Modalities of Empowerment and Strengthening of Ex-servicemen

Background

Older people including ex-servicemen (ESM) in India are left to fend for themselves due to nuclear family system. Most children are not staying with them due to reasons such as acquiring of education or employment at distant places. These factors, coupled with deteriorating health with advancing age, change in value system and attitude amongst children who give more importance to materialism, it was felt necessary to find modalities to empower and strengthen ESM by available methods of including progressive weight training, yoga and meditation.

Methods

An interventional “Before and After” study was planned for a period of three months for in-patient ESM of a military hospital for common lifestyle diseases namely stroke, diabetes, senile depression, acute myocardial infarction and hypertension. Data of anthropometry, laboratory investigations and Hamilton rating scale for depression (HRSD) were taken before the study. These cases were then subjected to interventions (progressive weight training and spiritual health enhancement by yoga with meditation for three months) followed by same measurements again.

Result

Statistically significant differences were observed before and after study with respect to pulse, respiratory rate, blood pressure, blood glucose, total cholesterol, low density lipoproteins (LDL), very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and Hamilton depression score (p<0.05). The sleep pattern, sense of well being and posture while sitting to standing and walking with degree of support (stick/other person''s help) improved considerably after the interventions.

Conclusion

ESM are recommended to be trained much before retirement on progressive weight training and yoga in regimental centre/station institute. Provision to be made in existing ex-servicemen contributory health scheme (ECHS) polyclinics for employment of part time trainers for weight training and yoga. The physical and spiritual strengthening results in better capability to deal with old age and its problems.Key Words: Ex-servicemen, Progressive weight training, Yoga, Spiritual health     

Efficacy and Safety of Terbinafine Hydrochloride 1% Cream vs. Sertaconazole Nitrate 2% Cream in Tinea Corporis and Tinea Cruris: A Comparative Therapeutic Trial

Context:

To the best of our knowledge, till date no study comparing the efficacy and safety of terbinafine hydrochloride 1% cream and sertaconazole nitrate 2% cream has been done in localized tinea corporis and tinea cruris.

Aims:

This clinical trial was carried out to study and compare the efficacy of topical terbinafine hydrochloride 1% cream and sertaconazole nitrate 2% cream in localized tinea corporis and tinea cruris and to know the adverse effects of these antifungal creams.

Settings and Design:

In this prospective, single blind, randomized control trial with two arms, patient were randomized into two groups Group A (treatment with terbinafine cream) and Group B (treatment with sertaconazole cream). A total of 38 patients were enrolled for the study, 20 patients in group A and 18 patients in group B. But five patients of group A and three patients of group B were lost for follow-ups. Therefore sample size was of 30 patients with 15 patients in group A and group B each.

Materials and Methods:

Patients in group A and B were treated with twice daily topical 1% terbinafine hydrochloride and 2% sertaconazole nitrate cream respectively for a total duration of three weeks. Clinical improvement in signs and symptoms of each clinical parameter, namely itching, erythema, papules, pustules, vesicles, and scaling were graded weekly and clinical cure was assessed. KOH mount and culture was done weekly up to 3 weeks to access mycological cure. Fungal culture was done on Sabouraud''s dextrose agar with chloramphenicol and cycloheximide.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Statistical analysis was done using students paired and unpaired t-tests from the data obtained.

Results:

Comparison between Group A and Group B for complete cure (clinical and mycological) showed that at the end of 3 weeks both terbinafine and sertaconazole groups had 100% complete cure. When the two groups were compared for complete cure, at the end of 1^st and 2^nd week, statistically non-significant results were observed (P = 0.461 and P = 0.679 respectively). However, at the end of 2^nd week, complete cure rate for terbinafine was 80% as compared to 73.35% for sertaconazole with no statistical significance. In both Group A and Group B, clinically significant local side effects like erythema, swelling, stinging sensation, or increased itching were not noticed. A majority of our patients in both the group showed Trichophyton rubrum followed by Trichophyton mentagrophytes growth on culture. In Group A, 11 patients showed growth of T. rubrum, 2 patients showed growth of T. mentagrophytes, and 1 patient had only KOH test positive. In Group B, 10 patients revealed growth of T. rubrum, followed by growth of T. mentagrophytes in 3 and Microsporum canis in 2 patients. The therapeutic response is more or less same in infection with different species.

