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Introduction Diabetes mellitus (DM) poses a significant health burden globally, impacting millions due to its metabolic disruptions. Among its complications, diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a prevalent concern, affecting sensory and motor nerves. While various diagnostic methods exist, discrepancies persist in prevalence estimates of DPN among diabetic populations. Objective This meta-analysis aimed to assess the prevalence of DPN in individuals with DM, focusing on sural nerve conduction velocity (NCV) measurements. Additionally, the study explored how different evaluation techniques influenced prevalence estimates. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines across multiple databases. Studies reporting sural nerve NCV measurements in diabetic patients were included. Data extraction, quality assessment, and statistical analyses were performed to synthesize findings. Results Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria, providing insights into sural nerve NCV among diabetic individuals. Pooled analysis revealed a mean sural nerve NCV of 42.12 m/s (95% CI: 39.87-44.36), indicative of reduced conduction velocity in diabetic populations. Furthermore, sural nerve amplitude was significantly lower in diabetic individuals, with a pooled mean of 4.68 μV (95% CI: 3.11-6.25). Conclusion Individuals with type 2 DM exhibit impaired sural nerve function, as evidenced by reduced NCV and amplitude measurements. Timely NCV assessment, alongside glycemic monitoring, is crucial for identifying and managing DPN to prevent further complications. Interventions addressing glycemic control, dietary regulation, and lifestyle modifications are recommended to mitigate the progression of neuropathy in diabetic populations.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 800 million people worldwide and is one of the leading non-communicable causes of death. Despite being a latent issue, once renal damage has started, the disease can rapidly progress to an advanced stage. Aims and Objectives: Currently, the most commonly used markers for the diagnosis of renal disease are non-specific and insensitive. As a result, the goal of the current study is to investigate whether KIM-1 could be a precise and sensitive biomarker for identifying early kidney injury in CKD patients. Materials and Methods: This case–control study recruited 155 participants from the Index Medical College Hospital v Research Centre, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. 150 non-CKD subjects matched for age and sex were also taken from the hospital. The levels of KIM-1 were compared between CKD and non-CKD participants. Serum creatinine, urea, and creatinine clearance were also measured. Results: The levels of KIM-1 were substantially higher in CKD patients than in non-CKD participants. In addition, a negative relationship between KIM-1 and creatinine clearance was observed with a P

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide. In India, the incidence of LC is increasing rapidly, and a majority of the patients are diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease when treatment is less likely to be effective. Recent therapeutic developments have significantly improved survival outcomes in patients with LC. Prompt specialist referral remains critical for early diagnosis for improved patient survival. In the Indian scenario, distinguishing LC from benign and endemic medical conditions such as tuberculosis can pose a challenge. Hence, awareness regarding the red flags—signs and symptoms that warrant further investigations and referral—is vital. This review is an effort toward encouraging general physicians to maintain a high index of clinical suspicion for those at risk of developing LC and assisting them in refering patients with concerning symptoms to specialists or multidisciplinary teams as early as possible.

Abstract Background To evaluate and determine the protective role of statins in COVID-19 patients. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study conducted across five hospitals in India. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized with existing and valid medical documentation were included. Results This study comprised 3252 COVID-19 patients, of whom 1048 (32.2%) were on statins, with 52.4% being males. The comorbidity prevalence of hypertension was 75%, followed by diabetes 62.51% and coronary artery disease being 47.5%. At the time of hospitalization, statin users had a higher incidence of dyspnea, cough, and fatigue (95.8, 93.3, and 92.7%). The laboratory results revealed a lower mean of WBC count (7.8 × 103/μL), D-dimer (2.4 μg/mL), and C-reactive protein (103 mg/L) among statin users. They also had lower mortality rates (17.1%), a lesser requirement for mechanical ventilation (20%), and hemodialysis (5.4%). Conclusion This observation study elaborates on the beneficial effects of statins in COVID-19 patients. However, the inferences from this study should be viewed with caution due to the impending effect of confounding factors on its statistical results.

