Recently added articles from Indian Journal of Medical Sciences:
Does cytokine gene polymorphism affect steroid responses in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome?
Oct 01, 2008; ... Introduction Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) is the most common glomerular disorder of childhood, with 1 to 2 new cases per 100,000 children per year. INS is characterized by the presence of proteinuria, which is associated with hypoalbuminemia and hyperlipidemia. Some patients with ...
A comparative study of endoscopic ultrasonography versus endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in children with chronic liver disease
Sep 01, 2008; ... Introduction Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is a major advance in gastrointestinal imaging [1] and is considered a well described examination method that is used to image suspected pathology in the gastrointestinal tract and in the adjacent organs. [2] Its diagnostic accuracy in the ...
Treatment seeking behavior for urinary incontinence among north Indian women
Sep 01, 2008; ... Introduction Globally, urinary incontinence (UI) affects the quality of life of at least one third of women. Many women are too embarrassed to talk about it and some believe it to be untreatable even in western countries. [1],[2] This problem is more pronounced in India, where women ...
Prevalence of hypothyroidism in recurrent pregnancy loss in first trimester
Sep 01, 2008; ... Introduction Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is defined as three or more consecutive spontaneous pregnancy losses before 20 weeks of gestation. Pregnancy loss in the first trimester is the most common complication affecting approximately 15-20% of clinically recognized pregnancies. [1] ...
Hematological profile of twenty-nine tribal compound cases of hemoglobinopathies and G-6-PD deficiency in rural Orissa
Sep 01, 2008; ... Introduction Inherited hemoglobin disorders are caused by structural abnormalities including abnormal synthesis of chains, and represent serious monogenic disorders in the world. The genes for α-like globin chains are found in a cluster at the tip of the short arm of chromosome 16, ...
Importance of healthcare-seeking behavior of parents in response to childhood seizures
Sep 01, 2008; ... Sir The article titled 'Healthcare-seeking behavior after seizures in children by Bavdekar et al. has highlighted the important issue of the reaction of the parents in response to any childhood seizures. [1] The authors say that hardly there is any Indian data on the parents' attitude ...
Benign prostatic hyperplasia: Is it a growing public health concern for India?
Sep 01, 2008; ... Sir, BPH is the most common urological problem of ageing men, manifested as severe obstruction in urinary flow with discomfort and pain. BPH is a complex disease from the etiological and pathogenesis point of view. [1] A recent AUA guideline (2003) suggests an increase in the incidence ...
Bipolar affective disorder in Parkinson's disease: Clinical dilemmas
Sep 01, 2008; ... Sir, Psychiatric disorders are a common co-occurrence in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). [1] Psychiatric symptoms may be the direct result of PD, its co-morbid pathologies, or occur as a side effect of its pharmacotherapy. About 10% of patients on treatment for PD will experience ...
Usage of intra-aortic balloon pump in high risk coronary artery bypass graft surgery
Aug 01, 2008; ... Patients presenting with severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery are a difficult subset to treat and are at an increased risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality. Current treatment options for this high-risk group of patients include intensive ...
Role of quantitative endotracheal aspirate and cultures as a surveillance and diagnostic tool for ventilator associated pneumonia: A pilot study
Aug 01, 2008; ... Introduction Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is the commonest intensive care unit (ICU) infection with an incidence ranging from 9 to 27% in intubated mechanically ventilated patients. [1] In the absence of a gold standard, VAP is assumed to be diagnosed more accurately by ...
Healthcare-seeking behavior after seizures in children
Aug 01, 2008; ... Introduction Convulsions constitute one of the commonest emergencies with which children are brought to the emergency room. They can threaten life and be associated with sequels such as focal neurological deficits, mental retardation and seizure disorder. [1] It is, therefore, essential ...
Spectrum and analysis of bone marrow findings in anemic cases
Aug 01, 2008; ... Sir, Prevalence of anemia is disproportionately high in developing countries due to poverty, inadequate diet and poor access to health resources. [1] Anemia is not a diagnosis, but a manifestation of an underlying disorder. Thus, even mild asymptomatic anemia should be investigated to ...
Comparative evaluation of intensive pulse polio immunization in district Valsad in the year 2007 and 2008
Aug 01, 2008; ... Sir, India has started Intensive Pulse Polio Immunization (IPPI) since 1995. An important improvement made in IPPI during 1998 was use of Vaccine Vial Monitors (VVM). The VVM is a small square, made of heat sensitive material, placed on an outer colored circle printed on the label of the ...
What is the use of routine endotracheal surveillance cultures in ventilated patients?
Aug 01, 2008; ... As the most common nosocomial infection on intensive care units, there is no doubt that ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) has a remarkable clinical and financial impact on health care systems these days. Thus, it is no wonder that various efforts are being made to improve the outcome of this ...
Tumor necrosis factor - [alpha] and transforming growth factor - [beta]1 polymorphisms in bronchial asthma
Aug 01, 2008; ... Introduction Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by recurrent episodes of airway obstruction and wheezing. Genome-wide scan and candidate gene studies have identified the role of genetic factors in the pathophysiology of this complex disorder. [1] ...
Coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with low ejection fraction: The effect of intra-aortic balloon pump insertion on early outcome
Aug 01, 2008; ... Introduction Some randomized controlled trials showed a survival benefit with intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) insertion for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients with low ejection fraction (EF). [1],[2] Also, it has been clear that IABP is an effective means of supporting ...
Practice of standard precautions among health care workers in a large teaching hospital
Jul 01, 2008; ... Sir, Although Iran has expanded the preventive services through the primary health care network over the last two decades, it is facing a double burden, viz., communicable and noncommunicable diseases. [1] Iran is an endemic country for hepatitis B. [1] On the other hand, the prevalence ...
Prescribing practices for painful diabetic neuropathy
Jul 01, 2008; ... Sir, Diabetic neuropathy represents a major health problem worldwide. Along with measures for glycemic control, most patients require pharmacological treatment for painful symptoms. The efficacy of many agents has been confirmed in randomized controlled trials. [1] We administered a ...
Conservative management of placenta invading into leiomyoma
Jul 01, 2008; ... Sir, Leiomyoma uteri with pregnancy may lead to spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery, obstructed labor, or malpresentation. [1] We report an unusual case of leiomyoma with pregnancy, resulting in preterm delivery, followed by retained placenta which was invading into the leiomyoma ....
Value of genetic studies to identify type 2 diabetes susceptibility genes
Jul 01, 2008; ... Type 2 diabetes, in conjunction with obesity and other components of the metabolic syndrome is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. [1] The recent concept of chronic inflammation in a patient with diabetes has brought potential implications for the pathophysiology of this ...