Indian J Med Res
-
Comparative Study
High resolution CT (HRCT) in miliary tuberculosis (MTB) of the lung: Correlation with pulmonary function tests & gas exchange parameters in north Indian patients.
High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans are known to be helpful in early diagnosis and management of patients with miliary tuberculosis (MTB). We made an attempt in this study to identify patterns of pulmonary MTB on HRCT and to correlate the HRCT disease extent with pulmonary function tests (PFT) and gas exchange analysis (GEA). ⋯ Our findings showed that HRCT reliably diagnosed MTB, and thus could help in predicting derangement of pulmonary function tests and GEA in these patients.
-
Rotavirus is the major cause of severe dehydrating diarrhoea in young children worldwide. Considerable research has been carried out on rotavirus disease in India. This review collated data from 46 epidemiological studies to determine rotavirus positivity rates and genotypes of infecting rotavirus strains from various settings in India. ⋯ Among diarrhea hospitalizations, the commonest G types were G1 and G2 while commonest P types were P[8], P[6] and P[4]. Region specific neonatal infections by bovinehuman reassortants have been reported, in addition to several recently described unusual strains, which may be evidence of zoonotic infection and/or reassortment. The emergence of several new strains highlights the need for intensive strain surveillance before and after the introduction of a new vaccine.
-
The price and availability of medicines are key components in determining access to effective treatment. Data on prices and availability of common medicines in public and private sector in different States of India are scarce. Hence, surveys were undertaken in different States of India to evaluate these metrics. ⋯ The survey revealed low procurement prices and poor availability in the public sector. Thus, the majority of the population purchased medicines from private pharmacies, where generics were usually available although prices of certain medicines were high. Various policy measures could increase the availability and accessibility of medicines for the population.