Sutureless and glue-free limbal-conjunctival autograft in primary and recurrent pterygium: A pilot study

Purpose: To evaluate and analyze the outcomes of sutureless and glue?free limbal?conjunctival autografting in cases of primary as well as recurrent pterygium. Methods: This prospective interventional study was carried out between February 2019 and February 2020 at a tertiary care hospital in North India. A total of 70 patients with pterygium underwent sutureless and glue?free limbal?conjunctival autograft. The patients were divided into two groups: group 1 patients with primary pterygium (n = 45), group 2 patients with recurrent pterygium (n = 25). The patients were followed up till 12 months postoperatively. Results: The mean age of the patients in group 1 and group 2 was 37.04 ± 8.69 years and 32.52 ± 6.49 years, respectively (P = 0.04). Postoperatively, no recurrence was recorded in group 1. Recurrence was noticed in two patients (8%) of group 2. The BCVA changed from 78.73 ± 9.86 letters to 80.15 ± 7.29 letters (P = 0.45) and from 79.6 ± 6.44 letters to 79.8 ± 5.86 letters (P = 0.45) in group 1 and group 2, respectively. Graft edema was found in seven (15.55%) cases of group 1 and four (16%) cases of group 2. Graft retraction was found in two (4.44%) cases of group 1 and three (12%) cases of group 2. Conclusion: Sutureless and a glue?free limbal?conjunctival autograft is a safe and effective treatment option for primary as well as recurrent pterygium.

Role of preoperative MR volumetry in patients with renal cell carcinoma for prediction of postoperative renal function after radical nephrectomy and nephron sparing surgery

ABSTRACT Purpose Preoperative computed tomography or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging are commonly used for radiological evaluation of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) before radical nephrectomy or nephron sparing surgery(NSS). This study aimed to assess the role of MRI for predicting postoperative renal function by preoperative estimation of renal parenchymal volume and correlation with glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Materials and Methods A prospective observational study was conducted from February 2015 to October 2016 at a tertiary care hospital in northern India. MR imaging was done on 3 Tesla MR scanner (Signa Hdxt General Electrics, Milwaukee, USA). MR volumetry was used to estimate the renal parenchymal volume. GFR was measured in all patients using Tc99m Diethyl-triamine-penta-acetic acid using Russell's algorithm. Such measurement was done preoperatively, and postoperatively 3 months after surgery. Results 30 patients with suspected RCC underwent NSS (n=10) and radical nephrectomy (n=20). Median tumour volume was 175.7cc (range: 4.8 to 631.8cc). The median volume of the residual parenchyma on the affected side was 84.25±41.97cc while that on the unaffected side was 112.25±26.35cc. There was good correlation among the unaffected kidney volume and postoperative GFR for the radical nephrectomy group (r=0.83) as well as unaffected kidney volume, total residual kidney volume and residual volume of affected kidney with postoperative GFR for the NSS group (r=0.71, r=0.73, r=0.79 respectively; P <0.05). Conclusion Preoperative residual parenchymal volume on MR renal volumetry correlates well with postoperative GFR in patients with RCC undergoing radical nephrectomy or NSS.

Retrospective review of maternal deaths and maternal near misses due to major obstetric haemorrhage at a tertiary care centre in India

Background: Maternal near miss (MNM) is now widely accepted as a better indicator of maternal health than maternal death and reflects the quality of obstetric care in a particular institution.Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted at Lady Hardinge Medical College and Smt. Sucheta Kriplani  Hospital over a period of 12 months (April 2016-March 2017), of  all cases of maternal death and near miss maternal deaths due to major obstetric haemorrhage(MOH).Results: During the period reviewed, there were 13,083 deliveries, 12,958 live births and 37 maternal deaths. There were 30 cases of near miss maternal deaths and 2 maternal mortalities due to MOH. The mortality index was 6.25%. Severe maternal outcome ratio (SMOR) was  2.46.Among the near miss cases (n=30), morbidly adherent placenta was the cause in 26.6% of cases(n=8), postpartum hemorrhage in 23% of cases(n=7); rupture uterus in 13% cases(n=4); massive abruption in 13% of cases(n=4) and placenta praevia with antepartum haemorrhage in 3% of cases(n=1). Early obstetric haemorrhage due to ruptured ectopic pregnancy and incomplete abortion resulted in MNM in 16% (n=5) and 3.3% (n=1) cases respectively.It was observed that in 40% (n=12) of MNM cases (8 cases of morbidly adherent placenta plus 4 cases of rupture uterus), previous cesarean section was the single most important causative factor  for the morbidity of the patient.Conclusions: Reduction in cesarean section rates is imperative to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with MOH.

Molecular characterization of genes encoding AmpC beta-lactamases in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter species.

Emergence of AmpC beta-lactamases in isolates of Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter species, is a threatening condition as they mediate resistance to a wide variety of β-lactam drugs, including α-methoxy-β-lactams, such as cefoxitin, narrow-, expanded- and broad-spectrum cephalosporins, aztreonam and are poorly inhibited by β-lactam inhibitor combinations. The present study was conducted to determine the occurrence of blaampC genes in these pathogenic non-fermenters for their rapid and accurate detection. Monoplex PCR was done to detect blaampC genes in 40 non-duplicate clinical Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter isolates, that were found resistant to any of the third-generation cephalosporin and cefoxitin. Multiplex PCR assay was carried out to identify family-specific AmpC beta-lactamase genes within Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter spp. PCR detected blaampC in 43.24% of Pseudomonas and 33.33% of Acinetobacter isolates. Overall 42.50% of the total isolates were found to harbour blaampC genes by PCR. By multiplex PCR, total eight (20%) isolates yielded a positive amplicon with AmpC-specific primers. High prevalence of blaampC genes in cefoxitin-resistant isolates of Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter isolates emphasizes that molecular detection methods should be carried out to know the exact prevalence of beta-lactamases.

Current pattern of enteric fever: a prospective clinical and microbiological study.

A prospective clinical and microbiological study was conducted in 145 blood culture positive cases of enteric fever below the age of 18 years over a period of eleven months (June 2004 to April 2005). It aimed to study the clinical profile, the relative magnitude of enteric fever in children, especially in those below the age of two years and to determine the current antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Salmonella typhi and S paratyphi. Enteric fever is a significant problem in the preschool years. Sixty-five per cent of cases were in the age group of 2 to 9 years, 27% in 0-5 years and 13% in age group 0-2 years. Ninety-two per cent of the cases were caused by S typhi. Paratyphoid fever is less common (8%), when occurs is caused by S paratyphi A. In-vitro sensitivity, using the Bauer-Kirby agar disc diffusion method, to ceftriaxone was 99%, cefixime-99%, cefotaxime-99%, cefpodoxime-72%, cefoperazone-93%, among quinolones, ciprofloxacin-95%, ofloxacin-83%, norfloxacin-79%. Sensitivity to the originally used antibiotics is reappearing: Ampicillin-87%, amoxicillin-89%, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-76%, chloramphenicol-86%. Among other drugs, sensitivity to imepenam-100%, azithromycin-49%, aztreonam-65%, amikacin-98%. Nalidixic acid resistance is very high ie, 88%.