Evaluation of Knowledge and Skills of Home Based Newborn Care among Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA).

Objective: We assessed the knowledge level and skills of trained ASHAs in providing home-based newborn care. Methods: 100 ASHA from two talukas of Anand district of Gujarat participated. Knowledge was assessed using a structured questionnaire while certain skills were assessed through direct observation on mannequins. Results: The mean (SD) knowledge score of the participants was 16.7(3.16) out of 34. The skills were satisfactory in 52%, 61%, 43%, and 68% of ASHA workers for temperature measurement, hand washing, weight measurement and skin-to-skin care, respectively. Large variability was observed in self–reported and field performance of ASHA workers. Conclusions: Knowledge and skills of Asha workers in this region were inadequate.

A comparative study for the detection of Mycobacteria by BACTEC MGIT 960, Lowenstein Jensen media and direct AFB smear examination.

PURPOSE: To compare BACTEC MGIT 960 (M960) with conventional culture on Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) media and direct acid fast bacilli (AFB) smear examination for the detection of Mycobacteria in clinical samples obtained from suspected cases of pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). METHODS: A total of 500 samples were processed for direct AFB smear examination, and culture on M960 and LJ media. RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-eight out of 500 (51.6%) isolates of Mycobacteria were obtained by combined use of the two culture methods. Two hundred and fifty-three (50.6%) were positive in culture by M960 and LJ media and 28% (140/500) by direct AFB smear examination. The positivity rate of M960 system alone was 34.10% (88/258) and of LJ alone was 1.93% (5/258). Average time to detect growth (TTD) was 9.66 days by M960 and 28.81 days by LJ. CONCLUSIONS: M960 system is a rapid and sensitive method for early diagnosis of pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB. But for maximum recovery of Mycobacteria , a combination of both M960 and LJ media should be used.

Neuroaspergillosis in an immunocompetent patient.

Aspergillosis of the central nervous system (CNS) is an uncommon infection, mainly occurring in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of neuroaspergillosis caused by Aspergillus flavus in an immunocompetent patient presenting as a space-occupying lesion of the CNS. The patient was responding favorably to voriconazole at the time of this report.

Urinary tract infection by Trichosporon asahii.

Trichosporon asahii is a basidiomycetous yeast which causes white piedra and onychomycosis in immunocompetent hosts as well as various localized and disseminated invasive infections in immunodeficient hosts. Urinary tract infection caused by Trichosporon asahii is rare. One month after posterior urethral valve surgery a seven-month-old male child presented with fever, severe vomiting and crying on micturition for five--to six days. Yeast-like fungus was isolated in pure cultures from three consecutive urine samples. It was identified as Trichosporon asahii using standard techniques. The response to antifungal therapy was dramatic. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of a urinary tract infection caused by Trichosporon asahii from Western India.

Distribution of 5-hydroxytryptamine and histamine in tissues of WLH chicken.

5-Hydroxytryptamine and histamine were estimated in lungs, liver, spleen and adrenals of chicken. A substantial amount of both the amines was found in all the organs. The highest level of both the amines was found in adrenals followed by spleen, lungs and liver. The level of 5-hydroxytryptamine was, however, higher than histamine in all the tissues except adrenals.