Effect of home based pulmonary rehabilitation on health related quality of life in COPD patients

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation is a proven strategy in the management of COPD, it’s a neglected area in our part of world and there are very few studies on home based pulmonary rehabilitation in COPD in our scenario and hence we evaluated the effectiveness of such a strategy. Aim of the research work was to study the effectiveness of home based pulmonary rehabilitation on health related quality of life, exercise tolerance, depression levels and perceived dyspnea as assessed by SGRQ (St. George Respiratory Questionnaire), 6MWTD (Six-Minute Walk Test distance), PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), Modified Borg scale respectively.Methods: Patients attending the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Medical College Trivandrum, diagnosed as COPD based on GOLD guidelines who fulfil the inclusion and exclusion criteria were studied from January 2013 to June 2014. Patients were educated about the disease and need for rehabilitation, advised smoking cessation, nutritional modification. Breathing exercise, upper limb and lower limb exercises given for 6 weeks in a structured manner and followed up in every second week and analyzed using paired t- test. Pre and post rehabilitation assessment included the SGRQ, 6MWTD, PHQ-9, Modified Borg dyspnea scale was done.Results: Around 40 patients had completed 6weeks of rehabilitation. There was a statistically and clinically significant improvement in quality of life, exercise tolerance, perceived dyspnoea was seen along with decrease in level of depression.Conclusions: Home based pulmonary rehabilitation is a feasible alternative to institution based rehabilitation in the management of COPD and is associated with significant benefit

Bronchopulmonary malinosculation: a case report

Pulmonary malinosculation, which include a broad spectrum of disorders that involve abnormalities in one or more of the three main components of the lung, namely, the airways and lung parenchyma, arteries and veins. A case of bronchopulmonary malinosculation was presented due to its rarity

Type and mode of diagnosis of carcinoma lung in a tertiary care centre: one year experience

Background: Lung cancer is one of the commonest cancers and cause of cancer related deaths all over the world. The reported incidence of adenocarcinoma is increasing globally and now reported to be the most common type of lung cancer. A panel of investigations are used for the diagnosis of lung cancer. Hence a study was planned to find out the pattern of malignancy and the most appropriate investigation for diagnosis. Objective of present study was to find out the type of carcinoma lung and to find out the best and easy method for diagnosis of carcinoma lung in a tertiary care centre.Methods: A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted in one unit of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Government Medical college, Thiruvananthapuram for a period of one year.148 diagnosed cases of carcinoma lung were enrolled. The type and the methods used for diagnosis were analysed.Results: Adenocarcinoma was the commonest malignancy 57 (38.5%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma 44 (29.7%) and small cell carcinoma 10 (6.75%). Rest of the cases 37 (25%) include non small cell carcinoma, poorly differentiated carcinoma and lymphoma. Diagnosis was established by FNA Lung in 46 (31.1%) patients and bronchoscopy and biopsy in 41 (27.7%). Other methods include TBNA 12 (8.1%), lymph node FNA/biopsy 11 (7.4%), pleural fluid cytology 24 (16.2%), sputum cytology and tru cut biopsy 14 (9.5%).Conclusions: The most common type of lung malignancy in present study was adenocarcinoma. Ultra sound guided FNAC lung and bronchoscopy biopsy were the best methods in present study to confirm the diagnosis

Molecular studies of fecal anaerobic commensal bacteria in acute diarrhea in children

Background and Objective: The commensal bacterial flora of the colon may undergo changes during diarrhea, owing to colonization of the intestine by pathogens and to rapid intestinal transit. This study used molecular methods to determine changes in the composition of selected commensal anaerobic bacteria during and after acute diarrhea in children. Materials and Methods: Fecal samples were obtained from 46 children with acute diarrhea in a rural community during an episode of acute diarrhea, immediately after recovery from diarrhea, and 3 months after recovery. DNA was extracted and quantitative polymerase chain reaction using SYBR green and genus- and species-specific primers targeting 16S rDNA were undertaken to quantitate the following groups of bacteria: Bifidobacterium spp., Bifidobacterium longum group, Bacteroides-Prevotella group, Bacteroides fragilis, Lactobacillus acidophilus group, Faecalibacterium prauznitzii, and Eubacterium rectale, relative to amplification of universal bacterial domain 16S rDNA. Results: Bacteria belonging to the Bacteroides-Prevotella-Porphyromonas group, E rectale, L acidophilus, and F prauznitzii groups were low during acute diarrhea compared with their levels after recovery from diarrhea. The pattern was similar in rotavirus diarrhea and nonrotavirus diarrhea. Administration of amylase-resistant maize starch as adjuvant therapy was associated with lower levels of F prauznitzii at the time of recovery but did not lead to other changes in the floral pattern. Conclusions: Specific classes of fecal bacteria are lower during episodes of acute diarrhea in children than during periods of normal gastrointestinal health, suggesting specific alterations in the flora during diarrhea

Development Of The First Organic Saline Tolerant Rice Varieties

Sea coastal tracts often confront the combined menace of salinity and flood. Compared to any other development approach, breeding for salt stress tolerance is a more promising, energy efficient, economic, and socially acceptable approach. Varieties having traits amenable for organic farming (organic varieties) are the missing link in the organic production chain. Here we report development and commercial release of four saline tolerant organic rice varieties which are first of its kind, christened as ‘Ezhome -1’ , ‘Ezhome -2’, ‘Ezhome -3’ and ‘Ezhome -4’. They are also non lodging, high yielding, and having good cooking and nutritional qualities. They are suited to saline flooded sea coastal ecosystem as well as non-saline tracts. The varieties were developed by adopting conventional breeding linked with novel strategies of organic plant breeding and participatory plant breeding, and growing the entire filial generations and all yield trials in the problem area of farmers