Puerperal sepsis: predominant organisms and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern

Background: Puerperal sepsis is among the leading cause of preventable maternal morbidity and mortality not only in developing countries but in developed countries as well. This study was undertaken to isolate and identify aerobic bacterial agents of puerperal sepsis among the patients admitted in rural medical college of Maharashtra.Methods: Blood samples were collected from 67 cases of Puerperal sepsis and were cultured aerobically. The organisms were identified by standard biochemical tests. Antimicrobial sensitivity testing done by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method.Results: Out of 67 samples, 46 (68.65%) yielded growth in blood culture. The isolated organisms were Klebsiella aerogenes, Staph. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus, E. coli, Streptococcus pyogenes and coagulase negative Staphylococci. Most of the organisms are resistant to commonly used antibiotics such as ampicillin, penicillin and amikacin.Conclusions: Puerperal sepsis is the common life threatening condition in the postnatal period, particularly following vaginal delivery. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of puerperal sepsis can make the difference between life and death

Formulation and In-Vitro Evaluation of Enteric Coated Tablet Incorporating Rabeprazole

The objective of the work is to try and assess the applicability and manufacturing possibilities to optimize an enteric coated tablet formulation containing Rabeprazole sodium as the drug aiming at the anti-acidity activity with desired drug release properties. Enteric coated tablet was chosen as dosage form being a cost-effective technology for pharmaceutical industry requiring fewer procedures. Before the implementation of the pharmaceutical technological aims, analysis of critical factors influencing the manufacture was carried out. Reproducible manufacturing processes are required to achieve suitability and tablets uniformity to achieve the uniform properties of tablets, which could influence experimental parameters. Rabeprazole in core content of tablet is blended with HPMC (different grades), xanthan gum, PVPK30, mannitol, crosspovidone, Sodium starch glycolate, Colloidal silicon dioxide to formulate the product. Prepared formulation was tested for weight and content uniformity, physical characteristics, in vitro dissolution behaviour, acid resistance and accelerated stability studies. All studies performed resulted and revealed for assurance of such enteric coated tablet formulation for drug Rabeprazole with optimum characteristics, concluding it as a promising approach to enhance drug release characteristics. Keywords: Rabeprazole, HPMC, enteric coated tablets, In Vitro evaluation

Dendrimers: novel carriers for drug delivery

Dendrimers are highly branched, organic compounds with well-defined, symmetrical structure. From chemical point of view they are three-dimensional polymers, characterized by a globular shape. At the end of the arms are terminals, functional groups, which can be easily modified in order to change their chemical and physical properties. Dendrimers have nanoscopic particle size range from 1 to 100 nm. They are ideal drug delivery systems due to their feasible topology, functionality and dimensions, their size is very close to various important biological polymers and assemblies such as DNA and proteins. The structure of dendrimer molecules begins with a central atom or group of atoms labeled as the “core.” From this central structure, branches of other atoms called ‘dendrons.’ The continuous branching results in layers of branch structure called “generations.”Synthesis of dendrimers done by four methods. These are ‘Divergent’ Dendrimer Growth , ‘Convergent’ Dendrimer Growth ,‘Double Exponential’ and ‘Mixed’ Growth ,‘Click’ Synthesis (Hypercores and branched monomers growth). Mechanisms of drug loading onto dendrimer carriers by physical encapsulation of drug molecules and chemical conjugation of drug molecules. The conjugates show increased solubility, decreased systemic toxicity and selective accumulation in solid tumors. Various applications as pharmaceutical and non pharmaceuticals. Dendrimers may have toxicity mainly attributed to the interaction of the cationic dendrimers surface with negative biological load membranes damaging cellular membranes causing hemolytic toxicity and cytotoxicity also limitation that does not apply where the drug is solubilised with dendrimer and then released in the gut for absorption. Some Marketed products of dendrimers are available named as Starburst, Priostar, Stratus CS, Vivagel, Alert ticket, SuperFect, Taxotere

Coexistence of breast hemangioma with fibroadenoma: a rare case report

Vascular tumors of the breast are uncommon and include angiosarcomas and hemangiomas. Angiosarcomas are more common and benign hemangiomas are rare. We report a case of 16 years old female patient with hemangioma of breast coexisting with very commonly occurring breast fibroadenoma. The rarity of literature on breast hemangioma especially coexistent with fibroadenoma, and its importance in differentiation from the more common malignant counterpart, the angiosarcomas deserves mention

Cavernous haemangioma of spleen: a rare case report

Tumours of the spleen are as such rare. Of these rare tumours, haemangioma is the most commonly encountered benign tumour with fewer than 100 cases reported. It is either an incidental finding or presents as splenic enlargement or with complications. Preoperative investigations are often inconclusive and may not distinguish between haemangioma and metastases. We report a case of 40 years female with cavernous haemangioma of spleen presenting as massive splenomegaly. Splenic haemangioma presenting as massive splenomegaly is extremely rare and deserves a mention

