Outbreak investigation of lead neurotoxicity in children from artificial jewelry cottage industry.

Background: Although lead neurotoxicity is a known phenomenon, it can often be missed at a primary or secondary care level especially if detailed environmental exposure history is missed.

Methods: This is an outbreak investigation where we observed 15 pediatric cases with neurologic signs and symptoms clustered in a slum area known for an unorganized artificial jewelry industry. Their clinical, biochemical, and epidemiological features were compared with 14 other children from the same region reporting with non-neurological symptoms who were considered as unmatched controls.

Study of secondhand smoke levels pre and post implementation of the comprehensive smoking ban in mumbai.

Objectives: This research was undertaken with the aim of assessing the indoor air quality in popular hospitality venues, as also to evaluate the effectiveness of the nationwide comprehensive public smoking ban. The analysis was split into two halves - baseline study taken up prior to implementation of the said ban on 2(nd) October 2008, and the follow-up study after it came into effect.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-five venues including five restaurants, fourteen resto-bars, two hookah (smoking water-pipe) cafes and four pubs were selected using a mix of random, convenience and purposeful sampling.

Determination of toxic metals in Indian smokeless tobacco products.

This study targets the lesser-known ingredients of smokeless tobacco products, i.e., the toxic metals, in Indian brands.

Pattern of secondary acquired drug resistance to antituberculosis drug in Mumbai, India--1991-1995.

A retrospective observational study was conducted to find out whether secondary acquired drug resistance to isoniazid and ethambutol is high and to rifamycin and pyrazinamide is low, as is commonly believed in India. There were 2033 patients, whose sputum samples (6099) were reviewed from a specimen registry of the microbiology laboratory for the years 1991 to 1995. Of these, 521 (25.

Prevalence of respiratory symptoms, bronchial hyperreactivity, and asthma in a megacity. Results of the European community respiratory health survey in Mumbai (Bombay).

To estimate adult asthma prevalence in the world's most rapidly growing mega-city, we applied epidemiologic surveillance tools, as a cooperating center of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey, to a randomly selected sample of Mumbai (Bombay) residents in 1992 through 1995. From a metropolitan population of over 10 million, we took a one-in-ten random sample from electoral rolls in a socially diverse residential district, and examined asthma symptoms in adults age 20 to 44 yr. In Phase I, we interviewed 2,313 adults about symptoms, asthma diagnosis, and medications in the previous 12 mo.

Lung function tests in normal Indian children.

The forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, peak expiratory flow, mid-expiratory flow and maximum voluntary ventilation was measured in 632 healthy, normal children from Metropolitan city of Bombay using computerized spirometer. The children were between age range 6 years to 15 years and belong to high or middle and lower socio economic status. The pulmonary function data was separated by sex, and classified on the basis of height and age.