Density & biting behaviour of Anopheles culicifacies Giles in Rameswaram island (Tamil Nadu).
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
K Krishnamoorthy
Publications and source records attributed to K Krishnamoorthy.
Feasibility of mosquito larval control in casuarina pits using Gambusia affinis.
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Animals↗
Inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion in premature infants with cerebral injury.
We describe 11 premature infants with the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). The syndrome is far more common than the single case report in the literature would indicate. All the infants had either asphyxiation at birth, intracranial hemorrhage, or meningitis. Of the nine children available for follow-up observation, seven demonstrated serious neurological sequelae. The diagnosis of SIADH in the premature neonate may be difficult to establish due to the complexity of precipitating factors.
Brain Diseases↗
Statistical methods for establishing equivalency of a sampling device to the OSHA standard.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations allow the use of an alternative sampling device for exposure monitoring provided the device has been demonstrated to be equivalent to the standard device. For example, the OSHA standard allows the use of an alternate cotton dust sampler that is equivalent to the Lumsden-Lynch vertical elutriator (VE); also, OSHA defines the accuracy of the monitoring device for measuring airborne chemicals such as benzene and sulfur dioxide. Typically, the OSHA criterion is that 90% of the readings of the sampling device should be within +/- 25% of the readings obtained by the standard device or within +/- 25% of the actual airborne chemical concentration. This article proposes two statistical tests for establishing that an alternative measuring device of airborne chemicals or dust is equivalent to the OSHA standard. The statistical tests are illustrated using an example.
Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
Factors influencing response to lymphonodovenous shunt in filarial lymphoedema.
BACKGROUND: Although several studies have been published on lymphonodovenous shunt, there are no objective data either on the outcome of lymphoedema or on various parameters likely to influence the results. METHODS: A trial of lymphonodovenous shunt was carried out in 75 patients with unilateral filarial lymphoedema. The primary aim of the trial was to identify a cohort of responders as against non-responders and to correlate the outcome with various factors such as age, gender, duration and preoperative grade of lymphoedema, number of preoperative attacks of adenolymphangitis, operative impression of the lymph node, effect of venous reflex and type of nodovenous anastomoses. Change in oedema volume was measured objectively by water displacement method using the normal limb as a control. RESULTS: There was no operative mortality. Predominant postoperative complications included wound haematoma (8.5%), wound infection (13.6%) and transient lymphorrhoea (13.6%). In the immediate postoperative period, a reduction of 25%-50% in the oedema volume was recorded in 46.7% of cases and of more than 50% in 17.3% cases. The difference in response with respect to the type of lymphonodovenous shunt was not statistically significant, although the end-to-side type of shunt showed marginally better results. The response was significantly higher in patients with preoperative oedema volume more than 2 L. There was a significant reduction in postoperative attacks of adenolymphangitis, irrespective of the reduction in oedema volume. Of the 75 patients, 22 showed regression of oedema volume to preoperative or higher levels in the postoperative phase. A majority (21/22) could be identified as non-responders within 3 months of surgery. CONCLUSION: The best results of lymphonodovenous shunt were seen in patients with large-volume lymphoedema. The results are better when combined with early excisional surgery. Other factors did not significantly affect the outcome. Non-responders could be identified within 3 months after surgery. Even in patients who did not respond well, a significant decrease in the frequency of adenolymphangitis attacks was observed. Higher initial oedema volume and history of higher frequency (25-50 per year) of adenolymphangitis attacks can be considered as indicators for good response to lymphonodovenous shunt.
Adult↗
Estimated costs of acute adenolymphangitis to patients with chronic manifestations of bancroftian filariasis in India.
