An Insight Into Various Manifestations of Leptospirosis: A Unique Case Series From a State in Eastern India.

BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis presents with highly variable clinical manifestations affecting different organ systems in different individuals. The presentation ranges from an asymptomatic or mild disease to a severe disease associated with multiorgan failure and higher mortality. Leptospirosis is highly underreported due to a lack of diagnostic modalities and less suspicion among clinicians. METHODOLOGY: We present this single-center retrospective case series of 12 cases, which include various common and uncommon scenarios by which the disease can present and can be missed due to lack of suspicion. The study contains individual patient characteristics including demographic, laboratory, clinical, and treatment data. The association between these variables and mortality was analyzed using p-values and results were described. A p-value of<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 12 cases were included in the study. The male-to-female ratio was 3:1. The mean age was higher (37.75±9.81 years) in cases who died than those who recovered (34.25±14.09). Factors like history of alcoholism, presence of chronic liver disease (CLD), jaundice, acute renal failure, requirement of dialysis, and requirement of intensive care were significantly associated with increased risk of death (odds ratio >1, p-value <0.05). The most common symptom of presentation was fever in 11 (91.66%) cases. Jaundice and renal failure were significantly associated with death (odds ratio 1.2, p-value 0.04). The requirement of intensive care treatment (odds ratio 2.1, p-value 0.05) and dialysis (odds ratio 39.66, p-value 0.03) were also significantly associated with death. The percentage of death was lower in the group of patients who received combination antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSION: Leptospirosis has varied presentations in different individuals and the diagnosis can be missed due to lack of specific signs and symptoms. Severe diseases involving multiple organs and preexisting comorbidities are associated with higher mortality rates. Timely diagnosis and treatment are necessary to reduce mortality and increase survival.

Diagnostic Approaches to Helicobacter pylori: A Comparative Study of Detection in Gastric Biopsy and Aspirates.

Background Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common bacterial pathogens in humans. It is a microaerophilic bacteria with multiple unipolar flagella. It is associated with the development of various lesions like chronic gastritis, gastric ulcers, adenocarcinoma, and mucosa-associated lymphomas. The aim of this study was a comparative evaluation of the rapid urease test (RUT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in gastric biopsy and aspirates for the detection of H. pylori infection and to further determine the sensitivity and specificity of RUT and PCR. Method Endoscopic guided biopsy tissue and gastric aspirate specimens were collected from 110 patients with symptoms like gastritis, dyspepsia, etc., and subjected to RUT and PCR for detection of H. pylori infection. Results A total of 110 samples, including both biopsy tissue (77) and gastric aspirate (33) were subjected to RUT and PCR. RUT for biopsy tissue showed the highest sensitivity (97.18%), compared to gastric aspirate (78.94%). Comparing RUT with PCR, the sensitivity and specificity of PCR were 93.33% and 90.0%, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) of PCR was 97.67%, the negative predictive value (NPV) was 75.0%, and the accuracy was 92.73%. Conclusion The present study showed that RUT is a rapid and accurate invasive test for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection in biopsy tissue as compared to gastric aspirate specimens, which are more sensitive to PCR. The study also showed that biopsy tissue was found to be a superior specimen for the detection of Helicobacter pylori as compared to gastric aspirate.

An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for the Diagnostic Test Accuracy of Ascitic Fluid Adenosine Deaminase in Tuberculous Peritonitis.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculous peritonitis is difficult to diagnose due to its non-specific clinical manifestations and lack of proper diagnostic modalities. Current meta-analysis was performed to find the overall diagnostic accuracy of adenosine deaminase (ADA) in diagnosing tuberculous peritonitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane library were searched to retrieve the published studies which assessed the role of ascitic fluid ADA in diagnosing tuberculous peritonitis from Jan 1980 to June 2022. This meta-analysis included 20 studies and 2,291 participants after fulfilling the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: The pooled sensitivity was 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85 - 0.94) and pooled specificity was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.92 - 0.95). The positive likelihood ratio was 15.20 (95% CI: 11.70 - 19.80), negative likelihood ratio was 0.10 (95% CI: 0.07 - 0.16) and diagnostic odds ratio was 149 (95% CI: 86 - 255). The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.97. Cut- off value and sample size were found to be the sources of heterogeneity in the mete-regression analysis. CONCLUSION: Ascitic fluid ADA is a useful test for the diagnosis of tuberculous peritonitis with good sensitivity and specificity however, with very low certainty of evidence evaluated by Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Further well- designed studies are needed to validate the diagnostic accuracy of ascitic fluid ADA for tuberculous peritonitis.

Study of Serum Cystatin C and Serum Creatinine in Different Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease Patients.

