Disseminated tuberculosis presenting as a tubercular sinus with myositis of forearm in an immunocompetant patient.

Disseminated tuberculosis is a life-threatening form of tuberculosis resulting from haematogenous spread of M. tuberculosis. It is most commonly seen in an immunocompromised patient. Here we report a case of Pulmonary tuberculosis with Tubercular myositis of forearm flexors and carpal tunnel syndrome presenting as a discharging sinus in an immunocompetent patient.

Epidemiological profile of acute respiratory distress syndrome patients: A tertiary care experience.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is seen in critically ill patients. Its etiological spectrum in India is expected to be different from that seen in western countries due to the high prevalence of tropical infections. AIM: To study the epidemiological profile of ARDS patients. SETTING: A tertiary care hospital in Karnataka, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 150 out of the 169 ARDS patients diagnosed during 2010-2012. Data collected included the clinical features and severity scoring parameters. RESULTS: The mean age of the study population was 42.92 ± 13.91 years. The causes of ARDS included pneumonia (n = 35, 23.3%), scrub typhus (n = 33, 22%), leptospirosis (n = 11, 7.3%), malaria (n = 6, 4%), influenza (H1N1) (n = 10, 6.7%), pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 2, 1.3%), dengue (n = 1, 0.7%), abdominal sepsis (n = 16, 10.7%), skin infection (n = 3, 2%), unknown cause of sepsis (n = 18, 12%), and nonseptic causes (n = 15, 10%). A total of 77 (51.3%) patients survived, 66 (44%) expired, and 7 (4.7%) were discharged against medical advice (AMA). Preexisting comorbidities (46) were present in 13 survivors, 19 nonsurvivors, and four discharged AMA. History of surgery prior to the onset of ARDS was present in one survivor, 13 nonsurvivors, and one discharge AMA. Mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II, APACHE III, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores in survivors were 9.06 ± 4.3, 49.22 ± 14, and 6.43 ± 2.5 and in nonsurvivors 21.11 ± 7, 86.45 ± 23.5, and 10.6 ± 10, respectively. CONCLUSION: The most common cause of ARDS in our study was pneumonia, but a large percentage of cases were due to the tropical infections. Preexisting comorbidity, surgery prior to the onset of ARDS, higher severity scores, and organ failure scores were more frequently observed among nonsurvivors than survivors.

Prescribing Patterns of Drugs in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS): An Observational Study.

INTRODUCTION: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by acute respiratory failure and is associated with wide range of clinical disorders. Controversy prevails over the pharmacological intervention in this disease. The aim of the study was to observe the prescribing pattern of drugs in patients with ARDS managed at a tertiary care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This observational study was conducted at tertiary care hospital in India. Data of patients admitted from January 2010 to December 2012 was collected. Patients aged more than 18 years admitted in ICU, who were diagnosed to have ARDS during the study period, were included. A total of 150 patients of ARDS were selected. Data was collected as per the pre designed proforma and it included patients' age, gender, clinical disorders precipitating ARDS, prescribing pattern of drugs and outcome. The data of the subjects was collected till discharge from hospital or death. RESULTS: Infection was the cause of ARDS in 81.3% (n=122) of subjects. Antibiotics were prescribed in all the subjects and beta-lactams were prescribed in 97.3% (n=146). 41.3% (n=62) were prescribed corticosteroids, 39.3% (n=59) diuretics and 89.3% (n=134) intravenous fluids. CONCLUSION: The outcome of patients on different pharmacological treatment did not show any statistically significant difference.