Clinical profile, treatment patterns and one-year outcome of heart failure patients admitted in tertiary care hospital of North India.

Introduction: Because of wide heterogeneity in the epidemiology of heart failure among different populations, it is imperative to establish population-specific databases.

Aims And Objectives: To describe the clinical profile, treatment patterns, and outcomes of heart failure patients admitted to our tertiary care hospital.

Material And Methods: The study was a prospective observational study conducted over two years at our tertiary care hospital.

Combination of vitamin C, thiamine and hydrocortisone added to standard treatment in the management of sepsis: results from an open label randomised controlled clinical trial and a review of the literature.

Combination of vitamin C, hydrocortisone and thiamine have recently been used in sepsis but data of efficacy are conflicting and no data are available from developing countries. We sought to study the effect of addition of this combination to standard care in patients with sepsis/septic shock in a north Indian setting. In a prospective, open label, randomised fashion, 100 patients with sepsis/septic shock were recruited to receive either standard therapy alone (control group,  = 50) or a combination of vitamin C, thiamine and hydrocortisone (treatment group,  = 50) in addition.

Intrathoracic gossypiboma causing intractable cough.

A 45-year old woman presented with a 5-month history of coughing, eight months after surgery for post-tubercular fibrosis with bronchiectasis. Upon computerized tomography (CT) scanning, a sponge-like structure was seen in the pneumonectomy cavity near the stump of the right main bronchus. Bronchoscopic examination revealed a whitish mass blocking the right main bronchial stump which, upon attempted retrieval, yielded long threads of cotton fibres from a retained surgical gauze.

Lamotrigine-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis in a young epileptic.

A 20-year-old young female presented with extensive skin rashes with bullae and extensive epidermal necrolysis about 20 days after the addition of lamotrigine (LTG) to her anticonvulsant medication. The patient was managed by stopping LTG and supportive treatment. The seizures were controlled with increase in the doses of carbamazepine.

A "Near-Miss Lethal Accident Case" in MR Suit of a Tertiary Care Hospital.

A "near miss" is an unpleasant event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage but had the potential to do so, but for a fortunate break in the chain of events. We present a near-miss case which occurred in the MR suite of a tertiary care hospital. Although the MR is considered a very safe procedure, if MR safety guidelines are not adhered to, adverse and catastrophic events to the extent of patient deaths are known to have occurred.

Kaposi Sarcoma in a Non HIV Patient.

We report a case of a 45 year old non HIV infected female, who presented with multiple painful, livid reddish brown plaques, papules and nodules on both lower limbs and left index finger. The cutaneous nodular lesions on biopsy showed characteristic features of Kaposi's sarcoma. This case is reported due to paucity of Kapsi's sarcoma in non HIV Persons.