Publications by authors named "Balan S"

Objectives: Inappropriate prescriptions are known to cause medication-related problems, but little is known about the prevalence of this issue in paediatric patients. This systematic review provides an overview of the prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescriptions identified through tools developed for the paediatric population and delineates the strengths and limitations of the identification tools.

Methods: Literature from PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane database and Google Scholar was searched with a combination of medical subject headings (MeSH) and free-text terms related to inappropriate prescriptions, paediatrics and potentially inappropriate prescription tools.

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  • Scurvy, often seen as a condition of the past, is frequently overlooked in children, particularly those with neurodevelopmental disorders, leading to misdiagnosis and unnecessary tests.
  • This study presents 10 cases of children diagnosed with scurvy at Amrita Hospital between 2017 to 2022, highlighting their clinical symptoms, imaging results, and recovery after vitamin C treatment.
  • Findings suggest that pediatricians and rheumatologists should consider scurvy when faced with unexplained bone pain, and address selective eating habits to prevent complications.
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Chronic kidney disease in children is being increasingly recognised and reported worldwide, and the focus of paediatric dialysis planning has changed from acute care alone to encompass chronic care. In many parts of the world, haemodialysis for children is performed in adult units and is based on standards established for adults. This review proposes standards for paediatric haemodialysis, incorporating special requirements for children while simultaneously drawing from the adult experience.

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of synthetic organic chemicals of global concern. A group of 36 scientists and regulators from 18 countries held a hybrid workshop in 2022 in Zürich, Switzerland. The workshop, a sequel to a previous Zürich workshop held in 2017, deliberated on progress in the last five years and discussed further needs for cooperative scientific research and regulatory action on PFASs.

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Background: Cervical cancer is ranked as the second most common cancer in India. This study aims to assess the cervical cancer burden at the national and subnational level in India, projecting it for the year 2025 in terms of years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).

Methods: Twenty-eight population based cancer registries within the National Cancer Registry Programme network contributed cancer incidence and mortality data for this analysis.

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Wolfram syndrome 1 (WS1) is a rare, autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by diabetes insipidus, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, and deafness resulting from loss-of-function genetic variants in the WFS1 gene. Individuals with WS1 manifest a spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we report a pediatric case of WS1, which stemmed from a novel biallelic WFS1 loss-of-function genetic variant.

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Cosmetics make up one of the consumer product categories most widely known to contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), including precursors to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and other perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs). Because of the way cosmetics are used, most of the PFASs present in these products are likely to reach wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), which suggests that cosmetics may contribute significantly to the load of PFOA and other PFASs at WWTPs. However, the majority of PFASs present as intentional ingredients in cosmetics cannot be quantified with the available analytical methods.

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  • Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is rare in children, and there's limited research on juvenile-onset MCTD (jMCTD), particularly in Southeast Asia.
  • A study involving eleven pediatric rheumatology centers in India analyzed clinical and laboratory data from 31 jMCTD patients, revealing common symptoms like arthritis, malar rash, and Raynaud's phenomenon.
  • The findings highlight the need for better understanding and management of jMCTD in children, with 45% of patients in remission after an average follow-up of 43 months.
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  • CACP syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that includes symptoms like camptodactyly, coxa vara, arthritis, and constrictive pericarditis, primarily caused by mutations in the PRG4 gene.
  • A study evaluated 13 individuals from eight related Indian families, confirming the diagnosis through exome and Sanger sequencing to identify disease-causing variants.
  • The research uncovered five new and two previously known mutations in PRG4, highlighting the common physical symptoms observed in these patients, such as joint deformities and arthritis in major joints.
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NK cells are innate lymphocytes critical for surveillance of viruses and tumors, however the mechanisms underlying NK cell dysfunction in cancer are incompletely understood. We assessed the effector function of NK cells from bladder cancer patients and found severe dysfunction in NK cells derived from tumors versus peripheral blood. While both peripheral and tumor-infiltrating NK cells exhibited conserved patterns of inhibitory receptor over-expression, this did not explain the observed defects in NK surveillance in bladder tumors.

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  • The authors conducted a thorough examination of their data and manuscript figures.
  • They found an area needing correction to improve the clarity of their research.
  • The correction aims to enhance the precision of their findings for better understanding.
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Introduction: Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease characterized by loss of bone mass, reduced bone strength and increased bone fragility predisposing to fractures. This study was planned to evaluate the efficacy, safety and relative bioavailability of Microcore NESC (Natural Egg Shell Calcium) in osteopenia and osteoporotic patients.

Methods: This was a randomized, open label, parallel group interventional clinical trial which included 60 study participants with osteopenia and osteoporosis who were randomized into three groups (20 each).

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Background In the realm of surgical and postoperative care, the application of wound dressings is a standard practice to facilitate healing, minimize infection risks, and offer a protective barrier against pathogens for optimal recovery. For instance, Theruptor is an active advanced wound care product with patented microbicidal technology. In the present study, we conducted a randomized clinical trial to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of Healthium Theruptor, 3M Tegaderm, and plain gauze dressings in patients undergoing abdominal and joint surgeries.

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• Obstructive HCM with superimposed takotsubo syndrome led to shock. • The use of an IABP worsened outflow obstruction. • Putting the IABP on standby improved outflow tract gradients dramatically.

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This study sought to evaluate the impact of telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic among patients discharged from psychiatric inpatient units in the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation system. We compared patients discharged to telepsychiatry (April 2020, n = 739) and in-person follow-up (May 2019, n = 527); we collected number, timing and attendance for follow-up appointments and number and timing of emergency room (ER) visits and readmissions. We used logistic regression to evaluate the odds of having these encounters and Kaplan-Meier analyses to compare time to these encounters.

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Background: Stent grafts (SGs) are widely used in hemodialysis access procedures to maintain function and patency of the access circuit. There are no reports to date describing complete relining of the access circuit with SGs for extreme access salvage.

Objective: To report outcomes and experience with complete SG relining of the hemodialysis access circuit.

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Purpose: Covered stent grafts (SGs) are currently being used in a wide variety of situations to maintain function and patency of hemodialysis access circuits. Stent grafts are rarely placed across the elbow joint (EJ), however, due to fear of stent fracture. This study reports on the experience and patency rates with SGs across the EJ.

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  • * Variants in MVK lead to rare autoinflammatory disorders, ranging from mild hyper-IgD syndrome to severe mevalonic aciduria, while PMVK variants were primarily linked to porokeratosis until recently.
  • * A recent case study describes a child with arthritis and a HIDS-like condition due to a novel PMVK variant, highlighting its potential link to autoinflammatory diseases, supported by increased interleukin 1β production.
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Underwater sea caves form a relatively under-examined habitat type within the marine regions of Europe, although they provide unique physical conditions such as reduced light and wave energy, in addition to reduced temperature amplitude. This study aimed at revealing the characteristics of submerged cavities on the southern Romanian continental shelf where six protected areas exist. We used high-resolution bathymetry data and side-scan sonar imaging to identify limestone outcrops where cavities would be most probable to form and then performed visual observation during SCUBA diving activities.

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Background: Hemodialysis access sites can be complicated by both true and false aneurysms with significant potential morbidity. Aneurysms have traditionally been treated by a variety of surgical methods. Less commonly, endovascular treatment with stent graft placement has been used as an alternative to open surgery.

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