Outcomes of Direct-Acting Antivirals Versus Interferon-Based Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis C Infection.

This systematic review evaluates the outcomes of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) compared to interferon-based therapies in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. DAAs consistently demonstrate higher sustained virologic response (SVR) rates and better safety profiles across various patient populations, including those with cirrhosis and treatment-experienced individuals. The studies included highlight the superior efficacy of DAAs, with fewer adverse events such as anemia and fatigue, making them more tolerable and suitable for long-term treatment.

Impact of Surgical Mask Placement Over High-Flow Nasal Cannula on Oxygenation Parameters in COVID-19 Patients Experiencing Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, managing respiratory failure in critically ill patients has presented significant challenges. A high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) has been established as an effective respiratory support modality, offering heated, humidified oxygen at high flow rates. However, concerns persist regarding the potential for aerosol dispersion and the risk of viral transmission, particularly in COVID-19.

Exploring the therapeutic potential of GLP-1 receptor agonists in the management of obstructive sleep apnea: a comprehensive review.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder marked by repeated episodes of partial or complete upper airway obstruction during sleep, which leads to intermittent hypoxia and fragmented sleep. These disruptions negatively impact cardiovascular health, metabolic function, and overall quality of life. Obesity is a major modifiable risk factor for OSA, as it contributes to both anatomical and physiological mechanisms that increase the likelihood of airway collapse during sleep.

Managing Hereditary Angioedema in a Three-Generation Family: Danazol's Promise in Resource-Limited Settings.

Background Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare disorder in India, and while prevalence data is limited, it is believed that a significant number of individuals may be affected. Due to restricted access to first-line treatments, older therapies like danazol are commonly used despite associated risks in resource-constrained settings. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of danazol as an affordable long-term prophylaxis (LTP) for HAE in a three-generation family.

Correlations of Anthropometric Measurements With Body Fat Percentage, Fat Mass, and Fat Mass Index in School-Age Children.

Background: Childhood obesity is a growing public health issue globally, including in India. Anthropometric measures such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and skinfold thickness are commonly used to estimate body fat percentage (BF%), but their correlations with fat mass (FM) and fat mass index (FMI) are less emphasized. This study aimed to explore the relationships between anthropometric measurements and body fat indicators (BF%, FM, and FMI) in school-age children and obtain prediction equations for FM and FMI.

Awareness and monitoring of infection control practices among healthcare workers in three primary health centers in India.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the awareness of and adherence to infection control practices among healthcare workers (HCWs) in three primary healthcare centers (PHCs) near Aurangabad City, Maharashtra, India.

Method: A prospective observational study over six months involved 64 HCWs from three PHCs (A, B, and C). Questionnaires and observation checklists based on guidelines from the WHO and the Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) were used to evaluate infection control practices across nine modules.

Are we really hesitant toward routine immunization: Findings from a cross-sectional study in urban area in the tribal dominant state of India.

Background: Vaccine hesitancy has been inching up and its root cause lies in the factors that influence the vaccination. The present study was conducted to find out the proportion and factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy for routine childhood vaccinations in the slum population.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 210 children between the age group of 0 and 59 months residing in the urban slums of Ranchi in 2021.

Correlation of tumor budding with a novel and other established prognostic parameters in patients with invasive breast carcinoma.

Context: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women. Established prognostic markers in breast carcinomas include tumor size, histologic grade, nodal status, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, hormone receptor status, HER-2 status, and age.

Aim: To correlate peripheral tumor budding (pTB) with stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) and established prognostic factors in invasive breast carcinoma.

A Randomized Study of Myostaal® Liniment as an Add-On Therapy for Muscle Strengthening in Cases of Knee Osteoarthritis.

Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative musculoskeletal condition, affecting approximately 277 million people worldwide, with significant impacts on mobility, especially in women and obese patients, and an increasing incidence among Indians aged 30 to 50 years. The primary objective was to evaluate the knee muscle-strengthening effect of Myostaal® liniment (Solumiks Herbaceuticals Limited, Mumbai, India) as an add-on to physiotherapy for 90 days compared to physiotherapy alone in participants with knee OA. Secondary objectives included assessing changes in the total Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, WOMAC Subscale scores, Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) distance, Single Leg Stance Test (SLST) duration, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, and the number of adverse events from baseline to Day 90 between the two groups.

Re-exploring Dental Education During the COVID-19 Era: A Look Through the Challenges Faced, Solutions, and Their Impact on Traditional Methods.

December 2019 brought to the world one of the worst pandemic diseases to exist - COVID-19. The pandemic led to worldwide lockdowns and quarantine, affecting the entire cycle of the world. The education system was one of the severely affected systems.

The Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine Position Statement on the Management of Sepsis in Resource-limited Settings.

Unlabelled: Sepsis poses a significant global health challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Several aspects of sepsis management recommended in international guidelines are often difficult or impossible to implement in resource-limited settings (RLS) due to issues related to cost, infrastructure, or lack of trained healthcare workers. The Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM) drafted a position statement for the management of sepsis in RLS focusing on India, facilitated by a task force of 18 intensivists using a Delphi process, to achieve consensus on various aspects of sepsis management which are challenging to implement in RLS.

