Effectiveness of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on radiological primary end-point pneumonia among cases of severe community acquired pneumonia in children: A prospective multi-site hospital-based test-negative study in Northern India.

Introduction: Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of under-five mortality in India and Streptococcus pneumoniae is the main bacterial pathogen for it. Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine 13 (PCV13) has been introduced in a phased manner, in the national immunization program of India since 2017/2018. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of PCV13 on chest radiograph (CXR)-confirmed pneumonia, in children hospitalized with WHO-defined severe CAP.

Epidemiology of Hypoxic Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Children Under 5 Years of Age: An Observational Study in Northern India.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the leading cause of under-five mortality in India. An increased risk of mortality has been reported in cases of hypoxic pneumonia.

Methods: The primary objective of this study was to assess the proportion of children aged 2-59 months, hospitalized with hypoxic CAP, as well as socio-demographic, clinical, and radiological features associated with it.

Chest radiograph findings in children aged 2-59 months hospitalised with community-acquired pneumonia, prior to the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in India: a prospective multisite observational study.

Objectives: The current study was a hospital-based surveillance of cases hospitalised with WHO-defined community-acquired pneumonia in children aged 2-59 months, to assess the radiological abnormalities in chest X-rays and to identify the demographic and clinical correlates of specific radiological abnormalities, in residents of prespecified districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India.

Design: Prospective, active, hospital-based surveillance.

Setting: Multisite study conducted in a network of 117 secondary/tertiary care hospitals in four districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India.

Effectiveness of various communication strategies for improving childhood pneumonia case management: a community based behavioral open labeled trial in rural Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Background: Community acquired pneumonia is responsible for 16% of under 5 mortality in India, probably due to delayed recognition and qualified care seeking. Therefore these deaths could possibly be averted by creating community awareness and promoting care seeking from qualified physicians in the government system. The objective of study was to assess the effectiveness of facility-based and village-based behavior change communication interventions delivered to community using validated information, education and communication materials, along with infrastructural strengthening of health facilities, for change in care seeking from government system for community acquired pneumonia in rural Lucknow, India.

Selection of appropriate statistical methods for data analysis.

In biostatistics, for each of the specific situation, statistical methods are available for analysis and interpretation of the data. To select the appropriate statistical method, one need to know the assumption and conditions of the statistical methods, so that proper statistical method can be selected for data analysis. Two main statistical methods are used in data analysis: descriptive statistics, which summarizes data using indexes such as mean and median and another is inferential statistics, which draw conclusions from data using statistical tests such as student's t-test.

Incidence of community acquired pneumonia in children aged 2-59 months of age in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India, in 2016: An indirect estimation.

Introduction: Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is the leading cause of mortality in children younger than five years of age in developing countries, including India. Hence, this prospective study was performed to estimate the incidence of CAP in children (2-59 months)in four districts of Northern India.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey in rural Lucknow was conducted using cluster sampling technique to assess the proportion of CAP cases that were hospitalized in last 12 months (hospitalization fraction).

To assess the effectiveness of various communication strategies for improving childhood pneumonia case management: study protocol of a community based behavioral open labeled trial in rural Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Background: Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is the leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide including India. Many of these deaths can be averted by creating awareness in community about early symptoms of CAP and by ensuring availability of round the clock, quality health care. The objective was to assess the effectiveness of an innovative package of orienting doctors and community health workers about community perceptions on CAP barriers to qualified health care seeking, plus infrastructural strengthening by (i) providing "Pneumonia Drug Kit" (PDK) (ii) establishing "Pneumonia Management Corner" (PMC) at additional primary health center (PHCs) and (iii) "Pneumonia Management Unit" (PMU) at Community health center (CHCs) along with one of 4 different behavior change communication interventions: 1.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI derived kinetic perfusion indices may help predicting seizure control in single calcified neurocysticercosis.

Background: The factors responsible for seizure recurrence in patients with Solitary calcified neurocysticercosis (NCC) are not well understood. Blood brain barrier (BBB) breach may be associated with seizure recurrence. Dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI derived indices k k and v are useful in quantifying BBB permeability.

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy in children with chronic liver disease: Prevalence, pathogenesis and magnetic resonance-based diagnosis.

Background & Aims: Data on minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) in children is scarce. We aimed to study MHE in children with chronic liver disease (CLD) and to validate non-invasive objective tests which can assist in its diagnosis.

Methods: We evaluated 67 children with CLD (38 boys; age 13 [7-18] years) and 37 healthy children to determine the prevalence of MHE.

Intermediate outcomes of rheumatic mitral stenosis post-balloon mitral valvotomy.

Background: Balloon mitral valvotomy is a standard therapeutic modality for managing rheumatic mitral stenosis. Data on intermediate outcomes of this procedure are limited. Thus we investigated the intermediate outcome after balloon mitral valvotomy performed at a large tertiary center in India.

Cytokines, MMP-2, and MMP-9 levels in patients with a solitary cysticercus granuloma.

Objectives: In patients with neurocysticercosis, perilesional inflammatory activity is thought to be responsible for seizures. This study was designed to evaluate the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of cytokines as well as matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 in patients with a solitary cysticercus granuloma.

Materials And Methods: The study included 47 patients suffering from seizures in whom a solitary cysticercus granuloma was detected on a computed tomography (CT) scan.

Diffusion tensor tractography and neuropsychological assessment in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency.

Introduction: Structural imaging of the brain does not demonstrate any changes in a vast majority of patients with vitamin B12 deficiency, even in advanced stages. In this study, we aimed to assess and correlate the functional integrity of the brain fiber tracts using diffusion tensor tractography with neuropsychological examination in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency.

Methods: The study was conducted at two tertiary care centers.

DTI correlates of cognition in term children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.

Background And Aims: Presently, there is no published study that shows association between cognition and white matter injury in spastic cerebral palsy. We aimed to correlate cognitive functions with diffusion tensor imaging derived metrics in spastic diplegic children.

Methods: Twenty-two term children with spastic diplegia and 22 healthy controls were recruited.

Novel corrective equations for complete estimation of human tissue lipids after their partial destruction by perchloric acid pre-treatment: high-resolution (1)H-NMR-based study.

Owing to the small quantity of tissue available in human biopsy specimens, aqueous and lipid components often have to be determined in the same tissue sample. Perchloric acid (PCA) used for the extraction of aqueous metabolites has a deleterious effect on lipid components; the severity of the damage is not known. In this study, human muscle tissue was first treated with PCA to extract aqueous metabolites, and the residue was then used for lipid extraction by conventional methods, i.

Prednisolone in Duchenne muscular dystrophy with imminent loss of ambulation.

An open controlled trial of 0.75 mg/Kg/day prednisolone was conducted at a stage when the patients had started falling several times in a day and stopped on their attaining a chair bound stage, thus minimising the total period of steroid therapy. Out of the 67 DMD patients enrolled in this study, 44 were put on prednisolone therapy and 23 served as controls.