Transmissibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 among household contacts of coronavirus disease 2019-positive patients: A community-based study in India.

Background: This study identified the risk factors for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection among household contacts of index patients and determined the incubation period (IP), serial interval, and estimates of secondary infection rate in Kerala, India.

Methods: We conducted a cohort study in three districts of Kerala among the inhabitants of households of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction-positive coronavirus disease 2019 patients between January and July 2021. About 147 index patients and 362 household contacts were followed up for 28 days to determine reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction positivity and the presence of total antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 on days 1, 7, 14, and 28.

Alagille Syndrome: A Case Report.

Alagille Syndrome (ALGS) is a rare, autosomal dominant inherited disorder that causes abnormalities of liver, eye, heart, skeleton and distinctive facial appearance. ALGS is caused by mutation in one of two genes: JAG1 and NOTCH2. There are some reports of Hearing Loss in patients with ALGS raising the possibility of involvement of both structural components of middle ear and sensorineural components of the inner ear.

STEPS: A Solution for Ensuring Standards of TB Care for Patients Reaching Private Hospitals in India.

Background: In India, the private sector diagnoses and treats more patients with TB than the public sector. Gaps in the TB care cascade were observed more among the patients diagnosed in the private sector.

Concept: The System for TB Elimination in Private Sector (STEPS) model evolved as a solution to address gaps in the quality of care for patients in the private sector by ensuring standards of TB care.

Clinical and VNG Features in Anterior Canal BPPV-An Analysis of 13 Cases.

To define diagnostic VNG features in anterior canal BPPV during positional testing (Dix-Hallpike, supine head hanging, and McClure Pagnini tests). A retrospective study of patients diagnosed with anterior canal BPPV across four referral centers in New Delhi, Kochi, Bangalore, and Dubai. Clinical records of 13 patients with AC BPPV out of 1,350 cases, during a 3-years period, were reviewed and analyzed by four specialists.

Economics of cancer care: A community-based cross-sectional study in Kerala, India.

Background: The estimated incidence of cancer cases in Kerala for 2014 was 31,400 and the mortality associated with it was 13,816. Although the treatment of cancer has shown remarkable advances, it has come with increasing costs.

Objective: The objective of this study is to estimate the economic burden of cancer in Vypin Block Panchayat at Ernakulam by analyzing the average total direct and indirect cost of cancer care, socioeconomic status, and cost of cancer care between government and private hospitals.

Small Fenestra Stapedotomy Versus Large Fenestra Stapedectomy in Improving Hearing Ability in Patients with Otosclerosis: Our 10 Years Experience.

The aim of this study was to review the experience with surgical treatment of otosclerosis over the last 10 years at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre and to compare it with reported outcomes. A total of 125 patients who had reported between January 2008 and June 2018 were selected for the study. The inclusion criteria for the study included the age group 15-60 years, conductive hearing loss with intact tympanic membrane and an air-bone-gap (ABG) of more than 30 dB.

Prevalence of Neglected Tropical Diseases (Leishmaniasis and Lymphatic Filariasis) and Malaria Among a Migrant Labour Settlement in Kerala, India.

Neglected tropical diseases (visceral leismaniasis, lymphatic filariasis) and malaria are endemic in northern states of India. Kerala has become a hub of construction activities employing a large number of migrants from these endemic states. Studies on morbidity pattern among migrants in Kerala are lacking.

Detection of occult hepatitis B and window period infection among blood donors by individual donation nucleic acid testing in a tertiary care center in South India.

With the introduction of highly sensitive hepatitis B surface antigen immunoassay, transfusion associated HBV infection have reduced drastically but they still tend to occur due to blood donors with occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) and window period (WP) infection. Sera from, 24338 healthy voluntary blood donors were screened for HBsAg, HIV and HCV antibody using Vitros Enhanced Chemiluminescent Immunoassay. The median age of the donor population was 30 (range 18-54) with male preponderance (98%).

Oropharyngeal Dysphagia: neurogenic etiology and manifestation.

To determine the type, severity and manifestation of dysphagia in patients with neurogenic etiology. Clinical documentation was done on the different etiologies, its manifestation, assessment findings and management strategies taken for patients with neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia who were referred for assessment and management of dysphagia over a period of three months in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Flexible endoscopic examination was done in all the patients.

Improving outcomes and reducing costs by modular training in infection control in a resource-limited setting.

Objective: To study the impact of modular training and implementation of infection control practices on all health-care-associated infections (HAIs) in a cardiac surgery (CVTS) program of a tertiary care hospital.

