Prediction of mortality and prioritisation to tertiary care using the 'OUR-ARCad' risk score gleaned from the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic-A retrospective cohort study from South India.

Background: Judicious utilisation of tertiary care facilities through appropriate risk stratification assumes priority, in a raging pandemic, of the nature of delta variant-predominated second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in India. Prioritisation of tertiary care, through a scientifically validated risk score, would maximise recovery without compromising individual safety, but importantly without straining the health system.

Methods: De-identified data of COVID-19 confirmed patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in South India, between April 1, 2021 and July 31, 2021, corresponding to the peak of COVID-19 second wave, were analysed after segregating into 'survivors' or 'non-survivors' to evaluate the risk factors for COVID-19 mortality at admission and formulate a risk score with easily obtainable but clinically relevant parameters for accurate patient triaging.

Non-pharmacological Radical Methods for Treating Postpartum Depression Around the Globe: A Narrative Review.

Mental health conditions during pregnancy, especially postpartum depression (PPD), can have profound and long-lasting effects on the individual, impeding her ability to bond with her child and disrupting the family dynamics. Although pharmacological treatments like antidepressants are the mainstay treatment options, several mothers have concerns about their safety and potential side effects, especially breastfeeding mothers. There is an emerging interest in exploring the use of non-pharmacological interventions as an alternative treatment modality for PPD.

Chitosan-encapsulated bacteriophage cocktail as promising oral delivery system to surpass gastrointestinal infection caused by Klebsiella aerogenes.

Bacteriophages hold promise for combating pathogenic bacteria in the human intestinal tract, but their therapeutic potential is limited by harsh stomach conditions, including low pH and digestive enzymes. This study aimed to develop a natural protective mechanism for orally administering phages to treat gastric infections caused by Klebsiella aerogenes. Results revealed that free phages became inactive at pH 3 without protective measures.

Cetyltrimethylammonium Chloride (CTAC) and Its Formulated Mouthwash Reduce the Infectivity of Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans in Mono and Dual State.

Early childhood caries (ECC), a severe form of dental caries, is exacerbated by the synergistic interaction between Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans, leading to greater disease severity than their individual effects. This underscores the need for more targeted and potent therapeutic alternatives. Given the promising anti-infective properties of quaternary ammonium surfactants (QAS), this study explores the microbicidal properties of one such QAS, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), against both individual- and dual-species cultures of S.