Characterization of Acinetobacter from clinical isolates at Gandhi memorial and associated hospitals, Lucknow

The study was conducted in 4140 clinical samples sent to Microbiology department from different department of G.M. and associated hospitals. The samples included 2270 urine, 960 pus, 300 blood, 210 sputum, 180 CSF, 20 intercostal drainage tubes and 150 other swabs like vaginal and urethral, conjunctival smear 30, 10 ascitic fluids and 10 gastric aspirates. Apart from this, 30 specimens were collected from hospitals environment, like linen and trolley. From clinical samples, 43 acinetobacter strains (1.04%) were isolated. 17 strains (0.41%), were from pus, 12 (0.28%), from respiratory tract, 1, was (0.02%) from intercostal drainage secretions, urine 9 (0.22%), blood 1 (0.2%) and CSF 3 (.72%). From environmental samples, 7 strains (23.33%) were isolated. All the isolated strains were identified by routine biochemical tests. They were preserved in 1 % agar media for characterization. Characterization was done on the basis of growth at 37 degrees c, 41 degrees c and 44 degrees c, hemolysis, gelatin hydrolysis, acid from glucose, utilization of citrate, L-phenyl alanine, malonate, B-alanine, L-arginine, L-ornithine and L-aspartate. Among species identified Acinetobacter baumannii was 30 (69.67%), from clinical specimens and 5 (71.42%) from environment, Acinetobacter lwoffi was 10 (23.25%) from clinical specimen and 2 from environmental specimen, Acinetobacter hemolyticus was 3 (6.97%) and none from the environment. All the strains were resistant to penicillin. The sensitivity pattern showed gentamycin 64% sensitive, cotrimaxazole 42% cefotoxin 32% ciprofloxacine 26% and tetracycline 16%.     

Sex Differences in Atrial Fibrillation—Update on Risk Assessment,Treatment, and Long-Term Risk

Purpose of review

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a growing health problem worldwide. While the disease plagues both men and women, this arrhythmia does not affect both sexes equally. Women are more likely to have major adverse outcomes such as stroke and its sequela; however, recent data on stroke prevention show improving outcomes. The purpose of this review of the recent literature is to summarize important updates on risk scores and management of patients with AF.

Recent findings

It has been well known that women have a higher risk of strokes than men when untreated or when treated with warfarin. Current risk scores emphasizing new risk factors such as the higher risk of strokes in women have been incorporated into clinical guidelines. However, with the use of direct oral anticoagulants, this sex disparity on stroke is no longer seen and women have less major bleeding than men. The use of cardiac glycosides is associated with increased incidence of breast cancer, and this medication is used more in women. Procedural complications for the management of AF are higher in women.

Summary

The study of the pathophysiology of AF and its management is a rapidly evolving area of cardiovascular medicine. Sex-specific data is necessary to achieve advances in the field and improve the outcomes in both men and women.

     

Rasch analysis of clinical outcome measures in spinal muscular atrophy

Introduction: Trial design for SMA depends on meaningful rating scales to assess outcomes. In this study Rasch methodology was applied to 9 motor scales in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Methods: Data from all 3 SMA types were provided by research groups for 9 commonly used scales. Rasch methodology assessed the ordering of response option thresholds, tests of fit, spread of item locations, residual correlations, and person separation index. Results: Each scale had good reliability. However, several issues impacting scale validity were identified, including the extent that items defined clinically meaningful constructs and how well each scale measured performance across the SMA spectrum. Conclusions: The sensitivity and potential utility of each SMA scale as outcome measures for trials could be improved by establishing clear definitions of what is measured, reconsidering items that misfit and items whose response categories have reversed thresholds, and adding new items at the extremes of scale ranges. Muscle Nerve 49 :422–430, 2014     

Sibling concordance for clinical features of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies

Introduction: The correlation of markers of disease severity among brothers with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy has implications for clinical guidance and clinical trials. Methods: Sibling pairs with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy (n = 60) were compared for ages when they reached clinical milestones of disease progression, including ceased ambulation, scoliosis of ≥ 20°, and development of cardiomyopathy. Results: The median age at which younger brothers reached each milestone, compared with their older brothers ranged from 25 months younger for development of cardiomyopathy to 2 months older for ceased ambulation. For each additional month of ambulation by the older brother, the hazard of ceased ambulation by the younger brother decreased by 4%. Conclusions: The ages when siblings reach clinical milestones of disease vary widely between siblings. However, the time to ceased ambulation for older brothers predicts the time to ceased ambulation for their younger brothers. Muscle Nerve 49 : 814–821, 2014     

Phenazopyridine associated acute interstitial nephritis and review of literature

Phenazopyridine is a urinary analgesic; commonly seen side-effects of this drug include, orange discoloration of urine, methemoglobinemia, yellowish skin discoloration, hepatitis and acute renal failure. Various case reports with phenazopyridine associated acute renal failure secondary to acute tubular necrosis have been reported in the literature. Acute kidney injury in these patients is caused by either direct injury to renal tubular epithelial cells or secondary to pigment induced nephropathy from hemolytic anemia. Hypoxic injury from phenazopyridine-induced methemoglobinemia has been well documented. We report a case of biopsy proven acute interstitial nephritis, associated with therapeutic doses of phenazopyridine without any evidence of methemoglobinemia or other mechanism of renal injury. Clinicians should be aware of the toxicity of this commonly used drug and should look closely for signs of renal insufficiency. Identifying and stopping the offending medication stays as the first step, but recent studies indicate that early steroid administration improves renal recovery, as well as decreasing the risk of progression to chronic kidney disease with fibrosis and consequent permanent renal damage.     

