Comparative Evaluation of Surgical Operability with and without Induction Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

To compare and evaluation of surgical operability with and without induction chemotherapy in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Head and neck malignancy grossly refers to squamous cell carcinomas of head and neck (HNSCC) have multiple treatment modalities and strategies, when opted in an appropriate manner renders tumours curable. The aim of this study is to compare and evaluation of surgical operability with and without induction chemotherapy in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. A prospective observational study involving 50 patients of histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck region. Patients were categorized into two major groups, group-1 patients included resectable tumour stage and group-2 included unresectable tumour stage. Both groups were compared after appropriate chemotherapy and surgical intervention. There were a total of 78% males and 22% females with majority of patients in age group of 41-60 years. 54% patients had ulcerative type of growth pattern and most patients had primary site of lesion in oral cavity. 50% patients had moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Induction chemotherapy was considered in 70% of patients, while majority of patients were belonging to T4N2M0 stage. In this study, we recommend that the borderline category of patients who are initially in an unresectable tumour stage can undergo induction chemotherapy to downstage and shrink the tumour to a resectable stage following which the appropriate surgical intervention should be done with a close monitoring and sustained follow up to prevent recurrence.

On-Arrival Lumbar Epidural Analgesia for Lower Limb Trauma Pain in Emergency Care: A Superiority Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Lower limb trauma in emergency settings often leads to pain management challenges. Traditional methods, primarily non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids, have limitations. This study explores the efficacy of epidural analgesia in emergency for lower limb trauma patients (ELETRA) as an alternative for managing pain in lower limb trauma patients upon arrival in emergency care. OBJECTIVES:  This study primarily focuses on determining ELETRA's effectiveness in reducing pain for patients with lower limb trauma upon arrival. It also aims to evaluate ELETRA's influence on decreasing stress and shortening hospital stays compared to traditional pain management approaches. METHODS: This study was executed as a prospective, parallel-design, randomized controlled trial in the emergency department of a tertiary care teaching hospital. The interventions were performed in a dedicated induction room adjacent to the emergency operating theater. The trial was registered in the Clinical Trial Registry of India with registration number CTRI/2022/08/044699 dated 16/08/2022. Participants were 18- to 50-year-old patients with lower limb injuries, classified under American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 1 or 2. Participants were randomized into two groups: one receiving ELETRA and the other standard pain control treatment. The effectiveness of pain relief was measured through a visual analog scale (VAS), and hemodynamic parameters, adverse effects, levels of acute phase reactants, and stress hormones were also measured along with patient satisfaction. RESULTS: The study enrolled 356 participants with lower limb injuries. After excluding participants lost following the intervention, data from 157 individuals in Group A and 160 in Group B were analyzed. Group A's success rate for analgesia (VAS < 2) was 92.35% (n = 145), significantly higher than Group B's 75.62% (n = 121) (p < 0.001). The commonest side effect was hypotension (5.73%) in Group A and nausea in Group B (7.5%). C-reactive protein (CRP) levels rose to 104.71 ± 8.99 mg/dL in Group A and 192.58 ± 9.23 mg/dL in Group B; the difference was statistically significant. Serum cortisol levels were also higher in Group B (67.18 ± 9.21) compared to Group A (44.72 ± 6.14) at one week. Group B had a longer hospital stay, averaging 12.24 ± 4.81 days, against Group A's 10.19 ± 4.91 days. CONCLUSION: ELETRA is a safe and effective alternative for pain management in lower limb trauma patients in emergency settings. It reduces pain, improves patient satisfaction, and has a favorable impact on stress responses.

Current-voltage characteristics in single layer SrIrO3films deposited on LaAlO3(100) substrate.

Here, we investigate the structural and electrical properties on SrIrO3films grown on LaAlO3(100) substrate with varying thickness (18, 25 and 40 nm). The x-ray diffraction shows good quality epitaxial films without any chemical impurity. The out-of-plane lattice parameter increases with the film thickness. All the films show a semiconducting behavior where the resistivity increases with increasing thickness. Our analysis shows at high temperature the charge conduction mechanism follows Mott's two-dimensional variable-range-hopping model. Detailed current-voltage (I-V) measurements show a linear Ohmic behavior at room temperature, however, a prominent deviation from linearity has been observed at low temperatures where the exponentn(I∝Vn) increases with decreasing temperature, reachingn ∼1.5 at low temperature. Analysis ofI-Vdata indicates that the charge conduction has dominant contribution of Poole-Frenkel mechanism rather than Schottky behavior. This evolution of charge transport with temperature is quite intriguing which may be related to the development of low temperature magnetism in films of SrIrO3.

