Serum magnesium and its association with vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease patients on haemodialysis

Background: Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in chronic kidney disease (CKD). It has been observed that haemodialysis patients have a high prevalence of cardiac risk factors with further risk due to abnormal mineral metabolism. A study has demonstrated that a higher serum magnesium significantly decreased the mortality risk in haemodialysis patients and lower serum Mg level has been found to be associated with increased mortality in them. The aim of the study was to characterize the relationship between Mg level and vascular calcification in CKD patients.Methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted in 100 CKD patients attending outpatient and inpatient ward of Tagore Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Serum magnesium levels will be measured using Xylidyl blue method. Carotid intimal medial thickness will be measured using Doppler.Results: In the study 10 patients did not show the sign of any calcification. Among the remaining 90 patients, 42 patients showed calcification and 48 patients showed stenosis. The statistical analysis showed a spearman correlation coefficient value of 0.201 thus showing only a weak association.Conclusion: The present study showed that only a weak relationship exists between the magnesium level and vascular calcification.

Demographic and Behavioural Risk factors for Cervical Cancer among Urban Women in Coastal Karnataka.

Background: Cervical cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. India accounts for 27% of the total cervical cancer deaths. Objectives: 1.To assess the risk factors associated with cancer cervix among the study population. 2. To study socio de-mographic profile of the study population. Materials and Methods: A community based, cross sectional study was conducted by the department of Community Medicine, A J Institute of Medical Sciences, in the urban field practice area, Kavoor among married women in the reproductive age group of 15-49years from April 2011 to September 2011. Socio demographic details and risk factors for cervical cancer were assessed. Results: A total of 357 women in the reproductive age group participated in the study. More than two third (87.2%) of the study population belonged to the age group of 30 – 49 years. 52.7% of the respondents be-longed to class IV socio economic status and 22.1% of the respondents were married before the age of 18 years. In this study 14% had their first child before the age of 18 years and43.2% respondents had 3 or more than 3 children. Cervical erosion was found in 38.4% of the respondents. Conclusion: Various risk factors like early age at marriage, low socioeconomic status, and multi parity are present in the study population. Screening and early detection efforts can be directed to the group at risk.

Euthanasia: ethical risks.

I have read the review of the film Guzaarish by Dr Natasha Anwar in IJME, January 2011. I have not seen the film but would like to put forward my views on the subject of euthanasia, taking off from the concluding sentence of the review.

Antimicrobial activity of bauhinia purpuria linn.

The antimicrobial activity of the various extracts of the root bark of Bauhinia purpuria has been studied by agar cup plate diffusion method. Significant antibacterial and antifungal activity was shown by petroleum ether, chloroform and acetone extracts.

Chronic brain abscess secondary to a retained wooden foreign body: Diagnostic and management dilemmas.

A four-year-old child presented with recent onset generalized tonic clonic seizures. She was operated for a suspected intracranial tuberculoma and was found to harbor an intra-parenchymal retained wooden foreign body with a chronic abscess. The foreign body had entered the brain parenchyma after a minor head injury, sustained three years earlier. She was asymptomatic for the intervening three years. The initial diagnosis was missed by several physicians. A retained wooden fragment via a transtemporal apparently closed head injury is an extremely rare event. The present study reveals the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges and stresses the importance of high degree of suspicion to diagnose retained intracranial foreign bodies and the need for early surgical exploration, to avoid chronic and potentially life threatening neurological complications.

Increase in Drosophila melanogaster longevity due to rasayana diet: Preliminary results.

We report preliminary results from an ongoing series of experiments on lifespan extension by appropriately modified Ayurvedic rasayanas in animal models. Here data are presented indicating lifespan extensions of 51–55% (up to 70–95% in the pilot experiment) in a standard strain of Drosophila melanogaster (Oregon-K) using a standard rasayana (Ayurvedic herbal formulation for life-extension) suitably adapted for insects. In a first experiment, two groups of 20 unmated D. melanogaster strain Oregon-K kept at 22ºC received either rasayana or standard yeast diet; days of death were recorded. Another experiment investigated possible sex differences; equal sized (N = 30) groups of similar males, females, and controls were compared. Life lengths of all controls were in the strain’s usual range: in Experiment 1, control life lengths were minimum 40 to maximum 53 days; experimental group figures were 81–91 days; groups were completely separated, experimental group minimum life length being 28 days more than control group maximum life length, i.e., about 2.5 full distribution widths – a sign test for the null hypothesis yields p < 2–20, i.e., 10–6 as maximum p. Experiment 2 found no differences between life lengths of males and females; but the maximum life length of 30 controls (60 days in males and 66 days in females) was once again far shorter than the minimum life length of the 60 in the two experimental groups, strengthening the findings of Experiment 1. Despite group sizes being relatively small, results are conclusive: the rasayanas in question increase D. melanogaster strain Oregon-K life length. The complexity of the formulation suggests that multiple mechanisms are involved – worth further investigation.

