Publications by authors named "Alok Hemal"
Objectives: The study aimed to assess the incidence of hearing loss (HL) in children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) using pure-tone audiometry and to find the association of HL with the duration of the disease and severity of HIV infection.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was done on 60 children in the age group of five to 18 years who presented to the anti-retroviral therapy (ART) clinic for follow-up. All children were confirmed cases of HIV by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
Introduction: Myeloid sarcoma (MS) is a tumor containing myeloid blasts, with or without maturation, involving any anatomical site other than the bone marrow. It can occur de novo or following a hematological malignancy.
Case: We report a 6-year-old female who presented with fever and a rapidly enlarging left thigh mass.
Hepcidin Levels in Response to Oral Iron Therapy in Children with Anemia.
Indian Pediatr
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to determine how serum hepcidin levels change and how these changes relate to hemoglobin levels in children with iron deficiency anemia during the first two weeks of oral iron therapy.
- - Researchers observed 64 children aged 2-12 years with a starting average hemoglobin of 8.81 g/dL, finding that serum hepcidin levels significantly increased from 7.81 ng/mL at the start to 9.51 ng/mL by day 14 of treatment.
- - Despite the rise in hepcidin levels, no significant correlation was found between the initial hepcidin levels and changes in hemoglobin after one or two weeks of therapy, suggesting that hepcidin may not be a
Objective Objective assessment of neurocognitive lags in pediatric HIV patients and its correlation with various clinical, social and familial factors. Methods Ninety-eight school-aged children living with HIV (CLHIV) (age 7-18 years) attending regional pediatric HIV clinic were observed for neurocognitive lag using Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices by the same trained instructor. Sociodemographic data, mode of transmission, clinical staging, CD4 count, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) duration were recorded and analyzed in the well-performing group and under-performing group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFactors affecting adherence to treatment in children living with HIV.
Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS
July 2020
Background: With the successful introduction of ART, the life expectancy of children living with HIV (CLHIV) is substantially increased. However, strict compliance is a necessary step to begin with as noncompliance is again associated with its own demerits of incomplete suppression and decreasing the overall survival of the patients.
Aims: The aim of this study was to measure factors associated with adherence to ART among CLHIV.
Objective: To assess the prevalence of psychiatric problems among adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV).
Methods: Questionnaire-based cross-sectional study conducted at pediatric HIV clinic of a tertiary care hospital. Participants: 101 ALHIV between 10-18 years of age.
Article Synopsis
- The case report discusses a rare instance of a 2-year-old child diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which is the most common type of leukemia in children, presenting primarily with massive bilateral nephromegaly instead of typical symptoms.
- The child showed symptoms such as abdominal distention, low-grade fever, and constipation, leading to further investigations that revealed severe anemia and atypical cells, ultimately confirming the ALL diagnosis.
- Following the diagnosis, the child began treatment according to international protocols, responded positively, and showed a regression of kidney size, highlighting the importance of considering leukemia in cases of bilateral nephromegaly in children after other causes are ruled out.
Article Synopsis
- Pediatric HIV mortality rates are declining, but challenges like HIV status disclosure are becoming more critical for children living with HIV (CLHIV) transitioning into adulthood.
- * A study in North India revealed that while 93.8% of caregivers believed in the importance of disclosure, only 33% of children actually had their HIV status disclosed, with the best age for this process identified as 10-12 years.
- * The findings suggest a need for tailored HIV disclosure guidelines that align with caregivers’ viewpoints and cultural contexts, emphasizing the importance of caregivers in the process.
Long-term use of stavudine is associated with a high incidence of lipodystrophy, warranting its substitution with zidovudine in first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens. In a prospective observational study, we determined the spectrum and severity of haematological changes after switching from stavudine- to zidovudine-based ART in Indian children aged 2-18 years who had received a stavudine-based ART regimen for at least 48 weeks. They were followed for 48 weeks for changes in haematological parameters and CD4 cell counts after switching to zidovudine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among individuals with HIV infection. Screening for proteinuria in HIV-infected children will help in early detection and treatment, and thus prevention and progression to CKD to end-stage kidney disease (ESRD). We screened 139 HIV-infected children aged 18 months to 18 years for proteinuria by urinary dipstick and confirmed by spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Chronic hemoglobinopathies, such as thalassemia, can lead to bone-related issues like osteoporosis, prompting a study on bone mineral density (BMD) in transfusion-dependent thalassemics compared to healthy controls.
- The study included 32 thalassemia patients aged 2-18 and 32 matched controls, measuring bone mineral concentration (BMC) and BMD at specific sites, along with serum calcium and vitamin D levels.
- Results showed significantly lower BMC and BMD in thalassemia patients, particularly at the neck of femur and lumbar spine, with low serum calcium levels correlating to low BMD, suggesting that low calcium could predict decreased BMD in populations at risk for
Background: It is estimated that about 2.5 million people are living with HIV infection in India. Although antiretroviral drugs have been able to reduce the mortality, these drugs have serious side effects one of which is lipodystrophy syndrome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To determine the occurrence of cardiac involvement in HIV infected children and describe its spectrum using non-invasive tests like ECG and 2-Dimensional Echocardiography (2-D ECHO).
Methods: A cross sectional observational study was carried out on 100 HIV infected children between 1 and 18 y of age. The various cardiac manifestations were determined clinically, by electrocardiogram (ECG) and 2-D echocardiography.
Vascular complication of liver abscess are rare but life-threatening. We herein report a 2 year 9 month boy with pyogenic hepatic abscess complicated by inferior vena cava thrombus extending to right atrium. Early clinical suspicion aided by ultrasonography and echocardiography confirmed the diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSimultaneous HAART improves survival in children coinfected with HIV and TB.
Trop Med Int Health
January 2012
Objectives: This study assesses the outcome of current treatment guidelines and the effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on survival of HIV/TB-coinfected patients in a resource-limited setting.
Methods: Observational cohort study at the pediatric HIV Clinic, RML Hospital, Delhi. All HIV-infected patients who visited the clinic for the diagnosis of TB between 2002 and 2006 were observed until 31 March 2010.
Article Synopsis
- - Febrile seizures, occurring in 2-5% of U.S. children, are mostly simple, but can be classified as complex if they have specific features like focal onset or prolonged duration.
- - Identifiable risk factors exist for initial febrile seizures and their recurrence, but while recurrence is possible, serious outcomes like death or brain damage are very rare.
- - There's an evolving perspective on treating febrile seizures, as anti-epileptic medications prevent recurrences but do not affect the overall risk of developing epilepsy later on.