Status of methamphetamine users 2-5 years after outpatient treatment

Increasing numbers of methamphetamine users sought treatment during the decade of the 1990s. Little is known about the post treatment status of methamphetamine users who enter treatment. The data presented in this paper describe the outcome status of a group of a convenience sample of 114 methamphetamine users from a total group of 500 methamphetamine users who were treated 2-5 years prior to a follow up interview. Since the sample was not randomly selected, no specific treatment outcome attribution is possible. Methamphetamine use and other drug use of the follow up sample was substantially reduced from pretreatment levels. In general, the follow up status of the sample was much improved as compared to before treatment. However, headaches and depression were reported at a similar rate at follow up as had been reported at treatment admission.     

Pre-operative embolization of auricular arteriovenous fistula

Treatment of auricular arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is a challenge with surgery being the preferred option until now. We present three cases of auricular AVFs who underwent pre-operative embolization and its outcome on surgery. Three patients were diagnosed to have auricular AVF by angiography. All three patients underwent pre-operative embolization with n-butyl 2-cyanoacrylate after which they underwent surgical resection of the AVF. Pre-operative embolization resulted in significant devascularization of the AVF thus leading to near bloodless and clean surgery. Pre-operative embolization of auricular AVFs is a good treatment option, leading to significantly reduced blood loss during surgical excision.     

Tobacco smoking: current concepts in etiology and treatment

Tobacco smoking is the most important preventable cause of death and disease. Despite an increased awareness of the addictive nature of smoking and availability of effective treatments, smoking continues to be widespread among individuals with psychiatric disorders. Moreover, mental health professionals remain reluctant to address smoking among their patients for a variety of reasons. Recent research has provided a wealth of data that have shaped the concept of tobacco smoking as a chronic addictive disorder and also demonstrated the efficacy of smoking cessation interventions. This paper reviews the important factors that contribute to smoking and the various pharmacological and psychosocial interventions for smoking cessation from a biopsychosocial perspective. It also makes recommendations for the rational use of these interventions to treat nicotine dependence in individuals with psychiatric disorders.     

Listeriosis in second trimester of pregnancy: case report from India

Although Listeria monocytogenes infection occurs in sporadic and epidemic forms throughout the world, there are certain countries (especially Asian countries) that have reported only a few cases or failed to report even a single case. During her third visit at 17(+5) weeks of gestation, a 22-year-old primigravida presented with the complaint of an acute painful abdomen, leaking per vaginum and low-grade fever for the 2 preceding days. On ultrasonography, a single live fetus with no amniotic fluid was seen and the pregnancy was therefore terminated. L. monocytogenes was isolated from a high vaginal swab.     

Benign cervical thymoma masquerading as a malignant thyroid nodule

A thymoma in the neck region is a rare diagnosis involving a solitary neck nodule that moves with deglutition and is contiguous with the thyroid gland. The authors report an unusual case of a thymoma that accumulated both Tc-99m pertechnetate and Tc-99m MIBI. This is probably the first reported case of a benign neck thymoma concentrating these two radiopharmaceuticals. Thymoma should be added to the gamut of false-positive findings in the neck for thyroidal (with Tc-99m pertechnetate) and malignant (with Tc-99m MIBI) tissue.     

Incidence of uncomplained secretory otitis media in patients undergoing adenotonswlectomy

Secretory otitis media (SOM) is a pathologic condition of the middle ear in which an effusion is present behind an intact eardrum without signs of acute inflammation. This prospective study was conducted during the period of February 1998 to January 2000. One hundred children of age group 2–12 years were followed up at intervals of 1, 2, 4, 12 weeks, 6 months and 1 year postoperatively. We carried out the established techniques of myringotomies and grommet insertion (shepherd type) to detect and resolve SOM. We found that the URTI was a prime factor as the cause for SOM. Myringotomy and grommet insertion results in drying up of fluid and return of normal hearing status in SOM.     

Effect of body size and malnutrition on renal size in childhood

SUMMARY: Malnutrition is associated with multi-organ manifestations including urinary concentrating defects. the purpose of our study was to prospectively determine the effect of body size and malnutrition on kidney size in children. the length and width of both kidneys were assessed in 525 children with no renal disease (289 male: 236 female; age: newborn–12 years) by real time ultrasonography. the nutritional status was assessed using the Indian Academy of Pediatrics classification, where the expected weight (EW) for age is the 50th percentile for Harvard statistics. Thus, Grade 0: 80–100% of EW; Grade I: 70–80% of EW; Grade II: 60–70% of EW; Grade III: 50–60% of EW; Grade IV: <50% of EW. There was no difference in renal size between males and females, or between right and left kidneys. the relationship between kidney area and age and grade of malnutrition was as follows: kidney area (mm²) = 13.74 age (months)—110.9 grade + 1265 ( P < 0.001). the partial r for grade and age were—0.318 ( P < 0.001) and 0.849 ( P < 0.001), respectively. Normal Indian children (Grade 0) had smaller kidneys than those obtained in age matched children in the Western world. We conclude that severe malnutrition (Grade IV) reduces kidney size independent of age. Furthermore, we attribute the smaller kidney size in normal (grade 0) children, to the smaller body habitus of Indian children. Age based data alone, which are widely used currently to determine if kidney size is appropriate, may not be sufficient in geographic regions where malnutrition is prevalent and/or the growth curves of the population vary from Western derived standards.     

Reversal of experimental myoglobinuric acute renal failure in rats by quercetin, a bioflavonoid

The occurrence of acute renal failure (ARF) following rhabdomyolysis has been put at between 10 and 40% of cases, and accounts for between 3 and 15% of all cases of ARF. Reactive oxygen intermediates have been demonstrated to play an etiological role in myoglobinuric renal failure. This study was performed to explore the protective effect of quercetin, a bioflavonoid, in an experimental model of myoglobinuric ARF in rats. Four groups of rats were employed in this study: group 1 served as control, group 2 was given 50% glycerol (8 ml/kg, i.m.), group 3 was given glycerol + quercetin (2 mg/kg, i.p.), and group 4 was given glycerol + DMSO (the solvent for quercetin, 5 ml/kg, i.p.). Renal injury was assessed by measuring serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and urea clearance. The oxidative stress was measured by renal malondialdehyde levels, reduced glutathione levels and by enzymatic activity of catalase, glutathione reductase, and superoxide dismutase. Glycerol administration resulted in a marked renal oxidative stress, significantly deranged the renal functions as well as renal cytoarchitecture. All these factors were significantly improved by quercetin treatment. Because of its radical-scavenging and iron-chelating properties, quercetin protected the kidney against the glycerol-induced oxidative stress and resultant renal dysfunction. Based on these results, this study confirms the role of oxidative stress and demonstrates the renoprotective potential of quercetin in this rhabdomyolysis-mimicking model.