MGM Journal of Medical Sciences

Editor-in-Chief: Dr Chander P Puri
ISSN: 2347-7946

Frequency: Quarterly

Language: English

Open Access Peer-reviewed journal

Web site: https://www.mgmjms.com/

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Recent Submissions

Now showing 1 - 20 of 248
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    Perception of Indian citizens regarding lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic in the Indian context
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Kulkarni, Shraddha S; Nannaware, Maya; Singru, Samir; Bansod, Vaishali P; Chawla, Col P S; Kalra, Khyati
    Background: In response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the government of India declared a lockdown on March 24, 2020. This affected the daily life of citizens, influencing the availability of daily needs. There was a diverse opinion among public health experts regarding the implementation of the lockdown. Therefore, this study was planned to assess the perceptions and to study the effects of lockdown and challenges faced by Indian citizens during the lockdown imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among Indian citizens above 18 years old using the snowball sampling method. Data were collected through Google forms containing a semistructured questionnaire. Results: Of 464 participants, 61.85% of them reported that lockdown is necessary to contain the spread of the coronavirus infection; 50.43% had a negative effect on their job; and felt mental health problems like anxiety, lack of sleep, stress due to increased workload, and the feeling of separated from family. Conclusion: According to the majority of participants, the lockdown was necessary to contain the spread of the pandemic. Participants who faced different problems also found ways to overcome them in a positive way.
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    Stress and strategies in coping stress among the medical students of a south Indian city
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Delna, S; Pradeep, C; Nirmal Sujitha, I J; Lakshmi Dorai, B
    Background: Stress is a personal experience brought on by complex interactions between a person and their environment, so it cannot be avoided. It typically happens when a person’s situational demand exceeds their available resources. Additionally, it has been noted that excessive stress can hurt self-esteem, academic performance, and both personal and professional development. This study sought to determine the stress level, different stressors, and coping mechanisms used by undergraduate medical students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done among first to final-year medical undergraduate students between January and June 2022 at a tertiary care institution in South India. 450 students enrolled in the first year to last year were included in the study through the purposeful sampling method. The medical Student Stressor Questionnaire was used to assess the stress levels among the study participants. The coping strategies were considered using a brief coping orientation to problems experienced (COPE) inventory. Cluster analysis used the K-means method. Results: A total of 278 out of the 450 students completed the questionnaire and returned it, yielding an overall response rate of61.78%. Of which 175 (62.95%) women respondents made up the majority of the study participants. The mean age of the participants was 20.15 ± 2.8 years. 45.32% ( n = 126) of the study participants belonged to the first year of their study, whereas 23.02% ( n = 64) belonged to the second year of their research. Academic stress was the primary stressor. The predominant coping strategies used were problem-focused and emotion-focused coping with stress. Conclusion: A variety of stress management techniques should be offered to help the students in better handling of the demanding professional course.
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    Clinicobacteriological profile and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of chronic dacryocystitis in adults
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Minj, Anita; Pareek, Deergha; Satapathy, Jasmita; Panigrahi, Pradeep Kumar
    Background: Chronic dacryocystitis is a constant menace to delicate ocular structures. If left untreated, it can lead to sight as well as life-threatening complications. However, such complications may be prevented by timely intervention along with appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis. The objectives are to investigate the current bacterial community profile in adult patients with chronic dacryocystitis attending a referral eye care center in Odisha and to determine their drug susceptibility pattern to commonly used antimicrobial agents. Materials and Methods: An observational study was conducted on 70 adult patients with chronic dacryocystitis. The discharge from the punctum was collected by doing a regurgitation test or lacrimal passage irrigation and sent for microbiological analysis. Results: Out of 70 samples collected, 54 (77.1%) samples showed bacterial growth after 24–48 h of incubation. Among various isolates recovered, 68.5% were gram-positive and 27.8% were gram-negative organisms. Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the most common isolate among gram-positive, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was most common among gram-negative organisms. Among all drugs used in the susceptibility test; amikacin, piperacilin + tazobactam, and netilmycin were found to be most sensitive and cefixime, and amoxycilin + clavulinic acid was found to be most resistant to gram-positive as well as for gram-negative organisms. Conclusion: Knowledge about the microbiological profile and the drug susceptibility pattern responsible for chronic dacryocystitis in a geographical area is important and should be kept in mind while treating these patients.
