Perceptions of blindness related to smoking: a hospital-based cross-sectional study

AIMS: Smoking is associated with several serious eye diseases. Awareness of smoking and blindness, and its potential to act, as a stimulus to assist stopping smoking has not been investigated. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using a structured interview of adult patients attending district general hospital ophthalmology, general surgery, and orthopaedic clinics. The interview investigated the awareness and fear of blindness for three established smoking-related diseases, and a distractor condition (deafness), and the likelihood that smokers would quit on developing early signs of each condition. RESULTS: Response was 89.1% (358/402). In all, 183 (51.1%) of responders were male and 175 (48.9%) female. Only 9.5% of patients believed that smoking was definitely or probably a cause of blindness, compared with 92.2% for lung cancer, 87.6% for heart disease, and 70.6% for stroke. Patients ranked their fear of each of the five conditions, scoring five for the most feared and one for the least feared. Patients were significantly (P<0.01) less fearful of blindness (mean score 2.80) than lung cancer (3.89), heart disease (3.58), and stroke (3.35). About one-half of smokers stated that they would definitely or probably quit smoking if they developed early signs of blindness or the three established smoking-related conditions, with no significant differences in proportions for these four conditions. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that awareness of the risk of blindness from smoking is low, but that the fear of blindness is as compelling a motivation to quit as fear of lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. The link between smoking and eye disease should be publicised to help reduce smoking prevalence.     

Nonanatomical mitral valve replacement in the pulmonary venous confluence for heavily calcified aortic or mitral annulus

Mitral valve replacement surgery after previous aortic valve surgery can be extremely challenging. The presence of heavy calcification and scarring in the aortic and/or mitral annulus can make suture placement nearly impossible. Although novel techniques have been described, even these alternatives might not be feasible. We present a case of nonanatomical mitral valve replacement in the pulmonary venous confluence as a salvage operation. This can provide adequate hemodynamics and survival until a subsequent care plan can be established.     

Biocompatibility of folate-modified chitosan nanoparticles

Objective

To evaluate the acute toxicity of carboxymethyl chitosan-2, 2′ ethylenedioxy bis-ethylamine-folate (CMC-EDBE-FA) and as well as possible effect on microbial growth and in vitro cell cyto-toxicity.

Methods

CMC-EDBE-FA was prepared on basis of carboxymethyl chitosan tagged with folic acid by covalently linkage through 2, 2′ ethylenedioxy bis-ethylamine. In vivo acute toxicity, in vitro cyto-toxicity and antimicrobial activity of CMC-EDBE-FA nanoparticle were determined.

Results

Vancomycin exhibited the antibacterial activity against vancomycin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, but CMC-EDBE-FA nanoparticle did not give any antibacterial activity as evidenced by minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC), disc agar diffusion (DAD) and killing kinetic assay. Further, the CMC-EDBE-FA nanoparticle showed no signs of in vivo acute toxicity up to a dose level of 1 000 mg/kg p.o., and as well as in vitro cyto-toxicity up to 250 µg/mL.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that CMC-EDBE-FA nanoparticle is expected to be safe for biomedical applications.     

Intranasal versus intravenous lorazepam for control of acute seizures in children: a randomized open-label study

Purpose: Intravenous lorazepam is considered the drug of first choice for control of acute convulsive seizures. However, resource or personnel constraints necessitate the study of alternative routes and medications. This study compared the efficacy and adverse effects of intranasal versus intravenous lorazepam in children aged 6–14 years who presented with acute seizures. Methods: This was a randomized open‐label study conducted at an Indian hospital from August 2008 to April 2009. One hundred forty‐one consecutive children aged 6–14 years who presented convulsing to the emergency room were included. After stabilization, the children were randomized to receive either intravenous or intranasal lorazepam (0.1 mg/kg, maximum 4 mg). The primary outcome measure was clinical seizure remission within 10 min of drug administration. The study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00735527). Key Findings: Seventy patients were randomized to receive intravenous and 71 to receive intranasal lorazepam. The patients in the two groups were comparable at baseline. Clinical seizure remission within 10 min of drug administration was found in 80% of the intravenous group as compared to 83.1% of intranasal group. The lower limit of 95% confidence interval for effect size was approximately −9.7%, with an a priori cutoff for noninferiority of −10%. Significance: Intranasal administration of lorazepam is not found to be inferior to intravenous administration for termination of acute convulsive seizures in children.     

Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and its antibiotic susceptibility pattern in a tertiary care hospital

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) emerged as a nosocomial pathogen in early 1960s, causing Increasing number of outbreaks in 19708, first reported in a teaching hospital in Malaysia in 1972, causing increased mortality, morbidity, and healthcare costs. Aim of this study is to screen out MRSA from various clinical samples and to see their antibiotic susceptibility pattern. From May 2008 to May 2009, 204 S aureus strains were isolated, out of which 114 (55.8%) were MRSA, and rest methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Most of the MRSA strains were obtained from pus (45%) followed by urine (20.5%). Frequency of isolating MRSA were maximum in catheter tip (80%) followed by blood (66.7%) and pus (58.7%). MRSA strains were showing 100% sensitivity to vancomycin and Iinezolid, whereas 92.9% to teicoplanin. Therefore it is concluded that antibiotics other than vancomycin can be used as anti-MRSA agents after sensitivity test, as well as irrational and indiscriminate use of antibiotics can be avoided.     

Disseminated cysticercosis in a child: whole-body MR diagnosis with the use of parallel imaging

Cysticercosis is a parasitic disease caused by infestation with the encysted larval stage of the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium. Disseminated cysticercosis is an exceptional expression of this disease characterized by high morbidity due to massive symptomatic parasite burden in the central nervous system, striated muscles, subcutaneous tissues and other organs. Less than 50 such cases have been reported worldwide, and fewer than 10 children. We report on the whole-body MR diagnosis of extensively disseminated cysticercosis in a child. The critical role of whole-body MR as a stand-alone modality in the diagnosis and management of this pleomorphic disease is highlighted. Whole-body MR diagnosis of an infectious disease is unique.