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is caused by SARS-CoV-2, leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), thrombotic complications, and myocardial injury. Statins, prescribed for lipid reduction, have anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, and immunomodulatory properties and are associated with reduced mortality rates in COVID-19 patients. Our goal was to investigate the beneficial effects of statins in hospitalized COVID-19 patients admitted to three multi-specialty hospitals in India from 1 June 2020, to 30 April 2021. This retrospective study included 1,626 patients, of which 524 (32.2%) were antecedent statin users among 768 patients (384 statin users, 384 non-statin users) identified with 1:1 propensity-score matching. We established a multivariable logistic regression model to identify the patients’ demographics and adjust the baseline clinical and laboratory characteristics and co-morbidities. Statin users showed a lower mean of white blood cell count (7.6 × 103/µL vs. 8.1 × 103/µL, p < 0.01), and C-reactive protein (100 mg/L vs. 120.7 mg/L, p < 0.001) compared to non-statin COVID-19 patients. The same positive results followed in lipid profiles for patients on statins. Cox proportional-hazards regression models evaluated the association between statin use and mortality rate. The primary endpoint involved mortality during the hospital stay. Statin use was associated with lower odds of mortality in the propensity-matched cohort (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.33-0.64, p < 0.001). These results support the previous evidence of the beneficial effects of statins in reducing mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Background Dietary intake of antioxidative vitamin C plays a protective role in the prevention of oxidative damage in diabetics, demanding increased requirement of vitamin C. Hyperglycemia results in impaired uptake of vitamin C in the cell. The present study was conducted to compare the plasma ascorbate levels in type 2 diabetic patients and controls consuming adequate dietary vitamin C. Methodology Fifty consented type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients who were on treatment with oral hypoglycemic drugs and consuming adequate vitamin C in diet were taken in the study and 50 healthy controls equitably matched for age, gender between 40 and 70 years, and dietary intake of vitamin C were compared. Dietary intake of vitamin C was estimated by a food frequency questionnaire. Subjects consuming more than 35 mg/d of vitamin C were included in the study. Fasting blood sugar was estimated by glucose oxidase and peroxidase method and estimation of ascorbic acid was done by using 2, 4 dinitro phenyl hydrazine method. Result The mean ± standard deviation levels of plasma ascorbate levels in diabetic subjects were 0.22 ± 0.12 mg/dL, which were significantly lower as compared with controls with plasma ascorbate level of 0.47 ± 0.15 mg/dL. In diabetic subjects, insignificant positive correlation was observed between these parameters with r-value 0.168 and p-value 0.245. Conclusion This study concludes that even with the recommended dietary intake of vitamin C low plasma ascorbate levels were found among T2DM patients, which necessitates increased demand and dietary advice to diabetic patients on consuming foods rich in vitamin C more than the recommended daily allowance.

A Flying Ad-hoc Networks (FANETs) is an autonomous technology that creates a self-organized wireless network via Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs). In this network, all UAVs can communicate within a restricted range of wireless communication in the absence of fixed infrastructure. As a result of high mobility, the limited energy, and the communication range of UAVs, network forming and deformation between them are very frequent that causes packet delivery failure. Therefore, a stable route is always needed to ensure effective data dissemination between source and destination in FANETs. Since it has drastically changing network topology, therefore, to maintain the stable route during packet transmission, there is a need for a suitable routing protocol. This paper proposes an Optimized Location-Aided Routing (O-LAR) protocol which is the modified version of Location-Aided Routing (LAR) protocol. Our protocol’s novelty comes from the fact that it established an optimal route between UAVs for information dissemination towards their respective destination UAV by considering weight function. A weighted function is used to decide the best next-hop node selection based on the parameters like residual energy, distance, and UAV movement direction. The performance of the O-LAR is evaluated mathematically and simulated through the NS-2 simulator. The empirical results attest that O-LAR improves the link duration, network lifetime, packet delivery ratio, and average throughput compared with the state-of-the-art protocols: LEPR, D-LAR, and LAR. Further, the proposed scheme reduces the number of next-hops, routing overhead and end-to-end delay compared to the state-of-the-art protocols.

Background: Biomarker-driven lung adenocarcinomas involving alterations in oncogenic drivers such as EGFR, ALK, ROS1, and NTRK have witnessed a dramatic shift in the therapeutic and prognostic landscape owing to the development of molecular targeted therapies. The recent approval of the selective RET inhibitor, selpercatinib, has led to an ardent interest in RET-rearranged non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). However, sequential single-gene testing cannot detect RET rearrangements accurately or characterize the fusion partners. Objectives: We aimed to determine the incidence and types of RET alterations in our patients with NSCLC, and to describe the demographic and clinical profile of our patients with RET-driven NSCLC. In addition, our aim was to highlight the advantages of broader panel-based testing by the next generation sequencing (NGS) over single-gene assays. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective, case series of patients with advanced NSCLC who underwent testing by NGS between December 2018 and August 2020 at our center, with a focus on the cases who were found to have the RET gene rearrangement. The demographic, clinicopathological profiles, and treatment details were retrieved from the medical record archives. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 23 for Windows. Results: A total of 169 patients were enrolled in the study. RET rearrangement was detected in 2.9% (n = 5) of the patients in our cohort. Four cases had the KIF5B-RET fusion, and one case had the CCDC6-RET fusion. The median age of the patients was 55 years (range, 45–82), with a slight female preponderance (men: 2 and women: 3). The RET fusions were detected using an NGS-based assay. Four out of the five patients were administered pemetrexed-carboplatin-based chemotherapy and are alive and on regular follow-up. One patient did not receive any treatment and has succumbed to the disease. One patient has been administered selpercatinib after failing many lines of chemotherapy. Conclusions: The emergence of newer molecular targets necessitates the use of an broader panel-based NGS testing to detect oncogene addiction in NSCLC. This case series highlights the importance of NGS-based testing in the light of the recent approval of selpercatinib for RET-rearranged NSCLC.

The treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has undergone a paradigm shift since the early part of this millennium. The knowledge and detection of molecular subtypes of this entity based on the phenomenon of oncogene addiction like ALK rearrangement, has led to the emergence of an era of precision and personalized medicine. Since its discovery, many molecular targets have been developed for ALK rearranged NSCLC which have rapidly transitioned from bench to bedside, with fast approvals for clinical use. This has increased the outcome in ALK rearranged patients dramatically; however the emergence of resistance to ALK TKI is inevitable and is fundamental to ongoing research and every day clinical practice. We herein report two interesting cases of ALK rearranged NSCLC who developed resistance to second generation ALK TKI, due to the development of new KRAS mutations. By far, this mechanism in the context of alectinib has not been reported in literature and this report may stimulate further studies into the same

The knowledge of oncogene addiction in non small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) involving EGFR, ALK and ROS1 genes has changed the therapeutic and prognostic landscape of NSCLC. ALK rearranged NSCLC accounts for 10% of these cases, and with the development and approval of ALK TKIs (tyrosine kinase inhibitors) like crizotinib, it is imperative to detect the same. Various ALK variants are known to occur resulting in differential sensitivities to TKIs because of different protein stabilities. The precise characterization hence is important which can be achieved only by high throughput next generation sequencing (NGS) based assays. Immunohistochemistry and FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) although considered gold standards cannot define the breakpoints and length of the fusion transcripts. We herein report a novel EML4-ALK variant in a case of advanced NSCLC which plausibly is inherently resistant to crizotinib because of the breakpoints involved.

Introduction: We aimed to evaluate the surgical feasibility, complication, and oncological outcome of robot-assisted retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RA-RPLND) in patients of testicular tumor with postchemotherapy residual retroperitoneal mass. Methods: A total of 13 patients underwent RA-RPLND between January 2012 and September 2016 at our institute. A study was started on December 2015, so data were collected retrospectively and prospectively regarding patient demography, tumor characteristics, surgical, pathological outcome, and oncological outcome. Results: RA-RPLND was successfully completed in all the 13 patients. Lateral approach was used in initial 12 patients with unilateral dissection in 11 patients and bilateral dissection after in 1 patient after repositioning in bilateral position. Supine robotic approach used in 1 patient. Median operative time was 200 min, median estimated blood loss was 120 ml, and median length of hospital stay was 4 days. The median yield of lymph node was 20. Three patients had positive lymph nodes, all had teratoma germ cell tumor. Ten patients had only necrosis in lymph nodes. After median follow-up 23 months (range 3-58 months), no systemic or retroperitoneal recurrence was found. Four patients developed chyle leak. One patient was managed conservatively with diet modification, one with intranodal lipiodol lymphangiography and two patients were managed surgically. Conclusion: RA-RPLND is safe and feasible for postchemotherapy residual mass with accepted compilation rate, but larger studies are required to establish its diagnostic and therapeutic utility along with safety of the procedure.

Lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of diseases that arise from the constituent cells of the immune system or from their precursors. 18F-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ( 18 F-FDG PET/CT) is now the cornerstone of staging procedures in the state-of-the-art management of Hodgkin′s disease and aggressive non-Hodgkin′s lymphoma. It plays an important role in staging, restaging, prognostication, planning appropriate treatment strategies, monitoring therapy, and detecting recurrence. However, its role in indolent lymphomas is still unclear and calls for further investigational trials. The protean PET/CT manifestations of lymphoma necessitate a familiarity with the spectrum of imaging findings to enable accurate diagnosis. A meticulous evaluation of PET/CT findings, an understanding of its role in the management of lymphomas, and knowledge of its limitations are mandatory for the optimal utilization of this technique.

We present a child posted for magnetic resonance imaging of brain under general anesthesia with the rare combination of mucopolysachharidosis type VI and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The presence of both these disorders has important anesthetic implications. The pathophysiology of this rare combination of disease is reviewed with emphasis on the anesthesia management.

A case series of the anesthetic management of 4 patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) undergoing emergency/elective surgery is presented. PV presents serious concerns for anesthesiologist, when present, in a surgical patient but handling of these patients with care and taking all the due precautions can decrease morbidity and airway-related complications. Various clinical presentations and precautions, which should be ensured during anesthesia in patients suffering from PV, are discussed.