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    Professional indemnity/medical malpractice insurance—Awareness among medical students and consultants of India: An online survey study
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Gadhe, Shashikant; Kale, Sachin; Chalak, Ajit; Vatkar, Arvind J; Doshi, Suraj S; Dey, Joydeep K
    Introduction: Professional indemnity (PI) or medical malpractice insurance (MMI) has been a hot topic considering the increasing number of medical negligence cases rising worldwide. However, there is a palpable difference in understanding and usage of this tool in developed countries and regions such as India. Aim: This study aimed to analyze the general understanding of resident doctors and consultants about MMI and knowledge about its technical jargon. Materials and Methods: We distributed short Google Form questionnaires about various aspects of MMI. We recorded the data from 141 resident doctors and 42 consultants in the Navi Mumbai area of India. As it was a survey, we required no ethical review. Results: As consultants’ experience grew, so did their understanding of medical indemnity. Approximately 90%, 64%, and 22% of consultants with 10 years, 5–10 years, and 5 years of experience had acquired PI. The AOY:AOT (any one year:anyone time) ratio was known to just 35% of these specialists. About half of the resident doctors were aware of PI and the effects of medical specialization on PI. Around a fifth of the individuals had only acquired the PI. Conclusion: There needs to be more clarity between the need and knowledge of MMI in India. This needs to be addressed by teaching medical postgraduates about it during training. “There should be special emphasis on medical indemnity in terms of its need, clauses, and cost during postgraduate medical training.”
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    Awareness, willingness, and challenges of the informal sector toward state National Health Insurance Services in Benin City, Nigeria
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Osunde, Ngozi R; Olorunfemi, Olaolorunpo; Oduyemi, Rachael O
    Background: As access to vital health services expands and universal health coverage is attained, health insurance is projected to serve as a critical risk protection for families and small enterprises. Aim: To assess the informal sector’s awareness, willingness, and problems in enrolling in the state national health insurance program. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was done in Benin City, Nigeria, in the unorganized sector. A self-structured questionnaire was created, distributed, and retrieved for this study, which was conducted among 155 artisans chosen through a stratified random sample procedure. To evaluate the data, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, SPSS version 22 was used. Results: In total, 138 people (89.0%) are aware of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), while only 93 people (60.0%) know that Edo state has a state-owned Health Insurance Scheme (SHIS). Only 17 people, or 11.0%, are engaged in the NHIS/SHIS program, whereas 107 people, or 77.5%, have expressed interest. Lack of accessibility to authorized healthcare facilities near house 22 (71.0%) is a significant deterrent to enrollment in the program. Long lines at service points (3.88, 1.093), the time it takes to enroll new members in the program (3.78, 1.101), the time it takes for health maintenance organizations to issue authorization codes (3.62, 1.316), the accessibility of NHIS services outside of registration institutions (3.29, 1.289), and the standard of drugs provided by the SHIS (3.12, 1.358) are all factors that hinder utilization. Sex and place of residence each strongly correlated with readiness to sign up for the program (AOR = 4.234, P = 0.017, 95% CI: 1.293–13.873 and AOR = 5.224, P = 0.007, 95% CI: 1.557–17.530, respectively). Conclusion: The artisans have a low rate of health insurance coverage but are eager to sign up for the program. State policymakers should increase their reach and make enrollment required to attain a higher range.
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    Effect of selected physical exercises on low back pain
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Badhe, Archana M; Aman, Marudhar; Sonawane, Dhiraj V
    Background: Men and women are equally affected by low back pain (LBP), which can range in intensity from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp sensation that hinders the person. Pain can begin abruptly due to an accident or by lifting something heavy, or it can develop over time due to age-related changes in the spine. LBP is one of the primary healthcare problems in all developing countries; nurses play a vital role in giving different interventions to treat back pain effectively. This study aims to study the effect of selected physical exercise on LBP among patients attending the outpatient department (OPD) in selected hospitals. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental, one-group pretest–posttest time series research design was used to conduct a study among the patients attending OPD in selected hospitals. A total of 160 respondents were studied from October 2021 to February 2022. A numerical pain scale and a semistructured self-administered questionnaire were used to collect data. Only respondents who gave informed consent were issued the questionnaire to complete at their convenience. Physical exercises were demonstrated and done by patients for 6 weeks, thrice a day in a week for 30 min regularly. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0. Descriptive data were presented in the form of bar graphs and frequency tables. Results: The study showed that 59.37% of the respondents had severe LBP in the pretest. After doing selected physical exercises, the severe pain level reduced to 56.25% in post-test-1, 32.5% in post-test-2, and 14.37% in post-test-3. The t value of the difference in mean reduction of LBP was tabulated, and the calculated t values were (0.78, 5.60, 9.64) statistically significant at 0.05 level of significance ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: LBP is seen as an issue for all ages and all sectors of society. One common component of pain treatment programs focuses on increased physical exercise reconditioning, and exercise would increase strength and concomitantly decrease pain as a long-term effect. The investigator found that physical activities were very effective and beneficial in reducing back pain among patients with LBP.