Intermittent Short Course Therapy for Pediatric Tuberculosis.

We conducted this study to assess the efficacy of intermittent short course therapy in all forms of pediatric tuberculosis using a coordinated approach with Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP). Sixty-five children were treated using RNTCP protocols with some modifications, such as dose adjustments or prolongation of treatment in selected children. Overall response rate was 95% (pulmonary 94% and extra pulmonary 97%). There was one case with possible relapse. With dynamic inputs from both the treating pediatrician and personnel from Directly Observed Treatment – Short-course (DOTS) centers, we could successfully implement RNTCP protocols in childhood tuberculosis.

Management of waste from stone processing industry.

Characteristics of waste generated in stone processing industries, impact of its current disposal practices and waste recycling potential were assessed by field studies. The physical and chemical characteristics of waste are comparable to construction materials like sand and cement. The environmental issues due to the disposal of waste including that on ambient air quality were identified at respective disposal sites. It was found that the waste can be used to replace about 60% of sand and 10% of cement in concrete. Similarly the waste can replace 40% of clay in clay bricks with affecting its compressive strength.

Malignant acanthosis nigricans with liver secondaries from an occult primary adenocarcinoma of gastrointestinal tract.

A 38-year-old female presented with hyperpigmented velvety plaques on the nape and the sides of the neck with diffuse pigmentation of the face and flexures suggestive of acanthosis nigricans. The dorsa of both the hands showed increased rugosity, hyperpigmentation and hyperkeratosis of the palms, suggestive of tripe palms. Investigations revealed multiple secondaries in the liver. Histopathology showed the secondaries to be from adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract.

Chronic granulomatous disease.

A 2(1/2)-year-old child presented with multiple discrete granulomatous lesions on the face and flexural regions since the age of 2 months along with lymphadenopathy. The patient also had recurrent bouts of pyodermas and respiratory tract infections. Biopsy of the lesion showed necrosis of tissue with suppuration and histiocytes but no evidence of tuberculosis, fungal infections or atypical mycobacteria. Lymph node biopsy also showed necrosis with suppuration but no infective organism. Nitroblue tetrazolium test was negative indicating that the neutrophils failed to oxidize the dye. We are reporting here a rare case of chronic granulomatous disease.

A study of mortality in dermatology.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Certain dermatological conditions are life-threatening and can cause mortality. The aim of this study is to find out the dermatological diseases leading to death in our indoor patients. METHODS: A record-based retrospective descriptive study of dermatology cases who died during the period of 1995 to 2001. RESULTS: The total number of cases analyzed was thirty-seven. There were 24 males and 13 females. The maximum number of deaths occurred in the age group 61-70. Vesiculobullous disorders were the commonest cause of death, found in 18 cases (48.6%), followed by drug reactions in 5 (13.5%), malignancies in 5 (13.5%) and collagen vascular disease in 2 cases ((5.40%). Pemphigus was the commonest fatal vesiculobullous disorder (13 cases - 35.13%), and toxic epidermal necrolysis the commonest drug reaction (3 cases - 8.10%). CONCLUSION: Area of skin involvement, electrolyte imbalance and septicemia were important factors leading to death in pemphigus and toxic epidermal necrolysis. We advocate that such patients should be managed in burns unit or ICU units.

Acute respiratory infections in children: a community based longitudinal study in south India.

A community based longitudinal study was conducted in Malpe, a coastal village of Udupi district, Karnataka state, to investigate acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children. A cohort of 91 children under 3 years of age were followed up for 1 year, leading to 2047 fortnightly observation. On an average every child had 11.3 months of follow up. The overall incidence of ARI was 6.42 episodes per child per year. On an average each episode lasted for 5.06 days. Mean duration of ARI during one year was 32.5 days per child. Most of the ARI episodes in children (91.3%) were of simple Cough & Cold (no pneumonia). However, 8.2% developed pneumonia and only 0.51% had severe pneumonia. Incidence of ARI was almost same in male and female children. There was no significant difference in incidence among various age groups. But the incidence of pneumonia was significantly higher among infants (p<0.00002). Children of poor housing with smoke producing conditions suffered more frequently (p,002).