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Biomedical subjects

T Verghese

Publications and source records attributed to T Verghese.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Prescribing pattern by doctors for acute diarrhoea in children in Delhi, India.

Parents (mostly mothers) of 264 children aged less than 5 years with acute watery diarrhoea were interviewed about their treatment profile before hospitalization in Delhi, India in 1993. Only 22% of the cases were given prescriptions for oral rehydration solutions (ORS), whereas a very high proportion (64%) of them were given drugs, including antibiotics and antidiarrhoeals and 40% were given intravenous fluids. The differences among the treatment groups were highly significant. The government and private doctors were equally responsible for the low rate of prescription of ORS. The confidence of health professionals in ORS appears to be very low. The findings suggest the need of a high-profile continuing education programme to encourage ORS prescription in Delhi.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1994

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in Delhi.

Between 1989 and 1992 (to October), 65 patients of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis were referred to the Virology Laboratory of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Delhi, from the major hospitals of Delhi. The cases were mainly residents of Delhi, but a few were from states bordering Delhi. The age group of affected cases ranged from 2 to 24 years. The disease (SSPE) was six times more common in males than in females. All but four patients below 3 years of age gave a past history of measles. No patient had history of measles vaccination. The titres of haemagglutination inhibition antibodies (HAI) to measles virus in serum of SSPE patients ranged from 1:8 to 1:2048 and in CSF it ranged from 1:4 to 1:64, while in the control group it ranged from 1:2 to 1:256 in serum and nil in CSF. The geometric mean titres in serum was 10-fold higher in serum and four-fold higher in CSF from SSPE cases as compared to control.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Measles mortality in India: a review of community based studies.

This paper reviews the measles Case Fatality Ratios (CFRs) reported in the community based studies from India. Measles mortality varied considerably in outbreaks, prospective and retrospective studies. A median CFR of 2.5 per cent (0.2-3.7), 0.1 per cent (0-2.2) and 3.7 per cent (0-23.9) was recorded in prospective, retrospective and outbreak studies respectively. The retrospective studies seem to underestimate the measles mortality in Indian setting. Most of the outbreaks recording CFRs equal to or less than the median, 3.7 per cent, occurred in the areas where health care facilities were available for treatment of measles associated complications. Virtually in all studies, the age specific CFRs wherever recorded, were found to be the highest among infants and thereafter the ratios declined progressively. Although suggestive of, the studies did not provide sufficient data to establish an association between malnourishment and the risk of dying from measles. Measles mortality was not consistently high in any particular sex. The study makes a strong case for measles immunization at the earliest recommended age and the provision of better health services as the important public health measures for reducing the measles CFRs.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1994

Absence of Phlebotomus argentipes Ann & Brun. (Diptera: Psychodidae) the vector of Indian kala-azar from Kamrup district, Assam.

In the past Assam was devastated by epidemics of Kala-azar. However, inspite of resurgence of this disease in Bihar and neighbouring areas Assam has remained untouched by this disease since the mid 1950s so far. The study undertaken in Kamrup district, sought to provide an entomological explanation for Assam's present freedom from Kala-azar. Sandfly collections were made in 15 villages. Three different methods were used; namely hand collections by aspirator and torch, sticky traps and examination of soft parts of cattle in the villages for mating swarms. 1049 sandflies were collected which did not include any specimens of P. argentipes. The vector of Indian Kala-azar has either been eliminated by continuous insecticide spraying in this high P. falciparum, and chloroquine resistance area or reduced to such low levels of prevalence that routine sampling methods are unable to reveal its presence. The implications of this finding are discussed in relation to Kala-azar control in India, in general.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Impact of DDT indoor residual spraying on Phlebotomus argentipes in a kala-azar endemic village in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Data on the operational efficacy of DDT indoor residual spraying against Phlebotomus argentipes, the vector of kala-azar in India, are scarce. We therefore undertook a study of the impact on kala-azar and its vector of DDT indoor residual spraying in the Varanasi district of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Preliminary results indicate that after two rounds of DDT spraying in one village no P. argentipes were found during the peak vector season; in contrast, a large number of these sandfies were collected in the unsprayed comparison village.

Aerosols↗
PubMed1993

Prevalence of diphtheria and tetanus antibodies in young adults in Delhi.

A total of 574 blood samples collected mainly from adult males, on a random basis, were tested for diphtheria and tetanus antibodies by Indirect Haemagglutination (IHA) test to find out the percentage of individuals with protective titres (> or = 0.015 IU/ml). A total of 502 (87.5 per cent) and 437 (76.2 per cent) of these had protective titres against diphtheria and tetanus respectively. The vaccination status of these subjects against diphtheria and tetanus was not ascertainable. The relevance of these findings is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Case series evaluation of BCG vaccine efficacy against tubercular meningitis in children in Delhi.

Tubercular meningitis (TBM) is a very serious disease of childhood. BCG vaccination under Universal Immunisation Programme is the only available way of preventing this disease. The present series using case-control method, evaluated efficacy of BCG against TBM in children to be 57 per cent. Suggestion has been made to initiate TBM surveillance in children and conduct multicentric prospective case-control study of similar type.

BCG Vaccine↗
PubMed1992

Incidence and significance of opportunistic fungi in leukemia patients in India.

