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Biomedical subjects

D K Mendiratta

Publications and source records attributed to D K Mendiratta.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Evaluation of different methods for diagnosis of P. falciparum malaria.

Rapid diagnosis is a prerequisite for institution of effective treatment and reducing the mortality and morbidity of falciparum malaria. This study was taken up to compare the efficacy of various rapid methods viz, acridine orange, Plasmodium falciparum histidine rich protein II antigen detection and Field's stain with traditional microscopy i.e, Leishman stain for diagnosing falciparum malaria. Thick and thin blood films of 443 consecutive patients with history of fever with chills and rigors were examined by Leishman and Field's method. Acridine orange stained wet mounts of blood were examined under fluorescence microscopy. All films were examined by two independent microbiologists. Plasmodium falciparum histidine rich protein II antigen was detected using commercially available kit, Paracheck Pf. Out of the 443 subjects examined for P.falciparum 18.28% were detected by Leishman stain, 6.32% by Field's stain, 18.28% by acridine orange and 18.1% by antigen based technique. Field's stain missed 53 (65.4%), while Paracheck Pf was negative in 6(7.4%) of the Leishman positive samples. All Field's stain and acridine orange positives were positive by Leishman, but five Paracheck Pf positives were negative. Leishman stain is cost effective but if facilities are available one should use acridine orange for screening. The antigen detection kits are rapid, simple and are useful but to rule out false negatives in clinically suspected cases, Leishman stain is reliable.

Acridine Orange↗
PubMed2006

Candida colonization in preterm babies admitted to neonatal intensive care unit in the rural setting.

PURPOSE: Candida colonization in neonates results in significant morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine colonization of Candida spp. in preterm babies and identify the risk factors. METHODS: Swabs from oral, rectum, groin and umblicus of 103 preterm and 100 term neonates were obtained within 24 hours of birth, day three, day five, day seven and thereafter every week till the neonate was admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Swabs were also collected from the mother's vagina prior to delivery. Twice every month, air of the NICU was sampled by settle plate and swabs were collected from the hands of health care workers and inanimate objects of NICU. Identification and speciation was done by standard methods. Antibiotic sensitivity was studied against amphotericin B, ketoconazole and fluconazole by disk diffusion method. RESULTS: Colonization with Candida was significantly higher in preterms. Earliest colonization was of oral mucosa and 77.1% of the preterms had colonised at various sites by the first week of life. Significant risk factors in colonized versus non-colonized preterms were male sex, longer duration of rupture of membranes (DROM), administration of steroids and antibiotics and vaginal colonization of mothers, whereas those in preterms versus terms were low birth weight and gestational age. C. albicans was the commonest species, both in the colonized preterms (45.9%) and vagina of mothers. Resistance was seen to fluconazole and ketoconazole only. No Candida spp. was isolated from health care personnel or environment. CONCLUSIONS: Colonization of preterms by Candida is a significant problem in NICU and the significant risk factors observed in colonized preterms were male sex, longer DROM, administration of steroids and antibiotics and vaginal colonization of mothers.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Keratitis due to Colletotrichum dematium--a case report.

Colletotrichum dematium has been rarely reported from India before. The present case, a farmer, developed peripheral corneal ulcer five days following trauma with plant. At presentation his visual acuity was 6/60 (unaided) and 6/24P with pinhole. Slit lamp and fluorescent stain examination revealed paracentral corneal ulcer with irregular margins, stromal infiltration and multiple epithelial defects. Microbiological examination of corneal samples confirmed the initial diagnosis of fungal corneal ulcer and the fungus was identified as C.dematium. Patient was treated with topical natamycin and ciprofloxacin. Patient left against medical advice and was lost to follow up. This report emphasizes that Colletotrichum keratitis may not be rare. Early diagnosis may help in institution of specific therapy early in the disease.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Prevalence of tuberculous lymphadenitis in children in Wardha district, Maharashtra State, India.

SETTING: Rural area of Wardha district, Maharashtra State, Central India. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of tuberculous lymphadenitis in children aged 0-14 years in the study area and to assess factors that may contribute towards the prevalence. DESIGN: House to house survey of a population of 23,229 in 35 neighbouring villages with 7900 children aged 0-14 years from May 1993 to May 1994 and from March 1995 to February 1996. RESULTS: The prevalence of tuberculous lymphadenitis/1000 children was 4.43. The maximum prevalence was in the 5-9 years age group. The prevalence was 34 times higher in children with positive family history of tuberculosis than in those without a history. There was an association between prevalence and the living standards of the children, with a higher prevalence in families that belonged to an underprivileged social class living in thatched, improvised houses. Multiple cervical lymph nodes >2 cm and with matting and fluctuation were found to be characteristic clinical features. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of peripheral lymphadenopathy was 27.2/1000 children and that of tuberculous lymphadenitis was 4.43/1000. Positive history of contact in the family was a significant epidemiological indicator of tuberculous glands.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Leptospirosis--a case report.

Outbreaks of Leptospirosis have been reported from various parts of India including Maharashtra. We report a case of leptospirosis from Wardha District, Maharashtra from where the disease has not been reported so far.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Prevalence of sputum-positive pulmonary tuberculosis in tribal and non-tribal populations of the Ashti and Karanja tahsils in Wardha district, Maharashtra State, India.

SETTING: Ashti and Karanja tahsils, Wardha district, Maharashtra State, Central India. OBJECTIVE: To find and compare the prevalence of bacillary positive pulmonary tuberculosis amongst the different tribes and in the non-tribal population. DESIGN: Prevalence study of pulmonary tuberculosis by house-to-house survey of symptoms among tribal (n = 20596) and non-tribal (n = 93 670) populations aged 5 years and over, between September 1989 and November 1990. RESULTS: The prevalence of smear and/or culture-positive tuberculosis/100000 population was 133 in the tribal and 144 in the non-tribal population. The difference in prevalence of symptomatic individuals and sputum-positive cases among the tribal and the non-tribal populations was statistically significant only in the symptomatic individuals/100000 (P = 0.01). The prevalence of cases in both groups was higher in males than females; however this difference was significant only in the tribal group (P = 0.05). Only two of the 46 tribes encountered, the Mana and Pawara tribes, showed a high prevalence, of 730 and 612/100000, respectively. The three other tribes with positive cases (the Gond group) had prevalences comparable to that of the nontribal population. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of tuberculosis in tribal people was comparable to that of the non-tribal population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Characteristics of Vibrio cholera 0139 strains isolated in Sevagram (Maharashtra) during April-August 1993.

A total of 44 strains of Vibrio 0139 serotype isolated between April and August 1993 at Sevagram (Wardha) were examined for expression of a number of biochemical and physiological characteristics. All strains fermented lactose within 24 h and belonged to Heiberg group III. Salt tolerance to 8 per cent NaCl was seen in 22.72 per cent strains. Haemolysis of sheep RBCs and haemagglutination of human 'O', chicken and rabbit RBCs was consistently positive. All the strains were sensitive to tetracycline and resistant to polymyxin B and cotrimoxazole.

India↗