31 research outputs found
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice related to Tuberculosis among Rural and Urban Community of North India
Tuberculosis is known as one of the long-standing and dominating health problems affecting people and the extent further escalates in a developing country like India. A pre-evaluated feedback structured questionnaire was validated and adopted to get their quantitative data from 424 respondents. In the present study urban respondents (60.8%) gave affirmative responses regarding awareness of TB, especially with mobile media as their major source of information, followed by information from healthcare workers. Rural respondents were less expressed and deficient on knowledge of TB transmission and preventive methods. Prevention practices toward TB are claimed to be high in urban population because 79.48% believed that early diagnosis, prompt treatment and avoiding poor hygiene and crowded environment are effective strategies to cease the transmission of TB. Effective preventive and informative strategies should be employed in rural border areas to make up for the knowledge gap found among rural and urban populations in this study
Comparative analysis of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and direct microscopy for the diagnosis of Giardia intestinalis in fecal samples
Context: Giardiasis is one of the most common nonviral infections causing diarrheal illness worldwide. In this prospective cross-sectional study, we evaluated the RIDASCREEN ® Giardia kit for detection of Giardia intestinalis in stool samples and compared the results with direct microscopy. Materials and methods: A total of 360 fecal samples were collected. They were then processed by wet film, iodine preparation and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit to determine the presence of Giardia trophozoites and cysts. Statistical analysis was performed by sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy. Results and Conclusion: Of the 360 cases, 17.2% samples were positive for Giardia by direct microscopy and 23.6% were found to be positive by ELISA (sensitivity ~97%), but specificity was ~92% only. Because of less specificity, we need to perform ELISA in congruence with direct microscopy, etc. Further studies need to be performed on a larger sample size using other molecular tests in order to get more accurate estimations
Development of modified diagnostic criteria for bacterial vaginosis at peripheral health centres in developing countries
Predominance of Chlamydia trachomatis Serovars Associated with Urogenital Infections in Females in New Delhi, India
Screening for Chlamydia trachomatis was done for 280 endocervical swab samples by PCR specific for endogenous plasmid. Age dependency was seen in symptomatic patients, with a high chlamydial prevalence rate (28%) found in younger women. Genotyping by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of omp1 PCR-positive samples showed serovars D, E, and F to be the most prevalent
Efficacy and safety of 90,000 IU versus 300,000 IU single dose oral Vitamin D in nutritional rickets: A randomized controlled trial
Aim: To compare efficacy and safety of 90,000 IU versus 300,000 IU oral single dose vitamin D for treatment of nutritional rickets. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: Tertiary care hospital. Participants: One hundred ten children (6 months to 5 years, median age 10.5 months) with rickets. Exclusion criteria were disease affecting absorption, intake of calcium/vitamin D preparation in last 6 months, abnormal renal function, and rickets other than nutritional. Intervention: Vitamin D3 as a single oral dose 90,000 IU (group A, n = 55) or 300,000 IU (group B, n = 55). Methodology: Severity of rickets was scored on knee and wrist X-ray as per Thacher's radiographic score. Baseline serum levels of calcium, SAP, 25(OH)D, iPTH were measured. Follow up was done at 1 week, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks. Outcome Variable: Primary – Radiographic score at 3 months. Secondary – Serum levels of 25(OH)D, SAP, and iPTH at 3 months, clinical and biochemical adverse effects. Results: Eighty-six subjects (43 in each group) completed the study. The radiographic score reduced from 6.90 to 0.16 in group A and from 6.93 to 0.23 in group B. The levels of 25(OH)D, ALP, and PTH were similar between the groups at baseline and follow up. Hypercalciuria and hypercalcemia were seen more often in group B as was hypervitaminosis D. There were no clinical adverse events. Conclusions: Single oral dose vitamin D3 90,000 IU is safe and effective in achieving healing of rickets