Expert consensus and recommendations on the live attenuated hepatitis A vaccine and immunization practices in India.

While Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) vaccination in global immunization programs has shown a virtual elimination of the disease within few years of the vaccination program, changing epidemiological landscape in India underscores the need for evidence-based, updated guidance on immunization practices. In May 2024, a panel of 15 distinguished opinion leaders and an organizing committee convened for an intensive, face-to-face advisory board meeting on high burden of HAV infection among adults, increased mortality rate in adolescents, symptomatic presentation in children, and evolving landscape globally and within India. Extensive comparable deliberations on long-term follow-up data from India and data from country of origin advocated immunogenicity, tolerability, and long-term protective effects of single-dose live attenuated HAV vaccine in children.

Pregabalin for chronic cough due to lung cancer: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Developing effective therapies for cough in lung cancer is an unmet need Neuromodulators like pregabalin may act centrally as cough suppressants.

Methods: Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study in patients with locally advanced/metastatic lung cancer and at least 2 weeks of moderate or severe cough. Randomization was 1:1 to pregabalin 300 mg orally daily or matching placebo, both administered for 9 weeks.

Optimizing 5-aminosalicylate for moderate ulcerative colitis: expert recommendations from the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa Inflammatory Bowel Disease Coalition.

The lack of clear definition and classification for "moderate ulcerative colitis (UC)" creates ambiguity regarding the suitability of step-up versus top-down treatment approaches. In this paper, experts address crucial gaps in assessing and managing moderate UC. The Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa Inflammatory Bowel Disease Coalition comprised 24 experts who convened to share, discuss and vote electronically on management recommendations for moderate UC.

Beyond the bench: LGBTQ+ health equity after India's "no same-sex marriage" verdict.

LGBTQ+ people (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning people) experience systemic marginalisation and discrimination globally and throughout India.

Current Practices in Genetic Testing for Prostate Cancer: The Indian Scenario.

Background: Despite genetic testing being recommended by international guidelines for the selection of targeted therapy for prostate cancer (PCa), limited data are available on genetic testing for PCa in India.

Objectives: The objective is to understand the current genetic testing practice pattern for PCa in India.

Materials And Methods: A panel of 9 experts developed and validated a premeeting online questionnaire comprising 12 objective questions.

Contribution of laboratory medicine and emerging technologies to cardiovascular risk reduction via exposome analysis: an opinion of the IFCC Division on Emerging Technologies.

This opinion article highlights the critical role of laboratory medicine and emerging technologies in cardiovascular risk reduction through exposome analysis. The exposome encompasses all external and internal exposures an individual faces throughout their life, influencing the onset and progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Integrating exposome data with genetic information allows for a comprehensive understanding of the multifactorial causes of CVD, facilitating targeted preventive interventions.

ISCCM Position Statement for Improving Gender Balance in Critical Care Medicine.

Unlabelled: Gender disparity in Critical Care Medicine (CCM) persists globally, with women being underrepresented. Female Intensivists remain a minority, facing challenges in academic and leadership positions at the workplace and within academic societies. The Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM) recognized the need for addressing issues related to gender parity and constituted its first Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee in 2023.

Sialadenitis in Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies Vasculitis.

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a pauci-immune vasculitis typically involving upper and lower respiratory tract involvement and crescentic glomerulonephritis. Salivary gland involvement in GPA is rare. When it occurs in GPA, it is commonly seen with sinonasal and lung involvement and rarely with renal involvement.

Core outcomes in nerve surgery: development of a core outcome set for common peroneal (fibular) neuropathy.

Objective: Common peroneal (fibular) neuropathy is the most common mononeuropathy of the lower extremity. Despite this, there are surprisingly few studies on the topic, and a knowledge gap remains in the literature. As one attempts to address this knowledge gap, a core outcome set (COS) is needed to guide the planning phases of future studies to allow synthesis and comparability of these studies.

Assessing palliative care practices in intensive care units and interpreting them using the lens of appropriate care concepts. An umbrella review.

Purpose: Intensive care units (ICUs) have significant palliative care needs but lack a reliable care framework. This umbrella review addresses them by synthesising palliative care practices provided at end-of-life to critically ill patients and their families before, during, and after ICU admission.

Methods: Seven databases were systematically searched for systematic reviews, and the umbrella review was conducted according to the guidelines laid out by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI).

Management of Pustular Psoriasis; The Way Ahead.

Pustular psoriasis is a specialized variant of psoriasis which can be life threatening if not treated at the earliest. The pathogenesis has been recently linked to the role of interleukin 36. Apart from the corticosteroids, systemic antipsoriatics like acitretin, cyclosporine and methotrexate have been used with some success though unpredictable.

Small Molecules in the Management of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis.

