Objective: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is considered superior to coronary angiography (CA). However, OCT is not widely used, and data are limited in India. In the present study, the efficacy and safety of OCT for guiding percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in all-comer patients were evaluated and compared with those of CA. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, the data associated with 434 patients who underwent PCI between December 2018 and June 2020 were analyzed. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) at 6 months. Results: The patients were divided into OCT-guided and angiography-guided PCI groups (217 in each group) after propensity matching. The OCT-guided PCI group had a significantly larger proportion of patients with unstable angina (55.7% vs. 43.3%, p=0.009) and non-STelevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI; 17.5% vs. 10.0%, p=0.02) compared with the angiography-guided PCI group, and the proportion of patients with STEMI was significantly lower in the OCT-guided PCI group than in the angiography-guided PCI group (23.5% vs. 41.5%, p=0.00005). The OCT-guided PCI group had a lower incidence of MACEs at 6 months than the angiography-guided PCI group but without statistical significance (6.9% vs. 9.7%, p=0.296).Incidences of target lesion failure, target vessel myocardial infarction, in-stent restenosis, or stent thrombosis did not occur in either group. On post-PCI OCT, stent underexpansion, tissue prolapse, stent edge dissection, and stent malapposition were observed in 28.5%, 10%, 4.1%, and 3.7% of the cases, respectively. Conclusion When comparing OCT-guided PCI with angiography-guided PCI, OCT-guided PCI showed slightly superior clinical outcomes at 6 months, although the differences were not statistically significant.

We review the evolution of Brachytherapy to interventional radiotherapy and its current and potential roles in HNC management, and the requirements and challenges towards its effective and sustainable implementation in SEA.
Brachytherapy ; Radiotherapy

AIM: To study the patient characteristics and keratorefractive surgery(KRS)practice in central India.METHOD: The retrospective study was conducted on 410 patients who underwent KRS from June 2017 to April 2022 at a tertiary eye care center in central India. Demographic data of the patients presenting for the spectacle free vision like age, sex, residence in the form of urban or rural area, refractive error, cause for spectacle-free vision, best-corrected visual acuity, types of procedure, postoperative follow-up and complications were recorded.RESULTS: Among the 410 patients who presented for spectacle-free vision, 324 patients were considered for KRS(79.0%), and 200 patients(61.7%)underwent the laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis(LASIK)procedure, whereas 124 patients(38.3%)underwent the photorefractive keratectomy(PRK)procedure. The final study group comprised 179 female and 145 male. The mean age of the patients was(25±3.5)years. A majority of patients were from urban areas(n=250, 77.2%). The mean preoperative manifest refraction in the right and left eyes was -4.5±2.1 and -4.9±2.0, respectively. The mean surgical time in the LASIK patient was(15±2)min and(17±3)min for both eyes in PRK. None of the patients exhibited epithelial ingrowth, flap healing complications, or infection, and none of them required enhancement. Suboptimal corneal thickness(n=28, 32.6%)was the most common reason for rejection. At the end of the 1-year follow up, 3 patients who underwent the LASIK procedure exhibited regression(-0.5 D±1 D), with a refractive error correction of -6.75 D, -8.5 D, and -7.0 D, respectively.CONCLUSION: LASIK is the predominant procedure for the correction of refractive error in the central Indian population. Although the number of PRK procedures was small, both LASIK and PRK exhibited excellent visual outcome. Myopic regression should be considered when choosing LASIK for high myopia.

Introduction: Optimum blood pressure (BP) control is essential to prevent complications and improve the quality of life of patients with hypertension. is study aimed to explore the determinants of BP control in patients with hypertension on treatment without any other comorbidities. Methods: e study was conducted among 429 patients with essential hypertension aged ≥ 30 years residing in four villages of a taluk/tahsil in a South Indian state. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of hypertension, lifestyle factors (e.g. diet and substance use), facilitators and barriers of BP control and anthropometric measurements. BP was measured using World Health Organization standards and classied using the Joint National Committee 8 Guidelines. Descriptive statistics were measured in terms of numbers and percentages. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the signicant determinants of BP control. Results: Approximately 64.3% of the participants had their BP under control. e participants aged 46–59 years were more likely to have uncontrolled BP than those aged ≥60 years. e participants with <80% adherence to medication (non-adherent) had a ve fold higher odds of having uncontrolled BP than those with ≥80% adherence. Conclusion Adherence to medication was the only signicant factor for BP control in the present study. Hence, adherence to medication should be addressed with interventions targeted to improve BP control in patients with hypertension.
Hypertension ; Blood pressure

