Profi le of fatal Streptococcal bacteraemia at a tertiary care Indian hospital.

Streptococcus pyogenes causes mild to acutely life-threatening diseases. Herein, we report our experience with fi ve cases of fatal bacteraemia due to various groups of Streptococci, three of them due to Group G Streptococcus and one case each due to Group A Streptococcus and Group F Streptococcus. The peculiarity of all these cases was the rapidity of deaths occurring in these patients despite all the strains being sensitive to Penicillin. Hence, timely intervention in all suspected cases is strongly advocated. All isolates of beta-haemolytic Streptococci should be identifi ed up till the species level and antimicrobial susceptibility be performed so that proper and early management can be done.

Diatoms: Role in drowning.

Drowning is a form of asphyxia due to aspiration of fluid into air passages caused by submersion in water or other fluid and is mostly accidental. The main question in case of a body recovered from water is whether the individual was alive at the time he entered water. If a body is found in water is does not necessarily mean, that this person has drowned.Deaths by drowning are difficult to determine and are often diagnosed by eliminating all other potential causes of death. Diatoms found inside the body of a drowned victim may serve as corroborative evidence in the diagnosis of cause of death. It can be ascertained whether the drowning is ante-mortem or post-mortem. The diatom test stands as the only direct screening test for drowning. The present case is one such example wherein the presence of diatoms has helped in arriving at a decision of ante mortem drowning, thereby emphasising its significance.