Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal Cord injury (SCI) is one of the most devastating and demoralizing ailment for both the patient and the medical practitioner. However, with the better understanding of the pathophysiology, better imaging modalities and emphasis on immobilization and rehabilitation has provided a ray of hope to such patients. The initial care aims at immobilization and evacuation by the classical log roll method and focuses on life-saving procedures. Basic imaging should be augmented with an MRI in doubtful cases. Immobilization either external or internal should be followed by early efforts for rehabilitation. The use of steroids during the acute phase has become controversial. The focus of latest studies has shifted to neuroprotective and regenerative agents.Key Words: Spinal cord injury, Neurological assessment, Magnetic resonance imaging, Methylprednisolone     

Design of a multiplex PCR method for detection of toxigenic-pathogenic in Vibrio cholerae

ObjectiveTo study virulence and regulatory genes (hlyA, ctxB, tcpI) in clinical strains of Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae), simultaneously.MethodsThree important genes, tcpI, hlyA and ctxB were used for detection of toxigenic and pathogenic V. cholera by chain reaction assay method.ResultsAccording to the results of the PCR, the incidence of hlyA, tcpI, and ctxB genes in clinical isolates was obtained as 94.7% (72 sample), 90.8% (69 sample), and 92.1% (70 sample), respectively. Five strains possessed all genes except ctxB, six strains possessed all genes except tcpI, four strains possessed all genes except hlyA, one strain possessed only hlyA and 60 strains contained a combination of three genes, Including hlyA, ctxB and tcpI.ConclusionsResult show that this method could be reliable to detect toxigenic-pathogenic strains of V. cholerae in Iran.     

Hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection without cirrhosis

AIM:To investigate and characterise patients with chronic hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection presenting with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) in the absence of cirrhosis.METHODS:Patients with chronic hepatitis C infection without cirrhosis presenting with HCC over a 2-year period were identified.The clinical case notes,blood test results and histological specimens were reviewed to identify whether additional risk factors for the development of HCC were present.RESULTS:Six patients(five male,one female) with chro...     

Minimizing femoral artery access complications during percutaneous coronary intervention: A comprehensive review

Major bleeding complications after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) increase patient morbidity, prolong the hospital stay and costs, and are associated with reduced survival. Transfemoral access is still preferred at many centers given its familiarity and ease of use and is necessary in cases where large bore access is needed. Multimodality imaging with fluoroscopy, ultrasonography, and angiography can facilitate proper puncture of the common femoral artery. A proper technique (which includes femoral artery puncture and vascular access site closure) associated with adequate pharmacotherapy (both during PCI and peri‐procedural, for the treatment of the underlying coronary artery disease) has been shown to reduce the risk of bleeding and vascular complications associated with femoral artery access. Avoiding the use of arterial sheaths >6 French may further reduce the risk of bleeding. Data with vascular closure devices as a bleeding avoidance strategy are evolving but when used appropriately may further reduce the risk of bleeding and vascular access complications, and in this regard are synergistic with bivalirudin. Randomized trials to confirm these recommendations are needed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Norms of the Rorschach Test for Indian Subjects

Background

The clinical utility of the Rorschach test in Indians is hampered by the absence of reliable normative data. Method : The Rorschach by Dlopfer''s method was administrated to 1256 subjects consisting of 300 normal army personnel, 300 normal civilians, 250 schizophrenics, 300 neurotics and 106 patients with organic disorders.

Results

The Rorschach protocols of normal Indian army personnel and normal civilians showed significant differences from one another and also from the western norms. These differences are culturally determined and are not indicative of low intelligence or psychopathology. Patients with schizophrenia, neurosis, head injury and epilepsy show significant differences from the records of normal subjects. The protocols of army schizophrenics show significant deviations from those of normal army personnel and these changes revert to normal with clinical recovery.

Conclusion

The Rorschach test is not a culture fee test as claimed earlier. In view of the differences from Western norms, Rorschach protocols of Indians should be interpreted using the norms for Indians. In the case of army personnel the norms for army personnel should be used. While the use of the Rorschach to study the personality patterns of normal individuals and as an aid to clinical diagnosis was strongly supported, the findings of the study indicate that the test can also be employed to assess therapeutic response of patients with schizophrenia.Key Words: Rorschach test, norms, schizophrenia, neurosis     

Effects of medial septal stimulation on hypothalamically-elicited intraspecific attack and associated hissing in cats

Stimulation of the medial region of the cat septum facilitates intraspecific attack and associated hissing elicited from the ventromedial hypothalamus. This facilitative influence did not extend to lateral hypothalamically-elicited predatory attack, nor do the data indicate a suppression of predatory attack coincident with facilitation of intraspecific attack.