Long-term quality of life and work ability among severe COVID-19 survivors: A multicenter study.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is known for its variable severity and high infectivity. Though fewer than 15% of infected cases develop severe disease, a major proportion had prolonged stay in the intensive care unit (ICU). Prolonged ICU stay is known to have a long-term impact on behavior and quality of life.8 Therefore, it is likely that patients discharged after severe COVID-19 have issues that persist for long term. The current study aimed to assess the long-term impact of severe COVID-19 on the Quality of life (QOL), sleep pattern, behavior, and workability. Methods: The current multicenter study adopted a cross-sectional design to analyze data from two tertiary care COVID-19 dedicated hospitals. All experimental procedures were approved by the ethics committee of the M.L.B Medical College. Participants were 20-60 age group who had been admitted to the ICU because of severe COVID-19 and had elapsed at least one and a half year since their discharge. After informed written consent the participants were assessed for: EUROHIS-QOL 8-item index; Workability Score; Quality of sleep; The major depression inventory (MDI) questionnaire; Generalized anxiety disorder 7 item scale (GAD-7); Current global health status score: an innovative subjective scale (1 -10) to determine the current global health status when 5 is the status before COVID-19. Findings: 491 participants were assessed, the median follow-up time after discharge from the hospital was 561·0 days (range, 548-580 days). The mean duration of ICU stay was 8.72 ± 2.85 days. There was significant reduction in the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension as compared with discharge time. The mean of EUROHIS-QOL score, workability score, current global health status score was 3.28 ± 0.98, 6.87 ± 0.85, 4.53 ± 1.36 respectively. The mean MDI and anxiety scores were 4.12 ± 1.45 and 18.63 ± 3.28, respectively. Interpretation: Severe COVID-19 survivors have new-onset psychological disorders and sleep disturbances. Long term quality of life and work ability remains poor after prolong ICU admission secondary to severe COVID-19.

Bain H: Innovative Modification of Bain Circuit for the Resuscitation and Transportation of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Bain H circuit is an innovatively modified breathing circuit designed for the transportation and resuscitation of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). For this circuit, the Heidbrink valve was replaced with a 15F inlet and 15M/22F outlet adjustable pressure-limiting (APL) valve, and a high-efficiency particulate air filter was placed over the APL outlet valve. The circuit is designed to filter the novel coronavirus without any increase in dead space or resistance. All benefits of the conventional Bain circuit were retained. Besides its use in dedicated COVID-19 areas, this circuit can be used in other emergency units of the hospital.

Analysis of vitamin D level among asymptomatic and critically ill COVID-19 patients and its correlation with inflammatory markers.

COVID-19 is characterized by marked variability in clinical severity. Vitamin D had recently been reviewed as one of the factors that may affect the severity in COVID-19. The objective of current study is to analyze the vitamin D level in COVID-19 patients and its impact on the disease severity. After approval from Ethics Committee, M.L.B Medical College the current study was undertaken as continuous prospective observational study of 6 weeks. Participants were COVID-19 patients of age group 30-60 years admitted during the study period of 6 weeks. Study included either asymptomatic COVID-19 patients (Group A) or severely ill patients requiring ICU admission (Group B). Serum concentration of 25 (OH)D, were measured along with serum IL-6; TNFα and serum ferritin. Standard statistical analysis was performed to analyze the differences. Current Study enrolled 154 patients, 91 in Group A and 63 patients in Group B. The mean level of vitamin D (in ng/mL) was 27.89 ± 6.21 in Group A and 14.35 ± 5.79 in Group B, the difference was highly significant. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 32.96% and 96.82% respectively in Group A and Group B. Out of total 154 patients, 90 patients were found to be deficient in vitamin D (Group A: 29; Group B: 61). Serum level of inflammatory markers was found to be higher in vitamin D deficient COVID-19 patients viz. IL-6 level (in pg/mL) 19.34 ± 6.17 vs 12.18 ± 4.29; Serum ferritin 319.17 ± 38.21 ng/mL vs 186.83 ± 20.18 ng/mL; TNFα level (in pg/mL) 13.26 ± 5.64 vs 11.87 ± 3.15. The fatality rate was high in vitamin D deficient (21% vs 3.1%). Vitamin D level is markedly low in severe COVID-19 patients. Inflammatory response is high in vitamin D deficient COVID-19 patients. This all translates into increased mortality in vitamin D deficient COVID-19 patients. As per the flexible approach in the current COVID-19 pandemic authors recommend mass administration of vitamin D supplements to population at risk for COVID-19.

