Implications of Corona Virus Disease-19 pandemic on cytopathology laboratory-Challenges and solutions in resource-limited settings.

Background: Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) disease which is still showing peaks and plateau with emerging new mutational viral variants has led to the modification of working of hospitals and medical institutes. Cytopathology laboratories geared up with the changing situation to cope up with not only the COVID-19 patients but also patients of other diseases, particularly oncology patients. It was also important to adopt changes in the cytopathology residency program so as to cope up with the changing scenario.

Extended blood group phenotyping of donors from the lower and middle Himalayan region of Uttarakhand India: A pilot study.

Background: The state of Uttarakhand, bordering countries such as Tibet and Nepal, is a multi-ethnic region. Further, erythrocyte alloimmunization may arise from the incompatibility of major and/or minor blood groups between ethnically diverse donors and recipients. We aimed to screen Uttarakhand blood donors (UBDs) for extended phenotyping of their erythrocytes serologically.

A Cross-Sectional Comparative Characterization of Hematological Changes in Patients with COVID-19 Infection, Non-COVID Influenza-like Illnesses and Healthy Controls.

Introduction: Studies have documented the role of the "neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio" (NLR) in influenza virus infection. In addition, morphometric parameters derived from automated analyzers on the volume, scatter and conductivity of monocytes, neutrophils and lymphocytes in many viral etiologies have helped with their early differentiation. With this background, we aimed to characterize the hematological changes of coronavirus-positive cases and also compare them with the healthy controls and patients affected by non-COVID Influenza-like illnesses so that early isolation could be considered.

Significance of mandating a dedicated hemovigilance nurse and objectification of 'imputability' levels. Experience from a hospital-based blood centre in India.

Background: National Hemovigilance Programme aims at improving patient and donor outcomes by monitoring adverse reactions. This requires an additional effort by existing manpower that is already a handful and may offer a leeway if not mandated and designated to a hemovigilance nurse.

Aims And Objectives: To analyse the reported adverse transfusion reactions (ATR) and their subsequent uplink/upload into the Hemovigilance program of India (HvPI) and to observe subjective discrepancy in the diagnosis of ATR and their imputability to transfusion.

Analytical and Post Analytical Phase of an ISO 15189:2012 Certified Cytopathology Laboratory-A Five Year Institutional Experience.

Objective: Analytical and post analytical phase are integral part of total quality management system and include steps from submission of slides till reports are dispatched. The present study was conducted to analyze the analytical and post analytical phase of the ISO15189:2012 certified cytopathology laboratory. It was also intended to study the various errors which were encountered and steps taken to reduce these discrepancies.

Reviewing the Ethical Concerns of the Convalescent Plasma Therapy in COVID-19.

The understanding of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is evolving periodically. There is also a marked increase in COVID-19 patients' demand for the provision of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) therapy. With the review of the literature, the stage of speculation is quickly moving towards conformity, with the interim guidelines given by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, United Kingdom's blood transfusion services, Saudi's FDA, and the Indian Council for Medical Research, in addition to the European health authorities.

Locally harvested Covid-19 convalescent plasma could probably help combat the geographically determined SARS-CoV-2 viral variants.

The only effective way to provide individuals with herd immunity against the novel coronavirus [SARS-CoV-2] is to administer an effective vaccine that will help check the current pandemic status. In India, the central drugs standard control organization (CDSCO) has granted the emergency-use authorization [EUA] to three vaccines namely, Covishield (live vaccine, Oxford AstraZeneca, United Kingdom being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India), Covaxin (inactivated vaccine, Bharat Biotech, India) and Sputnik V (live vaccine, Gamaleya, Russia). However, there is a rising need for the efficacy of the vaccines to be proven against the "SARS-CoV-2 viral variants.

Strawberry milky-white blood donor's plasma: signaling uncontrolled diabetic lipemia.

Intake of a fatty meal before donating blood can lead to an increased level of plasma triglyceride concentration for several hours. This may cause either turbid and or "milky-white" appearance of their venous plasma samples. We, however, report a peculiar case about a male blood donor from India, whose plasma appeared to be "strawberry milky-white" in colour.

Filariasis presenting as a solitary testicular mass.

In an endemic country like India, the occurrence of filariasis is very common, especially in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. The present study describes the case of a male from a nonendemic state who presented with a testicular lump. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the lump revealed many adult filarial worms.

Study of the Pre-Analytical Phase of an ISO 15189: 2012-Certified Cytopathology Laboratory: A 5-Year Institutional Experience.