Psoriasis is a common chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease associated with various comorbidities. Managing psoriasis is often challenging as the therapy is decided based on the area of the disease, associated comorbidities and impairment in quality of life, besides the patient's preference. Making progress in the development of new molecules that can be used topically or orally, effectively controlling the disease with minimal side effects and providing long-lasting remissions are the needs of the hour.

Biomarkers in Psoriasis: The Future of Personalised Treatment.

Psoriasis is a chronic and complex immune-mediated papulosquamous disease affecting almost 2% of the world population. The interaction between a genetically predisposed individual and environmental triggers leads to a vicious cycle involving autoreactive T cells, dendritic cells, keratinocytes and dermal cells. Up to 40% of the psoriasis cases develop disabling psoriatic arthritis and an equal number of patients also tend to develop metabolic syndrome as well as cardiovascular comorbidities; hence, this is no more considered to be a disease limited to skin only.

Long-Term Update of a Phase 3 Randomized Study Comparing Once-a-Week Versus Once-Every-3-Weeks Cisplatin Along With Radiation in Head and Neck Cancer.

Purpose: In the weekly-3-weekly study, cisplatin at 100 mg/m once-every-3-weeks led to superior locoregional control compared with cisplatin 30 mg/m once-a-week in combination with radical radiation for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LAHNSCC). We report the updated analysis of the study.

Methods And Materials: In this phase 3 open-label noninferiority study conducted between 2013 and 2017, 300 patients with LAHNSCC were randomly assigned to receive cisplatin 100 mg/m once-in-every-weeks or cisplatin 30 mg/m once-a-week, concurrently with radiation.

A composite reference standard is needed for bedaquiline antimicrobial susceptibility testing for complex.

https://bit.ly/3wAVvFm

Multi-centric evaluation of Truenat MTB and MTB-RIF Dx assays for diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

Extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB) is difficult to diagnose due to paucibacillary nature of disease. Current study evaluated accuracy of Truenat MTB and MTB-Rif Dx (TN), for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and resistance to rifampicin. Samples were collected from 2103 treatment naive adults with presumptive EPTB, and tested by smear microscopy, liquid culture (LC) (MGIT-960) and GeneXpert MTB/RIF (GX) (Microbiological Reference Standards, MRS).

evaluation of antifungal combinations against neurotropic dematiaceous fungi associated with primary cerebral phaeohyphomycosis.

Primary cerebral phaeohyphomycosis is a life-threatening disease caused by neurotropic dematiaceous fungi. At present, there are no consensus guidelines regarding optimal antifungal therapy in such cases. Generally, a combination of antifungal agents is recommended for treatment.

Evaluating compliance with the care standard of proactively assessing bone health in patients with diabetes: a pilot audit of practice across Asia by the Asia Pacific Consortium on Osteoporosis (APCO).

Unlabelled: This pilot audit explored how bone health is assessed patients with diabetes in diverse centres across Asia. Only 343 of 1092 (31%) audited patients had a bone health assessment, 27% of whom were diagnosed with osteoporosis. Quality improvement strategies are needed to address gaps in patient care in this area.

The Impact of Baseline Vitamin D Level in Patients Receiving Gefitinib-Directed Therapy for EGFR-Mutant Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: There is contradicting evidence on vitamin D levels and cancer mortality rates. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of baseline vitamin D level on the outcome in patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (EGFR)-mutant advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received either gefitinib or gefitinib with chemotherapy (pemetrexed and carboplatin) as first-line therapy in a prospective randomized study.

Methods: This was a post hoc analysis of a phase III randomized trial comparing gefitinib with gefitinib with carboplatin and pemetrexed in patients with advanced NSCLC with activating EGFR mutations in the first-line setting.

Survival of patients with cervical cancer in India - findings from 11 population based cancer registries under National Cancer Registry Programme.

Background: Cancer survival data from Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCR) reflect the average outcome of patients in the population, which is critical for cancer control efforts. Despite decreasing incidence rates, cervical cancer is the second most common female cancer in India, accounting for 10% of all female cancers. The objective of the study is to estimate the five-year survival of patients with cervical cancer diagnosed between 2012 and 2015 from the PBCRs in India.

Do Uro-Oncology Day Care Procedures Need to Be Differed during COVID-19 Pandemic?-An Experience from Tertiary Cancer Care Center.

Mahendra Pal  The SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic has affected millions all over the world in very short span and changed the way how health care system work across the globe. It is essential to continue cancer treatment in spite of such pandemics. Various recommendations were proposed for cancer management based on risk stratification, however, in urological malignancies, day care procedures (DCPs) are a part of complete spectrum of cancer care and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for day care procedures (DCPs)in oncology is lacking at present.