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    Clinical presentation and fungal species distribution in otomycosis in a tertiary care hospital
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Samorekar, Arjunsing Vijaysing; N, Sai Sarath; N, Manoj Kumar; S, Sweta; Kumar, Praveen; SA, Lakshminararyana
    Objective: Otomycosis is a common fungal ear infection in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. This study aimed to perform mycological analysis on fungal debris from the external auditory canals of the patients to study the most common clinical presentation and fungal species distribution in otomycosis. Materials and Methods: Patients who met the inclusion criteria for this cross-sectional study were included and evaluated after providing written informed consent. After obtaining a thorough medical history, ear swabs for culture, sensitivity, and potassium hydroxide were provided. Patients with positive culture results were studied between September 2019 and March 2021. Results: Among 103 cases observed for 18 months in the Department of ENT, Rajarajeswari Medical College, and Hospital, Bengaluru, India, we found that males (56.31%) were more affected than females (43.68%). Itching (67.96%) was the most primary and common symptom that was observed, followed by pain (20.38%), and the most common predisposing factor was the usage of earbuds (26.21%) followed by water in the ear (23.3%) and oil in the ear (16.50%). Unilateral infection was most common (96%), and the left ear was most affected (64.07%). Aspergillus niger was the most common fungal isolate (60.19%), and otomycosis was very common in postmonsoon (October–December) (58.25%). Conclusion: The most frequent fungal isolates in otomycosis are from the Aspergillus and Candida species. The left ear was typically affected by otomycosis, which frequently had a unilateral predominance. The most common clinical symptoms were itching and pain.
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    Prevalence and predictors of depression among college going youth of Meghalaya: A cross-sectional study
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Diengdoh, Ibanlumlin; Ali, Arif
    Backgrounds: College years are characterized by transitioning from pre-adult to adulthood, a period of turmoil, adjusting to the new condition, separation from parental supervision, independence, and countering new things throughout everyday life. Depression and health-risk behaviors, including alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug, are often found in college students, particularly during their first year. Aim: To study the prevalence and predictors of depression among college-going youth of Meghalaya, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional community-based study has been undertaken to find the prevalence of depression, alcohol use, and drug use in college-going youth in Shillong, Meghalaya. A random sampling technique was used for the selection of colleges, and total enumeration was used for the selection of college-going students. A total of 358 respondents were selected for the present study. Permission from the college authority was obtained, and written informed consent was taken from the students. The participants have been explained the purpose of the study and the samples were selected voluntarily. The present study’s data were analyzed and interpreted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. Socio-demographic datasheet, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, and drug abuse screening test were administered. Results: In the present study, 40.5% fall under the normal range of depression, while 38.3% had mild mood disturbance, 10.3% had borderline clinical depression, 9.7% had moderate depression, and severe depression was found in 1.1%. Alcohol use, drug use, and gender contribute significantly to the prediction of depression among college-going students ( F[5,19.551] = 855.3, P = 0.000) accounting for 21.7% variance. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the need for a college mental health program for early identification and screening of substance use and depression in college students.
