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BACKGROUND: The safety and sufficiency of blood supply is dependent on the altruism of healthy donors, to provide blood. These donors get exposed to potential risk of discomfort, complications, and rarely injury from the collection procedure. All medical procedures including blood donation carry some risk of adverse events (AE). Although blood donation is generally safe, approximately of 2-6 % of donors experience complications, mostly mild, that resolve promptly but are still unpleasant for donors, and blood services have an obligation to minimize them. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency and severity of AE's occurring in whole blood donors, especially in outdoor camps, and to suggest measures to minimize them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a five year retrospective study on whole blood donors (2008-2012). Our blood collection is mainly in camps by voluntary blood donors. Donations in camps: voluntary- 8992(81.2%). Donations in blood bank: voluntary 831(7.53%), replacement 1211(10.97%). RESULTS : Overall 258 adverse events occurred in a total of 11034 donors, resulting in an adverse event rate of 2.33%. Most common AE was pre- syncopal or vasovagal reaction (72.86%). Syncopal minor reactions associated with transient loss of consciousness comprised 14.3%. Severe AE's formed a very small fraction accounting for 1.16%. CONCLUSION: AE analysis helps in identifying the donors at risk and adopting environmentally appropriate measures to reduce risk and improve donor satisfaction .

Detection of DNA mutations in tumor tissue can be a critical companion diagnostic test prior to prescription of a targeted therapy. Each method for detection of these mutations is associated with an analytic sensitivity that is a function of the percentage of tumor cells present in the specimen. Currently, tumor cell percentage is visually estimated resulting in an ordinal and highly variant result for a biologically continuous variable. We proposed that this aspect of DNA mutation testing could be standardized by developing a computer algorithm capable of accurately determining the percentage of malignant nuclei in an image of a hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained tissue. Using INform software (Caliper Life Sciences/Perkin Elmer), we developed an algorithm, to calculate the percentage of malignant cells in histologic specimens of colon adenocarcinoma. A criterion standard was established by manually counting malignant and benign nuclei. Three pathologists also estimated the percentage of malignant nuclei in each image. Algorithm #9 had a median deviation from the criterion standard of 5.4% on the training set and 6.2% on the validation set. Compared to pathologist estimation, Algorithm #9 showed a similar ability to determine percentage of malignant nuclei. This method represents a potential future tool to assist in determining the percent of malignant nuclei present in a tissue section. Further validation of this algorithm or an improved algorithm may have value to more accurately assess percentage of malignant cells for companion diagnostic mutation testing.

A 58 year old male, chronic smoker, with diabetes mellitus (Type II), residing in Madhya Pradesh presented with dysphagia, hoarseness, odynophagia and significant weight loss. Microlaryngoscopy showed reddish ulcerated area involving valleculae, and pharyngo-epiglottic fold. Histopathological examination showed foamy macrophages containing Histoplasma capsulatum. Patient initially responded to Azoles, relapsed three months after stopping the treatment and presented with oral lesions. Biopsy showed H. capsulatum, histologically as well as on culture. The mycelial phase converted to yeast phase on B.H.I.A. at 37 degrees C confirming the isolate as H. capsulatum. The patient responded well to amphotericin B.

Background and Aims: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is commonly associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Prevalence of NASH in type 2 DM has not been well studied and there is an epidemic rise in type 2 DM in Asian and Western populations. Its association with chronic liver disease in the form of NASH makes it an important health problem. Hence we have studied its prevalence and correlation of biochemical parameters with histological grades of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in otherwise asymptomatic type 2 DM patients. Methods: One hundred and forty-eight individuals were screened. Forty-eight individuals were excluded due to history of alcohol intake or liver disease as a result of other causes. One hundred non-alcoholic individuals with type 2 DM underwent abdominal ultrasonography (US abdomen). Forty-nine patients had evidence of fatty liver on US abdomen, and 32 of these 49 patients underwent liver biopsy. Results: Four of 32 (12.5%) individuals had steatosis alone. Mild, moderate and severe NASH was present in 21/32 (65.5%), 4/32 (12.5%) and 3/32 (9.35%), respectively. Fibrosis was present in 7/32 (21.8%) patients (four grade 1 and three grade 3). There was no significant difference in body mass index (BMI), transaminase levels, serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Conclusion: We conclude that the prevalence of NASH is high in type 2 DM patients and liver biopsy is the only investigation to differentiate between non-alcoholic fatty liver and steatohepatitis.