Publications by authors named "R K Ralph"

Article Synopsis
  • Nearly 60,000 people in India die from snakebites each year, mainly in rural and tribal areas, prompting a study on snakebite epidemiology and treatment in Tamil Nadu.
  • A cross-sectional survey revealed that snakebite incidence and mortality rates were similar in two studied regions, with high reliance on traditional healers for initial treatment, particularly in Jawadhu Hills.
  • Major challenges include the use of dangerous first aid practices, poor communication between traditional healers and the healthcare system, and insufficient transportation options to health facilities, necessitating community awareness and better public transport solutions.
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Members of the genus Protobothrops are amongst the more than twenty-eight range-restricted Indian pit viper species. Their bites and envenomings are rarely documented from India. Pit viper envenomings can be challenging to treat in the Indian setting, since available antivenoms do not satisfactorily neutralize their venoms.

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Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a high burden disease in India. Nutrition plays a pivotal role in holistic recovery of the same.

Methods: Patients with sputum positive pulmonary TB were consecutively recruited into the study aimed to observe the incidence of under nutrition and anergy purified protein derivative (PPD).

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Article Synopsis
  • Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that exists in various forms, which can lead to serious health issues, particularly affecting the nervous, gastrointestinal, and renal systems; common exposure sources include substance use, occupational hazards, and food contamination.
  • This study aims to analyze mercury poisoning cases reported at an Indian Poison Center, focusing on the varied clinical manifestations and long-term outcomes based on the chemical type and exposure route.
  • A review of patient records revealed 22 cases of mercury exposure over two years, mostly acute, with three detailed cases highlighting the importance of understanding different effects related to exposure differences.
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India is home to a diverse spectrum of medically-significant snakes accounting for one of the world's largest burdens of envenoming, morbidity and mortality. Indian polyspecific antivenom is derived from the venom of four snake species (Daboia russelii, Echis carinatus, Naja naja and Bungarus caeruleus), considered to be responsible for the majority of snakebite morbidity and mortality in India. The treatment of envenoming from other less-commonly encountered venomous snake species can be challenging.

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