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    Coherence and vitals of medicinal herbs, nutrients, and yoga in stress management and psychological stasis
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Srinivasan, Saagarika; Mani, Thenmozhi
    When the time lows of the psychological body, about the human mind, there is a vital relationship between the psychological and somatic body leading to stress and mishaps. This could be a lack of coherence among significant components in the body, which are characterized by hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that come into play. Cortisol and adrenaline are released when there is usually a response of fight or flight, where these hormones get ready to handle the body’s reaction, and when this happens properly, it yields stress. Stress occurs through all age groups across every ethnicity and population, as the functioning of the mind is very similar. Managing this emerging stress and anxiety condition could be done through the easy way of the modern system of medicine, allopathy. Alternatively, the traditional method comes in handy to maintain such a condition with hardly any long-term side effects. A few conventional techniques like the practice of yoga, support of the proper nutrients, and certain medicinal herbs are bent to see a change in the perspective of coping mechanisms that results in a stress-free environment within the human mind. Many patterns of practices are noticed that there are specific nutrients and supplements formulated with medicinal herbs with significant pharmacological properties and the ancient activity of yoga aid in stress management. Using and practicing regularly can help in an integrated caliber of living. This review article sheds information and collation on such significant medicinal herbs, nutrients, and renounced practices of yoga that play together in the balance of the human body to overcome the distress of the mind. Many studies have noticed that medicinal herbs, nutrients, and specific yogic asanas help handle stress and anxiety, giving a holistic living pattern.
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    Infectious human diseases: Regions, habitats, threats, and mitigation strategies: The issues—Part II
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Khandekar, Pramod; Ghosh, Prasanta K
    Globally, vaccines against 47 infectious etiologic agents are approved by at least one regulatory authority as of December 2022. The numbers of viral diseases, infections caused by mycoplasma, bacterial and protozoal diseases, mycoses, diseases caused by parasitic worms, and other infectious diseases of unknown etiology run into thousands. Therefore, more vaccines are required to be developed to keep more populations disease free. Climate change and global increase in temperature may promote sea level rises and an increase in the intensity of rains, causing an upsurge in certain infectious diseases in regions of the human population and even causing movement of habitats. In societies where the expenditure on health as a percentage of gross domestic product is higher, people are more capacitated to tackle the treatment and spread of infectious diseases. As several of such conditions are zoonotic, well-planned strategies for controlling the spread would go a long way in the proper direction. Poverty and contagious diseases are infallibly linked. Major infectious diseases of poverty include tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/ acquired immuno deficiency syndrome (AIDS), malaria, measles, pneumonia, diarrheal diseases, and several neglected tropical diseases. The world is not yet unified in action to jointly work to contain the global problem of infectious diseases in every human habitat. There was a visible divide between and among the rich countries versus the developing countries regarding accessibility and deployment of vaccines against COVID-19 flu. To contain the spread of infectious diseases in the future, the whole world would have to work together, raising funds, strengthening epidemiological surveys, inventing effective vaccines, and vaccinating the eligible population, as also treating the infected with therapy in time, besides resorting to other preventive measures for overall human progress. The developmental efforts are to be pursued jointly and together to benefit all people, respecting the world as one.
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    Prevalence of ocular manifestations and related morbidity in severely malnourished children in a tertiary eye care center
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Kashiv, Yuri; Jain, Pragya; Patel, Chirag; Chanchlani, Madhu; Singh, Harpal
    Background: Ocular involvement is relatively common in malnourished children, and the consequences of malnutrition on the eye are frequently more severe during the formative years of life. This is a significant cause of avoidable blindness that has to be addressed with affordable methods. This study aims to determine the nature, extent, and seriousness of ocular manifestations in malnourished children and to evaluate the current prevalence given improving nutritional parameters through increased public awareness, education, and knowledge of vaccination and nutrition. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in the department of ophthalmology of a tertiary eye care center for 1 year. Eye camps were held close by in urban shantytowns. We considered 518 kids between the ages of 6 months and 5 years who lived in those slums. The patient was subjected to a general, systemic, and ocular examination, including a vision and fundus examination. Results: A total of 100 children aged 6 months and 5 years (60 months) who were severely critically malnourished were enrolled and given an eye examination. In this study, 72% of very acutely malnourished children had ocular involvement. Conjunctival pallor was the most general observation in the anterior segment in 179 of the eyes (71.5% of the eyes). Retinal hemorrhage was the most pervasive posterior segment findings in 19 eyes (36.8%). Conclusion: This study is aimed to determine how frequently ocular symptoms occurred in malnourished children who visited tertiary eye care facilities. A vital target population that requires comprehensive screening to avoid vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and detect eye problems early is preschoolers. Every child should also receive an immunization and vitamin A prophylaxis. Low socioeconomic position, illiterate parents, and inadequate sanitation were determined to be the key risk factors for VAD.