Conclusions:

The newer fungistatic drug sertaconazole nitrate 2% cream was as effective as terbinafine hydrochloride 1% cream which is one of the fungicidal drugs, though terbinafine hydrochloride 1% cream has higher rates of complete cure at the end of 2 weeks as compared to sertaconazole nitrate 2% cream. Both the drugs showed good tolerability with no adverse effects.     

Effect of Community-based Behavior Change Communication on Delivery and Newborn Health Care Practices in a Resettlement Colony of Delhi

Background:

Neonatal morbidity and mortality in India continue to be high. Among other reasons, newborn care practices are major contributors for such high rates.

Objective:

To assess the effect of behavior change communication (BCC) package among pregnant women regarding neonatal care.

Materials and Methods:

Semistructured and pretested schedule was used to interview 200 multigravidas on various aspects of neonatal care. Based on the preliminary data, BCC package was designed and implemented in intervention block in the community. Follow-up was done to find out change in their behavior.

Statistical Analysis:

Data were analyzed using Epi info and Fischer exact test and chi-square test were applied in the baseline data. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Effect of the BCC package is given in terms of relative risk.

Results:

BCC package increased 1.76 times higher number of deliveries conducted by trained dais in intervention group. There was significant improvement in using sterile cord tie (P = 0.01), applied nothing to the cord (P < 0.0001) and giving bath to their baby within 6 h of birth (P = 0.02) in intervention group as compared to nonintervention group. Significant difference was found between the two groups with regard to breastfeeding practices of baby. Harmful practices were reduced in the intervention group. Significant improvement was found in intervention group as compared to nonintervention group with regard to knowledge of danger signals, physiological variants, management of breastfeeding-related problems, and awareness of skin-to-skin technique for the management of hypothermic baby.

Conclusion:

Inadequate knowledge and adverse practices regarding neonatal care among mothers in study areas were found. BCC package had favorable impact on behavior of mothers for neonatal care in intervention group.     

Catheter balloon-related urethral trauma in children

Aim:   To review urethral injuries arising from incorrect balloon inflation in children undergoing urinary catheterisation.
Method:   Retrospective review from 1995–2006. Children who sustained catheter-related injury at The Children's Hospital at Westmead were identified through medical records database and reviewed.
Results:   Six patients were identified over the 11-year period. All six were boys. Age ranged from <1 month to 16 years. All but one occurred in hospital. All injuries were confirmed by urethrogram. Bulbar and prostatic urethra was involved in an equal number of children studied. Three patients required suprapubic catheters. Follow-up imaging revealed healing without stricture in all patients.
Conclusion:   Balloon-related urethral trauma can be avoided by educating health-care professionals on proper placement and confirmation of position of catheter. Though there were no long-term complications noted, a temporary suprapubic diversion may be needed.     

Molecular characterization of human factor XSan Antonio

Enzymatic amplification technique was used to isolate all eight exons and sequences around the splice junctions, putative promoter, and polyadenylation sites of human factor X DNA from a patient with factor X deficiency. Two genetic changes in factor X have been observed in this patient. The patient is most likely a compound heterozygote since there is only 14% activity associated with factor X. A point mutation that resulted in the substitution of cysteine (TGC) for arginine (CGC) at amino acid 366 was found in exon VIII of one allele of the factor X gene. This mutation, which occurs in the catalytic domain, can affect the formation of a disulfide bridge and thus could result in a reduction in factor X activity. Sequencing all the regions revealed a second mutation: a deletion of one nucleotide (TCCT to TCT) in exon VII that would cause a frame shift at amino acid 272 followed by termination. We have also shown that the point mutation in exon VIII creates an ApaL1 restriction site and destroys the HinP1 site. Enzymatic DNA amplification followed by restriction digestion provides a quick, reliable, and sensitive method for carrier detection and antenatal diagnosis in affected kindreds. This is the first characterization of factor X deficiency at the molecular level. We propose to name this mutation Factor XSan Antonio.     

