Indian J Med Res
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem in India. Its magnitude is particularly high among the elderly. Old age and comorbidity may lead to misdiagnosis and under treatment of this condition. COPD is not curable; however, various forms of treatment can help control symptoms and improve the quality of life. Most of the earlier studies lacked uniformity in definitions, designs, methodology and reporting techniques. Studies based on spirometry are only a few. Understanding the current prevalence and associated factors of COPD is important for planning control strategies. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence of COPD and associated factors among the elderly. ⋯ The prevalence of COPD was found to be high among the rural elderly in this study. Interventions aimed at cessation of smoking and preparedness of health systems for diagnosis and management of COPD are hence required.
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Observational Study
Clinico-microbiological profile of Bacteroides fragilis with focus on molecular detection of emerging resistance.
Bacteroides fragilis is a Gram-negative anaerobic opportunistic pathogen which is managed by empirical anaerobic coverage as a hospital norm. However, with rising reports of resistance among B. fragilis strains, antibiotic susceptibility testing for this pathogen may be the only way to understand the magnitude of the problem. This study aimed to characterize resistance patterns among clinical isolates and identify resistance genes. ⋯ Rising resistance among B. fragilis is evident and there is a significant association between nim gene and metronidazole resistance. Improving awareness among clinicians is paramount in tackling AMR among these pathogens, as empirical anaerobic coverage may not be effective in all cases.
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Comment Letter
Evaluation of SARS CoV-2 RT-PCR in a multiple sample pool.
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Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) is a zoonotic tick-borne disease across the Western Ghats of India. With the discovery of a cluster of human KFD cases in the Wayanad district of Kerala, the present study was focused on detecting KFD virus (KFDV) in tick populations. To manage this disease, it is necessary to understand the diversity of the tick species and factors influencing the distribution, abundance and prevalence of infected ticks in Wayanad district. ⋯ The circulation of KFDV was detected and its correlation with the prevalence in ticks near the fragmented forest and teak plantation areas of Wayanad district. Residents and visitors of these regions may become vulnerable to tick bites and to an increased risk of KFD as the distribution of established, infected tick populations continues to expand.