimoxazole.