Awareness and importance of human body donation for the purpose of teaching and research

Background: Human body is studied by dissection method on unclaimed or donated human cadavers. Anatomy is of paramount importance taught for the first year M.B.B.S students all over Indian Medical Colleges since decades.Methods: Medical Institution was started in month of September 2019 with 100 intakes on merit basis. Aim was to teach the human anatomy to 1st MBBS students by dissecting the cadavers for which an Awareness programme was conducted by department of anatomy regarding to Body donation. Study was done going through and studying the donated forms with full consent in duly signed consent forms. Their age, physical conditions and mental status were taken into considerations as the yard sticks.Results: Since college has started in September 2019, there was poor response and awareness about body donation. So far fifteen live donors including 12 males and 3 females have filled their forms in perfect normal status and with NO compulsion from anybody. Five dead bodies (Cadavers) received in the Department of Anatomy of Government Medical College, Barmer for the propose of dissection to teach the 1st year MBBS students. Awareness of donation of the body is in progress.Conclusions: In the present study, authors concluded that only few people gave response in favour of awareness programme of body donation showing the lack of awareness towards the body donation. So, the study has shown the requirement of more awareness programmes about body donation among the population. It will help to clarifying any myths or/and superstition so that the general public should aware and show interest towards the body donation.

Effects of yoga and physical exercise on cardio-respiratory parameters.

Background: Yoga includes combination of postural exercise (Asanas),Voluntary breathing exercise (pranayam) & relaxation techniques. The comparative study about effects of regular practice of yoga & physical exercise on cardio-respiratory functions and respiratory pressures (MIP,MEP) is very important to better understand it’s effect on health. Method: 200 healthy volunteers (146M-54F) from age group (17 -26)years were included in the study.They were divided in to two groups. Gr A Yoga group(n=100),Gr B Physical exercise group(n=100). Yoga group practiced some yoga exercises including Asanas,Pranayam & relaxation postures daily one hour for 3 months.While Physical exercise group practiced slow walk,calisthenic exercise & stretching exercises daily 1 hour for 3 months. Following parameters were recorded at start & end of the study. Resting cardiovascular parameters including HR,BP,PP,MAP,RPP & DoP were recorded. Pulmonary parameters (FVC,FEV1,FEV1/FVC,PEFR,MVV) were recorded. Apart from this MIP,MEP & 40mmhg endurance test were also recorded .Result: Yoga group shows significant reduction in Heart rate (p<.01),SBP & DBP (p<.05), MAP(p<.01),while exercise group shows only decreasing trend. FVC & FEV1 inreased significantly after yoga training. FEV1/FVC, PEFR & FEF25-75% shows increasing trend in both the groups,but only exercise group shows significantly raised PEFR & FEF25-75%. MVV was significantly improved in yoga group. MIP,MEP were significantly increased after yoga training. Timing of Respiratory Endurance test was also significantly raised(p<.05) in yoga group. Conclusion: 3 moths Yoga training produces a significant improvement in respiratory pressures (MIP,MEP), spirometric values.

Surveillance of bacteriological quality of natural water resources in rural areas around Kasauli Town, Distt. Solan, Himachal Pradesh.

A study was conducted to find out the bacteriological quality of water during the monsoon season in local areas around Kasauli Town, and to evaluate the management of water resources in rural areas. The water samples were collected from bowries and hand pumps. As there is no municipal water supply in majority of these areas, the local residents depends mainly on these natural resources without any treatment of water. All the 14 surface water samples collected from bowries were found bacteriologically polluted with total coliform count ranging from 35-1800+. The main contaminants isolated were atypical thermotolerant E. coli, Pseudomonas fluorescence, Enterobacter cloacae, Aeromonas liquifaciens, Citrobacter freundii and Pseudomonas pseudomaleii. Among seven hand pump samples, two were found to have Coliform count 80 and 250 respectively. These two water samples were found contaminated with Citrobacter freundii and E. coli &Aeromonas liquefaciens respectively. These bacteriological contaminations appear to be both from vegetative & human or animal excreta sources. The study therefore suggested that the water from these natural resources requires treatment either by boiling or chlorination before human consumption to avoid any outbreak.

Fetal echocardiography: where are we?

This article reviews the indications, technique and benefits of fetal echocardiography. The impact of fetal echocardiography has become evident with better surgical outcome of infants with prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease. A major use of this technique has also been shown in the field of fetal arrhythmias. Fetal echocardiography is not only used to diagnose a specific type of arrhythmia, it is also very helpful in assessing the effect of the arrhythmia on the fetus and in guiding transplacental therapy. However it is important to remember that even experienced echocardiographers can make both false positive and false negative diagnosis of congenital heart disease. As fetal cardiac interventions including fetal cardiac surgery loom on the horizon, fetal echocardiography assumes further importance.

Role of radionuclide perfusion study in cold solitary thyroid nodule for diagnosis of malignancy: a complimentary diagnostic modality to fine needle aspiration cytology.

One hundred and forty eight subjects with euthyroid solitary thyroid nodules (STN) were taken up for radionuclide perfusion study. They were found to have a cold STN on 99mTc thyroid static scan. All had fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), and except for subjects with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, were subjected to surgery for tissue diagnosis by histopathology. The diagnostic findings in these patients of solitary thyroid nodules were correlated with the histopathology. Radionuclide perfusion study is considered useful to differentiate benign from malignant cold thyroid solitary nodules with high degree of sensitivity (95%) and specificity (87.9%).

Eustachian tube functions in lepromatous leprosy: a tympanometric study.

Tympanometry was performed in 20 patients with lepromatous leprosy. About 30% showed tympanogram B type indicating middle ear pathology which was shown to be related to the stage of lepromatous rhinitis. The pathogenesis of middle ear malfunction in lepromatous leprosy is discussed.

Leprosy of the tongue.

Ten out of the twenty-five lepromatous leprosy patients studied showed clinical evidence of involvement of the tongue, and they presented with various symptoms like loss of taste, stiffness of tongue, bleeding, pain etc. Various types of lesions ranging from small nodule to granuloma formation, ulceration, macroglossia and fissured cracked tongue were noted. The tongue lesions were found to be related to the severity of leprosy.

Verocytopathic activity of Escherichia coli O157 & other 'O' serogroups isolated from patients of diarrhoea.

Twenty diarrhoeal isolates identified as Esch. coli O157 were screened for cytopathic activity on the continuous Vero cell line. Of these, seven strains (35%) showed cytopathic effect which was maximum on the 4th day after inoculation, with a maximum titre of 1 in 128. The total loss of cytopathic activity was observed in the positive filtrates subjected to a temperature of 100 degrees C for 15 min, while heating at 65 degrees C for 15 min, resulted in partial loss of this activity. All the verocytopathic strains were obtained from infants and children and were devoid of heat labile (LT) and heat stable (ST) toxins as well as enteroinvasive property.

Evaluation of functional parameters and left ventricular size by radionuclide ventriculography (RNV) in myocardial infarction patients.

Functional parameters like left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), peak ejection rate (PER), peak filling rate (PFR), regional wall motion and left ventricular size index were evaluated in 68 patients with myocardial infarction and in 50 normal subjects, by radionuclide ventriculography (RNV). Patients were divided into four groups (I to IV) according to increasing left ventricular size and the parameters were evaluated in each group. LVEF proved to be the most sensitive parameter of overall left ventricular performance. PFR decreased significantly from group I to group III but not from group III to group IV, suggesting that in extreme degrees of left ventricular enlargement some compensatory mechanism acts to prevent a greater fall in left ventricular compliance. LV size and performance were least affected in inferior wall myocardial infarction. LVEF was however a better predictor of LV size than the site of the myocardial infarction.

Leucocyte and serum ascorbic acid levels in mothers and their newborn in semi-arid western India.

Leucocyte ascorbic acid (LAA) and serum ascorbic acid (SAA) have been estimated in 50 pregnant women, their newborn infants, and 14 non-pregnant women living in the semi-arid region of western India. LAA was significantly higher in the newborn as compared to their mothers, the mean values being 35.52 +/- 6.85 and 23.94 +/- 5.84 micrograms/10(8) cells, respectively (P less than 0.01). The sex and birth weight of the infant, however, did not influence its ascorbic acid status. Pregnant women had relatively lower SAA (0.81 +/- 0.22 mg/dl) and LAA (23.94 +/- 5.84 micrograms/10(8) cells) as compared to the matched non-pregnant group (1.01 +/- 0.26 mg/dl and 29.98 +/- 8.45 micrograms/10(8) cells). But despite the semi-arid, draught prone geographical region and the hemodilution which accompanies pregnancy, none of the mothers had a clearly subnormal vitamin C status.

Non-invasive evaluation of global ventricular functions in coronary artery disease by exercise radionuclide angiocardiography.

Rest and exercise radionuclide angiocardiographic measurement of left ventricular functions were obtained in 12 normal subjects (group I) and 42 patients with well documented coronary artery disease (group II). Additionally thirty-five patients had an exercise tread mill test. Resting left ventricular ejection fraction less than 50% provided the greatest diagnostic information. Exercise was induced by supine bicycle exercise ergometer. In group II 32 patients of coronary artery disease with normal global ventricular function at rest, new regions of dysfunction developed during exercise and global ejection fraction fell by 8 to 15 percent while in group I there was an increase in LVEF and no areas of any ventricular wall motion abnormalities were detected. Exercise radionuclide angiocardiography is a useful non invasive technique which permits accurate assessment of the presence and functional severity of coronary artery disease.

Epistaxis and leprosy.

Forty-four leprosy patients with epistaxis were analysed. Aetiopathogenesis of epistaxis in leprosy is discussed in the light of available literature. It has been suggested that epistaxis is more frequent and severe in leprosy patients and more liable to have complications. Epistaxis in leprosy with nasal lesions may alarm the physician that patient has some systemic disorder.

Gustatory rhinorrhoea syndrome: result of misreinnervation in leprosy.

A case of excessive rhinorrhoea in response to taste stimulus, due to misdirection of regenerating nerve fibres following recovery of facial nerve in leprosy is described under title of "Gustatory Rhinorrhoea Syndrome". The pathophysiology of such conditions are discussed in the light of available literature.

Radiological study of the paranasal sinuses in lepromatous leprosy.

Thirty patients of lepromatous leprosy have been studied by radiological investigation for affection of paranasal sinuses. It has been found that leprosy involves all groups of sinuses and maxillary antrum is found to be more commonly affected. Diffuse hypertrophy type of lesion is more commonly recorded in maxillary antrum, in x-ray of paranasal sinuses. The clinical significance and importance of extension of disease in the sinuses is discussed in the light of available literature.