Metabolic Syndrome: a challenging health Issue in highly urbanized Union Territory of north India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>1. To determine the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in adults aged 18 years and above in Chandigarh, India. 2. To determine the socio-demographic factors associated with MS. 3. To determine the agreement between IDF (International Diabetes federation definition) and ATP-III (National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults criteria).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In a community based cross-sectional study, total 605 subjects aged 18 yrs and above were studied using multistage random sampling.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome was estimated by using IDF and ATP-III criteria. By IDF, Metabolic Syndrome was found in 287 (47.4%) subjects and it was more prevalent among females 171 (59.6%) as compared to males 116 (40.4%). By applying ATP-III overall prevalence was less i.e. 233 (38.5%) but again its prevalence was more among females 141 (44.8%) than males 116 (39.5%). Higher socioeconomic status, sedentary occupation and high body mass index were significantly associated with Metabolic Syndrome.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Metabolic Syndrome is a major health problem in the region and proper emphasis should be given on its prevention and control.</p

Sudden progressive abdominal pain due to large peritoneal desmoid tumor: A case report with review of literature

AbstractDesmoid tumor (musculoaponeurotic fibromatosis) is a rare locally aggressive soft tissue tumor. A subset of cases is associated with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), governed by the APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) gene. Typically, an intra-abdominal desmoid is a painless lump or mass with a slow progression. We report a case of 14 year old male with Asperger syndrome who presented to our hospital with acute onset of progressively worsening abdominal pain. On the physical examination a large abdominal mass was palpated in the left upper quadrant. An abdominal CT (computerized tomography) scan confirmed the mass. The tumor was resected with free tumor cell margin. The histological diagnosis was desmoid fibromatosis. The nuclear β-catenin immunohistochemistry was positive. The tumor had encroached the splenic vessels and infarcted spleen. This splenic infarction was most likely the cause of the sudden abdominal pain. The patient is alive with no postoperative symptoms or evidence of the disease 6 months after the surgery. Family history and genetic analysis of the APC gene were negative for FAP

Maternal COVID-19 Vaccine May Reduce the Risk of MIS-C in Infants: A Narrative Review

COVID-19 infection in the pediatric population usually leads to a mild illness; however, a rare but serious complication of MIS-C has been seen in children. MIS-C usually presents 2&ndash;4 weeks after COVID-19 infection or exposure, and rare reports have been documented in neonates. Vaccinations for COVID-19 have been approved for children aged 6 months and above in the United States, and recent reports suggest significantly low prevalence and risk of complications of Multi-organ Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C) in vaccinated children compared to unvaccinated children. Vaccinations for COVID-19 are safe and recommended during pregnancy and prevent severe maternal morbidity and adverse birth outcomes. Evidence from other vaccine-preventable diseases suggests that through passive transplacental antibody transfer, maternal vaccinations are protective against infections in infants during the first 6 months of life. Various studies have demonstrated that maternal COVID-19 vaccination is associated with the presence of anti-spike protein antibodies in infants, persisting even at 6 months of age. Further, completion of a 2-dose primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccination series during pregnancy is associated with reduced risk for COVID-19&ndash;associated hospitalization among infants aged 6 months or less. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that maternal COVID-19 vaccination can reduce the risk of and severity of MIS-C in infants. In this article, we review the literature to support this hypothesis

Emergency Contraception in Women of Slums in Northern India

Objective: To ascertain the utilization of the emergency contraception and to evaluate the impact of intervention on acceptability and utilization of emergency contraceptive pills. Materials and Methods: This community based cross sectional study was carried out by the department of community medicine in the slums of Chandigarh. The study sample was chosen by two stage systematic sampling. Participants were assessed regarding emergency contraception utilization and its various aspects and was also imparted correct knowledge regarding this mode of contraception. The women were reassessed again after six months to see the impact of the knowledge imparted to them on utilization of emergency contraception. Results: The study comprised of 1448, females and maximum were in the age group 26-35 years i.e. 717 (49.5%) followed by those in age group 19-25 yr i.e. 485 (33.5%). Considering their education, 674 (46.5%) women were illiterate. Only, 1.4% respondents had ever used emergency contraception. Sources of information so enumerated of emergency contraception were, health workers (0.8%), friends (0.6%), doctors/ health physicians (0.4%) media (0.3%) and books (0.1%). None of the respondent knew about the correct time span during which they should be used. The increase in utilization of emergency contraception from 1.4% to 4.2% was noticed in reassessment after 6months. Conclusion: Correct knowledge and awareness regarding emergency contraception can increase the utilization of it

A Rare Case Report of NEHI in a Preterm Infant with Review of the Literature

Background. Neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI) is a rare respiratory disorder. During infancy, it typically presents with hypoxemia, tachypnea, and respiratory distress, and is commonly misdiagnosed as common childhood illnesses such as pneumonia, reactive airway disease, or bronchiolitis. Lack of awareness about this relatively new and rare disorder in primary care and acute care settings lead to delayed diagnosis and unnecessary use of antibiotics. Case Presentation. We present a case of a 7-month-old girl, born prematurely at 32 weeks with tachypnea and respiratory distress who was initially diagnosed with viral pneumonia, then upper respiratory infection, and finally with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia, while the child never had any fever or upper respiratory symptoms. Failure of outpatient treatment with oral antibiotic and bronchodilator, with the persistence of respiratory symptoms such as retractions, bilateral crackles, and hypoxemia led to hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics. Given persistent symptoms, further evaluation was performed, and she was diagnosed with NEHI based on characteristic chest CT findings. Conclusions. Viral respiratory infections are the most frequent cause of respiratory illnesses in the first years of life. Primary care providers should be aware of less frequent causes of persistent respiratory symptoms in infancy like NEHI and other interstitial lung diseases in children. This may prevent unnecessary use of antibiotics and delayed diagnosis