Wegener’s granulomatosis masquerading as Pansinusitis and Nasal Polyposis: a diagnostic Dilemma

Wegener’s Granulomatosis is characterized by granulomas of the upper and lower respiratory tracts, glomerulonephritis and systemic vasculitis of small and medium sized vessels. A “limited” form of the disease points to the presence of clinical findings restricted to the upper respiratory tract and/or lungs. Limited sino-nasal disease is rare and, coupled with the higher incidence of tuberculosis, bacterial and fungal sinusitis, a timely diagnosis often poses a challenge. We present a case of a female patient in the seventh decade with features of pansinusitis and nasal polyps, initially diagnosed as, granulomatous lesion of infective etiology, which later turned out to be Wegener’s granulomatosis

"Climate change and health?": Knowledge and perceptions among key stakeholders in Puducherry, India

Climate change has far-reaching impacts on human health, with low- and middle-income countries, including India, being particularly vulnerable. While there have been several advances in the policy space with the development of adaptation plans, little remains known about how stakeholders who are central to the strengthening and implementation of these plans perceive this topic. We conducted a qualitative study employing key interviews with 16 medical doctors, researchers, environmentalists and government officials working on the climate change agenda from Puducherry, India. The findings were analysed using the framework method, with data-driven thematic analysis. We elucidated that despite elaborating the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on health, there remains a perceived gap in education and knowledge about the topic among participants. Knowledge of the public health burden and vulnerabilities influenced the perceived health risks from climate change, with some level of scepticism on the impacts on non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases. There was also a felt need for multi-level awareness and intervention programmes targeting all societal levels along with stakeholder recommendations to fill these gaps. The findings of this study should be taken into consideration for strengthening the region's climate change and health adaptation policy. In light of limited research on this topic, our study provides an improved understanding of how key stakeholders perceive the impacts of climate change on health in India

Non-optimal apparent temperature and cardiovascular mortality: the association in Puducherry, India between 2011 and 2020

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the leading cause of death worldwide, are sensitive to temperature. In light of the reported climate change trends, it is important to understand the burden of CVDs attributable to temperature, both hot and cold. The association between CVDs and temperature is region-specific, with relatively few studies focusing on low-and middle-income countries. This study investigates this association in Puducherry, a district in southern India lying on the Bay of Bengal, for the first time. METHODS: Using in-hospital CVD mortality data and climate data from the Indian Meteorological Department, we analyzed the association between apparent temperature (T(app)) and in-hospital CVD mortalities in Puducherry between 2011 and 2020. We used a case-crossover model with a binomial likelihood distribution combined with a distributed lag non-linear model to capture the delayed and non-linear trends over a 21-day lag period to identify the optimal temperature range for Puducherry. The results are expressed as the fraction of CVD mortalities attributable to heat and cold, defined relative to the optimal temperature. We also performed stratified analyses to explore the associations between T(app) and age-and-sex, grouped and considered together, and different types of CVDs. Sensitivity analyses were performed, including using a quasi-Poisson time-series approach. RESULTS: We found that the optimal temperature range for Puducherry is between 30 degrees C and 36 degrees C with respect to CVDs. Both cold and hot non-optimal T(app) were associated with an increased risk of overall in-hospital CVD mortalities, resulting in a U-shaped association curve. Cumulatively, up to 17% of the CVD deaths could be attributable to non-optimal temperatures, with a slightly higher burden attributable to heat (9.1%) than cold (8.3%). We also found that males were more vulnerable to colder temperature; females above 60 years were more vulnerable to heat while females below 60 years were affected by both heat and cold. Mortality with cerebrovascular accidents was associated more with heat compared to cold, while ischemic heart diseases did not seem to be affected by temperature. CONCLUSION: Both heat and cold contribute to the burden of CVDs attributable to non-optimal temperatures in the tropical Puducherry. Our study also identified the age-and-sex and CVD type differences in temperature attributable CVD mortalities. Further studies from India could identify regional associations, inform our understanding of the health implications of climate change in India and enhance the development of regional and contextual climate-health action-plans

Unraveling the cytotoxic potential of Temozolomide loaded into PLGA nanoparticles

BACKGROUND: Nanotechnology has received great attention since a decade for the treatment of different varieties of cancer. However, there is a limited data available on the cytotoxic potential of Temozolomide (TMZ) formulations. In the current research work, an attempt has been made to understand the anti-metastatic effect of the drug after loading into PLGA nanoparticles against C6 glioma cells. Nanoparticles were prepared using solvent diffusion method and were characterized for size and morphology. Diffusion of the drug from the nanoparticles was studied by dialysis method. The designed nanoparticles were also assessed for cellular uptake using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. RESULTS: PLGA nanoparticles caused a sustained release of the drug and showed a higher cellular uptake. The drug formulations also affected the cellular proliferation and motility. CONCLUSION: PLGA coated nanoparticles prolong the activity of the loaded drug while retaining the anti-metastatic activity