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Biomedical subjects

R Ganapati

Publications and source records attributed to R Ganapati.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Modulan grip-aids for leprosy patients.

Made-to-measure Modulan grip-aids were fitted to 755 articles for 155 patients with hand deformities due to leprosy. The acceptance of the grip-aids was, in general, good. No instance of contact dermatitis or skin irritation was reported. These grip-aids facilitated a normal grip with crippled hands, and thus considerably improved the quality of the patient's personal and working life. They increased the patient's self-esteem and self-confidence because he/she could handle everyday objects or tools without the help of others and could do his/her job--an important step toward social and economic rehabilitation.

Epoxy Resins↗
PubMed1991

Reduction in caseload after multidrug therapy in an urban leprosy control programme--a retrospective study in Bombay.

A fall in the active registered case prevalence rate together with a fall in the active caseload per worker after the introduction of multidrug therapy (MDT) is becoming a managerial issue in leprosy control. A retrospective analysis was undertaken to assess the caseload per paramedical worker with reference to active cases for treatment (3341), cases for surveillance (2227) and cases for care after cure (165) at the end of December 1989. All these cases were under the care of 24 paramedical workers. The analysis showed that the caseload per worker was 239 (active cases 139, plus surveillance cases 93, plus care after cure cases 7), though active registered case prevalence rate declined from 1.82/1000 (before starting MDT) to 0.79/1000 by the end of December 1989. The case detection rate was 0.49/1000 by the end of 1989. So, although the active registered case prevalence rate declines, the worker will have enough to do because of the need for surveillance and the detection of relapses, early neuritis, early disabilities and care after cure. Simultaneously, new case detection and treatment must be continued. All these aspects need to be considered when programme managers are reviewing leprosy control strategy.

Drug Therapy, Combination↗
PubMed1990

Mycobacterium vaccae in immunoprophylaxis and immunotherapy of leprosy and tuberculosis.

Both leprosy and tuberculosis present continuing problems in their control, especially in the developing world, despite the availability of drugs effective in producing a bacteriological cure. Improved immunoprophylaxis, and an effective immunotherapy to be used with chemotherapy are urgently required. Intradermal injection of a suspension of killed Mycobacterium vaccae promotes cell-mediated responses to antigens common to all mycobacteria, and switches off the tissue-necrotizing aspects of the Koch phenomenon. These properties led to the use of the suspensions as an improved vaccine, either alone or in combination with BCG. The same properties led to the employment of the suspension in immunotherapy as an adjunct to chemotherapy in the treatment of both leprosy and tuberculosis. The evidence leading to these conclusions is reviewed and discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Penile and scrotal lesions in leprosy: case reports.

Six leprosy patients in the Ridley-Jopling spectrum of BT-BL showing lesions on penis and scrotum are presented, as we believe that this common enough clinical feature is not well documented in the literature.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

A pilot study of three potential vaccines for leprosy in Bombay.

Three vaccines, BCG Glaxo alone (vaccine A), BCG Glaxo plus 10(7) killed Mycobacterium vaccae (vaccine B), and BCG Glaxo plus 10(7) killed M. leprae (vaccine C), were given to groups of selected children. The effects of these vaccines on subsequent quadruple skin testing 1-3 years after vaccination were compared. All three vaccines equally and significantly (p less than 0.00001) increased positivity to tuberculin, but only vaccine B was found to significantly enhance development of skin-test positivity to leprosin A (p less than 0.002). The data support the evidence previously obtained in rural Iran that the combination of BCG with killed M. vaccae is likely to be a better vaccine for leprosy than is BCG alone.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Leprosy teaching in medical colleges in Bombay--a questionnaire study.

An attempt was made to study the adequacy of leprosy teaching at the undergraduate level of the four medical colleges in Bombay, and to suggest possible routes towards the reorientation of leprosy teaching. Over 55% of the medical faculty contacted expressed dissatisfaction with the existing pattern of leprosy teaching. The survey reveals ample evidence pointing to the necessity of redesigning the curriculum at the undergraduate level, so as to provide increased weightage to both the theoretical and the practical aspects of leprosy. A heartening feature of the study is the inclination shown by a majority of medical teachers to associate themselves with the PSM Department in order to help improve leprosy teaching and thereby help in leprosy control. This offer should definitely be taken advantage of for furthering the cause of leprosy eradication as a part of achievement of "Health for All by 2000 AD".