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    Renal-limited systemic lupus erythematosus: Avoiding delay in diagnosis
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Kaur, Inderjot; Nayak, Aditya; Kejriwal, Amrit
    Nephrotic syndrome (NS) and glomerulonephritis (GN) are disorders of varied etiologies. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is one of the multisystemic diseases causing NS and GN. SLE is often suspected whenever NS/GN is associated with extrarenal manifestations. However, it presents solely as NS or GN without extrarenal features in a handful of cases. This affects the prognosis adversely as negligent delay in diagnosis of SLE and initiation of immunosuppressive therapy is associated with poorer response. We present a series of five women who presented solely with renal manifestations. The diagnosis of SLE was delayed, as the women did not have any extrarenal features. We started immunosuppressive therapy after a diagnosis of lupus nephritis was made in retrospect after a kidney biopsy. This case series highlights the importance of performing serology tests for SLE in all young female patients who present with NS/GN to avoid delay in diagnosis.
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    Role of machine learning techniques in classification of peripheral pulse morphology
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Patil, Nishant B; Bhat, Sushma N; Christopher, Janisha J; Abhane, Rameshwari V; Bagal, Uttam R; Nagare, Gajanan D
    Recording of peripheral pulse serves as a very important and essential non-invasive tool used widely by doctors for the diagnosis of various diseases. The morphology of pulse is seen to vary as a function of time in a given individual and also from individual to individual. There are many variations in morphological patterns of peripheral pulse in different disease conditions, which lead to difficulty in accurate diagnosis. The peripheral pulse waveforms are extracted from radial arteries as time series data using a peripheral pulse analyzer which is designed on the principle of impedance plethysmography. It was first introduced by Nyober in the mid-nineteen hundreds and ameliorated further by Kubicek. It involves the recording of the instantaneous blood volume by the measurement of electrical impedance as a function of time. Therefore, the study of peripheral pulse morphology has gained much attention in the past few years among researchers. Physiological variability is one of the recent investigations added during the last two decades for the objective assessment of autonomic function and the assessment of prognosis in severe sicknesses namely myocardial infarction, diabetic neuropathy, etc. In addition to heart rate variability studied worldwide, few researchers have studied blood pressure variability and peripheral blood flow variability. In this computer era, artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques have become more important day-by- day, and different types of algorithms were used for the identification of hidden patterns from plethysmographic observations on the radial pulse such as support vector machine as well as crisp and fuzzy clustering. Eight patterns were classified with a yield of 80%–90% and helped with the diagnosis of disorders such as myocardial infarction, pulmonary tuberculosis, coronary artery disorders, cirrhosis of the liver, and bronchial asthma. This paper briefly describes the use of machine learning techniques for the classification of peripheral pulse morphologies.
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    A case of successfully treated self-ingested yellow phosphorous poisoning in a known case of epilepsy
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Sirajudeen, Syed A; Chidambaram, Harihara Sudhan; Dominic, Melvin; Thiyagarajan, Pooja Rani; Sathyan, Chanjal K; Jinka, Venkata Durga Prasad
    Ratol is a rodenticide (rat killer paste) that contains yellow phosphorus, a dangerous toxin that harms the gastrointestinal, hepatic, cardiovascular, and renal systems both locally and systemically. The liver is one of these that is most frequently injured, and the most terrifying result is acute liver failure with coagulopathy. A 25-year-old male who is a known case of epilepsy and was on medication was brought to the Emergency Department by his mother with an alleged history of consuming approximately 15 g of Ratol paste mixed in water 5 days before presentation to our hospital at around 5 pm at his residence. The patient sustained nausea and vomiting during the following day of consumption and was treated for the same in a nearby hospital. The main element in lowering morbidity and death is the provision of effective and timely supportive care.
