Prevalence of splenomegaly and factors contributing to splenomegaly among pancytopenia patients: a facility-based cross-sectional study

Background: The spleen is an organ that cannot be clinically felt in a normal individual. Splenomegaly is a significant diagnostic indicator of the presence of underlying pathology. It is associated with a number of diseases like hematological, infectious, portal hypertension and immunological problems. However, it’s unclear what exactly causes hypersplenism. The objective was to assess the prevalence of splenomegaly in people with pancytopenia and the contributing factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult patients diagnosed with pancytopenia in a tertiary care hospital in Bengaluru, Karnataka. We have considered only inpatients who accessed care at the facility over a period of 12 months from Aug 2021 to July 2022 among those who have given written informed consent. Socio-demographic details, smoking status, alcohol consumption history, existing comorbidities, and other biological parameters were assessed by accessing the medical records. The abdominal ultrasound of the admitted patients was used to diagnose splenomegaly. Results: Splenomegaly was present in 25 (56.8%) of patients out of 44 we enrolled. Among those patients, 17 (38.6%) had mild, while 4 (9.1%) had moderate and massive splenomegaly respectively. The majority were females (28 versus 16 males) and the mean age was 44.84 years (±15.45 SD). The age ranges from 24-80 years. We observed that patients aged 36-50 years and comorbidities like hypertension and hypothyroidism were the associated factors for splenomegaly. Conclusions: The prevalence of splenomegaly among pancytopenia patients is high. This is a significant clinical indication that requires careful investigation. Ageing, hypertension, and hypothyroidism are contributory factors for splenomegaly in patients with pancytopenia

Prevalence of splenomegaly and factors contributing to splenomegaly among pancytopenia patients: a facility-based cross-sectional study

Background: The spleen is an organ that cannot be clinically felt in a normal individual. Splenomegaly is a significant diagnostic indicator of the presence of underlying pathology. It is associated with a number of diseases like hematological, infectious, portal hypertension and immunological problems. However, it’s unclear what exactly causes hypersplenism. The objective was to assess the prevalence of splenomegaly in people with pancytopenia and the contributing factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult patients diagnosed with pancytopenia in a tertiary care hospital in Bengaluru, Karnataka. We have considered only inpatients who accessed care at the facility over a period of 12 months from Aug 2021 to July 2022 among those who have given written informed consent. Socio-demographic details, smoking status, alcohol consumption history, existing comorbidities, and other biological parameters were assessed by accessing the medical records. The abdominal ultrasound of the admitted patients was used to diagnose splenomegaly. Results: Splenomegaly was present in 25 (56.8%) of patients out of 44 we enrolled. Among those patients, 17 (38.6%) had mild, while 4 (9.1%) had moderate and massive splenomegaly respectively. The majority were females (28 versus 16 males) and the mean age was 44.84 years (±15.45 SD). The age ranges from 24-80 years. We observed that patients aged 36-50 years and comorbidities like hypertension and hypothyroidism were the associated factors for splenomegaly. Conclusions: The prevalence of splenomegaly among pancytopenia patients is high. This is a significant clinical indication that requires careful investigation. Ageing, hypertension, and hypothyroidism are contributory factors for splenomegaly in patients with pancytopenia.</jats:p

Influence of the homogenization scheme on the bending response of functionally graded plates

Functionally graded materials (FGM) are an advanced class of engineering composites constituting of two or more distinct phase materials described by continuous and smooth varying composition of material properties in the required direction. In this work, the effect of the material homogenization scheme on the flexural response of a thin to moderately thick FGM plate is studied. The plate is subjected to different loading and boundary conditions. The formulation is developed based on the first-order shear deformation theory. The mechanical properties are assumed to vary continuously through the thickness of the plate and obey a power-law distribution of the volume fraction of the constituents. The variation of volume fraction through the thickness is computed using two different homogenization techniques, namely rule of mixtures and Mori–Tanaka scheme. Comparative studies have been carried out to demonstrate the efficiency of the present formulation. The results obtained from the two techniques have been compared with the analytical solutions available in the literature. In addition to the above a parametric study bringing out the effect of boundary conditions, loads, and power-law index has also been presented

Effect of Nova Aminochelated-zinc on Growth and Yield of Rice (Oryza Sativa L.)

A field experiment was conducted during the kharif, 2018 to study the effect of Nova Aminochelated-Zinc on growth, yield and yield components of rice. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with six treatments T1: Control, T2: Recommended Dose of Fertilizers (RDF) without Zinc, T3: T2+5 ml l-1 Nova Ami-Zinc @TI and PI, T4:T2+2.5 gm l-1 ZnSO4 @TI and PI, T5: 5 ml l-1 Nova Ami-Zinc @TI and PI, T6: 2.5 gm l-1 ZnSO4 @TI and PI. Experiment revealed that application of RDF+5ml l-1 Nova Ami-Zinc @ TI and PI (T3) resulted in maximum Number of tillers m-2, Total number of Grains Panicle-1, Number of Filled Grains Panicle-1, Test weight and Grain Yield but application of RDF+2.5 gm l-1 ZnSO4 @TI and PI showed maximum height followed by application of RDF +5 ml l-1 Nova Ami-Zinc @ TI and PI.</jats:p

Mortality, morbidity and sequelae of COVID-associated mucormycosis; 18 months follow up study

Background: The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India was associated with an increased incidence of rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis. The objective of this paper was to prospectively explore the epidemiology, management, and results of 18 months follow-up of patients presenting with COVID associated mucormycosis at a tertiary referral centre in India. Methods: Patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of COVID-associated mucormycosis over two months were included in the study. Patients were staged based on the extent of the disease. Surgery was the primary modality of treatment except in those with intracranial spread, altered sensorium, and poor prognosis. A combination of liposomal amphotericin B and posaconazole was used as adjunct medical treatment. Patients were followed up and outcomes at one year of treatment were recorded. Results: Out of a total of 26 patients who were diagnosed with COVID associated mucormycosis, 21 patients underwent bimodality treatment (medical and surgical). The extent of surgery was based on the stage of the disease. Six eyes received retrobulbar injections of Amphotericin B to salvage vision. The overall mortality was 38.46% and 23.8% in those where the intent of treatment was curative. At the end of one year, 16 of 21 operated patients survived with mild to severe sequelae. Conclusions: Mucormycosis is a deadly fungal infection with high mortality. Early diagnosis and prompt, aggressive treatment is paramount in preventing mortality. A multidisciplinary approach is useful for effective management. Continuous follow up is paramount to identifying and treating complications.</jats:p