Twenty-four patients with acute leukemia were investigated for the incidence of opportunistic fungi. Culture isolations of the sputum and urine samples revealed significant levels of Candida in 14 patients; Candida albicans, C. tropicalis and C. pseudotropicalis were the predominant ones isolated. Aspergillus flavus was isolated from blood in two cases and C. albicans and a black yeast from the blood of another two. Serological studies showed fungal antibodies in seven patients; precipitins against Candida were detected in five and Aspergillus in two. Both of the Aspergillus positive cases and two patients who had rising antibodies against Candida died during the course of investigation. In this study 13 of 24 patients developed oral candidiasis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

Monitoring the efficacy of temephos application and use of fine mesh nylon strainers by examination of drinking water containers in guineaworm endemic villages.

Application of temephos in unsafe water sources for destroying cyclops, the intermediate hosts of guineaworm, and distribution of fine mesh nylon strainers for promoting prophylaxis against guineaworm are accepted methods of guineaworm control in different endemic countries. The existing methods of monitoring the efficacy of these guineaworm control methods are not fully informative. Examination of drinking water stored at household levels for presence of cyclops with or without Dracunculus larvae can provide information on the efficacy of these control/prophylactic methods, besides serving as a means of interpersonal health education to the community. This paper presents observations carried out in two villages in peninsular India in 1991, which revealed that while in one village complete absence of cyclops from stored water containers was attributable to the use of temephos in the village and straining of drinking water, in the other village, with no temephos application, 15.6 per cent of containers contained varying numbers of cyclops in them. Implications of these observations for guineaworm eradication activities are discussed.

Dracunculiasis↗
PubMed1992

Efficacy of diethylcarbamazine medicated salt in interrupting Brugia malayi transmission in hill tribe settlements in Kerala State.

A filariasis survey carried out about eight years after achieving zero microfilaria (mf) rates following administration of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) medicated salt in the Kani hill tribe settlements in Quilon and Thiruvananthapuram districts of Kerala State revealed that there was no reappearance of Brugia malayi infection in the experimental areas. Mf rates were maintained at zero level in the experimental villages, while in the control villages, 2.9 per cent mf positives were observed. Mansonia (Mansonioides) uniformis dissected did not reveal filarial infection. It is concluded that DEC medicated salt regime in the experimental areas of Kani hill tribe settlements has been successful in effectively interrupting B. malayi transmission. Pilot studies in other B. malayi endemic areas of India using DEC medicated salt regime with the objective of eliminating B. malayi transmission are advocated, since the parasite has a restricted distribution in India and is already showing a declining trend.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Status of lymphatic filariasis in some select slum clusters of Delhi.

Filaria surveys conducted in some select slum clusters namely Hari Nagar, Yamuna pusht near Vijaya Ghat along the Ring Road and Timarpur in Delhi during 1989, 1991 and 1992 respectively, covering a population of approximately 5000 slum dwellers revealed the presence of bancroftian microfilaria (mf) carriers and disease cases. The mf and disease rates (per cent) in these three slum areas were in the order of 6.3, 2.2, 3.7 and 1.4, 0.5 and 0.1 respectively. The mf density varied from 3.1 to 12.3 per 20 cumm. blood. High ten man hour densities of Culex quinquefasciatus (581) in Yamuna pusht followed by (355) in Timarpur were recorded during entomological investigations. Hari Nagar accounted for least ten man hour density of Cx. quinquefasciatus (160), because collection was made during winter months (November-December). The dissection of Cx. quinquefasciatus did not reveal any human filarial infection except in Yamuna pusht where out of 139 only one Cx. quinquefasciatus was found infective.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Review of the Journal of Communicable Diseases from 1982 through 1991.

Review of medical journals is not common in India. A quantitative review of the articles published in the Journal of Communicable Diseases from 1982 through 1991 was undertaken in the present study to give feedback to all concerned and stimulate them for initiating constructive criticism of medical journals published in India. Articles were categorised as per the classes of four predetermined parameters and variations in the proportions of number of articles under different classes of each parameter are briefly discussed.

Communicable Diseases↗
PubMed1991

An evaluation of straw-extract agar media for the growth and sporulation of Madurella mycetomatis.

Four new media, namely Wheat straw extract agar, Bajra straw extract agar, Jowar straw extract agar and Paddy straw extract agar, were evaluated for their potential to stimulate the growth and sporulation of Madurella mycetomatis in comparison with the conventional Sabouraud dextrose agar and Soil extract agar. Vegetative growth of M. mycetomatis on the four types of Straw extract agars was superior to that obtained on Sabouraud dextrose agar. Isolates of M. mycetomatis sporulated better and faster on the Straw extract agars than on the Sabouraud dextrose agar and Soil extract agar. Straw extract agar is recommended as a sporulation medium for M. mycetomatis. It may prove useful especially for studies of the conidium ontogeny of the fungus for elucidating its taxonomic status.

Culture Media↗
PubMed1991

Antimalarial antibody in relation to seroreactivity for HIV infection in sera from blood donors.

A total of 74 specimens from blood donors showing evidence of HIV infection comprising of 40 positive by both ELISA and Western Blot (true positive), 16 positive by ELISA but negative by Western Blot (false positive) and 18 specimens positive by ELISA but showing indeterminate bands in Western Blot were screened for anti-malarial antibody. The prevalence of antimalarial antibody was noted as 62.5%, 56.3% and 66.6% respectively in these groups. None of these groups had any difference in the prevalence of antimalarial antibody with the group of 60 specimens negative for HIV infection by both ELISA as well as Western Blot (true negative) which had a prevalence of antimalarial antibody as 53.3%. The mean titre of antimalarial antibody in the above categories of specimens positive for HIV infection also did not show any difference with that of true negative group. These findings point out that antimalarial antibody does not influence the serological positivity for HIV infection.

Animals↗