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Biomedical subjects

P Bhat

Publications and source records attributed to P Bhat.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Faecal flora of South Indian infants and young children in health and with acute gastroenteritis.

The faecal flora of 29 healthy infants and young children was compared with that of 49 children of similar age and socio-ecomonic status with acute gastroenteritis. In the healthy children the most common organisms in the faeces were bifidobacteria, veillonellae, enterobacteria and enterodocci with anaerobes outnumbering aerobes. Most members of the noraml faecal flora were present in the diarrhoeal stools, but anaerobes were signigicantly reduced in number and enterobacteria were significantly increased, thereby altering the ratio of anaerobes to aerobes. The alterations in the flora were not related to the nature of the aetiological agent or to the severity of the diarrhoea. The changes appeared to be a direct result of the altered colonic environment produced by the diarrhoeal state. In 13 of the 28 patients from whom bacterial pathogens were isolated, the pathogens were the predominant faecal organsims.

Actinomycetaceae↗

Jejunal microbial flora of southern indian infants in health and with acute gastroenteritis.

The microbial flora of the jejunal lumen of 28 infants with acute gastroenteritis was compared with that of a group of 10 normal infants. The jejunum of control subjects harboured an "oral" type of flora and in a few instances enterobacteria in small numbers. The concentrations of all but one of the groups of organism were higher in the patients than in controls, and the differences were of statistical significance for enterobacteria and lactobacilli. In eight subjects, the same pathogen was identified in the jejunum and the stool. In six subjects with rotavirus infection, there were almost no Gram-negative aerobic rods in the jejunum. The possible role of other Gram-negative aerobic rods in producing gastroenteritis is discussed. It is suggested that studies of jejunal flora are of considerable importance in assigning an aetiological role to bacteria in the causation of acute gastroenteritis.

Acute Disease↗

Aetiology of acute gastroenteritis in infancy and early childhood in southern India.

The aetiology of acute gastroenteritis was studied in 50 infants and young children. Bacterial pathogens were isolated in 33, enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Salmonella, and Shigella being the commonest isolates. Rotaviruses were detected in the stools of 13 of the cases. All children with gastroenteritis in whom rotavirus was detected were seen during the months July to December. In 30 children who served as controls, EPEC were isolated in 6, but rotavirus was detected in none. It is concluded that infection with rotaviruses is a significant cause of morbidity in children with gastroenteritis in southern India.

Acute Disease↗

Intestinal perfusion studies in tropical sprue. 2. Movement of water and electrolytes.

Jejunal absorption of sodium and water has been investigated in 10 normal Indians and 11 patients with chronic tropical sprue. Normal saline and solutions containing amino acids and dipeptides were studied. In both groups little absorption of sodium and water from normal saline was seen. Mean water and sodium absorption from the free amino acid or dipeptide solutions showed no significant difference between the groups and was similar to absorption from normal saline. These results differ from data obtained in normal English subjects where at these concentrations significant stimulation of sodium and water absorption was seen. In a proportion of subjects in both groups net secretion was observed. However, no correlation was seen between mucosal histology or luminal bacteriology and sodium or water movement. These findings in patients with chronic tropical sprue are similar to findings in normal Indians and suggest that jejunal handling of sodium and water is abnormal when compared with normal English subjects, but that the mucosa is not in a secretory phase as seen in certain other diarrhoeal states or in the acute early phase of sprue.

Amino Acids↗

Comparative evaluation of desoxycholate citrate medium and xylose lysine desoxycholate medium in the isolation of shigellae.

Studies of the relative efficacies of different modes of transport of fecal specimens intended for culture for the isolation of Shigellae have been carried out. When the delay between collection and culture was long, transportation in liquid nitrogen was slightly but not significantly better than transportation on ice. When the delay was short (10 hours or less) transportation at ambient temperature was as satisfactory as that on ice. A comparative study of the efficacies of three media for the isolation of Shigellae was also carried out. A total of 75 stool specimens containing Shigellae was studied. Isolation rates were highest with xylose lysine desoxycholate medium (XLD) and desoxycholate citrate medium (DCA). XLD was superior to DCA in that the Shigella colonies were clearly visible after overnight incubation, whereas use of DCA necessitated 48 hours of incubation. Also, colonial morphology on XLD was more specific. It is recommended that both XLD and DCA be employed, but if only one medium is to be used, XLD is the medium of choice.

Culture Media↗

Vitamin B12 absorption--a study of intraluminal events in control subjects and patients with tropical sprue.

The intraluminal fate of orally administered radioactive vitamin B12 has been studied in control subjects with normal vitamin B12 absorption and those with vitamin B12 malabsorption due to tropical sprue. In control subjects 1 to 21% of the dose was bound to sedimentable material and 37 to 75% was bound to immunoreactive intrinsic factor. In subjects with vitamin B12 malabsorption due to tropical sprue, the results were identical with the control subjects. Bacteriological studies showed a statistically significant correlation between both the number of flora in the jejunum and the number of bacteroides in both the jejunum and ileum and vitamin B12 malabsorption. In patients with tropical sprue who have normal intrinsic factor secretion, the vitamin B12 absorptive defect is not due to binding of the vitamin to bacteria or to alteration to the intrinsic factor vitamin B12 complex in the intestinal lumen. The lesion appears to be one of the mucosal cell receptors or of the cells themselves, possibly caused by bacterial toxins.

Bacteroides↗