Background : Opioids are most commonly used as adjuncts in intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA) to improve the quality of intraoperative and postoperative analgesia. There is paucity of literature on the use of butorphanol in IVRA. Aims : The aim of this study was to evaluate the likely benefits of addition of butorphanol to lignocaine in Bier′s block in terms of onset and duration of sensory block and also for analgesic requirement in postoperative period. Settings and Design : A randomized double blind study was conducted at Tertiary Care Educational Institute. Patients and Methods : A total of 40 adult ASA I or II patients scheduled to undergo upper limb surgery were randomized in two groups (n=20). Group I received 3 mg/kg of lignocaine alone and group II received 1 mg butorphanol in addition to 3 mg/kg lignocaine. Sensory block onset time and time to recovery from sensory block after tourniquet deflation were noted using the pin prick method. Duration of postoperative analgesia was noted using a visual analogue scale. All the patients were compared for the time to first rescue analgesic consumption and total analgesic consumption in first 24 hours postoperatively. Statistical Analysis Used : The statistical analysis was done using unpaired Student′s t-test. Results : Our study showed significant prolongation of postoperative analgesia in group II as noted by the time to first analgesic requirement. Total analgesic consumption in first 24 hours postoperatively was less in group II. Sensory block onset time and time to recovery from sensory block after tourniquet deflation, did not show any significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions : Addition of butorphanol to lignocaine in IVRA significantly prolongs the duration of postoperative analgesia and 24 hours analgesic consumption is less in patients receiving butorphanol along with lignocaine in IVRA. However, there is no effect on sensory block onset time and time to recovery from sensory block.

Context and Aim: Bodily tooth movement is desirable in the field of Orthodontics and so is with molar distalization. Till date there is no such analysis available which could gauge and quantify the molar distalization and the type of tooth movement achieved, therefore one was required. Materials and Methods: An OPG and Lateral cephalogram was used taking Inter orbitale plane and FH plane respectively as reference lines and the analysis was devised to measure the amount and type of tooth movement achieved in distalization of molar. Conclusion: This analysis is a noble, easy and conceptual analysis to assess the type of tooth movement achieved during molar distalization and other molar movements using Lateral cephalogram and orthopantomogram.

Start with end in mind’ is a popular cliché in orthodontics. This aptly applies to the therapeutic occlusion the orthodontist strives to achieve. Predicting the post treatment occlusion is an essential component of treatment planning. When no extractions or symmetric extractions are done predicting the final occlusion is somewhat easy. Prediction is challenging when we do unconventional and/or asymmetric extractions. To aid this decision Kesling proposed the ‘Kesling Setup’. Though it serves the purpose acceptably; it is time, energy and money consuming. We have developed a model which can help us visualize the final occlusion in matter of seconds. Although this model is primarily intended for orthodontic postgraduate teaching, it can be of considerable use even to a seasoned orthodontist. The regular use of “Orthodontic Calculator” in our department is a testimony to its usefulness.

Most Class II division 2 malocclusion manifest a severe deep bite, the orthodontic correction of deep overbite can be achieved with several mechanisms one such mechanics is true intrusion of anterior teeth. Deep overbite correction by intrusion of anterior teeth affords a number of advantages which includes simplifying control of the vertical dimension and allowing forward rotation of mandible to aid in Class II correction. It also aid in correction of a high gingival smile line. This case report presents the patient of a 14-year-old boy with Class II division 2 subdivision malocclusion treated with connecticut intrusion arch and also highlights the biomechanical aspect of this appliance. Intrusion of anterior teeth is difficult. An appropriate, effective and clinically manageable biomechanical system is required. The treatment approach shown in this case can treat the deep overbite precisely with incisor intrusion. The article shows the versatility of Connecticut Intrusion Arch and by applying the sound biomechanical principles we can execute the planned mechanics with minimal side effects.

Purpose. To evaluate outcome of percutaneous tension band wiring for transverse fractures of the patella. Methods. 16 men and 7 women aged 27 to 65 (mean, 40) years underwent percutaneous tension band wiring for transverse fractures of the patella with a displacement of >3 mm. Pain, operating time, mobility, functional score, and complications were evaluated. Results. 20 patients underwent successful percutaneous tension band wiring. The remaining 3 patients in whom closed reduction failed underwent open reduction and tension band wiring. The mean operating time was 46 (range, 28–62) minutes. The mean follow-up period was 20 (range, 15–30) months. At the latest follow-up, all patients had regained full extension. The objective score was excellent in 20 patients and good in 3, whereas the subjective score was excellent in 17, good in 5, and fair in one. All patients had radiological union at week 8. One patient had patellofemoral arthritis (secondary to a postoperative articular step). Two patients developed superficial infections, which resolved after antibiotic therapy. Mean thigh muscle wasting was 0.7 (range, 0.4–1) cm. Three patients encountered hardware problems (impingement/irritation of the skin over the knee) necessitating implant removal. Conclusion. Percutaneous tension band wiring is a viable option for transverse fractures of the patella.