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Background: Sepsis is a complex, life-threatening, heterogeneous infectious disease associated with increased rates of morbidity and mortality. Early assessment of the prognosis of sepsis is key to achieving a favorable outcome for the disease. This study aimed to identify the prognostic value of PCT for sepsis patients. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective analytical study involving 100 adult patients with sepsis who were admitted to the Medicine dept and intensive care unit from 2019 to 2020. At least one blood test for PCT level was performed for all patients within the first 24 hours of suspecting an infection. Results: Our study found that a maximum number of patients (43.0%) were between 51-60 years age group, mean age of the patient was 49.35 ± 11.7 years. Out of 100 cases, 65% were male and 35% were female. The male and female ratio was 1.85:1. In this study serum, procalcitonin levels 0.5-2.0 ng/were detected in 15.0% of patients with mean±SD 1.3±0.8. Serum procalcitonin levels 2.1-10.0 ng/mL were detected in 29.0% of patients with mean±SD 5.9±2.5 and >10.0 ng/mL was detected in 56 patients. Based on the receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curves, procalcitonin had the area under curve 0.923, with 89.4% sensitivity and 87.5% specificity. In our study, procalcitonin showed the best predictive value for the short-term outcome of sepsis with a cut-off value of 14.8 ng/mL (AUC 0.923). Study shows that 76.0% of the patients recovered completely, but 24.0% of patients expired during the hospital stay. Conclusion: There was a statistically significant correlation in serum procalcitonin with the outcome of sepsis (p < 0.001). So the effectiveness of serum procalcitonin has proven significant in the prediction of mortality in sepsis patients. J MEDICINE 2023; 24: 18-22

Methotrexate is commonly used in the treatment of inflammatory disorders and malignancies. Although it is an effective therapeutic agent, it may have serious adverse effects in both therapeutic dose and overdose. Here, we report a case of a 54-year-old lady with polyarthritis, who was prescribed 2 tablets of methotrexate (10 mg) orally once a week. However, mistakenly the patient started taking the drug daily. After 12 days of starting methotrexate, she presented with widespread skin lesions, sore mouth and dysphagia. A diagnosis of methotrexate induced erythema multiforme was made. Laboratory investigations revealed pancytopenia. She was managed conservatively. Although rare, methotrexate overdose should be considered along with other possibilities in a patient with erythema multiforme. This case report also focuses on the rational use of drugs as well as the importance of good communication between health care professionals and patients. BIRDEM Med J 2023; 13(1): 52-55

The present study aims at investigating the vegetation in different sites of Chattogram metropolitan area following appropriate techniques. In order to enumerate the distribution of species, several diversity indices including Shannon-Winer Index, Pielou’s Evenness and Simpson’s Index were employed. A total of 645 species belonging to 414 genera under 120 families were documented from the studied area for the first time. Of these, 37 species (5.73%) are pteridophytes, 607 species (94.11%) are angiosperms and single representation of gymnosperm (0.16%). Among the recorded species, 384 are medicinal species belonging to 277 genera under 93 families. Bacopa monnieri is a dominant species in the forest area with some co-dominant species like Eichhornia crassipes, Centella asiatica, etc. Moreover, this study provides potential sources to the environmental planners, herbalists, ecologists, taxonomists, ethnobotanists, pharmacists, phytochemists and local administration that would help to plan for future green infrastructure and maintain ecosystem function providing long-term benefits for the city dwellers. Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 29(2): 313-344, 2022 (December)

A total of 209 species were documented where 181 species were used against 379 diseases/ailments from a village common forest of Rangamati, Bangladesh. Leaves were reported as most utilized plant part while herbs were dominant. Diversity indices revealed that the study area was rich in diverse medicinal plants. Collected voucher specimens were deposited in the Chittagong University Herbarium with an accession number. Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 29(1): 109-128, 2022 (June)

Background: Diabetic myonecrosis is an under-reported complication of long-standing, poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. It is usually a self-limiting condition and responds well to conservative management. Patients with diabetic myonecrosis frequently have other microvascular complications. Although the short-term prognosis is good, the long-term prognosis is poor. Less than 200 cases have been reported in the literature since it was first described 46 years ago. There is no clear ‘standard of care’ for managing these patients. Due to a lack of awareness, the diagnosis is often missed, resulting in unnecessary and deleterious interventions such as antibiotics, muscle biopsies and surgery which can complicate the recovery. We report six cases of diabetic myonecrosis admitted in a tertiary care hospital; all of them recovered well by conservative measures like analgesics and bed rest. Our report aims to emphasize the importance of early diagnosis of diabetic myonecrosis and to find out the pattern of clinical, biochemical and radiological profiles among the myonecrosis cases. Methods: Patient’s socio-demographic, clinical, laboratory data were recorded systemically in case-record forms after obtaining informed written consent from patients or attendants over four years from 2018 to 2021. Result: We report six cases of diabetic myonecrosis managed in a tertiary care hospital over four years. Five of the cases were female and all had type 2 diabetes mellitus, with a mean duration of diabetes was 14.5 years.The presentation was acute in four patients and sub-acute in another two patients. All these patients had poorly controlled diabetes mellitus; the average HbA1c was 10.8%. Microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus were found in all the cases. Conclusion: Diabetic myonecrosis is an underdiagnosed complication of diabetes mellitus. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis for diabetic patients who present with painful swollen muscles. A high index of suspicion requires for the diagnosis, which avoids unnecessary intervention. BIRDEM Med J 2022; 12(2): 147-151

A company's most valuable asset is its workforce, so understanding them is crucial to success. With the aid of training and development programs, organizations can create a skilled and competent workforce that will maintain a high level of competency and thrive in a dynamic business environment. This research sought to understand the effectiveness of training and development at Fisar Limited in Hyderabad. The study made use of descriptive analysis and analytical research. To collect the primary data, questionnaires were distributed to 50 employees. This included demographic profile and effectiveness of training. According to the findings, Overall training and development have a significant impact on employee performance. It benefits the organization by reducing employee turnover, increasing employee productivity, and contributing to higher financial returns. Factors such as gender, age, work experience, and training schedule have a significant impact on training efficacy. An important element in an organization's success is offering a formal training program for both new and existing employees and analysing the results since it oversees their learning and corrects it promptly. The mode of training and educational credentials must be combined to meet the needs. Organisation needs to identify room for improvement in the areas where training and development are necessary.