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Streptococcus pneumoniae is a rare cause of appendicitis, skin soft tissue, and bloodstream infections. The clinical significance of its isolation from samples of skin or soft tissues and pus from the appendix is poorly understood. Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) continues to be a problem in India, associated with a high case fatality rate despite treatment facilities available in the hospital settings. In the present study, we report three adult cases, one presented as acute appendicitis, the other had skin and soft tissue infection, and third presented with bloodstream infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae from our level 1 trauma center. The patients with acute appendicitis and soft tissue infection recovered when treated with appropriate antimicrobial therapy, however, the one with pneumococcal sepsis could not be revived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Morphometric variations of the anterior column of the acetabulum have been described in the literature for its complex structure, which can influence the safe containment of intramedullary screw for fixation of its fractures. The purpose of this CT-based study is to present a preliminary report on the morphometric variations and safety of intramedullary screw fixation of the anterior column of the acetabulum in the Indian population.Methods: CT-based data from 102 uninjured pelves were retrospectively analyzed in iPlanⓇ BrainLab AG, Feldkirchen, Germany. Narrowest zones around acetabulum and superior pubic ramus were measured. We calculated the axis of the anterior column of the acetabulum by joining the centres of these narrowest zones. Standard screws trajectories were directed along this axis. Screw length up to the first cortical perforation, the distance of the exit point from the pubic symphysis, and the length of the anterior column up to the pubic tubercle were measured.Results: The osseous corridor of the anterior column of acetabulum had variable cross-section along its length with two constriction zones, first in the acetabular region and second in the superior pubic ramus. Only 54% of our cases allowed safe applicability of 6.5-mm-diameter screw trajectories with safety margin of 2 mm on either side of the screw. Significant morphometric and screw applicability-related differences were observed among male and female cases with males having a wider osseous corridor in general. Elimination of safety margin results in a significant increase in the screw applicability.Conclusion: The osseous corridor of the anterior column varies in its dimensions from individual to individual. Standard screws of 6.5-mm and 7.3-mm diameters may not be safe for intramedullary screw fixation in every patient and carry a risk of cortical violation when a 2 mm of width around the screw is considered as a safety margin. However, with a precise screw placement within the extents of the cortices of the anterior column, 6.5-mm screws can be applied in most of the female cases and 7.3-mm screws can be applied in most of the male cases for anterior column fixation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a rare case of post-traumatic cutaneous diphtheria in a patient referred from a hospital in rural India. The diagnosis of cutaneous diphtheria was confirmed by the isolation of Corynebacterium diphtheriae cultured from the ulcer of the leg, along with Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Arcanobacterium haemolyticum. The patient was kept on isolation and treated with erythromycin for 14 days without antitoxin. He was discharged when his subsequent cultures turned out to be negative. Chemoprophylaxis was also given to his family members. Such a case highlights the revisiting of vaccination strategies and the role of cutaneous carriers in transmission of this deadly disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stiffness is common following fractures around knee. Manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) is the initial noninvasive procedure usually performed for such patients. Though MUA has been extensively evaluated for knee arthroplasty, there is paucity of literature regarding its benefits in trauma cases. The purpose of this study was to define the role of manipulation in post traumatic stiff knees.Methods: Hospital inpatient and outpatient records from January 2010 to June 2014 were retrospectively reviewed to identify patients undergoing MUA at our institution. Patients with more than one year follow up and adequate data were included. Clinical and radiographic parameters were analyzed to assess outcomes, complications, effect of timing on flexion gain as well as identify risk factors associated with failure.Results: Out of 45 patients undergoing manipulation, 41 patients with 48 knees (34 unilateral and 7 bilateral) met inclusion criteria. Thirty six manipulations were successful while 3 were abandoned due to tight tissues and 9 developed complications.Successful MUA resulted in immediate gain of 62.36° of flexion which decreased to 49.86° at 1year. There was statistically significant loss of flexion of 12.5° over a year (p value 0.0013). Arc of motion improved from 48.5° to 106.1° at 1year (p value <0.0001). Significant improvement was also seen in extension and fixed flexion deformity (p value <0.0001). No significant difference could be detected between early (<3 months) and late (>3 months) groups with respect to outcomes (p value 0.883)or complications (p value 0.3193). Failed group had significantly lower pre MUA flexion and pre MUA range of motion (p value 0.003). Univariate analysis showed that extensor mechanism ruptures during injury (p value <0.0001) and knees with Flexion <40° (p value 0.0022) or ROM<30° (p value 0.0002) were significantly associated with failures.Conclusion: MUA is a suitable non invasive treatment option for post traumatic stiffness. There is no effect of timing on outcome and late manipulation also results in good outcome. Extensor mechanism rupture and pre manipulation ROM<30° or flexion <40° are associated with failure and such cases should be considered for alternative options for better outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives: Perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis constitutes the bulk of antimicrobial consumption in any hospital. This study was conducted at a level 1 Trauma Centre of a tertiary care hospital of India to assess the efficacy of a short (24 h) course of perioperative antibiotic prophylactic regimen in preventing surgical site infections (SSI) in open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of closed fractures of limbs and to assess if the same can be implemented as a general policy. Methods: Patients of either sex, aged 18 yr or more, who were scheduled for ORIF and were willing and able to give informed consent, were included in the study. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups. Group 1 (n=100) received 3 doses of 1 g i.v. cefuroxime perioperatively spaced 12 h apart and group 2 (n=97) received the conventional existing regimen [5 days of i.v. antibiotics (cefuroxime 1 g twice daily along with amikacin 15 mg/kg in 2 divided doses), followed by oral cefuroxime, 500 mg twice daily till suture removal]. Results: Of the 197 patients, four patients developed a surgical site infection (three with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and one Acinetobacter baumanii). Of these, two patients were in group 1 and the remaining two in group 2. These patients were treated with i.v. antibiotics based on the culture and antimicrobial sensitivity reports. The cost of the short course treatment was 150 per patient as compared to 1,900 per patient for conventional regimen. Interpretation & conclusions: There was no significant difference in rates of SSI among the two groups in our study. Cost evaluation revealed that shorter course was less expensive than conventional long course regimen. Implementation of a short course perioperative regimen will go a long way in reducing antimicrobial resistance, cost and adverse reactions to antimicrobials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives Surgical site infections (SSIs) are among the most prevalent healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). They cause significant morbidity, leading to excess health expenditures and increased length of hospital stay. Despite a high population burden, data on post-discharge SSIs is lacking from low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). There is no existing surveillance system of SSIs in India that covers the post-discharge period. Therefore, we proposed a multicentric analysis to estimate the proportion and identify the risk factors associated with SSIs occurring during hospital stay and after discharge. Methods SSI Surveillance was conducted in three hospitals in different parts of India according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines (30 days-6 months). An indigenous database was developed for data entry and analysis. Logistic regression analysis was performed to test for an association between SSI and potential risk factors. Results A total of 161 out of 3090 patients acquired SSI, resulting in a 5.2 per cent SSI incidence. Debridement surgery, which was carried out with either an amputation, open reduction internal fixation surgery (ORIF), or closed reduction internal fixation (CRIF) surgery, had the highest SSI rate (54.2%). Clean, polluted wound class and surgeries lasting longer than 120 minutes were substantially linked to an increased risk of SSI. Interpretation & conclusions Post-discharge surveillance helped with the detection of 66 per cent of SSI cases. Combination surgeries were seen to increase the risk of SSIs in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hip fractures in elderly have a high mortality. However, there is limited literature on the excess mortality seen in hip fractures compared to the normal population. The purpose of this study was to compare the mortality of hip fractures with that of age and gender matched Indian population., Methods: There are 283 patients with hip fractures aged above 50 years admitted at single centre prospectively enrolled in this study. Patients were followed up for 1 year and the follow-up record was available for 279 patients. Mortality was assessed during the follow-up from chart review and/or by telephonic interview. One-year mortality of Indian population was obtained from public databases. Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) (observed mortality divided by expected mortality) was calculated. Kaplan-Meir analysis was used., Results: The overall 1-year mortality was 19.0% (53/279). Mortality increased with age (p < 0.001) and the highest mortality was seen in those above 80 years (aged 50 - 59 years: 5.0%, aged 60 - 69 years: 19.7%, aged 70 - 79 years: 15.8%, and aged over 80 years: 33.3%). Expected mortality of Indian population of similar age and gender profile was 3.7%, giving a SMR of 5.5. SMR for different age quintiles were: 3.9 (aged 50 - 59 years), 6.6 (aged 60 - 69 years), 2.2 (aged 70 - 79 years); and 2.0 (aged over 80 years). SMR in males and females were 5.7 and 5.3, respectively., Conclusions: Indian patients sustaining hip fractures were about 5 times more likely to die than the general population. Although mortality rates increased with age, the highest excess mortality was seen in relatively younger patients. Hip fracture mortality was even higher than that of myocardial infarction, breast cancer, and cervical cancer., (Copyright © 2023 Chinese Medical Association. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Early hip fracture surgery is recommended to decrease the morbidity and mortality. The extent to which such guidelines are being followed in developing countries like India is unknown. About 20% of the patients presented to hospital after 24 hours of injury, and only one-third had surgery within 48 hours of presentation., Introduction: Early hip fracture surgery is recommended to decrease the morbidity and mortality following hip fractures. Understanding the factors responsible for delay in surgery is important to improve the quality of hip fracture care. This study was conducted to study the factors causing delay in elderly hip fracture surgery in India., Methods: In this prospective study, 272 consecutive hip fracture surgeries at a single hospital were included. Delayed surgery was defined as when the time to surgery (reaching hospital to start of incision) was more than 48 hours. Additionally, the total time to surgery (including time taken for patients to reach hospital after injury) was studied. Factors associated with delayed surgery were assessed using regression models., Results: Eighty-seven (32%) patients had a surgery within 48 hours of presentation. Majority of the patients had a delay (82%, N = 151/185) due to one or more medical reasons. Fifty-four (20%) patients presented to hospital after 24 hours of injury. The mean total time to surgery was 112 ± 90 hours with time after reaching hospital contributing to 78% of the total time. Multiple comorbidities (odds ratio, OR = 3.47 [1.42-8.45]), fall as mode of injury (OR = 3.54 [1.61-7.80]), requiring an additional investigation (OR = 10.4 [3.4-31.81]), and requiring arthroplasty (OR = 40.57 [7.01-234.97]) were independently associated with delayed surgery., Conclusion: Only about one-third of the patients received surgery within 48 hours of reaching the hospital, and about 20% of the patients presented to hospital after 24 hours of injury. Delayed surgery was primarily due to medical comorbidities. Hospitals should establish protocols to ensure faster optimization of patients.