Curriculum↗
PubMed1989

Clinical assessment of paucibacillary leprosy under multidrug therapy-three years followup study.

408 skin smear negative paucibacillary leprosy cases who had completed six months MDT were kept under surveillance for three years. The clinical assessment at the end of surveillance showed that 276 (82%) of all the cases attained inactivity. Two patients who were inactive showed signs of relapse. Five patients showed more activity though they were regressing under treatment. The inactivity rate was much higher amongst the patients with 1 to 3 skin lesions (88%) as compared to the patients with greater than or equal to 4 lesions (60%). The difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.001). The past treatment before MDT did not appear to influence the clinical course of the disease. 17% of the patients essentially border-line type continued to show signs of activity even after 3 years surveillance indicating the need for triple drug therapy (to be treated as multibacillary). However large scale data on relapse rate would be essential before the efficacy of WHO short-term therapy for paucibacillary leprosy is evaluated.

Drug Therapy, Combination↗
PubMed1989

Leprosy survey in industries in Bombay.

Population surveys for leprosy in industrial cities like Bombay revealed that about 60% of adult subjects especially males could be examined. The fact that the prevalence rate of leprosy particularly multibacillary type is much higher in this segment of population as compared to other groups indicates the importance of examining this population at their workspot like industries. 22287 industrial workers were examined for leprosy by paramedical auxiliaries in their establishments and 270 leprosy cases were detected (P.R. 12/1000). However, only 13 multibacillary cases (P.R. 0.5/1000) could be unearthed. 12 patients were with grade II and above. 184 (83%) were untreated. 161 (60%) patients reported for treatment. With available resources, case holding of patients who are not within the control area of the project becomes a challenging job for paramedical workers though large number of leprosy cases are detected amongst industrial workers. If industrial management arranges treatment for leprosy patients without dislocating them from their service, the pool of infection in the urban community will be reduced and can contribute tremendously towards urban leprosy control programme.

Humans↗
PubMed1988

Sensitisation by mycobacteria and the effects of BCG on children attending schools in the slums of Bombay.

Quadruple skin testing with new tuberculins was used to evaluate the effects of previously administered BCG Madras in children attending schools in the slums, or living in Kopri Leprosy Colony in Bombay. There were differences between schools both in the level of sensitisation of children without BCG scars and in the effects of BCG vaccination. Results obtained at one school resembled those obtained in a previous study in Agra, where BCG was thought to be ineffective. Results from the other schools and Kopri were more like those previously reported from Ahmednagar, where BCG was considered to be much more effective. Thus within the same city groups of children of the same social status may vary widely both in their contact with mycobacteria and in their capacity to benefit from BCG vaccination.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

A bacteriological assessment of multibacillary cases in leprosy colonies after 4 1/2 years of multidrug therapy.

In this presentation we have devised a novel way of calculating the total bacterial quantum in 100 (78 LL and 22 BL) multibacillary leprosy patients living in leprosy colonies. The calculation is based on Ridley's logarithmic scale. We have also attempted to assess the reduction in the bacterial quantum as a result of intervention through multidrug therapy (MDT). 53% of the patients rendered bacteriologically negative within two years of treatment of MDT and 94% at 54th pulse dose i.e. at 54th month. The bacterial quantum in human source as leprosy patients was calculated thus--Average BI of the group X Number of patients in each group X Multiplication factor devised as per Ridley's Bacterial Index (BI). By applying this purely arithmetic formula, it was found that 99.8% of the bacterial load is harboured in leprosy patients having BI more than 3. The introduction of MDT initiated the reduction in total bacterial quantum "based on above arithmetic scale" was achieved very fast i.e., from 100% to 5% at 12 months and to 0.4% at 24 months. We believe that if one wants to achieve leprosy control through a reduction in total bacterial quantum within a specific period, leprosy cases with BI more than 3 should be treated on priority basis.

Colony Count, Microbial↗