Design: Baseline data were compared with post-intervention (with modular training) data.

Setting: This study was conducted in a cardiovascular surgical unit.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus in patients with chronic liver disease from Kerala: impact on vaccination policy.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccination is recommended worldwide for patients with chronic liver disease to prevent decompensation due to superinfection with HAV. There are recent reports of decline in HAV seroprevalence in developing countries, where hepatitis A was considered hyperendemic. This phenomenon would have implication on policy of hepatitis A vaccination in chronic liver disease in our region.

Colorectal cancer distribution in 220 Indian patients undergoing colonoscopy.

Aim: Colorectal cancer is one of the major cancers in the developed world. The incidence of colorectal cancer is low in India. The aim of the present study was to describe the anatomical distribution and age at diagnosis of colorectal cancer in India.

Muscle cell membrane damage by very low serum sodium.

A 63-year-old male was admitted with complaints of upper gastrointestinal symptoms with fatigue and myalgia. Investigations revealed severe hyponatremia with elevated creatine phosphokinase levels. Following further workup, it was diagnosed as a case of hyponatremia induced rhabdomyolysis.

Chronic pancreatitis. A prospective nationwide study of 1,086 subjects from India.

Context: Chronic pancreatitis is common in India. However, its risk factors are not clear. There is sparse data on the current prevalence of tropical pancreatitis in India.

Groove pancreatitis: a case report and review of literature.

Context: Groove pancreatitis is a rare type of segmental pancreatitis characterized by fibrous scars of the anatomic space between the dorsocranial part of the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, and the common bile duct.

Case Report: A 40-year-old man, with a past history of chronic alcohol consumption presented with epigastric pain radiating to the back and intermittent vomiting and a weight loss of 9 kg. A CT of the abdomen revealed swelling of the pancreatic head, a hypodense mass and duodenal wall thickening with luminal narrowing.

Agenesis of the dorsal pancreas with chronic calcific pancreatitis. case report, review of the literature and genetic basis.

Context: Agenesis of the dorsal pancreas is a rare developmental anomaly. This anomaly may be complicated by recurrent acute and chronic pancreatitis.

Case Report: We report the case of a 28-year-old female with agenesis of the dorsal pancreas and chronic calcific pancreatitis.

Tropical pancreatitis - a distinct entity, or merely a type of chronic pancreatitis?

Tropical pancreatitis was described 50 years ago as a disease of the tropical regions, particularly southern India, with young age at onset, malnutrition, rapid progression, severe pancreatic damage with multiple large ductal calculi, and absence of history of alcoholism or biliary tract disease as its hallmarks. Over the years, chronic pancreatitis in southern India has shown a change, with increase in older patients, occurrence of milder disease including milder diabetes, increasing longevity, and increasing association with alcoholism and smoking. This article looks at changes in the disease and in dietetic, environmental and socioeconomic factors over the years, in an attempt to understand the environment-gene interactions in its causation.

Factors predicting successful outcome following neostigmine therapy in acute colonic pseudo-obstruction: a prospective study.

Aim: To evaluate predictors of neostigmine response in patients with acute colonic pseudo-obstruction.

Methods: Twenty-seven patients with acute colonic pseudo-obstruction were enrolled in the study. All patients had received initial conservative management such as nil orally, nasogastric suction, rectal tube placement and correction of electrolyte imbalance for the first 24 h.

Oxytocin-induced labor augments IL-1beta-stimulated lung fluid absorption in fetal guinea pig lungs.

We tested the hypothesis that oxytocin-induced labor augmented IL-1beta-induced/-stimulated lung fluid absorption in preterm guinea pig fetuses. IL-1beta was administered subcutaneously daily to timed-pregnant guinea pigs for 3 days with and without simultaneous cortisol synthesis inhibition by metyrapone. At day 3, oxytocin was administered, and fetuses were delivered by abdominal hysterotomy at 61 and by oxytocin-induced birth at 68 days gestation.

Natural course of asymptomatic pancreatic pseudocyst: a prospective study.

Aim: To study the natural course of asymptomatic pseudocysts of the pancreas.

Methods: Thirty patients (age range 18-68 years, mean 44; 24 men) with asymptomatic pseudocysts of the pancreas were enrolled between December 2001 and December 2003, and were followed up every month. Those who developed symptoms due to pseudocyst (increasing pain or features of obstruction such as vomiting or jaundice) were subjected to an endoscopic or surgical drainage procedure.