Single shot versus multiple shot antibiotic therapy in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery: our experience

The aim of our study was to see the effect of single dose regime versus multi dose regime of antibiotic in laparoscopic surgery; in terms of type of laparoscopic surgery done, type and dose of intravenous antibiotic given and the occurrence of post operative complications like wound gape, stitch abscess, local pain and discharge from the wound in both the groups. The present study was prospective, observational and longitudinal. Protocol of the procedure was formed along with Performa, Patient Information Sheet and Informed Consent Form. The present study was carried out in surgery department of C.U Shah medical college, Surendranagar; Gujarat state. The study was carried out from 1st October 2010 till 31st August 2012. A total of one hundred and twenty patients undergoing emergency and elective laparoscopic surgery were included in our study. Case records of patients was recorded in the Performa containing demographic details, chief complaints, provisional diagnosis, details of operative procedures and drug details during the hospital stay. Follow up of the patients was done after one and three weeks and any change of regime of antibiotics was noted in respect to the symptoms or clinical findings like pain, fever, discharge, stitch abscess, wound gape. Out of 120 patients enrolled mean age was 38.88±14.19. Out of 120 patients in the study; 63 (52.5%) were Male and 57 (47.5%) were Female. Intravenous antibiotics were used in single dose or multiple dose in the patients undergoing laparoscopic procedures. Single dose of antibiotic was given to 65 patients and multiple dosage of antibiotics was given to 48 patients while 7 patients were converted from single to multiple dosage regime of antibiotics. Choice of a dosage of an appropriate antibiotic is of utmost importance in the treatment of the patients and the post operative outcomes. The adverse effects of the used antibiotics must also be kept into consideration while choosing the antibiotics and its dosage. Thus based on our study we conclude that single and multiple dosages of antibiotic regimes can be used for laparoscopic surgeries. However, single dose of antibiotics are more patient compliant, cost effective, less adverse effects and prevents emergence of antibiotic resistance

Feasibility of Obtaining Surface Layer Moisture Flux Using an IR Thermometer

This paper evaluates the feasibility of a method using a single hand-held infrared (IR) thermometer and a mini tower of wet and dry paper towels to psychometrically obtain surface layer temperature and moisture gradients and fluxes. Sling Psychrometers have long been standard measuring devices for quantifying the thermodynamics of near-surface atmospheric gas–vapor mixtures, specifically moisture parameters. However, these devices are generally only used to measure temperature and humidity at one near-surface level. Multiple self-aspirating psychrometers can be used in a vertical configuration to measure temperature and moisture gradients and fluxes in the first 1–2 m of the surface layer. This study explores a way to make multiple vertical psychrometric measurements with a single non-contact IR temperature sensor rather than using two in situ thermometers at each level. The surface layer dry- and wet-bulb temperatures obtained using an IR Thermometer are compared to Kestrel 4000 Weather Meter and Bacharach Sling Psychrometer measurements under various atmospheric conditions and surface types to test the viability of the method. To evaluate the results obtained using this new approach, standard meteorological surface data are collected during each experiment, and moisture parameters are derived via psychrometric equations. The results indicate that, not only is the method possible and practical, but they suggest that the IR Thermometer method may provide more surface layer temperature and moisture gradient and flux sensitivity than other single instrument methods

Measurement of Pasture Growth, Parameterization for Tropical Grass and Validation of the GrassGro Model

The GrassGro model was evaluated using 1995 experimental data from the Temperate Pasture Sustainability Key Program conducted at the Big Ridge 2 experimental site at CSIRO's "Chiswick" farm. The experiment was designed to measure changes in feed on offer (∆FOO) using the exclosure technique on three pasture types: Phalaris ('Phalaris aquatica'), Phalaris-white clover ('P. aquatica-Trifolium repens') and 'degraded' (a mixture of C₃and C₄pasture species). The model was calibrated for daily growth rate (DGR) and ∆FOO under grazed and ungrazed conditions for the three pasture types. The parameters for phalaris and white clover pastures supplied with the model were accepted for simulation. A set of model parameters was developed for 'Eleusine tristachya', which was the major contributing species in the 'degraded' pasture. ... Once calibrated, the model was used to simulate the pasture growth under different climatic regimes (Cooma, Armidale and Canberra) and choice of lambing time for matching animal demand to the pasture supply on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. The simulated results agreed well with the information provided by various sources

The soil C pool in different agroecosystems derived from the dry tropical forest of Guanacaste, Costa Rica