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    Risk of malignancy in thyroid nodules classified as Bethesda categories III, III - subcategories and IV: 2.5 years study
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Ilyas, Abeer M; More, Nilam M; Naik, Leena P
    Introduction: Thyroid fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) has gained significance as a quick, safe, and relatively simple method to differentiate malignant from benign thyroid nodules and is regarded as the gold-standard first-line diagnostic test in the evaluation of thyroid nodules. The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC) established a standardized, category-based reporting system for thyroid FNAC with each category having an implied cancer risk. However, the optimal management of thyroid nodules in the Bethesda III and IV categories is controversial, given the variable malignancy rates. Aims/Objectives: (1) Analysis of the cytomorphological characteristics of patients with categories III and IV of “TBSRTC.” (2) Assessment of risk of malignancy of TBSRTC category III, IV, and substratification of TBSRTC category III. Materials and Methods: A retrospective and prospective study of cases categorized under TBSRTC as category III and IV at a tertiary-care center. Cytological along with their histological results were compared. Results: We identified an overall malignancy rate of 33% for nodules belonging to Bethesda category III and a malignancy rate between 19% and 33% for Bethesda category IV. Also, a significantly higher risk of malignancy in subcategories with nuclear and architectural atypia (66.6%) than only architectural atypia (28.7%). Conclusion: Although surgery is recommended in most of these cases, cytomorphology helps to predict the final histopathological findings with greater accuracy. Substratification of category III into subgroups may help reduce the heterogeneity of the atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance category and more.
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    A cross-sectional study to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of gastro-esophageal reflux disease among the undergraduate medical students of a tertiary-care Indian setting
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Ramya Sree, M; Kolli, Himabindu; Periyasamy, Bagavathiammal; Praveen, V
    Introduction: Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition characterized by the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus, causing unpleasant symptoms and/or consequences like heartburn and acid regurgitation. GERD in the student stages can hurt their quality of life, college attendance, everyday activities, and overall well- being of the individual. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted among medical students of a tertiary care setting from August 2021 to October 2021 for a three-month duration. A convenient sample of 458 participants from all the years of MBBS was included in this study. Results: A total of 458 medical students were made part of this study of which most of them (58.9%) were females and 41.1% were males. The average age among the study participants was 22 ± 2.3 years (range of 18–27 years). The average BMI of the individuals was 23.48 (range 14.58–32.41), with the majority (54.8%) of them having a normal BMI. Discussion: In our study, we found that the prevalence of GERD in the medical students of a rural Indian tertiary care setting was 24.2%, and was observed that irregular meal timings and consuming coffee and soft drinks are the crucial risk factors for developing GERD in the medical students in comparison to the general population. Conclusion: Medical students should be trained on proper eating habits, maintaining ideal body weight, good sleep hygiene, and avoiding drinking alcohol and smoking to lessen the burden of GERD.
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    Achromobacter Spp.: A retrospective review of rare and emerging pathogen
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Sinha, Soni; Raj, Nikhil; Dobhal, Shipra; Das, Anupam; Agarwal, Jyotsna
    Background: Achromobacter spp. is a rare nosocomial pathogen known to cause many serious infections like bloodstream infection, osteomyelitis, meningitis, urinary tract infections, corneal ulceration, peritonitis, and endocarditis. Materials and Methods: In this study, we retrospectively analyzed all the bacteriological sample records from the bacteriology database from January 2021 to December 2021 to determine the prevalence of Achromobacter spp. Result: Nine patients with Achromobacter xylosoxidans causing bacterial infection were identified, from whom five blood samples, two pus, one respiratory sample, one central venous pressure (CVP), and one cerebrospinal fluid were found positive for Achromobacter spp., among whom one was a 6-year-old patient having the same organism from two different body sites—CVP line and cerebrospinal fluid. Five patients had coinfection with another organism, whereas acute kidney injury was the most common comorbidity. Conclusion: In our single-center experience, approximately 50% of the cases with Achromobacter denitrificans bacteremia suffered from chronic kidney disease and had a history of antibiotic therapy, hospitalization, and the presence of devices. Active research on rising trends of Achromobacter spp. needs to be promoted.
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    Parvovirus B19 infection in a patient of juvenile arthritis: A case report
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Mohammed, Tariq I; Deshmukh, Ashish R; Kochhar, Tanya; Patlola, Alekhya
    Parvovirus B19 infection, or fifth disease or erythema infectiosum, is a self-limiting viral exanthem and can occur along with other connective tissue disorders. Occasionally, children may have preceding chronic joint complaints suggestive of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. A 7-year-old female patient presented to the outpatient department with a rash over her face, upper and lower limbs, and trunk, which was preceded by fever. The patient is a known case of juvenile arthritis. On examination, there were multiple erythematous and skin-colored plaques over cheeks; few pustules over lips; multiple erythematous papules over upper limbs, lower limbs, and trunk; multiple erythematous macules over palms; and swelling over interphalangeal joints of bilateral hands, elbow and knee joints with genu valgum deformity of limbs. The patient was given topical antibiotic and steroid combination cream and oral antihistaminic for her cutaneous complaints.
