Multidrug-Resistant Musculoskeletal Tuberculosis: An Aggressive Clinical, Radiological and Molecular Confirmation With Genotypic Drug Susceptibility Testing Approach.

Introduction Increasing evidence suggests that musculoskeletal tuberculosis (MSTB) causes significant morbidity due to the late presentation of symptoms and lack of accurate diagnosis. We aimed to assess the utility of two modalities, viz. radiology and molecular methods, in the early diagnosis of MSTB.

Clinical profile and in-hospital outcomes of COVID-19 patients: Findings from secondary data analysis.

Background: Uttarakhand, a hilly state in north India, reported the first coronavirus disease (COVID) case on 15 March 2020. Since then, the case numbers rose multiple folds. As Uttarakhand has been on a 'war-footing' amidst the recent second wave and is gearing up to fight against the third wave, the present study aims to uncover baseline clinical profile and in-hospital outcomes of COVID patients in Dehradun district (Uttarakhand) during the first wave.

Serum Interleukin-6 is Not Linked with Sleep-Quality, Restless Legs Syndrome, and Depression, But with 6-Month Survival in Hematological Malignancies.

Background: Serum interleukin (IL)-6 has been found to be associated with sleep quality, mood, and survival in patients with solid tumors. Results in these studies were confounded by knowledge of diagnosis to study subjects. Moreover, such data among subjects with hematological malignancies and data regarding restless legs syndrome is limited.

Diagnostic performance of automated liquid culture and molecular line probe assay in smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis.

The diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is particularly challenging, and automated liquid culture and molecular line probe assays (LPA) may prove particularly useful. The objective of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of automated liquid culture (ALC) technology and commercial LPA in sputum smear-negative PTB suspects. Spot sputum samples were collected from 145 chest-symptomatic smear-negative patients and subjected to ALC, direct drug susceptibility test (DST) testing and LPA, as per manufacturers' instructions.

ESBL and MBL in Cefepime Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa: An Update from a Rural Area in Northern India.

Introduction: Cefepime, a fourth generation cephalosporin, is widely used for the empirical treatment of serious infections in critically ill hospitalized patients. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), one of the commonest bacteria causing nosocomial infections has a propensity to develop antibiotic resistance quite promptly.

Granzyme B as a diagnostic marker of tuberculosis in patients with and without HIV coinfection.

Immunodiagnostic tests for tuberculosis (TB) are based on the estimation of interferon γ (IFN-γ) or IFN-γ-secreting CD4(+) T cells following ex vivo stimulation with ESAT6 and CFP-10. Sensitivity of these tests is likely to be compromised in CD4(+) T-cell-depleted situations, like HIV-TB coinfection. CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, isolated from 3 groups, viz.

Fluconazole Resistant Candida Oesophagitis in Immunocompetent Patients: Is Empirical Therapy Justifiable?

Introduction: C. albicans (Candida albicans) is the foremost cause of fungal oesophagitis, however other species such as Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei and Candida stellatoidea have also been implicated to cause this condition. Although, numerous studies have identified risk factors for C.

Amphotericin B Resistant Apophysomyces elegans Causing Rhino-oculo-Cerebral Mucormycosis in an Immunocompetent Host.

Mucormycosis, an angioinvasive infection is caused by the ubiquitous filamentous fungi of the order Mucorales and class Mucormycetes. Reports of this disease are on the rise over the past few decades. Rhino-oculo-Cerebral presentation associated with uncontrolled diabetes is the predominant characteristic of this entity.

Epidemiological and mycological characteristics of candidemia in patients with hematological malignancies attending a tertiary-care center in India.

Background And Objectives: We undertook the present study to ascertain the contributing risk factors and explore the epidemiological and mycological characteristics of opportunistic candidemia among patients with hematological malignancies.

Design And Settings: Observational cross-sectional study in a tertiary care center.

Patients And Methods: Consecutive patients with hematological malignancies reporting to the collaborating medical and pediatric units with a febrile episode were recruited and screened for candidemia by blood culture.

Non traumatic keratitis due to colletotrichum coccodes: a case report.

Colletotrichum species, a rare and emerging fungus is a well- known plant pathogen and an uncommon cause of human infection. It has been implicated as the etiological agent of cutaneous phaeohyphomycosis and keratitis, particularly following colonization of traumatized tissues or in immunocompromised patients. However, it has hardly ever been reported in the absence of such predisposing risk factors.

Ibuprofen-mediated reversal of fluconazole resistance in clinical isolates of Candida.

Introduction: In view of the increasing prevalence of invasive Candidiasis in today's health-care scenario and the emergence of fluconazole resistance among clinical isolates of Candida, we sought to determine if Ibuprofen could elicit a reversal of fluconazole resistance and thereby offer a potential therapeutic breakthrough in fluconazole-resistant Candidiasis.

Materials And Methods: We selected 69 clinical isolates of Candida, which demonstrated an MIC of >32 μg/ml for fluconazole, and subjected them to broth microdilution in presence and absence of Ibuprofen.

Results: Forty two of the 69 isolates (60.

Application of lipoarabinomannan antigen in tuberculosis diagnostics: current evidence.

Tests based on the detection of mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan (LAM) antigen in urine have emerged as potential point-of-care tests for tuberculosis (TB). We aimed to assimilate the current evidence regarding the diagnostic performance of LAM assays and to ascertain their clinical indication in settings with high and low prevalence of HIV-TB co-infection. Owing to suboptimal sensitivity, the urinary LAM assays are unsuitable as general screening tests for TB.

An observational study on the epidemiological and mycological profile of Candidemia in ICU patients.

Background: This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological and mycological profile of candidemia in intensive care unit (ICU) patients attending a tertiary care teaching hospital in the Himalayan region of northern India.

Material/methods: A 15-bed medico-surgical ICU and a 5-bed pediatric ICU. Ninety-one consecutively admitted ICU patients were screened for the presence of candidemia by performing blood cultures at periodic intervals.