In India, lymphatic filariasis persists as a major cause of clinical morbidity and as an impediment to socio-economic development. The direct costs incurred for the treatment of adeno-lymphangitis (ADL) episodes and the consequent indirect costs due to loss of income were determined from selected agricultural labour-intensive rural endemic pockets in Tamil Nadu. Information on the occurrence of ADL, its frequency and duration were collected using semi-structured questionnaire from randomly selected patients afflicted with chronic manifestations of bancroftian filariasis. Direct (treatment) cost per year per patient was found to range from Rs. 30 to 101 among patients with different manifestations. Income foregone (indirect cost) annually by each patient, which is a function of frequency and duration of ADL ranged from Rs. 182 to 702. ADL episodes among filarial patients alone cost a minimum of Rs. 4515 million for the nation every year. Cost benefit analysis of filariasis control programme in India showed that the benefits in terms of savings on treatment and work lost due ADL alone exceeded the cost by 24%. The per capita cost of the National Filaria Control Programme was calculated to be Rs. 2.6 per annuam.
Acute Disease↗
Daily diethylcarbamazine for the treatment of Brugia malayi microfilaria carriers.
BACKGROUND: Diethylcarbamazine is effective for the treatment of brugian filaria carriers. However, the 12-day course with a daily dose of 6 mg per kg body weight is rarely completed. The World Health Organization has indicated the need for better regimes to control filariasis. METHODS: We evaluated the long term effects of three different dosage regimes of diethylcarbamazine--6, 9 and 12 mg per kg body weight--to a total of 72 mg on 93 microfilaria carriers of Brugia malayi. RESULTS: All cases treated with the 6 mg daily dose showed complete clearance of microfilaria immediately after the treatment. However, at the 9 and 12 mg daily doses only 91% and 85% of cases respectively showed complete clearance. There was a close association between the daily dose and the proportion of cases developing side-effects. The mean initial microfilaria counts were significantly higher in those who had side-effects than in those who did not. An 11-month follow up showed that with the 6 mg daily dose the recurrence rate of microfilaraemia was 29% while with the 12 mg daily dose it was 67%. Four per cent of patients on a daily dose of 6 and 9 mg discontinued treatment while 21% of those on the 12 mg daily dose did so. CONCLUSION: The 6 mg daily dose of diethylcarbamazine was the most effective and best accepted regime.
Adolescent↗
Myiasis in filarial lymphoedema due to Chrysomyia bezziana.
In patients with filarial lymphoedema of the limbs, infestation by maggots is extremely rare. We saw three patients with lymphoedema who harboured Chrysomyia bezziana in leg ulcers and in one of them 128 maggots were recovered. A course of local dressing, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs resulted in healing of the wounds. Ulcers in patients with lymphoedema should be carefully tended with cleaning and dressing otherwise myiasis may supervene.
Adult↗
Rapid assessment procedures (RAP) for lymphatic filariasis.
BACKGROUND: New strategies are emerging for control of filariasis in terms of chemotherapy and vector control. Field application of these tools requires mapping and prioritization of filaria-endemic areas and quantification of the infection/ disease burden. Available procedures are time-consuming, costly and have poor sensitivity. Therefore, rapid assessment procedures need to be developed to assess the disease burden as well as monitor and evaluate control programmes. METHODS: Data collected on different variables from 25 areas in India and elsewhere were used. The relationship between prevalence of human infection and vector infection rate was analysed quantitatively. Due to lack of independent samples, only qualitative analysis was carried out between other epidemiological variables such as infection and disease prevalence in relation to age, gender and manifestation. RESULTS: There was a significant positive correlation between vector infection rate and infection prevalence in humans, suggesting that vector infection can be used as an indicator in the rapid assessment of infection prevalence. Scatter plots showed that community screening may be limited to the age group of 11-30 years for infection prevalence and 20-50 years for disease prevalence. Further, clinical surveys may be limited to only hydrocele prevalence which may be sufficient to predict the total disease. This can also be used as an alternative method by the community itself for delimiting endemic areas. CONCLUSIONS: Vector infection rate may be used as an indicator for rapid assessment of human infection. Alternatively, blood smear examination could be limited to the age group of 11-30 years. For a rapid survey of the diseases, males in the age group of 20-50 years could be examined only for hydrocele.
Adolescent↗