A comparative study of rapid urease test and dilute carbol fuchsin staining technique for diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) is a gram negative spiral bacilli associated with acid peptic disease (APD) and gastric carcinoma. A rapid urease test is the most common test performed for a quick clinical diagnosis with or without histopathological examination of antral biopsy specimens.Methods: In this study we evaluated the utility of a simple dilute carbol fuchsin stain (DCF) for identifying the spiral or curved forms of H.pylori in the direct smears of antral biopsy samples for diagnosis of H.pylori infection and compared the results with rapid urease test (RUT).Results: Sums of 100 cases were included in the study from which 61 (61%) were positive for urease production and shown typical spiral or curved bacilli by D.C.F stain.Conclusions: DCF stain was found to be an excellent stain for direct microscopic evaluation and compared well with RUT

Prevalence of HIV seropositivity among the patients attending tertiary care hospital at Puducherry, India

Background: HIV/AIDS has been globally increasing since its first identification and reached 36.9 million by the end of 2014. It is more prevalent in underdeveloped countries. India with about 2.1 million HIV/AIDS affected people is placed third on the table followed by South Africa and Nigeria. In the present study, we aim to report the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among the patients attending our hospital in and around Puducherry, India.Methods: A total of 18903 patients attending various departments of our hospital from November 2012 to October 2015 were included in this study. HIV screening was done by rapid card test and ELISA for the detection of antibodies against HIV.Results: Out of the total study population, 259 (1.37%) were positive for HIV/AIDS. An increasing prevalence was observed in each successive year of our study. Male (1.94%) population was predominantly affected by HIV/AIDS than the females (0.90%) and is more prevalent in the 41-50 year age group.  Conclusions: Continuous monitoring, testing and counseling for HIV/AIDS would help to keep the disease under control. Special awareness and education programs are to be conducted in areas in which an increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS is reported

Burkholderia pseudomallei infection in a healthy adult from a rural area of South India

Melioidosis is an emerging disease producing protean manifestations, and is more common in alcoholics and diabetics. The disease can be a trivial localized lesion or a fatal septicemia. Early diagnosis and appropriate antimicrobial treatment greatly reduces the mortality rate. We report a case of localized form of the disease in an elderly male with no known predisposing medical disease who responded well to oral amoxycillin-clavulanic acid and cotrimoxazole treatment

Intestinal myiasis caused by Muscina stabulans

Intestinal maggots were isolated from a patient, who had reported to the Department of General Medicine of Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College, Puducherry, in southern India with complaints of abdominal distress, bloating of abdomen and intestinal hurry following a meal. He was diagnosed as a case of intestinal myiasis. Maggots obtained from his stool were identified to be Muscina stabulans based on characteristic patterns of posterior spiracles. He was treated with purgatives and albendazole. This intestinal myiasis case caused by M. stabulans is reported here because of its rare occurrence and the need to establish a correct diagnosis