Burden of Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 Deficiency among Older Patients in North India: a Single-Centre Study.

Objectives: Vitamin D and B12 deficiency in older adults is associated with osteoporosis and dementia, respectively. The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D and B12 deficiency among older patients, assess gender-specific differences and analyse seasonal variations in serum levels.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective hospital record-based study.

Routine Pre-operative Laboratory Evaluation: Our Experience at an Obstetric and Gynaecological Pre-anaesthetic Check-Up Clinic.

Introduction Laboratory testing is done before surgery to identify body abnormalities that cannot be detected through clinical evaluation alone. Patients going in for low- or intermediate-risk surgeries are often encouraged to undergo a battery of tests as usual. This cross-sectional observational study evaluated the status of routine pre-operative laboratory tests in American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) Grade I, II, and III adults undergoing elective surgery at a maternity hospital, as well as the impact of these tests on the outcome of the pre-anaesthetic check-up (PAC).

Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) as potential mechanical vectors of the protozoan cyst and helminthic eggs in Kashmir Himalaya, India.

Unlabelled: Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are an important group of non-biting flies that are potential mechanical vectors of protozoan and helminthic pathogens. The present study was carried out to isolate and identify protozoan cysts and helminthic eggs transmitted by blowflies. Surveys were carried out at six different sites, viz.

To evaluate the analgesic effectiveness of bilateral erector spinae plane block versus thoracic epidural analgesia in open cardiac surgeries approached through midline sternotomy.

Background: The efficacy of the erector spinae plane (ESP) block in mitigating postoperative pain has been shown for a range of thoracic and abdominal procedures. However, there is a paucity of literature investigating its impact on postoperative analgesia as well as its influence on weaning and subsequent recovery in comparison to thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) in median sternotomy-based approach for open-cardiac surgeries and hence the study.

Methods: Irrespective of gender or age, 74 adult patients scheduled to undergo open cardiac surgery were enrolled and randomly allocated into two groups: the Group TEA (thoracic epidural block) and the Group ESP (bilateral Erector Spinae Plane block).

Perthes-Like Disorder in a Child with Atypical Bohring-Opitz Syndrome.

Case: Bohring-Opitz syndrome is characterized by facial dysmorphism, intellectual disability, specific upper-limb posturing, and developmental delay. We report a case of 14-year-old girl with bilateral hip pain and loss of mobility. Clinical exome sequencing showed a proband with a heterozygous pathogenic nonsense variant in ASXL1 gene.

Prevalence and Predictors of Venous Stenosis Following First Transvenous Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Implantation.

Objectives: Very few studies have been done on Venous stenosis following the first transvenous cardiac device implantation. We aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of Venous stenosis/Occlusion following the first transvenous cardiac device implantation with venous angiography at one year of follow-up.

Methods: This study was a single-center prospective, observational study.

Accelerated eutrophication alters fish and aquatic health: a quantitative assessment by using integrative multimarker, hydrochemical, and GIS modelling method in an urban lake.

The ramifications of anthropogenic activities on the environment and the welfare of aquatic life in lakes worldwide are becoming increasingly alarming. There is a lack of research in the Indian Himalayas on fish biomarker responses to stressful aquatic conditions and the use of environmetric modelling in GIS. Our research evaluates the environmental health of urban lakes in multiple basins using multi-biomarker endpoints (13 features) in Schizothorax niger and hydrochemical characterization (9 features) of water.

Correlation between Intraoperative Serum Lactate and New-Onset Postoperative Neurodeficits in Patients Undergoing Elective Craniotomies.

Background: Elevated lactate levels in neurosurgical patients are seen in brain tumors, traumatic brain-injury, brain infarction, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Hyperlactatemia during craniotomy may be caused by hypotension due to multiple factors. Recently, intraoperative hyperlactatemia has been associated with fresh-onset neurodeficits.

Yoga-An Alternative Form of Therapy in Patients with Blunt Chest Trauma: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Yoga as alternative form of therapy has shown positive impact on pulmonary functions, exercise capacity, behavioral changes, and inflammation in non-trauma patients. However, the efficacy of Yoga has not been studied in chest trauma patients.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted at level-1 Trauma Centre.

Comparison of Palonosetron with Granisetron for Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Abdominal Surgery.

Background: In patients undergoing laparoscopic surgeries, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a serious concern. With an incidence of 46%-72%, PONV hampers the postoperative recovery in spite of the availability of many antiemetic drugs. The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the efficacy of palonosetron and granisetron for the prevention of PONV in patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery.

A comparative evaluation of lithium estimation for samples collected in different tubes and its stability on storage.

Purpose: Lithium (Li) is a well-established drug for the treatment of bipolar affective disorders. Li as a drug is known to possess a narrow therapeutic index. Thus, regular monitoring of blood Li in patients receiving Li therapy is essential.

Effectiveness of sodium thiopentone, propofol, and etomidate as an ideal intravenous anesthetic agent for modified electroconvulsive therapy.

Introduction: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a well-established psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in patients for therapeutic effects. ECT can produce severe disturbances in the cardiovascular system and a marked increase in cerebral blood flow and intracranial pressure. These cardiovascular changes may be altered using various anesthetic drugs.

Primary Tuberculosis of Hand Soft Tissue.

The musculoskeletal extrapulmonary tuberculosis is uncommon, the upper extremity tuberculosis is not common and the mycobacterial involvement of skin of hands and synovial sheath of tendons is rare. This prospective observational study was undertaken between August 2014 and December 2015 in a tertiary referral hospital. Patients attending with suspected primary tuberculosis of soft tissue of the hand were included.

Comparison Between Measured and Calculated Free Calcium Values at Different Serum Albumin Concentrations.

Introduction: Free ionic calcium is the metabolically active component of total calcium (TCa) in blood. However, most laboratories report TCa levels that are dependent on serum albumin concentration. Hence, several formulae have evolved to calculate free calcium levels from TCa after adjustment for albumin.

Increasing Glucose Concentrations Interfere with Estimation of Electrolytes by Indirect Ion Selective Electrode Method.

The estimation of electrolytes like sodium (Na(+)), potassium (K(+)) and chloride (Cl(-)) using direct and indirect ion-selective electrodes (ISE) is a routine laboratory practice. Interferents like proteins, triglycerides, drugs etc. are known to affect the results.