A Cross-Sectional Study of the Haematological Profile of Patients With Chronic Liver Disease (CLD).

The liver keeps haematological parameters normal and preserves haemostasis by storing iron, vitamin B-12, and, folic acid, necessary for healthy haematopoiesis. Anaemia of various aetiologies affects approximately 75% of chronic liver disease (CLD) patients, specifically caused by iron deficiency, hypersplenism, chronic diseases, autoimmune haemolysis, folic acid deficiency, aplasticity, and as a side effect of antiviral drugs. This study sought to observe the derangements in haematological parameters in patients with CLD, analyse the spectrum of anaemia in patients with CLD, and predict CLD outcomes utilizing Child-Pugh Score. This cross-sectional observational research was carried out in the Department of General Medicine, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS), Dehradun, India over the course of a year. The patients with CLD who were admitted to the ward participated in the study. Most patient's blood pictures reported normocytic normochromic with thrombocytopenia (TCP) (28.7%), macrocytic hypochromic with TCP (26%), microcytic hypochromic with TCP (13.3%) and macrocytic normochromic with TCP (9.3%). The incidence of anaemia was 85.3%: mild in 12.7% patients, moderate in 55.3% patients, and severe in 17.3% patients. Interestingly, this study also builds upon others suggesting that 85.9% of CLD patients have Class C Child-Pugh Score.

Hyperprolactinemia in Functional Dyspepsia: The Entangled Domperidone Link.

The commonest medications prescribed in functional dyspepsia are prokinetic agents, specifically domperidone. However, its administration at times elevates serum prolactin levels, which can lead to pathological hyperprolactinemia. The present study investigated the effect of 28 days of 30 mg domperidone therapy on prolactinemia in functional dyspepsia patients. We recruited 97 patients (60 men and 37 women, aged 18-80 years) who had functional dyspepsia diagnosed as per the Rome IV criteria. After taking a preliminary clinical history, we measured and compared serum prolactin levels at day 'zero' and day 'twenty-eight'. We found increased prolactin levels from day '0' to day '28' after treatment with domperidone in functional dyspepsia patients, specifically in male participants aged less than 40 years, who are married and belong to middle socioeconomic status. The most common functional dyspepsia symptom found was pain in the epigastric region. To conclude, our pragmatic domperidone-induced-hyperprolactinemia link warrants this side effect to be robustly taken into account while treating functional dyspepsia patients with domperidone.

Nature's balancing act: Infective endocarditis of pulmonary valve with ventricular septal defect in fifth decade; a rare and unusual presentation.

It is unusual for a moderate-size ventricular septal defect (VSD) to remain asymptomatic and complication-free until the age of 45 years. Similarly, infective endocarditis of anatomically normal pulmonary valve is also rare. Here we report a case in which nature created a protection for VSD, i.e. right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) obstruction, which led to a complication, i.e. pulmonary valve endocarditis. A 45-year-old sick-looking man presented in medical emergency with fever and progressively increasing breathlessness for the previous 2 weeks. He had no significant past history. The patient was febrile and on cardiovascular (CVS) examination, ejection systolic murmur in left upper parasternal region was heard, suggesting a diagnosis of infective endocarditis. Echocardiography revealed subaortic VSD of 1.2 cm size with left to right shunt. There was moderator band hypertrophy in sub-infundibular right ventricle (RVOT obstruction) creating obstruction to blood flow, thus preventing development of pulmonary artery hypertension. There were two large vegetations (4 × 3 mm) on each leaflet of pulmonary valve. High speed turbulent jet of blood generated from right ventricle obstruction was striking the pulmonary valve leaflets which led to injury and subsequent development of infective endocarditis of pulmonary valve. The patient improved on intravenous antibiotics. The plan was to give 6 weeks of antibiotics followed by surgical closure of VSD and resection of moderator band. .

Amitraz poisoning: an unusual cause of respiratory and peripheral circulatory failure.

We report a case of respiratory failure with unconsciousness in an adult occurring within 1 h of ingestion of a pesticide, amitraz, along with alcohol with a suicidal intent. Although commonly available and potentially fatal, this compound is not usually used as a suicidal agent.