Study evaluating chronic abdominal pain and functional abdominal pain syndrome

Background: Chronic abdominal pain (CAP) is a prevalent condition with a wide etiology and is often associated with significant health care utilization. A functional diagnosis, particularly, Functional abdominal pain syndrome (FAPS) is more challenging and has been a less extensively studied condition in adults as compared to other common functional gastrointestinal disorders. Hence, this study attempts to formulate a definite line of investigations, study various causes of chronic abdominal pain and to evaluate FAPS, in a population from Central India.Methods: 100 patients in the age-group of 10-60 years with chronic abdominal pain were selected. A careful history, clinical examination and investigations were performed and final diagnosis was made on the basis of the available data.Results: Eighty-nine out of hundred patients were found to be having some organic disorder causing CAP while eleven had functional gastrointestinal disorders. FAPS was diagnosed in three patients on the basis of Rome III diagnostic criteria while one had unspecified functional abdominal pain.Conclusions: CAP is a multifactorial condition yet, a thorough history coupled with a complete physical examination and investigative profile help to a great extent in diagnosing the cause. FAPS should be diagnosed on the basis of a careful clinical history and characteristic pain behaviour during physical examination. A cost-effective and conservative approach should be adopted for investigations. Unlike the organic causes, FAPS should be treated with a biopsychosocial approach with a variable combination of pharmacological, cognitive-behavioural and psychological interventions.

Systematic Steps Towards Concept Design of Pay–per-X Business Models : An Exploratory Research

During the last decade, equipment manufacturing companies (EMIs) have increasingly understood the unique competitive advantages offered by Pay-per-X (PPX) business models (BMs). Many such EMI companies seem ready for the transition towards PPX BMs. However, they are not aware of the needed systematic steps that will help them in the concept design of PPX models. There are currently no available systematic PPX concept design processes and related steps in literature that can support EMI companies in identifying their relevant PPX BM options. Therefore, we make use of qualitative case study research method and identify such overall process and major steps with the help of interviews and workshops with a company that has successfully designed and identified their PPX models. Additionally, these design steps are validated with the help of 3 companies that plan to shift towards offering PPX models.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Acute hypoxemia due to lung collapse in COVID-19: the role of therapeutic bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy is an aerosol-generating procedure and involves a high risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to health care workers. There are very few indications for performing bronchoscopy in a patient with confirmed COVID-19. These include atelectasis, foreign body aspiration, and suspected superinfection in immunocompromised patients. Proper use of standard personal protective equipment is mandatory to reduce the risk of transmission to health care workers. In this article, we describe a case of acute lung collapse in a 16-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who was infected with COVID-19. This patient responded to therapeutic bronchoscopy and had complete resolution of lung collapse within 24 hours of the procedure

Candidate immunomodulators for COVID-19: Heat-killed Mycobacterium w and BCG vaccine

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Review of PPX Business Models : Adaptability and Feasibility of PPX Models in the Equipment Manufacturing Industry

The overall purpose of this study is to understand how manufacturing companies have so far made use of and can make use of pay-per-x (PPX) business models (BMs) largely in capital product markets, and which mechanisms have helped them in the implementation. Through systematic literature approach this study analysed 14 research publications which exclusively focused on PPX business models. The differences between PPX business model patterns were studied from three perspective, namely criticality of product, need of process knowledge and complexity of the process and its output. We find out that the pay-per-outcome business model, is more prevalent for products which are critical, needs extensive process knowledge and are rather complex. In contrarily, pay-per-output business model is more prevalent when these conditions are not met. However, none of these three factors prevents implementing other type of PPX business model but rather specific business model is more feasible when specific conditions are met. This paper contributes a much more in-depth qualitative view on the patterns and related qualitative arguments for the useful application of PPX models in equipment manufacturing industries and helps to understand the differences between PPX business model types.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe