A Prospective Observational Study of Endotracheal Intubation Practices in an Academic Emergency Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India.

Introduction: Airway management is the first critical step to be addressed in the airway, breathing, and circulation algorithm for stabilizing critically ill patients. Since the emergency department (ED) is the primary contact of these patients in health care, doctors in the ED should be trained to perform advanced airway management. In India, emergency medicine has been recognized as a new specialty by the Medical Council of India (now the National Medical Commission) since 2009.

Diagnostic performance of real time PCR for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in cerebrospinal fluid samples.

Purpose: We aimed this study to standardize real time - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples and compare its diagnostic performance with GeneXpert (Xpert), Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) and Multiplex PCR (MPCR) for tuberculous meningitis (TBM).

Methodology: A total of 217 CSF samples were obtained from patients with suspected TBM during the study period between January 2019 and December 2021. The optimal cycle threshold (CT) of RT-PCR was determined by comparing different gene targets of Mtb (IS6110, 16SrRNA, HSP65 and Ag85B).

Thyroid Function Abnormalities and Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 Infection: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Thyroid gland can be affected by the COVID-19 infection. The pattern of thyroid function abnormality reported in COVID-19 is variable; in addition, some drugs used in COVID-19 patients like glucocorticoids and heparin can affect the thyroid function tests (TFT). We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study of thyroid function abnormalities with thyroid autoimmune profile in COVID-19 patients with varying severity from November 2020 to June 2021.

Molecular diagnosis, genetic diversity and drug sensitivity patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from tuberculous meningitis patients at a tertiary care hospital in South India.

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most severe form of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection in humans and is a public health concern worldwide. We evaluated the performance of GeneXpert MTB/RIF (GeneXpert) for the diagnosis of TBM. In addition, genetic diversity and drug susceptibility profiling of Mtb strains isolated from TBM patients were also investigated.

Inadequate inhaler technique, an everlasting problem, is associated with poor disease control - A cross sectional study.

Introduction: Dry powder inhalers (DPI) have been in use in the treatment of chronic respiratory diseases for decades. DPIs require proper inhaler technique to ensure appropriate dose delivery to the lungs which in turn provides disease control and hence reduces the economic burden due to frequent acute attacks and hospital visits. Inadequate inhaler technique remains an everlasting problem among patients with chronic respiratory disease.