Bronchial artery embolization: monitoring with somatosensory evoked potentials. Work in progress

Surgery remains the treatment of choice for massive and recurrent hemoptysis. In some instances, however, immediate surgical intervention is contraindicated. In these situations, bronchial artery embolization (BAE) has proved to be a successful definitive treatment for non-surgical candidates and a palliative therapy in patients requiring hemodynamic stabilization prior to surgery. The most serious complication of BAE is spinal cord ischemia. This relates directly to the potential anastomotic connections between the bronchial circulation and the anterior spinal artery. Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) have been used in the past to monitor spinal cord ischemia during procedures that threaten the vascularity of the spinal cord. The authors report two cases in which SSEPs were employed to monitor spinal cord ischemia during bronchial artery embolization.     

Mutation spectrum and genotype-phenotype analyses in Cowden disease and Bannayan-Zonana syndrome, two hamartoma syndromes with germline PTEN mutation

The tumour suppressor gene PTEN , which maps to 10q23.3 and encodes a 403 amino acid dual specificity phosphatase (protein tyrosine phosphatase; PTPase), was shown recently to play a broad role in human malignancy. Somatic PTEN deletions and mutations were observed in sporadic breast, brain, prostate and kidney cancer cell lines and in several primary tumours such as endometrial carcinomas, malignant melanoma and thyroid tumours. In addition, PTEN was identified as the susceptibility gene for two hamartoma syndromes: Cowden disease (CD; MIM 158350) and Bannayan-Zonana (BZS) or Ruvalcaba-Riley-Smith syndrome (MIM 153480). Constitutive DNA from 37 CD families and seven BZS families was screened for germline PTEN mutations. PTEN mutations were identified in 30 of 37 (81%) CD families, including missense and nonsense point mutations, deletions, insertions, a deletion/insertion and splice site mutations. These mutations were scattered over the entire length of PTEN , with the exception of the first, fourth and last exons. A 'hot spot' for PTEN mutation in CD was identified in exon 5 that contains the PTPase core motif, with 13 of 30 (43%) CD mutations identified in this exon. Seven of 30 (23%) were within the core motif, the majority (five of seven) of which were missense mutations, possibly pointing to the functional significance of this region. Germline PTEN mutations were identified in four of seven (57%) BZS families studied. Interestingly, none of these mutations was observed in the PTPase core motif. It is also worthy of note that a single nonsense point mutation, R233X, was observed in the germline DNA from two unrelated CD families and one BZS family. Genotype-phenotype studies were not performed on this small group of BZS families. However, genotype-phenotype analysis inthe group of CD families revealed two possible associations worthy of follow-up in independent analyses. The first was an association noted in the group of CD families with breast disease. A correlation was observed between the presence/absence of a PTEN mutation and the type of breast involvement (unaffected versus benign versus malignant). Specifically and more directly, an association was also observed between the presence of a PTEN mutation and malignant breast disease. Secondly, there appeared to be an interdependent association between mutations upstream and within the PTPase core motif, the core motif containing the majority of missense mutations, and the involvement of all major organ systems (central nervous system, thyroid, breast, skin and gastrointestinal tract). However, these observations would need to be confirmed by studying a larger number of CD families.      

Respiratory distress syndrome treated with human surfactant: radiographic findings

Chest radiographs of 18 newborns treated with endotracheal instillation of human surfactant for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) were compared with those of 18 similar but untreated infants. In the treated infants, severity of RDS significantly improved after surfactant administration. Most treated infants (16/18) exhibited a left-to-right shunt, presumably through a patent ductus arteriosus; similar findings were noted in untreated infants (17/18). Complications of respiratory assistance in the treated infants included transient pulmonary interstitial emphysema (n = 1), pneumothorax (n = 1), and mild (n = 4) to moderate (n = 2) bronchopulmonary dysplasia; the incidences of these complications did not exceed those in untreated infants. In three treated infants, a transient interstitial lung disease developed 3-4 days after surfactant administration.