Background: The use of euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (EDKA) related to sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) use in people with diabetes has been increasingly reported. The causes are multifactorial, and dietary changes in SGLT2i users were observed to trigger EDKA. A ketogenic diet or very low-carbohydrate diet (VLCD) enhances body ketosis by breaking down fats into energy sources, causing EDKA. This study aimed to understand the patient specific risk factors and clinical characteristics of this cohort. Methods: Several databases were carefully analyzed to understand the patients’ symptoms, clinical profile, laboratory results, and safety of dietary changes in SGLT2i’s. Thirteen case reports identifying 14 patients on a ketogenic diet and SGLT2i’s diagnosed with EDKA were reviewed. Results: Of the 14 patients, 12 (85%) presented with type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and 2 (15%) presented with type-1 DM. The duration of treatment with SGLT2i before the onset of EDKA varies from 1 to 365 days. The duration of consuming a ketogenic diet or VLCD before EDKA onset varies from 1 to 90 days, with over 90% of patients hospitalized <4 weeks after starting the diet. At presentation, average blood glucose was 167.50±41.80 mg/dL, pH 7.10±0.10, HCO3 8.1±3.0 mmol/L, potassium 4.2±1.1 mEq/L, anion-gap 23.6±3.5 mmol/L, and the average hemoglobin A1c was 10%±2.4%. The length of hospital stay ranged from 1 to 15 days. None of the patients were reinitiated on SGLT2i’s, and 50% (2/4) of the patients reported were on the ketogenic diet or VLCD upon patient questioning. Conclusion Despite the popularity of the ketogenic diet and VLCD for weight loss, their use in diabetics taking SGLT2i’s is associated with EDKA. Physicians should educate patients with diabetes taking SGLT2i’s about the risk of EDKA. In addition, patients should be encouraged to include their physicians in any decision related to significant changes in diet or exercise routines. Further research is needed to address if SGLT2i’s should be permanently discontinued in patients with diabetes on SGLT2i and whether the ketogenic diet developed EDKA.

Objective: To explore the anticoagulant, antiplatelet and antioxidant activities of protein extract of kenaf seed (PEKS). Methods: Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography techniques were employed for protein characterization. Antioxidant activity of PEKS was assessed using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The protective effect of PEKS on sodium nitrite (NaNO 2) induced oxidative stress was evaluated using the in vitro red blood cell model, while the effect of PEKS on diclofenac-induced oxidative stress was examined in vivo in rats. Platelet-rich plasma and platelet-poor plasma were used for anticoagulant and antiplatelet activities of PEKS. Results: PEKS revealed similar protein bands on SDS-PAGE under reduced and non-reduced conditions. Several acidic proteins were present in native PAGE. PEKS showed antioxidant properties by scavenging DPPH with an IC 50 of 24.58 μg. PEKS exhibited a protective effect on NaNO 2 induced oxidative stress in red blood cells by restoring the activity of stress markers. In addition, PEKS alleviated diclofenac-induced tissue damage of the liver, kidney, and small intestine. PEKS showed an anticoagulant effect in both in vivo and in vitro experiments by enhancing normal clotting time. PEKS did not affect prothrombin time but increase activated partial thromboplastin time. Furthermore, PEKS inhibited adenosine diphosphate and epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation. Conclusions: PEKS protects tissues from oxidative stress and exhibits antithrombotic activity.

Objectives: Due to the long-lasting pandemic measures, such as lockdown and stay-at-home orders, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on higher education. In this study, we aimed to determine sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, and sleep hygiene, and their association with anxiety, and their correlation in preclinical medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and Methods: We included 101 medical students, aged between 17–20 years of both sex from a tertiary care medical institute. Standard questionnaires were used to assess sleep quality, sleep hygiene, daytime sleepiness, and anxiety among medical students.Results: Fifty-one percent of the medical students had good sleep quality, but 35% had borderline poor sleep quality, and 13% had poor sleep quality during the lockdown. Six percent of medical students had alarmingly high daytime sleepiness. The total Adolescent Sleep Hygiene Scale (ASHS) score was grouped into poor sleep hygiene (ASHS score ≤ 3.8) and good sleep hygiene (ASHS score ≥ 4.9). Overall, sleep hygiene of medical students was poor due to behavioral arousal and bedtime routine factors, and the scores for anxiety and sleep hygiene were significantly negatively correlated, whereas daytime sleepiness showed a significant positive correlation.Conclusion: Our study revealed a high prevalence of poor sleep quality among medical students during the lockdown. Poor sleep hygiene is an eye-opener for the mostly ignored aspect of altered sleep patterns.