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    Hemiarthroplasty in geriatric population with neck femur fracture: A retrospective study of 43 cases
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Patel, Harsh; Tank, Parag M; Damor, Harshal N; Katara, Dhruvesh L; Patel, Dhaval V
    Introduction: Hip fractures in the elderly have represented a major public health concern. Studies have shown that over 90% of the patients having these fractures are people of more than 50 years. These fractures have been classified according to their anatomical location into the neck of femur fracture, intertrochanteric fracture, and subtrochanteric fracture. The neck of femur fractures is associated with high mortality in the elderly compared to young adults. Surgical treatment is an established gold standard, with the option being osteosynthesis and hip replacement. Hemiarthroplasty is one of the gold-standard treatments chosen for the geriatric age group and has yielded universally acceptable results. Materials and Methods: The study evaluates the clinical, radiological, and functional outcomes of hip hemiarthroplasty in elderly with fracture neck of the femur Data of patients above 60 years who were operated on for fracture neck of the femur by bipolar hemiarthroplasty from May 2018 till December 2021were retrieved from the Medical Records Department of SCL Municipal General Hospital, affiliated to NHL Municipal medical college. The patients fitting the inclusion criteria were selected for the study. The sample size was calculated to be 43. Data were collected from the inpatient files, and then patients were asked to complete the questionnaire form during the final follow- up. All the patients were evaluated clinically and radiologically during the follow-up, and the functional outcome was assessed using the Harris Hip Score. Thirty-five patients had a domestic fall as the mode of injury. The lateral decubitus position of all patients was used during the operation that was performed using the Southern Moore approach. Forty patients received cemented femoral stems; the remaining three received press-fit ones. Results: The average age was calculated to be 71.86 years with the male-to-female ratio of 1: 1.15 with an average follow-up of 12.7 months. Eight patients had acetabular erosion at the end of 1 year. There was no femoral stem malalignment or aseptic loosening at the final follow-up. Nine patients had excellent Harris Hip scores, and five had fair scores. The remaining 29 patients had good Harris hip scores. Bipolar hemiarthroplasty has served us well in the study. Forty-one patients were able to get back to their preinjury functional level. Only one patient reported major pain in the hip at the final follow-up. In this study, there was no incidence of dislocation or revision surgeries. Conclusion: The present study modular bipolar hemiarthroplasty provides better pain relief with early mobilization and a good level of return to daily routine activities with minimal complications.
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    Challenges and impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on men that have sex with men in accessing healthcare services in Nigeria
    (Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2023-01) Amoo, Olubunmi Elizabeth; Abiodun, Olaiya Paul; Sanni, Felix Olaniyi; Samuels, Jay Osi; Okonkwo, Prosper
    Background: Men with sex with men (MSM) may face obstacles in accessing culturally competent and quality healthcare services since current medical practice does not often promote discussing sexual habits. The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has further affected this group. This study assessed the impacts of COVID-19 and the general challenges of MSM in Benue State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This study was a quantitative cross-sectional survey conducted across three geopolitical zones of Benue State using a multistage cluster sampling method to collect data from MSM. The data collected were analyzed using IBM-Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM-SPSS) version 25.0 for Windows IBM Corp., Armonk, New York. Result: More than half (59.2%) of respondents said they were not denied healthcare services, and 78.4% were not afraid to seek them. Most (88%) were comfortable seeking medical help, and 61.6% did not experience stigmatization from healthcare providers. Many (68.0%) were not exposed to violence after sharing their status with healthcare providers. About half (50.4%) said COVID-19 did not affect their general quality of life. Over half (51.2%) said there was a decline in access to resources like food and money during the pandemic, 49.6% experienced difficulties accessing HIV testing, and 52.0% could not access PrEP. More than half (53.6%) reported challenges getting viral load or other laboratory tests, but 57.5% had no trouble getting HIV medication prescriptions. Conclusion: The Federal Government, and the Ministry of Health, Nigeria, should support intervention programs, peer educators, and outreach workers providing services to MSM