Sino-orbital aspergillosis in a diabetic patient.

Sino-orbital aspergillosis in a 61-year-old male with uncontrolled non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus presented with three months history of left ear pain, left side headache with mucopurulent nasal discharge and one week history of progressive swelling and pain with difficulty in opening of the left eye and sudden loss of vision. In spite of surgical debridement and medical management with amphotericin B and itraconazole his visual outcome was poor and the infection was unabated at one month follow up.

Efficacy of twice weekly iron supplementation in anemic adolescent girls.

Two hundred and forty four girls with different hemoglobin levels were selected, of which forty-one were non-anemic. The rest were graded as mildly, moderately or severely anemic and supplemented with 60 mg of iron daily or twice weekly for twelve weeks. There was no significant difference in the increase in hemoglobin levels between daily and twice weekly-supplemented subjects at the end of the study. Unpleasant side effects of supplementation were experienced by 57.8% of the daily supplemented subjects as against 5.9% of twice weekly-supplemented ones. Twice weekly supplementation could be recommended for overcoming anemia in adolescent girls.

Iron food supplement.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an iron rich supplement with locally available foods and to test its feasibility in school going children (7-9 Years) belonging to low income families. METHODS: From the upper primary school in Rajendranagar 7-9 year-old children were screened for hemoglobin (Hb) levels and 36 children having Hb levels below 11 g/dl were selected. Based on their Hb levels, age, and gender, 24 children were grouped as experimental and the rest as control. A supplement food (laddoo) was developed using locally available foods like jaggery, processed rice flakes, graden cress seeds and amaranth seeds (45:40:10.5). In the experimental group, children were given one laddoo per day for a period of 60 days. Effect of supplement on Hb levels, height and weight was assessed. RESULT: Anthropometric parameters showed that 97% of these children were undernourished, majority (50%) were in grade II malnutrition followed by grade (25%) and grade II (22%). A significant increase in Hb levels was observed in both the boys and girls after 30 days of supplementation only. The increase was comparatively more in the first 30 days than the second 30 days. The overall increase in Hb levels was more in 7-8 years than the 8-9 years age group. In majority of the subjects progression from one Hb level to the next higher level was observed. There was no significant improvement in their height and weight. CONCLUSION: The product developed contributed around 39-mg% iron. Thus its efficacy as an iron rich supplement in combating iron deficiency anemia is reflected in the results obtained.