Psychosocial Perceptions as Significant Impact Modifiers - A Mixed Method Research Among Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients in A Tertiary Care Hospital in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu

Context: Covid 19 pandemic which evolved in successive waves had profound pyschosocial impact on affected in-dividuals. Perceptions had impact on both individual and environmental level with potential behavioural conse-quences. The aim of the research is to study the psychosocial perception and psychological impact of COVID- 19 among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methodology: The study was a mixed method research (Quan-Qual sequential design) conducted in the Covid wards of a tertiary care hospital in Coimbatore district. The psychological impact was assessed us-ing the General Health Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale. The results of quantitative analyses and qualitative analyses were expressed as proportions and done using thematic analysis using grounded theory respectively. Results: About 55% of the hospitalized Covid-19 patients had psychological impact. On multivariate analysis, the factors which emerged as independent risk factors for presence of psychological morbidi-ties due to COVID were presence of high stress level, sleep disturbances and their perception of COVID as high threat. Conclusions: Focussed Counselling with specific reference to attend to spiritual health component in addition, would go a long way in diminishing immediate and long-term psychological impact due to covid-19 illness.

Indications And Complications Of Tracheostomy – A Longitudanal Study

Introduction: Tracheostomy now emerges as a procedure replacing intubation due to its decreased morbidity and mortality outcome. The indications and complications of this life saving procedure should be made clear. The study was done for the indications of tracheostomy occurring in hospitalized patients and also about the complications among these patients after the procedure. Materials and Methods: This was a longitudinal study among 144 ICU patients admitted in a tertiary care hospital who had undergone tracheostomy. The clinical profile of the patient at the time of tracheostomy (indication) and the follow up period complications after decannulation was assessed. Results: Out of the 144 subjects, 80(55.6%) were males and mean (SD) age of the population was 42.72(13.22) years. In our study we found that major indication tracheostomy was for prolonged intubation needing ICU admission. The major cause for ICU admission was Road Traffic Accident (RTA) 45(31.3%) which was followed by Polytrauma 33 (22.9%) and septic shock 17(11.81%) In our study most of the subjects had granulation 31(21.53%), ulceration with slough 16(11.1%) and ulceration of subglottis 6(4.17%) as early complication. And there was granulation at tracheostomy site 19(13.19%), subglottic stenosis 11(7.64%) and vocal cord palsy 6(4.17%) as late complications. Conclusion: The study described the variation in indication and complication in terms of different hospitals. Delay in decision in case of such procedure can lead to increase in mortality and morbidity.

Integrative taxonomy of commercially important deep water penaeoid shrimps from India

The deep water penaeoid shrimp is an important commercial crustacean resource along the Indian coast. The molecular and morphological information of this group from the Indian coast is scarcely known. In this study, we investigated the identification and phylogenetic relationships of the deep water penaeoid shrimps using three mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), cytochrome b, 16S rRNA) genes, which were compared with 54 morphological characters and further used to evaluate character evolution. Our study revealed remarkable molecular divergence (3.3–33.0%) in nine species from three genera of Solenoceridae, four species from three genera of Penaeidae and one species from Aristeidae using COI. Phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches revealed that all species from these families are monophyletic. The present analysis revealed the existence of subgroups in the genus Solenocera suggesting the slow reduction of postrostral carina which corresponds to the increase in distributional depth during the evolutionary process which further indicates the origin of the genus in the continental shelf and extending up to the continental slope. In addition, we generated the DNA barcode database involving these species which can help further to investigate the detailed evolution and biogeography of these valuable crustacean resources.