Aucklandia costus (Syn. Saussurea costus): Ethnopharmacology of an endangered medicinal plant of the himalayan region.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Aucklandia costus Falc. a medicinal plant is native to the Himalayan region and synonymous with Saussurea costus, Saussurea lappa, and Aucklandia lappa. It has an ancient background of being used ethnopharmacologically for various body ailments.

The revolving door penalty: is it a matter of time?

The revolving door of readmissions keeps spinning for patients who report symptoms of shortness of breath.

Endoscopic Treatment of Hydrocephalus with Minimal Resources: Resource Utilization and Indigenous Innovation in Developing Countries like India.

Context: Neuroendoscopic surgeries need specialized equipments, unavailable in neurosurgical departments of majority of public healthcare institutions of India. Aims: Neuroendoscopic treatment of hydrocephalus in the setting of minimal resources using utilization of available resources, inter-departmental co-ordination and indigenous innovations.

Methods: Study was carried out at a public sector institute of India with scarce resources.

Skull Base Surgery with Minimal Resources.

Background: Skull base surgery needs advanced equipment and is performed at few public sector hospitals in India. For financial and infrastructure reasons, the facilities available are insufficient for the large number of poor patients who need this surgery.

Methods: Neurologically deteriorating poor patients who failed to receive skull base surgery at overloaded public sector hospitals underwent surgery with basic neurosurgical instruments, using the available resources and indigenously designed instruments adhering to the basic principles of skull base surgery.

Protective effect of Azadirachta indica a. Juss against doxorubicin-induced cardiac toxicity in tumour bearing mice.

Doxorubicin (DOX) treatment (12 microg/g body weight, once a week for 2 weeks) resulted in a significant decrease in the heart rate along with an increase in QRS, ST, and QT intervals. Histopathological studies showed cardiomyocyte degeneration, cytoplasmic vacuolation and macrophage infiltration in cardiac tissue. A marked increase in the rate of apoptosis was also observed.

Role of intervention on laboratory performance: evaluation of quality indicators in a tertiary care hospital.

Quality in laboratory has huge impact on diagnosis and patient management as 80-90% of all diagnosis is made on the basis of laboratory tests. Monitoring of quality indicators covering the critical areas of pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phases like sample misidentification, sample rejection, random and systemic errors, critical value reporting and TATs have a significant impact on performance of laboratory. This study was conducted in diagnostic laboratories receiving approximately 42,562 samples for clinical chemistry, hematology and serology.

Comparison of DNA Extraction Protocols for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Diagnosis of Tuberculous Meningitis by Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction.

Background: Several nucleic acid amplification techniques are available for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in pulmonary and extrapulmonary samples, but insufficient data are available on the diagnostic utility of these techniques in tubercular meningitis where bacilli load is less. The success of final amplification and detection of nucleic acid depends on successful extraction of DNA from the organism.

Aims: We performed this study to compare four methods of extraction of MTB DNA from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples so as to select one method of DNA extraction for amplification of nucleic acid from clinical samples.

Human soft tissue infection by the emerging pathogen Shewanella algae.

Shewanella soft tissue infections usually occur in immunocompromised patients with a preexisting cutaneous ulcer, mostly after exposure to a marine environment or contaminated water. A 35-year-old male presented with a non-healing ulcer over the distal end of his right leg but had no predisposing factors.  Cultures of exudates from the wound grew Shewanella on repeated occasions.

Laboratory diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis - is there a scope for further improvement?

Aims: Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) still remains a diagnostic challenge because of inconsistent clinical presentation and lack of rapid, sensitive and specific tests. This study was carried out to diagnose TBM by a combination of direct microscopy on Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining, culture by conventional Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) media and Bactec MGIT 960 system in clinically suspected cases, supported by laboratory parameters.

Materials And Methods: A total of 164 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from suspected cases of TBM were processed for direct acid fast bacilli (AFB) smear examination, and culture on Bactec MGIT 960 and LJ media.

Laboratory-based epidemiological study of superficial fungal infections.

Dermatophytosis continues to be a worldwide problem, constituting a large bulk of cases attending the dermatology outpatient's department in tropical countries. Variable climatic conditions and multiple etiological agents, whose individual prevalence varies with time, prompted an attempt to define the current pattern and etiologic prevalence in our locality, and compare them with earlier studies from different centers. Of consenting patients clinically diagnosed to have superficial fungal infections, 1975 were investigated in the laboratory.

Diagnosis of neurocysticercosis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Neurocysticercosis, a disease caused by larvae of T solium produces variable and non-specific symptoms. Computerised tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, immunological tests in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid are available options to diagnose the condition. Two hundred serum samples collected and stored frozen at -20 degrees C and were tested for cysticercosis by commercial Melotest cysticercosis kit.

Bacterial vaginosis and vaginal anaerobes in preterm labour.

Maternal genital infections, particularly bacterial vaginosis has been implicated as a cause for preterm labour and adverse pregnancy outcomes. This prospective study aimed to study the association of bacterial vaginosis with preterm labour. The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis was studied in 60 women in preterm labour who had no recognisable cause for prematurity and in 60 term labour controls.

Disseminated nocardiosis in an immunocompetent child.

We report a 2-month-old child with a disseminated Nocardia farcinica infection that presented with suppurative lymphatic abscess. The child did not have any predisposing factors and responded to treatment with co-trimoxazole and amikacin. This is first case report of disseminated nocardiosis caused by Nocardia farcinica in an immunocompetent child.

Colonisation of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus among health care workers in a tertiary care hospital of Delhi.

Methicillin resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus have been responsible for many nosocominl epidemics. Colonised employees of hospital such as asymptomatic nasal and hand carriers act as reservoirs for the spread of this organism within hospital. During a period of three months 150 HCW were screened for nasal and hand colonisation by MRSA.