Efficacy of Low-Dose Streptokinase Infusion in Late-Onset Permanent Tunnel Catheter Dysfunction: A Single-Center Interventional Study.

Introduction Hemodialysis is a vital modality for patients with renal dysfunction, with venous access being a significant factor in its success. While arteriovenous fistulas are preferred, tunneled catheters serve as important alternatives, especially in challenging cases. Late-onset tunneled catheter dysfunction, often due to fibrin sheath formation, impedes hemodialysis efficiency.

Effect of early weight bearing program with conventional physiotherapy on functional outcomes in surgically treated proximal tibia fracture: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Patients are often instructed to avoid weight bearing on the proximal tibia for 6 - 12 weeks post-surgery to avoid fracture fixation failure. However, delayed weight bearing leads to delayed mobility, causing difficulties in daily activities; problems such as pain, limited knee ROM, reduced quadriceps muscle strength, and impaired functional outcomes are reported in long-term follow-up. This study primarily aimed to evaluate the feasibility and explore the effect size.

Safety incident reporting and barriers (SIRaB) study: Strategies and approaches for investigating patient safety events in a hospital set-up.

Background: Unsafe patient events not only entail a clinical impact but also lead to economic burden in terms of prolonged hospitalization or unintended harm and delay in care delivery. Monitoring and time-bound investigation of patient safety events (PSEs) is of paramount importance in a healthcare set-up.

Objectives: To explore the safety incident reporting behaviour and the barriers in a hospital set-up.

A comparative study of NS1 and IgM using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunochromatography test for detection of dengue.

Background: Dengue is the most common arboviral infection that spreads by and mosquitoes, and is quickly gaining prominence as a major mosquito-borne viral disease. One of the major public health issues is dengue fever (DF), which can also cause dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Therefore, this study focused on comparison of dengue antigen non-structural protein (NS1) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunochromatography test (ICT) for detection of dengue.

A Single-Center Study on the Clinical Profiles and Ultrasonographic Assessments of Living Kidney Donors in the Marathwada Region of Maharashtra.

Living donor kidney transplantation plays a vital role in renal replacement therapy, particularly in India, where a substantial increase in kidney transplants has been observed. Thorough assessments of living kidney donors are crucial, focusing on parameters such as kidney size and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Despite the importance of GFR in donor assessments, there is a noticeable lack of data on normal GFR ranges in the Indian population.

A Retrospective Analysis of Dynamic Compression Plating Versus Intramedullary Nailing for the Management of Shaft of Humerus Fractures in an Urban Trauma Care Center.

Introduction There is constant debate regarding the best surgical technique for the fixation of shaft humerus fractures. Intramedullary nailing and dynamic compression plating are the most popular surgical options. Materials and methods In our study, we retrospectively analyze the results of 27 patients with shaft humerus fractures managed with intramedullary nailing (10) and dynamic compression plating (17) at our institute from September 2021 to October 2022.

Surveillance of bacterial carriage in the nose and hands of healthcare workers and patients attending maternity and children's hospital.

Introduction: Nosocomial infections have been acknowledged as a significant pathogen responsible for human illness due to the rise in the incidence of these infections that are mainly caused by resistant strains. As a result, it is important to prevent nosocomial infections. Therefore, in the epidemiology and pathogenesis of infection bacterial carriage appears to be of great importance and in healthy persons, three patterns of carriage are observed over time.

Efficacy of splanchnic nerve neurolysis in the management of upper abdominal cancer pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Neurolytic splanchnic nerve block (NSNB) is practised in intractable abdominal pain secondary to intra-abdominal malignancies. This review evaluated the efficacy of NSNB.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane databases were searched for articles published from January 2001 to October 2023.

Impact of Raising Awareness and Providing Feedback on Compliance to Antibiotic Prescription Guidelines in Pediatric Inpatients.

Introduction:  Antibiotics are vital in managing infectious diseases that significantly burden health infrastructure in a developing country like India. However, the widespread and irrational use of antibiotics has given rise to the menace of antibiotic resistance that threatens to take us back to the pre-antibiotic era. Our study aimed to evaluate the baseline compliance to antibiotic policy in the pediatric inpatient ward and analyze the impact of interventions on compliance with the policy.

Coronavirus Disease 2019-induced Acute Exudative Polymorphous Vitelliform Maculopathy.

Acute exudative polymorphous vitelliform maculopathy (AEPVM) is a rare entity characterized by acute multifocal macular detachment with polymorphous subretinal vitelliform deposits. The disease is a presumed retinal pigment epithelial dysfunction and is reported to occur with malignancies. We report a case of a 32-year-old otherwise healthy woman who presented with an acute bilateral visual disturbance a few days after testing positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Challenges Encountered in the Provision of Enteral Nutrition in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: An Observational Study.

Background Enteral nutrition (EN) represents the preferred modality for nutrient administration in critically ill patients. However, it is fraught with challenges such as delayed initiation and recurrent interruptions, which can significantly impact patient clinical outcomes. A substantial proportion of these interruptions can be mitigated.