Anemia as a Predictor of Functional Disability in the Early Stage of Ischemic Stroke in a South Asian Population.

Background: Reduced hemoglobin concentration has an adverse impact on the ischemic penumbra in patients with ischemic stroke as it causes reduced oxygen delivery to neuronal tissue and predisposes to infarct expansion. There is a paucity of data on the impact of anemia on early functional outcomes.

Aims: To determine the association of anemia on early functional outcomes in a cohort of patients with ischemic stroke.

Serum IL-10 as a marker of severe dengue infection.

Background: Several studies have shown that serum IL-10, IFNγ and MIF are elevated in patients in severe dengue (SD) and could be used as potential biomarkers. We proceeded to determine if these cytokines could be used as biomarkers in a large cohort of adult dengue patients with varying severity of dengue infection.

Methods: Serum IL-10 levels were determined in 259 of whom 40 had severe dengue infection.

Evaluation of the WHO revised criteria for classification of clinical disease severity in acute adult dengue infection.

Background: The WHO guidelines were revised recently to identify patients with severe dengue (SD) early. We proceeded to determine the usefulness of the warning signs in the new WHO guidelines in predicting SD and we have also attempted to define other simple laboratory parameters that could be useful in predicting SD.

Methods: Clinical and laboratory parameters were recorded in 184 patients in 2011, with confirmed dengue viral infections, admitted to a medical ward in two tertiary care hospitals in Colombo, Sri Lanka.