11 páginas, 6 figuras, 6 tablas.-- Ecological management and sustainable development in the humid tropics of Costa Rica.Inventories of soil C pools are still lacking from tropical sites. Our objective was to assess total C and N concentrations in the different mineral soil fractions down to 50 cm depth in relation to selected physical and chemical properties of 5 ecosystems at La Flor Sustainable Center in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The ecosystems studied were a derived savanna with scattered trees, a gallery forest, an abandoned Mango indigofera L. plantation, a Citrus sp. plantation, and a Saccharum officinarum L. (sugarcane) plantation. Significant differences were found for the main fixed factor ecosystem for all variables analyzed (ANOVA). The TSC concentration was significantly higher in the sugarcane plantation compared to the rest of land use systems. The TSC concentration decreased significantly with increase in depth in all ecosystems and ranged from 20.3–38.3 to 4.3–20.9 g kg−1 in the 0–10 and 40–50 cm depth, respectively. In all cases, the clay + silt fraction ( Curatella savanna > Mango and Citrus plantations > gallery forest. A principal component analysis (PCA) performed with all variables studied showed that the ordination of land uses (ecosystems) in the factorial plane defined by the first two axes was significant (Monte Carlo permutation test, P < 0.0001). The highest TSC pool down to 50 cm depth was obtained in the sugarcane plantation (160 Mg C ha−1) while less C was found in the rest of ecosystems, i.e. from 66 (gallery forest) to 80 Mg C ha−1 (Curatella savanna). The TSC concentration obtained in the sugarcane plot is likely the result of the incorporation of surface residues into the soil that would have otherwise been lost through burning, which is the current practice in the region. Further studies on C stabilization in the clay fraction are thus needed to test the hypothesis of soil C enrichment due to residue management. Finally, trade-offs are to be considered for both preservation of the fragile dTf and the productivity of derived land uses that increases soil C at the same time.Financial support during field work was provided by the US Department of Energy. The first author thanks Fundación ARAID-GA (Spain) for financial support.Peer reviewe

A study on role of follow up in minor surgical procedures

Background: Minor surgical procedures are surgeries that can be performed in the clinic under local anesthesia and doesn’t require preoperative and postoperative admission. In most of the institutions in our country, we advised patients to follow up within 7 to 10 days following minor surgical procedures. Unnecessary follow up increases stress to the patients in terms of not being able to manage daily routine work and would be costly as well. As a General Practitioner, majority of the cases done are the minor surgical procedures. Methods: The study was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted in the General Surgery Department at United Mission Hospital, Palpa from Dec 2013 to May 2013. 228 patients were divided into two groups of “No follow up” group and “Follow up” group.No Follow up Group was asked pre-formed questionnaires by telephone whereas Follow-up group were asked to follow up routinely on day 7 to 10 days of surgery and asked the same questions. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS program and Microsoft Excel. P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. P-value was determined by using the Chi-Square test. Result: The overall wound infection among 228 patients was found to be 14.5 percent with an infection rate of 16.4 percent in No Follow-up group and 12.7 percent in Follow-up group. The infection rate was found to be higher among the older age group of patient maximum being 36.4% in the age group of 50-59 years with a p-value of 0.053. Other risk factors like age, sex, residence, duration of surgery, socioeconomic status, history of medical illness and BMI didn’t have a significant association with the rate of infection following a minor surgical procedure. Conclusion: The routine postoperative follow up in minor surgery is unnecessary unless there are any signs suggestive of infection. Keywords: Minor surgery, Postoperative infection. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jkahs.v2i1.24412

Clinical Characterization and Genomic Analysis of Samples from COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections during the Second Wave among the Various States of India

From March to June 2021, India experienced a deadly second wave of COVID-19, with an increased number of post-vaccination breakthrough infections reported across the country. To understand the possible reason for these breakthroughs, we collected 677 clinical samples (throat swab/nasal swabs) of individuals from 17 states/Union Territories of the country who had received two doses (n = 592) and one dose (n = 85) of vaccines and tested positive for COVID-19. These cases were telephonically interviewed and clinical data were analyzed. A total of 511 SARS-CoV-2 genomes were recovered with genome coverage of higher than 98% from both groups. Analysis of both groups determined that 86.69% (n = 443) of them belonged to the Delta variant, along with Alpha, Kappa, Delta AY.1, and Delta AY.2. The Delta variant clustered into four distinct sub-lineages. Sub-lineage I had mutations in ORF1ab A1306S, P2046L, P2287S, V2930L, T3255I, T3446A, G5063S, P5401L, and A6319V, and in N G215C; Sub-lineage II had mutations in ORF1ab P309L, A3209V, V3718A, G5063S, P5401L, and ORF7a L116F; Sub-lineage III had mutations in ORF1ab A3209V, V3718A, T3750I, G5063S, and P5401L and in spike A222V; Sub-lineage IV had mutations in ORF1ab P309L, D2980N, and F3138S and spike K77T. This study indicates that majority of the breakthrough COVID-19 clinical cases were infected with the Delta variant, and only 9.8% cases required hospitalization, while fatality was observed in only 0.4% cases. This clearly suggests that the vaccination does provide reduction in hospital admission and mortality