Purpose: To study the ocular manifestations, its severity and sequelae in patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Methods: Prospective study of 44 consecutive patients (30 SJS and 14 TEN) presenting in the acute phase of the disease. Patients were evaluated by dermatologist as well as physician for systemic status, skin lesions and mucosal involvement. Detailed history taking, visual acuity, ophthalmic evaluation (lid margin, corneal, conjunctival changes, tear film and ocular surface). Ocular severity score (OSS) was assessed at baseline (acute) and at 6 months (chronic / OSS6), graded as mild, moderate and severe. Results: Mean age was 28.15 ± 15.78 years. Sixty-five eyes of 33 patients were included for final analysis. Thirty-eight patients (86.4%) had ocular manifestations. Drugs were the most common causative factor (95.4%). At base line mild, moderate, and severe OSS was seen in 43.1%, 44.6%, and 12.3% eyes. At 6 months mild, moderate, and severe OSS was seen in 44.6%, 7.7%, and 6.2% of eyes. There was a significant correlation between age of the patient and OSS at 6 months (p = 0.02). Younger age had higher chronic OSS. Patients with TEN had higher acute (p = 0.001) and chronic (p = 0.001) OSS than SJS. Three mucosal surface involvement associated with higher acute and chronic OSS (p = 0.001). No long-term ocular complications observed in 27 / 65 (41.5%) eyes. Acute OSS correlated significantly with chronic OSS, at 1 and 6 months (p = 0.001). Conclusions Greater severity of the disease, more number of mucosal surfaces involved and shorter symptom lag correlated with more severe acute and chronic ocular manifestations. The severity of lid margin involvement and corneal involvement in acute stage were good predictors of severity of chronic ocular findings. Initial severity of ocular involvement correlated with severity of ocular sequelae.

Purpose: To study the ocular manifestations, its severity and sequelae in patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Methods: Prospective study of 44 consecutive patients (30 SJS and 14 TEN) presenting in the acute phase of the disease. Patients were evaluated by dermatologist as well as physician for systemic status, skin lesions and mucosal involvement. Detailed history taking, visual acuity, ophthalmic evaluation (lid margin, corneal, conjunctival changes, tear film and ocular surface). Ocular severity score (OSS) was assessed at baseline (acute) and at 6 months (chronic / OSS6), graded as mild, moderate and severe. Results: Mean age was 28.15 ± 15.78 years. Sixty-five eyes of 33 patients were included for final analysis. Thirty-eight patients (86.4%) had ocular manifestations. Drugs were the most common causative factor (95.4%). At base line mild, moderate, and severe OSS was seen in 43.1%, 44.6%, and 12.3% eyes. At 6 months mild, moderate, and severe OSS was seen in 44.6%, 7.7%, and 6.2% of eyes. There was a significant correlation between age of the patient and OSS at 6 months (p = 0.02). Younger age had higher chronic OSS. Patients with TEN had higher acute (p = 0.001) and chronic (p = 0.001) OSS than SJS. Three mucosal surface involvement associated with higher acute and chronic OSS (p = 0.001). No long-term ocular complications observed in 27 / 65 (41.5%) eyes. Acute OSS correlated significantly with chronic OSS, at 1 and 6 months (p = 0.001). Conclusions Greater severity of the disease, more number of mucosal surfaces involved and shorter symptom lag correlated with more severe acute and chronic ocular manifestations. The severity of lid margin involvement and corneal involvement in acute stage were good predictors of severity of chronic ocular findings. Initial severity of ocular involvement correlated with severity of ocular sequelae.

The unprecedented resurgence and geographical expansion of arboviral infections such as dengue, Chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika have a significant impact on human health and pose a serious threat to public health globally in recent years. Zika virus is a Flavivirus and is transmitted to humans through an infected mosquito bite. The Zika virus has been identified in many countries in Africa, Asia, and Pacific islands and sporadic human cases have been reported since 1947. The non-specific clinical symptoms of Zika fever are often misdiagnosed with other arboviral infections, especially dengue and chikungunya. Till now, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for Zika infection. The recent emergence of Zika is alarming and highlights the need for arboviral research to develop an effective treatment. Here in this review, we discussed the epidemiology of Zika, which has re-emerged in the recent decade and caused international concern.