Detection of filarial antigen and antibody in serum and hydrocele fluid of 100 patients of hydrocele

AIM: The present study was carried out to detect an association between isolated non-communicable hydrocoele and filariasis and to provide awareness to positive patients regarding sequel and advising methods for the reduction of morbidity. METHODS: Blood samples and hydrocoele fluids were used to detect filarial antigen and antibody by ICT Kit, Trop-bio kit and Sevafilachek Kit. These were followed by statistical evaluation by chi2 test. RESULTS: 14% of cases were positive for filarial antigen and antibody in hydrocoele patient serum, while 15% of cases were positive for filarial antigen and antibody in the serum of non-hydrocoele patients. CONCLUSION: Probability is less than 0.05, which is statistically significant.     

Visual and auditory evoked responses in acute severe hepatitis

Evoked responses have not been studied in patients with acute severe hepatitis (ASH) with or without hepatic encephalopathy. This prospective study was undertaken to find out diagnostic as well as prognostic value of visual evoked responses (VER), and brain stem auditory evoked responses (BAER) in patients with ASH with or without encephalopathy. Visual evoked responses and BAER were studied in 20 patients (14 males and six females) with ASH. The patients were diagnosed as having severe hepatitis if acute hepatitis was associated with raised serum bilirubin and serum transaminases, and if they had a prothrombin time index of < 50%. After a detailed neuropsychiatric examination of each patient, the study sample was divided into two groups of 10 patients: ASH without encephalopathy (ASH-WOE), and ASH with encephalopathy (fulminant hepatic failure, FHF). The median P100 latencies of FHF patients were significantly increased compared with controls and patients in the ASH-WOE group. Abnormal P100 latencies, exceeding 95th percentile values of the controls, were present in one patient in the ASH-WOE group and six patients in the FHF group. The median interpeak latencies I-III, III-V and I-V were significantly prolonged in the FHF group. Interpeak latencies III-V were also increased significantly in patients in the ASH-WOE group. While abnormal BAER were seen frequently in both groups, VER abnormalities were largely confined to patients in the FHF group. In the FHF group, six out of 10 patients survived and exhibited clinical improvement in the status of hepatic encephalopathy. Evoked responses were repeated after 2–3 weeks of recovery in these patients and VER abnormalities showed a tendency to normalize, thereby suggesting a prognostic implication. The incidence of abnormal VER in hepatic encephalopathy complicating ASH far exceeded that of abnormal BAER. Markedly prolonged P100 latencies in FHF patients indicate poor prognosis.     

Incidence and Significance of Early Recurrences Associated with Different Ablation Strategies for AF: A STAR‐AF Substudy

Early Recurrence in STAR‐AF. Background: Early recurrences of atrial tachyarrhythmias (ERAT) are common after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, and predict late recurrences (LR). We sought to determine the impact of different ablation strategies on ERAT and LR. Methods and Results: The STAR‐AF trial randomized 100  patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF to ablation of complex fractionated electrograms (CFAE) alone, pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) alone, or combined PVI + CFAE. Patients were followed for 12  months. ERAT was defined as any recurrence of AF, atrial tachycardia, or flutter (AT/AFL) >30 seconds during the first 3  months of follow‐up. LR was defined as any recurrence of AF/AT/AFL >30 seconds 3–12  months post. Forty‐nine patients experienced ERAT. The index ablation strategy was the only independent predictor of ERAT on multivariate analysis (HR 2.24 PVI vs PVI + CFAE; and HR 2.65 CFAE vs PVI + CFAE). Fifty‐two patients experienced LR. The presence of ERAT (HR 3.23), the use of antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) in the first 3  months postablation (HR 2.85), and the index ablation strategy were independently associated with LR (HR 3.42 PVI vs PVI + CFAE; HR 4.72 CFAE vs PVI + CFAE). Thirty‐five of 49 (71%) patients with ERAT and 17 (33%) of 51  patients without ERAT had LR (P  < 0.0001). Among patients with ERAT, increased left atrium size (HR 1.08), the use of AAD in the first 3  months postablation (HR 2.86) and the index ablation strategy were independently associated with LR (HR 4.77 PVI vs PVI + CFAE; HR 4.45 CFAE vs PVI + CFAE). Conclusion: ERAT is common following AF ablation and is strongly associated with LR. Although CFAE ablation alone results in higher rates of early and LR, the addition of CFAE to PVI results in increased long‐term success without an increase in ERAT. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 1295‐1301, December 2012)