Mucormycosis in patients with COVID-19: A descriptive study at a tertiary care hospital in North Maharashtra

Introduction: 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) first reported in Wuhan, in China, rapidly spread to other parts of the world forming a global pandemic. Secondary fungal or bacterial infections or coinfections are important challenges increasing the patients’ morbidity and mortality in COVID infection patients. The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to increases in the cases of mucormycosis in India; rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis is considered the most common type of mucormycosis, which is acquired by inhaling fungal spores in the paranasal sinuses. Objectives: The aims of this study were to assess the clinical and demographic profile of the patient with mucormycosis admitted to Government Medical College, Jalgaon and to identify the risk factors observed in the admitted patient with mucormycosis. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among the patients admitted for the treatment of mucormycosis in Government Medical College and Hospital, Jalgaon, Maharashtra. A total of 91 patients admitted from April 15, 2021 to June 15, 2021 were enrolled as study participants. Result: More than half of the study participants were having complaints of swelling and pain over the cheek and face at the time of admission, whereas 20% were having pain in the nose, growth/swelling, and discharge from nose followed by toothache and loss of teeth in 13% of the study participants. More than 50% of patients were diabetic and 91% have a history of steroid use for the treatment of COVID-19. 57% of the study participants were having a history of diabetes. Conclusion: The physician should be more attentive for mucormycosis among the post-COVID-19 patients with diabetes patients and/or presenting with pain in the facial or orbital region or blackish or bloody nasal discharge.

A study of compliance of animal bite victims to 4 dose intradermal schedule of anti-rabies vaccine and factors affecting it.

Background: Rabies is 100% fatal disease, but it is prevented by use of potent Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV). Noncompliance to vaccination schedule is one of the reasons for high number of deaths among animal bite victims. The present study is an attempt to reveal compliance of animal bite victims to 4 dose intradermal (id) schedule of Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) schedule and socio-demographic factors with it. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted at ARV centre of government medical college, Akola, Maharashtra state of India, from 1st January 2014 to 31st December 2014. Records of all animal bite victims were studied and data regarding their compliance for completion of vaccination schedule and sociodemographic and animal related factors was analyzed. Results: Out of these 3658 victims of animal bite, 1566 (42.81%) completed ARV schedule and remaining 2092 (57.91%) failed in it. Out of those who completed the schedule, 1484 (94.76%) didn’t delayed any dose and rest 82 (5.24%) delayed one or more doses. With respect to the completion to of id ARV schedule, no significant association was observed with gender, age, place of residence and economic status of victims. But significantly higher proportion of category II bite (63.85%) and unprovoked bite (69.44%) patients exhibited poor compliance for adherence of vaccination schedule than that of category III bite (56.42%) and provoked bite (33.16%) patients respectively. Conclusions: Poor compliance to ARV vaccination, among more than half of animal bite victims, is a serious concern in id schedule.