Vitamin D and its association with severity and control of childhood bronchial asthma.

Background: Bronchial asthma is a common disease in childhood. Vitamin D deficiency is a common unidentified nutritional deficiency. In spite of high prevalence, an association between the two has not been well understood.

Early diagnostic markers in predicting the severity of dengue disease.

The aim of the present study was to determine whether the serum ferritin, the biomarker of an acute phase reactant and the gall bladder wall edema, an early indicator of capillary leakage can predict the severity of dengue fever. This study included 131 patients, who were between the age group of 18-80 years. The patients presented to our department with an acute illness, within the first four days of high temperature.

Predictive scoring system for risk of complications in pediatric dengue infection.

Dengue infection has been a worrisome cause of mortality and morbidity in children. Though numerous scoring systems have been developed, they are in the adult population or are too complicated for use in children. Pediatric dengue infection has a wide spectrum from a mild illness to severe complications and an unpredictable course.

Association between Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) index and neurocognitive function among people living with HIV-a cross sectional study in coastal South India.

Background: HIV is an infectious disease affecting 36.7 million people worldwide. In recent times, Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) has become accessible to the majority of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and this has transformed the course of infection to one that is chronic, characterized by fewer diseases pathognomonic of AIDS.

Dengue and Plasmodium falciparum Coinfection With Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis in a 3-Year-old Boy: A Clinical Conundrum.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a multisystem disease wherein there is an exaggerated immune system activation following a trigger such as infection, malignancy, or autoimmune diseases. Here we report a case of a 3-year-old boy who presented to us with fever, was diagnosed with dengue fever, and treatment started for the same. Clinical response was poor to treatment and high-grade fever persisted.

Study of Insulin Resistance in Patients With β Thalassemia Major and Validity of Triglyceride Glucose (TYG) Index.

Complications like impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes mellitus due to iron overload need early identification in thalassemia. We studied the proportion of insulin resistance in thalassemia major patients on chronic transfusion, identified insulin resistance using homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and triglyceride glucose (TYG) index, compared them and validated TYG index. In total, 73 thalassemia patients on regular transfusion for 3 years with serum ferritin >1500 ng/mL were studied.

Multiple intracerebral lesions in a young male.

Background: As the incidence of HIV infection has increased its neurological complications are being encountered in our clinical practice. Toxoplasmosis is a common cerebral opportunistic infection seen in HIV-infected patients, even though the incidence has declined with the use of antiretroviral therapy. Establishing a definitive diagnosis of cerebral toxoplasmosis is difficult in resource limited settings.

HIV Status Disclosure Among People Living with HIV in the Era of Combination Antiretroviral Therapy (cART).

Introduction: As patients with HIV live longer due to Combination Anti-Retroviral Therapy (cART) serostatus disclosure becomes an important issue. Disclosure can have both positive and negative outcomes. Disclosure of HIV status has been associated with better adherence to medication and reduction in levels of psychological distress.

Dengue encephalitis-A rare manifestation of dengue fever.

The clinical spectrum of dengue fever ranges from asymptomatic infection to dengue shock syndrome. Dengue is classically considered a non-neurotropic virus. Neurological complications are not commonly seen in dengue.

An interesting case of eosinophilic meningitis.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is one of the causative agents of eosinophilic meningitis. Humans get infected when they ingest raw or partially cooked snails or monitor lizards (Varanus bengalensis). There is a popular belief that the tongue and the liver of the monitor lizard has aphrodisiac properties.

Effect of Lipodystrophy on the Quality of Life among People Living with HIV (PLHIV) on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy.

Background: Lipodystrophy is a known adverse effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Lipodystrophy resulting in body dysmorphism can lower the quality of life (QoL) among HAART recipients. The main aim of our study was to find the effect of lipodystrophy on QoL among people living with HIV (PLHIV) on HAART.

Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Among People Living with HIV.

Background: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is now considered as a manageable chronic illness. There has been a dramatic reduction in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) related morbidity and mortality due to antiretroviral therapy. A high level of adherence (>95%) is required for antiretroviral therapy to be effective.

The Evaluation of Carotid Atherosclerosis in Patients with the HIV-1 Infection: The Role of the Antiretroviral Therapy.

Background And Objective: The recognition and the assessment of the carotid intimal thickness helps in predicting the risk of the cardiovascular events in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infected patients who are on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). The objective of this study was to assess and compare the carotid intimal thickness in HIV positive individuals who were on antiretroviral therapy with HIV positive individuals who were not on anti-retroviral therapy.

Subjects And Methods: All the HIV positive individuals who were 20 years old and above, who had been diagnosed by the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) guidelines were included in the study.

An interesting case of a subcutaneous nodule.

Human dirofilariasis is a zoonotic disease which is caused by the filarial nematodes, Dirofilaria repens and Dirofilaria immitis. Dirofilariae are transmitted to humans via mosquito bites. Human Dirofilariasis presents commonly as subcutaneous nodules, pulmonary nodules or nodules in the eyes.

The development of metabolic risk factors after the initiation of the second line anti- retroviral therapy.

Background And Objective: A Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) is accompanied with several metabolic effects like adipose redistribution and insulin resistance. In this study, we evaluated the association between a HAART and lipodystrophy.

Methods: A cross sectional study, whose subjects were Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infected patients, was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in south India.

A Patient with Multiple Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS) Following Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy.

The Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS) is an exaggerated pathological inflammatory reaction which occurs after the initiation of the antiretroviral therapy, due to the exuberant immune responses to the occult or the apparent opportunistic infections. The hallmark of the syndrome is the paradoxical worsening of an existing infection or a disease process or the appearance of a new infection or a disease process soon after the initiation of the antiretroviral therapy.The most common forms of IRIS occur in association with tuberculosis and chronic viral and invasive fungal infections.

Successful treatment of cerebral toxoplasmosis with clindamycin: a case report.

Toxoplasmosis is caused by infection with the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Toxoplasmosis is generally a late complication of HIV infection and usually occurs in patients with CD4 + T-cell counts below 200/μl. Co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim plus sulfamethoxazole) is the most common drug used in India for the treatment of AIDS-associated cerebral toxoplasmosis.

Comparative Assessment of Fetal Malnutrition by Anthropometry and CAN Score.

Objectives: Fetal malnutrition (FM) implies soft tissue wasting at birth with significant postnatal consequences and morbidity, and is identified by clinical assessment (CAN score) and anthropometry. No previous studies have been done to study all these parameters and evolve a screening method. The aim of this study was identifying the incidence of FM using CAN score and compare the nutritional assessment with anthropometry and evolve a screening tool for rapid assessment of FM.

Rituals can kill - A fatal case of brucine poisoning.

In some parts of India people follow a religious ritual of drinking an herbal preparation made from the bark of the Alstonia scholaris tree (Blackboard tree) on the day of the new moon in the month of July. This tree could be easily confused with the Strychnos nux vomica tree. Brucine is the predominant alkaloid present in the bark of the Strychnos nux vomica tree.