Incidence and outcomes of ventilator associated pneumonia in pediatric patients: an observational study

Background: Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is very common in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) intubated patients and also responsible for major morbidity and mortality. Usually, it develops after 48 hours of mechanically ventilated patients, its incidence increases as the duration of time increases and it is a major risk factor for VAP. The present study was carried out to know the overall incidence of VAP in mechanically ventilated patients in PICU.Methods: The study was carried out in PICU of the department of pediatrics, B. R. D. Medical College, Gorakhpur from October 2020 to October 2021. Patients aged between 1 year to 15 years were included in the study.Results: There were 50 (59.5%) patients� male and 34 (40.5%) patients� female under investigation. The clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) values ranged from the mean value of 4.38�30 at 36th hours to 7.33�92 at 96th hours of intubation. VAP was present in 23 (27.3%) patients while 62 (73.8%) patients were having no VAP. Among VAP associated patients, 14.3% were Acinetobacter positive, 5.95% were Klebsiella positive and 3.57% were E. coli positive.Conclusions: Parameters of CPIS associated with VAP revealed that Acinetobactor was comparative more common organism and the age group of 1 to 5 years was more sensitive. VAP can be reduced by decreasing the duration of mechanical ventilation.

Gene therapy in ocular diseases.

Gene therapy is a novel form of drug delivery that enlists the synthetic machinery of the patient's cells to produce a therapeutic agent. Genes may be delivered into cells in vitro or in vivo utilising viral or non-viral vectors. Recent technical advances have led to the demonstration of the molecular basis of various ocular diseases. Ocular disorders with the greatest potential for benefit of gene therapy include hereditary diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, tumours such as retinoblastoma or melanoma, and acquired proliferative and neovascular retinal disorders. Gene transfer into ocular tissues has been demonstrated with growing functional success and may develop into a new therapeutic tool for clinical ophthalmology in future.

Kala-azar in Uttar Pradesh--a study of 66 patients.

Sixty-six laboratory confirmed cases of Kala-azar from Uttar Pradesh attending various hospitals of Delhi over a period of 10 years (1989-1999) have been analysed. The geographical distribution showed that the disease involved widespread areas varying from a height of 10,000 ft. extending up-to the plains. Male, female ratio was 2:1 and maximum patients were in the age group of 5-15 years. L.D. bodies could be demonstrated in 59 patients in bone marrow aspirate smears while in 7 in splenic aspirate smears. One patient was co-infected with HIV. Indirect immuno fluorescent test was positive in 65 patients in titres ranging from 1:100 to 1:25,600 except in one HIV co-infected patient where no antibodies could be detected. Sixty-two (93.9%) patients responded completely to sodium stibogluoconate.