Effect of short-term Psychiatric Intervention in Cancer Patients

A total of 50 patients undergoing cancer treatment at Malignant Disease Treatment Centre were included in the present study aimed at evaluating the psychological status of cancer patients. All patients filled a specially designed proforma and the following psychological questionnaires : General Health Questionnaire, Carroll Rating Scale for Depression, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, PGI General Well-being Scale and Quality of Life Scale. Analysis of the results showed that 22 (44%) of the cancer patients had psychiatric disorders and this number had reduced to 12 (24%) after therapy. The difference was statistically significant. Psychiatric treatment also resulted in a statistically significant reduction in level of depression as measured by Carroll Rating Scale for depression. Short term psychiatric treatment was found to be very useful in treating psychiatric morbidity and depression in cancer patients.Key Words: Cancer, Depression, Psychiatric morbidity     

Laparoscopic Management of Adnexal Masses

Retrospective study of 121 cases of adnexal masses which were managed laparoscopically was carried out. The aim of study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of laparoscopic management of adnexal masses. In 120 cases, procedure was completed safely with minimum morbidity. In one case laparotomy had to be done to complete the procedure. In 76 cases cystectomy was done, 26 required salpingo-oophorectomy and 19 required only salpingectomy. Histologic evaluation revealed 30 functional cysts, 36 endometriotic cysts, 11 dermoids, 9 serous cystadenomas, 3 mucinous cystadenomas, 11 parovarian cysts, 19 cases of hydrosalpinx and 2 cases of tuberculosis.Key Words: Adnexal mass, Laparoscopy, Ovarian cyst     

Use of pulse oximeter for determining distal perfusion in neonates &; infants with suspected vascular compromise

Conclusion The use of a pulse oximeter, which is readily available in the ICU, can be of immense benefit to determine the status of distal limb perfusion in neonates and children who are suspected of having a vascular compromise, and the pulsations cannot be appreciated due to the presence of limb edema. Limb warmth and capillary filling are the primary indicators of vascularity but may be misleading in some patients. The presence of poor quality tracings or absent tracings is a definite indicator of significant ischemia. The use of a pulse oximeter, for determination of oxygen saturation, was declared by Severinghaus and Astrup to be “arguably the most significant technologic advance ever made in monitoring the well being of patients during anaesthesia, recovery and critical care. Perhaps the use of the pulse oximeter for determination of distal perfusion can further augment the statement. Editor Note The authors are to be congratulated for their observations which are clinically relevant. However we urge them to continue their study and obtain meaningful data, with proper statistical analysis. For the time being these observations may be considered preliminary.     

A Training Aid for IV Access

Starting intravenous drip is one of the first steps in the treatment of a patient. Training is the key to attain proficiency to get intravenous access.Key Words: Intravenous access, Training aid     

Giant dentigerous cyst

Dentigerous cyst - a cyst of dental origin, though common in lower jaw is relatively uncommon in upper jaw. Here a 14 years, F, presented with huge swelling of unilateral maxilla and clinicoradiologically diagnosed as dentigerous cyst is being reported along with brief review of literature.     

Mucoid presentation of acute enterocolitis in children: a hospital-based case-control study

A hospital-based case-control study was carried out to clarify the characteristics of mucoid presentation of acute enterocolitis in children. One hundred sixty-eight cases of acute mucoid enterocolitis (study population) were compared with 200 cases of watery diarrhoea and 118 cases of blood dysentery (control groups) on the basis of clinical characteristics and findings on stool examination. Study and control groups were comparable with respect to age, body weight and nutritional status. There was no significant difference in clinical characteristics (duration of diarrhoea, stool frequency, presence of vomiting, fever and dehydration) between patients suffering from mucoid enterocolitis and blood dysentery. However, watery diarrhoea patients had significantly high frequencies of vomiting (p = 0.00001) and dehydration (p     

The impact of a quadrivalent human papillomavirus (types 6, 11, 16, 18) virus-like particle vaccine in European women aged 16 to 24

Background  Quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV types 6/11/16/18) L1 VLP vaccine is highly effective in preventing HPV 6/11/16/18-related cervical and external genital disease. Herein, we evaluated the impact of the quadrivalent HPV 6/11/16/18 L1 VLP vaccine on prevention of HPV-associated cervico-genital lesions in a broad population of sexually active European women.
Methods  Female subjects ( N = 9265) aged 16–24 with four or fewer lifetime sexual partners were enrolled and randomized to quadrivalent HPV vaccine or placebo. Subjects underwent cervicovaginal sampling for HPV DNA detection. Papanicolaou testing and anti-HPV 6/11/16/18 serology testing was also performed.
Results  Vaccine efficacy against lesions representing immediate cervical cancer precursors (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3 or adenocarcinoma in situ ) related to HPV 6/11/16/18 in the per-protocol population was 100.0%[95% confidence interval (95% CI), 89.8–100.0]. Efficacy against external genital lesions (vulvar or vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia, condyloma, vulvar or vaginal cancer) related to vaccine HPV types in the per-protocol European population was 99.0% (95% CI, 94.4–100.0).
Conclusion  These data demonstrate that quadrivalent HPV 6/11/16/18 vaccination programs in 16- to 24-year-old European women can be beneficial.
NCT0009252, NCT00092534, NCT00092495