A Single Drug Protocol for Bhinnavisha (fragmented poison)

Concepts like Garavisha (artificial poisons), Dooshivisha (cumulative toxins), Jangamavisha (poison of animal origin), Sthavaravishas (poisons of plant origin), Virudhaahara (incompatible food) are much familiar to the ayurvedic world. The idea of Bhinnavisha (fragmented poison) is not acquainted to the budding ayurvedic physicians so far. Many textual references are available for this topic in traditional Malayalam Vishachikitsa texts. The modern conceptual world is with less knowledge on such topics though its applicability is very high. Bhinnavisha is a condition in which the Visha gets scattered and settles in Sandhipradesha (joints), resulting in symptoms like weakness of joints, pains, Kampa (tremors), Daha (burning sensation) and different kinds of manifestations in the course of time due to certain reasons. We are provided with many treatment methodologies for Bhinnavisha (fragmented poison) textually. Here is an attempt to reveal a much-practiced methodology for the treatment of Bhinnavisha (fragmented poison) with a widely available single drug Physalis minima. Linn used in Kashaya (decoction), Ksheerapaka (decoction in milk) and Ghrita (ghee) forms

Case study on Vrischika Damsha managed with Arkapatra Ghrita Dhara and Dasanga Agada

Many people die every year because of venomous animal bites and stings. Among venomous stings, scorpion stings are a major cause of global public health issues associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Worldwide, only about 30 of the estimated 1500 species of scorpions produce venom toxic enough to be fatal. Signs and symptoms at the site of a scorpion sting may include pain, which can be intense, numbness, tingling, slight swelling and warmth. The clinical manifestations seen in scorpions seem like Vrischika Damsha in Agadatantra. This is a case study of a scorpion sting with acute symptoms of pain, burning sensation and erythema. Based upon the result of the study Arkapatra Ghrita Dhara has shown assuring results in the management of acute scorpion envenomation

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Effect of remote ischaemic conditioning on clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (CONDI-2/ERIC-PPCI): a single-blind randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Remote ischaemic conditioning with transient ischaemia and reperfusion applied to the arm has been shown to reduce myocardial infarct size in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). We investigated whether remote ischaemic conditioning could reduce the incidence of cardiac death and hospitalisation for heart failure at 12 months. METHODS: We did an international investigator-initiated, prospective, single-blind, randomised controlled trial (CONDI-2/ERIC-PPCI) at 33 centres across the UK, Denmark, Spain, and Serbia. Patients (age >18 years) with suspected STEMI and who were eligible for PPCI were randomly allocated (1:1, stratified by centre with a permuted block method) to receive standard treatment (including a sham simulated remote ischaemic conditioning intervention at UK sites only) or remote ischaemic conditioning treatment (intermittent ischaemia and reperfusion applied to the arm through four cycles of 5-min inflation and 5-min deflation of an automated cuff device) before PPCI. Investigators responsible for data collection and outcome assessment were masked to treatment allocation. The primary combined endpoint was cardiac death or hospitalisation for heart failure at 12 months in the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02342522) and is completed. FINDINGS: Between Nov 6, 2013, and March 31, 2018, 5401 patients were randomly allocated to either the control group (n=2701) or the remote ischaemic conditioning group (n=2700). After exclusion of patients upon hospital arrival or loss to follow-up, 2569 patients in the control group and 2546 in the intervention group were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. At 12 months post-PPCI, the Kaplan-Meier-estimated frequencies of cardiac death or hospitalisation for heart failure (the primary endpoint) were 220 (8·6%) patients in the control group and 239 (9·4%) in the remote ischaemic conditioning group (hazard ratio 1·10 [95% CI 0·91-1·32], p=0·32 for intervention versus control). No important unexpected adverse events or side effects of remote ischaemic conditioning were observed. INTERPRETATION: Remote ischaemic conditioning does not improve clinical outcomes (cardiac death or hospitalisation for heart failure) at 12 months in patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI. FUNDING: British Heart Foundation, University College London Hospitals/University College London Biomedical Research Centre, Danish Innovation Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, TrygFonden

Plasma lipid profiles discriminate bacterial from viral infection in febrile children

Fever is the most common reason that children present to Emergency Departments. Clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of bacterial infection ar

No evidence for root-mediated allelopathy in Centaurea solstitialis, a species in a commonly allelopathic genus

Phytotoxicity bioassays and pot experiments using activated carbon both suggest that Centaurea solstitialis (yellow star-thistle) does not rely on phytotoxic root exudates for invasion of California grasslands. Pot experiments in which five native species were grown in the presence/absence of C. solstitialis and in the presence/absence of activated carbon (fully crossed design) showed that C. solstitialis competitively suppressed native species, but did not inhibit them through allelochemicals. In separate experiments examining the role of root exudates in invasion success, treatment with crude root exudates and chloroform-extracted root exudates from C. solstitialis reduced growth of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. However, high concentrations of the exudates (50%, v/v or 500 μg mL-1) were required to inhibit A. thaliana growth and did not result in A. thaliana mortality, suggesting the presence of only a weak growth inhibitor. Moreover, high concentrations of C. solstitialis crude root exudates did not affect the growth of five native grass species often displaced by C. solstitialis invasions in California grasslands. Finally, root exudates collected from C. solstitialis had weaker effects on a native California root parasite, Triphysaria versicolor, than root exudates collected from Zea mays, a species not renowned for its competitive or invasive capabilities. Our results suggest that, while C. solstitialis might possibly "be persuaded to yield a product that is toxic to one species or another" (Population biology of plants, Academic, 1977), we find no evidence that allelopathic root exudates play a role in the competitive success of this invasive.Fil: Qin, Bo. Colorado State University; Estados UnidosFil: Lau, Jennifer A.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Kopshever, Joseph. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Callaway, Ragan M.. University of Montana; Estados UnidosFil: McGray, Heather. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Perry, Laura G.. Colorado State University; Estados UnidosFil: Weir, Tiffany L.. Colorado State University; Estados UnidosFil: Paschke, Mark W.. Colorado State University; Estados UnidosFil: Hierro, Jose Luis. University of Montana; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa; ArgentinaFil: Yoder, John. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Vivanco, Jorge M.. Colorado State University; Estados UnidosFil: Strauss, Sharon. University of California; Estados Unido