Clinical Profile and Outcome of Snake Bite Patients from Tertiary Healthcare Center: In Sub-Himalayan Region: A Medical College-based Study.

Objective: Snake bite is an emergency in tropical and subtropical countries. It is a neglected disease and is most commonly seen in rural setups, where people are ignorant about the venomous snake bites. It results in increased mortality and morbidity because precious time is wasted, either in consulting traditional healers or waiting for the development of signs and symptoms of envenomation.

Dyspepsia with alarm symptoms in patients aged less than 60 years: Is upper gastrointestinal endoscopy justified in Indian scenario?

Background: Newer American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) guidelines do not suggest endoscopy to investigate alarm features for dyspepsia patients under the age of 60 to exclude upper gastrointestinal (GI) neoplasia. The validity of this recommendation has not been evaluated in our population. So, this study was conducted to assess the utility of upper GI endoscopy to investigate alarm features in dyspepsia patients less than 60 years of age to exclude upper GI neoplasia.

Wasp envenomation-induced acute renal failure: a report of three cases.

Acute renal failure is an unusual complication of wasp stings. We report three cases who developed acute renal failure after multiple wasp stings (Vespa magnifica). Two patients had evidence of intravascular haemolysis and rhabdomyolysis whereas one patient investigation showed no evidence of intravascular haemolysis or rhabdomyolysis.

Kala-Azar at high altitude.

Kala-azar or Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a disease of low altitude (approximately 500 meters mean sea level). In India, however cases have been reported from sub-Himalayan region (350-960 meters MSL) of Kumaon region of Uttaranchal. We present two patients of VL, natives of tribal district of Kinnnaur (2000-3000 meters MSL), Himachal Pradesh, who had never visited known endemic area for Leishmaniasis.

Neurocysticercosis presenting with psychosis.

Cysticercosis consists of infection with the small bladder-like larvae of the pork tapeworm Taenia solium. The life cycle of parasite is maintained between man and pig infected with cysticerci. Epilepsy is the most common presentation of neurocysticercosis; focal signs, headache, involuntary movements and global mental deterioration are other symptoms.