Treatment of non-union of humerus diaphyseal fractures: a prospective study comparing interlocking nail and locking compression plate

Background

The aim of this prospective comparative study was to compare outcomes and complications of humeral diaphyseal fracture non-unions managed with humerus interlocking nail (HIL) and locking compression plate (LCP).

Materials and methods

40 patients with non-union of humeral diaphyseal fractures were included in this study and were randomly allocated in two groups; group A had 20 cases treated with HIL and group B had 20 cases treated with LCP. Clinico-radiological assessments were done for each case up to 2-year follow-up period. Primary outcome measures (time to fracture union, union rate) and secondary outcome measures (functional outcome and complication such as infection, malunion, delayed union, implant failure, joint stiffness and iatrogenic radial nerve palsy) were compared between both the groups. Disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) scoring and Steward and Hundley’s scoring system were used to assess functional outcome of the fracture fixation.

Results

There was no significant difference (p = 0.12) in terms of mean fracture union time between group A (15.8 ± 4.2 weeks) and group B (17.2 ± 3.8 weeks). Group A had 95 % union rate and group B had 100 % union rate (p = 0.14). At the 2-year follow-up visit, there was no significant difference found between both the groups regarding range of motion of shoulder and elbow joint. There was no significant difference found in final functional outcomes between both the groups on comparing DASH score (p = 0.14) and Steward and Hundley’s score (p = 0.08). In terms of complications, there was insignificant difference found between both the groups.

Conclusions

This study concludes that both the implants can be used in non-union of humeral shaft fractures with good functional outcomes and acceptable rate of complications.     

Biomechanical analysis of distal femoral fracture fixation: dynamic condylar screw versus locked compression plate

Background This human cadaveric study introduces a laboratory model to establish and compare the fixation stability of the distal femoral locking plate (DFLP) and dynamic condylar screw (DCS) in distal femoral fracture fixation.Materials and methods The study was conducted on 16 fresh cadaveric femoral specimens, 8 implanted with the DCS and the other 8 with the DFLP. The construct was made unstable by removing a standard-sized medial wedge with a 1-cm base (gap osteotomy) beginning 6 cm proximal to the lateral joint line in the distal metaphyseal region with loss of the medial buttress. Each specimen underwent axial and torsional stiffness testing along with cyclic axial loading to failure. The mean DEXA value for the DFLP group was 0.82 g/cm² and in the DCS group was 0.79 g/cm².Results Axial stiffness in the DFLP group was significantly higher than in the DCS group, but no significant difference was found in torsional stiffness between the groups. A significant difference was found in the load-to-failure results between the groups. Plastic and total deformation was significantly higher in constructs in the DCS group than in those in the DFLP group. Total energy absorbed before construct failure was also significantly higher in the DFLP group than in the DCS group.Conclusions The DFLP construct proved stronger than the DCS in both axial stiffness and cyclic loading, but similar in torsional stiffness in biomechanical testing in a simulated A3 distal femoral fracture.     

Role of FNAC in palpable chest wall lesions in developing country

Palpable chest wall lesions are unusual manifestation of an underlying thoracic pathology and it is difficult to diagnose them with their diverse spectrum ranging from benign to malignant. Considering the exposure of patient to invasive biopsy/excision and the risk of local complications, FNAC is now being increasingly used in the primary assessment of these lesions. Objectives of this study were to report the spectrum of chest wall lesions in the population of a developing country and evaluating the diagnostic role of FNAC. All the patients who presented with palpable cutaneous or subcutaneous chest wall swelling during a period of January 2003 to August 2010 were reviewed retrospectively. May Grunwald Giemsa and Papanicolaou stained aspirates were examined, along with special stains. Seven hundred seventy‐three cases were subjected to chest wall FNAC, of which 726 (93.9%) cases were satisfactory. Age ranged from 1 to 93 years with M:F = 0.92:1. 358 (49.3%) were diagnosed as inflammatory and 368 (50.7%) were neoplastic lesions. Two‐hundred thirty four cases (32.2%) were diagnosed as mycobacterial abscess (likely tuberculous). Of the neoplastic lesions, 153 were malignant with carcinomas being predominant (88.2%). Malignant cases comprised of scar site recurrence in breast carcinoma (73 cases), metastatic carcinomas (62 cases), primary sarcomas (eight cases), hematological neoplasms (six cases), and miscellaneous group (four cases). Overall malignant lesions accounted for 21.1% (153/726) of satisfactory chest wall aspirates. FNAC is very useful and simple investigation for early diagnosis of chest wall abscesses, cutaneous metastases from visceral malignancies, and scar site recurrence in breast carcinoma. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2014;42:653–659. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Spectroscopic and Microscopic Characterisation of Parotid and Submandibular Ductal Sialoliths: A Comparative Preliminary Study

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences - Sialoliths, the calcified structures that develop within the salivary gland parenchyma and its ductal system,...     

Tumor-and osteoclast-derived NRP2 in prostate cancer bone metastases

INTRODUCTION Bone is the most common metastatic site for castration-resistant prostate cancer.1 Nearly 70％–80％ of the patients with advanced-stage prostate canc...