Objective: Total quality management, which basically involves pre-analytical, analytical, and postanalytical phases, is relatively more difficult in cytopathology due to descriptive reports and subjective variability. The pre-analytical phase of total quality management constitutes a major burden of errors in the laboratory and it has not been widely studied in cytopathology except in cervical Pap smears. The present study was therefore conducted to study the pre-analytical phase over 5 years from April 2013 until May 2018 at an ISO 15189: 2012-certified cytopathology laboratory, in a resource-limited setting.

Familial Hepatocellular Carcinoma- First Reported Case from India.

Familial clustering of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is commonly observed in various parts of the world including China and Eastern Asia where HBV is endemic while in western world, genetic factors and metabolic disorders may play an important role. In India, HCC is considered to be a rare tumour and till date no case of familial HCC has been reported here. Therefore the present case demonstrates rare occurrence of familial HCC which is being reported for the first time from India on cytology.

Implementation of an education development project in pathology to improve student competency-lessons learnt.

Context: Basic medical sciences and clinical teachings are not coordinated in the present medical education system. They are not taught keeping in mind the outcomes required at the time of actual handling of patients in the community.

Aims: An educational development project was implemented in the Department of Pathology with the aim that it will result in the student learning to link the pathophysiology of the disease to clinical scenarios and become fully competent for lifelong medical practice.

Transbronchial needle aspiration with rapid on-site evaluation: a prospective study on efficacy, feasibility and cost effectiveness.

Background: Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) has an established role in diagnosis of hilar and mediastinal lesions. Rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) of TBNA smears can determine the adequacy of TBNA smears that can obviate the need for repeat procedures, thus avoiding added cost. There is paucity of data from India showing efficacy and cost-effectiveness of ROSE.

Clinico-pathological profile of sinonasal masses: An experience in tertiary care hospital of Uttarakhand.

Background: The purpose of this study was to classify various types of non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions presenting as sinonasal mass and characterize their clinico-pathological profile in a tertiary care center in the state of Uttarakhand.

Materials And Methods: This was a prospective study where 110 cases of sinonasal masses were included over a period of 12 months. Clinico-pathological study was carried out in these cases.

Choroid plexus carcinoma in an adult.

Choroid plexus carcinoma is a very rare tumor in adults. Here we report a rare case of choroid plexus carcinoma in an adult patient. A 24-year-old male presented with a right temporal intraventricular tumor with a cystic component also extending up to the cortex.

Utilization of blood and components in a tertiary care hospital.

Purpose: Blood transfusion is an important part of patient management. Indications for blood use must be clear in the mind of ordering clinicians, to avoid its misuse and also to avoid unnecessary exposure of the patient to donor blood antigens, adverse reactions and transfusion transmissible diseases.

Methods: In a retrospective pilot study, details of whole blood and components transfused were noted and correlated with the patient's diagnosis and indications for transfusion, during 1 month.

Hematological malignancies diagnosed by bone marrow examination in a tertiary hospital at Uttarakhand, India.

Introduction: Hematological malignancies are quite common and affect all ages and genders. The diagnosis involves a multiparameter approach. The geographical distribution of various types of hematological malignancies has been provided by various authors but no such data have been published regarding the State of Uttarakhand in India.

Rosai Dorfman syndrome - A rare clinical entity.

Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (also known as Rosai Dorfman syndrome) is a unique disease of unknown etiology with a childhood predilection. It is an uncommon benign condition, often confused with lymphoma. Patients usually present with massive, painless, bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy and clinical course is variable.

Sodium stibogluconate-sensitive visceral leishmaniasis in the non-endemic hilly region of Uttarakhand, India.

Although visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is endemic in various parts of India, mainly Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa, and neighbouring countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh, it is rarely reported from the hilly areas of India. We report on nine male VL cases from the non-endemic Garhwal region of Uttarakhand who were treated successfully with sodium stibogluconate. We conclude that sodium stibogluconate-sensitive VL is emerging in this region and that urgent and effective vector control measures may be warranted to prevent the disease from becoming a major health problem and to ensure that resistance to sodium stibogluconate does not emerge.

Pattern of cancers amongst patients attending Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun.

This hospital-based study seeks to find out the most common cancers amongst the patients attending Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS), Dehradun, situated in Uttaranchal, which has inadequate health care facilities and low socio-economical status. In our study, of the 20,247 cases reported in the pathology department from July 1996 to Dec. 2003, 18.