Background: Device-associated infections (DAIs) are an important cause of excessive stay and mortality in ICUs. Trauma patients are predisposed to acquire such infections due to various factors. The prevalence of HAIs is underreported from developing nations due to a lack of systematic surveillance. This study reports the rates and outcomes of DAIs at a dedicated Trauma Center in trauma patients and compares the rates with a previous pilot observation., Methods: The study reports the finding of ongoing surveillance and the use of an indigenous software at a level-1 trauma center in India. Surveillance for ventilator-associated pneumonia, central line-associated bloodstream infections, and catheter-associated urinary tract infections was done based on standard definitions. The rates of HAIs and the profile of pathogens isolated from June 2010 to December 2018 were analyzed., Results: A total of 7485 patients were included in the analysis, amounting to 68,715 patient days. The rates of VAP, CLABSI, and CA-UTI were respectively 12, 9.8 1st 8.5/1000 device days. There was a significant correlation between device days and the propensity to develop infections. Of the 1449 isolates recovered from cases of DAIs, Acinetobacter sp (28.2%) was the most common isolate, followed by Candida sp. A high rate of multi-resistance was observed., Conclusion: Automated surveillance was easy and useful for data entry and analysis. Surveillance data should be used for implementing preventive programs., (Copyright © 2020 Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs/ HAIs) are the most common adverse occurrences during health care delivery. Across the globe, millions of patients are affected by HAIs annually, with a higher burden and impact in developing nations. a major lacuna in planning preventing protocols is the absence of National Surveillance Systems in most low-middle income countries, which also prevents allocation of resources to the high-priority areas. Among all the HAIs, there is a huge global burden of SSIs, in terms of morbidity, prolonged hospital stays, increased antimicrobial treatment as well as attributable mortality., Method: This manuscript details the process of establishment of an SSI surveillance protocol at a level-1 trauma centre in North India., Result and Conclusion: Surveillance is an essential tool to reduce this burden. It is also an important primary step in recognizing problems and priorities, and it plays a crucial role in identifying risk factors for SSI and to be able to target modifiable risk factors. Therefore, it is imperative to establish reliable systems for surveillance of HAIs, to regularly estimate the actual burden of HAIs, and to use these data for developing indigenous preventive measures, tailored to the country's priorities., Competing Interests: None

Background & Objectives: Perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis constitutes the bulk of antimicrobial consumption in any hospital. This study was conducted at a level 1 Trauma Centre of a tertiary care hospital of India to assess the efficacy of a short (24 h) course of perioperative antibiotic prophylactic regimen in preventing surgical site infections (SSI) in open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of closed fractures of limbs and to assess if the same can be implemented as a general policy., Methods: Patients of either sex, aged 18 yr or more, who were scheduled for ORIF and were willing and able to give informed consent, were included in the study. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups. Group 1 (n=100) received 3 doses of 1 g i.v. cefuroxime perioperatively spaced 12 h apart and group 2 (n=97) received the conventional existing regimen [5 days of i.v. antibiotics (cefuroxime 1 g twice daily along with amikacin 15 mg/kg in 2 divided doses), followed by oral cefuroxime, 500 mg twice daily till suture removal]., Results: Of the 197 patients, four patients developed a surgical site infection (three with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and one Acinetobacter baumanii). Of these, two patients were in group 1 and the remaining two in group 2. These patients were treated with i.v. antibiotics based on the culture and antimicrobial sensitivity reports. The cost of the short course treatment was ` 150 per patient as compared to ` 1,900 per patient for conventional regimen., Interpretation & Conclusions: There was no significant difference in rates of SSI among the two groups in our study. Cost evaluation revealed that shorter course was less expensive than conventional long course regimen. Implementation of a short course perioperative regimen will go a long way in reducing antimicrobial resistance, cost and adverse reactions to antimicrobials.