There is lack of consistent surrogate markers of kidney function to identify established disease, especially in early stages of CKD. Creatinine remains within normal levels until a significant reduction in renal function has occured. Cystatin C appears to be unaffected by muscle mass, diet, or gender. Its clearance is only by glomerular filtration. The plasma concentration is not influenced by inflammation or liver disease. It is not affected by optical interferences. Considering these benefits, it is more useful when trying to detect mild to moderate impairment of kidney function. MATERIAL: An observational, analytical study was conducted over a duration of 18 months. The study participants were divided into 2 groups based on eGFR. OBSERVATION: 67.5% patients had raised Cystatin C as compared to only 12.5% who had raised Creatinine. In our study, we found that Serum Creatinine (r=-0.85, p< 0.001) was better than Cystatin C (r=-0.55, p< 0.001) in all stages of CKD. However, in patients with eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min/m2. Cystatin C (r = -0.68, p<0.001) was a more sensitive marker to detect renal dysfunction at an early stage as compared to Serum Creatinine (r = -0.48, p<0.001). Overall, the AUC (Area Under the Curve) for Serum Creatinine is more than Cystatin C. However, in patients with eGFR≥ 60ml/ min/1.73m2, AUC for cystatin C is more. Thus, Cystatin C is more sensitive than Serum Creatinine to detect early renal dysfunction. CONCLUSION: We found out that both serum creatinine and serum cystatin C were significantly increased across CKD groups but cystatin C is a better predictor of CKD than creatinine in stages with eGFR≥60 ml/min/1.73 m2 as serum cystatin C was found to be raised contrary to serum creatinine which was within normal limits, although in stages with eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m2 there was no significant difference between the two. We found out that normal serum creatinine levels during the stage of kidney disease with eGFR≥60 ml/min/1.73 m2 does not necessarily mean normal renal function. Cystatin C should be encouraged as a screening tool for early renal impairment in the patient as the risk of developing CKD, especially in long-standing hypertensive and diabetic patients as an adjunct to creatinine estimation. It should also be included in the management protocol for these patients.

Protocol for a cluster randomised trial evaluating a multifaceted intervention starting preconceptionally-Early Interventions to Support Trajectories for Healthy Life in India (EINSTEIN): a Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative (HeLTI) Study.

INTRODUCTION: The Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative is an international consortium comprising four harmonised but independently powered trials to evaluate whether an integrated intervention starting preconceptionally will reduce non-communicable disease risk in their children. This paper describes the protocol of the India study. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study set in rural Mysore will recruit ~6000 married women over the age of 18 years. The village-based cluster randomised design has three arms (preconception, pregnancy and control; 35 villages per arm). The longitudinal multifaceted intervention package will be delivered by community health workers and comprise: (1) measures to optimise nutrition; (2) a group parenting programme integrated with cognitive-behavioral therapy; (3) a lifestyle behaviour change intervention to support women to achieve a diverse diet, exclusive breast feeding for the first 6 months, timely introduction of diverse and nutritious infant weaning foods, and adopt appropriate hygiene measures; and (4) the reduction of environmental pollution focusing on indoor air pollution and toxin avoidance.The primary outcome is adiposity in children at age 5 years, measured by fat mass index. We will report on a host of intermediate and process outcomes. We will collect a range of biospecimens including blood, urine, stool and saliva from the mothers, as well as umbilical cord blood, placenta and specimens from the offspring.An intention-to-treat analysis will be adopted to assess the effect of interventions on outcomes. We will also undertake process and economic evaluations to determine scalability and public health translation. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the institutional ethics committee of the lead institute. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals. We will interact with policy makers at local, national and international agencies to enable translation. We will also share the findings with the participants and local community through community meetings, newsletters and local radio. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN20161479, CTRI/2020/12/030134; Pre-results.

A culturally informed lower-extremity complication prevention program for people living with diabetes in south India.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes and its complications are increasing in frequency worldwide. Lower-extremity complications carry a high risk for morbidity and mortality, yet are largely preventable through education and self-monitoring. In India, rural areas lack access to education, care, and treatment. Despite existing evidence-based programs to reduce diabetes-related lower-extremity complications in areas with limited resources, uptake and sustainability may be hampered by the lack of translation to the local cultural context. AIMS: To address this gap, this study used the Culturally Informed Healthy Aging nursing process to develop a lower extremity complication prevention program in a rural village. The paper describes the results of a community health needs assessment conducted annually from 2009 to 2014, and subsequent pilot test of an intervention incorporating these results. METHODS: The Culturally Informed Healthy Aging process is a naturalistic, inductive method used to identify and address health needs. Components include community partnership, community assessment, program planning, selection of health priorities, workgroup formation and translation of evidence, and program outcome evaluation. The programming is assessed using process evaluation, which allows for continuous monitoring and program modification. RESULTS: Community assessment revealed a number of values, beliefs, and practices related to foot care and assessment in rural south India. These were incorporated into culturally informed programming and evidence-based protocols were adapted for use in the local context. Programming resulted in increased community capacity for lower extremity complication prevention, accessible population screening, and culturally informed foot care education. DISCUSSION: Strengths, limitations and implications for care in rural India and other areas are discussed.