Enhancing cooperation during pediatric ultrasound: Oral midazolam versus conventional techniques.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Ultrasound is a safe and non-invasive method for detecting numerous pathologies. Pediatric patients are often uncooperative which leads to decreased quality and increased time of scan. We compared the conventional means alone and combination of oral midazolam for the above cited purpose. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This double blind prospective study (CTRI/2016/06/007030) was conducted after obtaining due approval from institutional ethical committee. One hundred Children aged 2-6 years belonging to ASA class 1 or 2, posted for high resolution ultrasonography of abdomen were included in the study. They were randomised to receive midazolam 0.3 mg/kg mixed in 20 mL of apple juice (Group I) or 20 mL of apple juice alone (Group II) 20 minutes prior to the procedure. The parameters assessed were level of cooperation, sonologist's satisfaction, total scan time, heart rate and SpO2. RESULTS: Out of 100 patients, 44 patients of group I and 42 of group II were analysed. The cooperation score was significantly higher in Group I (35%) than Group II (19%). Likert scale revealed very satisfied and satisfied rating in 61.3% (Group I) and 21.4% (Group II). The time taken by sonologist and number of attempts were significantly less in Group I than Group II. There was no difference in discharge time between the groups. There was no reportable adverse event in either group. CONCLUSION: Oral midazolam is a safe and effective agent to aid routine abdominal ultrasonography in pediatric patients.

Observational Study to Evaluate the Effect of Epidural Steroid Injection on Bone Mineral Density and Bone Turnover Markers.

BACKGROUND: Epidural steroid injection (ESI) is widely used to manage low back pain. ESIs are commonly performed to treat pain accompanying intervertebral disc prolapse, spinal stenosis, facet joint pathologies, and other degenerative spinal pathologies. Corticosteroids for musculoskeletal conditions, regardless of the route of administration, can reduce bone mineral density (BMD) and increase the risk of fracture. With paraspinal administration of steroids, the severity of risk is enhanced as the steroid is being deposited in close proximity to bone. BMD and molecular markers of bone metabolism are the standard methods to assess the effect of any insult on bone strength and bone metabolism. Carboxy terminal crosslinked telopeptides of type 1 collagen (sCTX) and serum Procollagen Type I N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) are the reference markers of bone resorption and formation, respectively. OBJECTIVE: We conducted this study to determine the effect of ESI on BMD and bone turnover markers. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective observational cohort study, involving a cohort of 264 patients between the ages of 40 to 60 years who were advised to undergo ESI at L3-4 or L4-5 by their pain physician. SETTING: Research was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital pain clinic in collaboration with the department of orthopaedics and radiodiagnosis. METHODS: Serum CTX-1, P1NP, and pre-ESI BMD of the spine, femur neck, and dual femur were evaluated at baseline; these same parameters were serially evaluated post ESI on follow-ups at 1, 3, and 6 months. Additional follow-up at 10 days post ESI was called for evaluation of bone turnover markers (BTMs). A paired t test was used to analyze changes in BMD and BTMs vs baseline within the group. Cumulative incidence and relative risk of moderate to markedly low BMD were calculated using standard formulas. Any fractures sustained during follow-ups were also evaluated thoroughly and quantified separately. A P value less than .05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The proportion of pre-ESI moderately to markedly low BMD was 10.22% in the study population. There was a statistically significant increase in serum CTX 10 days post ESI which persisted at the one-month and 3-month follow-ups. There was no significant change in serum P1NP level post ESI after 7 days and at the one-month follow-up. The mean value of serum P1NP was, however, significantly higher at the 3-month follow-up. Statistical comparison of the mean BMD value at the spine and femur neck revealed statistically significant decline 3 months post ESI. There was no significant impact of ESI on the total femur BMD. The cumulative incidence of moderately low to markedly low BMD over a period of 6 months in the study population was 45 out of 223, i.e., 20.17%. LIMITATIONS: The study's primary limitations included its high dropout rate, a larger reference range for BTMs, making them a less specific tool for comparison, and the absence of a control group. ESI has a negative impact on the BMD of the hip and spine. Reduced BMD should be considered as a potential side effect of ESI.

Unusual exchange bias in Sr2FeIrO6/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 multilayer.

Here, we study interface induced magnetic properties in a 3d-5d based multilayer made of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 and double perovskite Sr2FeIrO6, respectively. Bulk La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 is metallic and shows ferromagnetic (FM) ordering above room temperature. In contrast, bulk Sr2FeIrO6, is an antiferromagnet (AFM) with a Néel temperature around 45 K ([Formula: see text]) and exhibits an insulating behavior. Two set of multilayers have been grown on SrTiO3 (1 0 0) crystal with varying thickness of FM layer. A multilayer with equal thickness of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 and Sr2FeIrO6 (∼10 nm) shows exchange bias (EB) effect both in conventionally field cooled (FC) as well as in zero field cooled (ZFC) magnetic hysteresis measurements which is rather unusual. The ZFC EB effect is weakened both with increasing maximum field during initial magnetization process at low temperature and with increasing temperature. Interestingly, a multilayer with reduced thickness of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (∼5 nm) does not exhibit ZFC EB phenomenon, however, the FC EB effect is strengthened showing much higher value. We believe that an AFM type exchange coupling at the interface and its evolution during initial application of magnetic field causes this unusual EB in present multilayers.