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Introduction: As with other non-communicable diseases, chronic kidney disease (CKD) also is in a way at the top among the younger population. Apart from diabetes, hypertension, old age, family history of CKD other risk factors like smoking, alcohol, pesticide exposure, heavy metals also made them vulnerable to CKD. The focus on CKD in younger age groups is often overlooked; therefore, this study has been planned to address this gap. Objective: To determine the risk factors for chronic kidney disease among young adult patients

Background: Long-term exposure to silica dust makes people prone for silicosis which raises the risk of the individual in developing pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Silicosis is a progressive lung disease characterize with shortness of breath, cough, fever, and bluish skin, caused due to inhalation of crystalline silica dust found in abundance in sand, rock, and quartz. Aims and Objectives: The disease is known to effect the functioning of macrophages making it unable to defend mycobacterium species, thus allowing the bacterium to invade and develop tuberculosis. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study is carried out to estimate the prevalence of PTB in newly diagnosed silicosis patients at Madurai Medical College, Madurai, Tamil Nadu. All the patients who got registered in Occupational Lung Diseases Registry from January 2016 to December 2021 are included in the study. Silicosis patients tested positive on sputum CBNAAT are considered as silicotubercular patients, whose prevalence is calculated. Results: Our study included a total of 54 subjects (90.8% males and 8.2% female) with mean SD age of 38±6.7 years ranging from 26 to 53 years. Of which 22 patients, 40.7% tested positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) on sputum CBNAAT. The prevalence of MTB in among silicosis patients was found to be 40.7%. Conclusions: Association of TB and silicosis is very strong with the prevalence of TB among silicosis patients as 40.7%. Our study also observed the male sex and elder age as elevated risk of developing silicotuberculosis. All the people getting exposed to silica dust need to be educated in the usage and usefulness of protective equipment.

Background: Emergency physicians must be updated about the variations in poisoning pattern during Covid19 pandemic. Limited data exist on the incidence and characteristics of patients presenting with poisoning in Indian Emergency Departments (ED) during the COVID 19 pandemic. Hence, we aimed to explore the impact of Covid19 pandemic on poisoning cases presenting to the ED.Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted on poisoning patients presenting to ED during the pandemic period (April 1-October 30, 2020 (period 2)), and a matching period before the pandemic (September 1,2019 to March 31, 2020 (period 1)). The rate of prevalence and clinical profile were compared between period 1 and 2 using appropriate statistical test.Results: A total of 111 (periods 1 = 57, and periods 2 = 54) cases were analysed. Poisoning prevalence rates had slightly increased by 2.7% before the pandemic (51.33%) in comparison to during the pandemic (48.6%) period (p=0.3). Females were predominant in both periods, and the mean age of 32.5 years. The predominant (57%) patient age group was 15-34 years. 36.9% (n=41) patients consumed multiple poisons, 19.8% (n=22) consumed paracetamol, and 14.4% (n=16) patients consumed psychiatric medications. Before lockdown, 27.02% (n=30) patients presented within 3 hours ingestion, and 21.6% (n=24) presented after 3 hours ingestion (p=0.12). A significant delay in arrival of poisoning cases during lockdown (p= 0.12) with increased hospital admission (p=0.03) was observed. A psychiatric disorder was observed in 36.03% cases. Majority of the cases were admitted in the ICU, and 0.9%(n=1) death was recorded.Conclusions: This is the first Indian study that describes the incidence of poisoning cases and their pattern during the COVID 19pandemic period, study revealed that increased mental health crisis in low resource settings in rural Kerala affects predominantly young population. Study implies the importance of priming the mental health care professionals to initiate their mental health screening programmes.

Background: Long-term exposure to silica dust makes people prone for silicosis which raises the risk of the individual in developing pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Silicosis is a progressive lung disease characterize with shortness of breath, cough, fever, and bluish skin, caused due to inhalation of crystalline silica dust found in abundance in sand, rock, and quartz. Aims and Objectives: The disease is known to effect the functioning of macrophages making it unable to defend mycobacterium species, thus allowing the bacterium to invade and develop tuberculosis. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study is carried out to estimate the prevalence of PTB in newly diagnosed silicosis patients at Madurai Medical College, Madurai, Tamil Nadu. All the patients who got registered in Occupational Lung Diseases Registry from January 2016 to December 2021 are included in the study. Silicosis patients tested positive on sputum CBNAAT are considered as silicotubercular patients, whose prevalence is calculated. Results: Our study included a total of 54 subjects (90.8% males and 8.2% female) with mean SD age of 38±6.7 years ranging from 26 to 53 years. Of which 22 patients, 40.7% tested positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) on sputum CBNAAT. The prevalence of MTB in among silicosis patients was found to be 40.7%. Conclusions: Association of TB and silicosis is very strong with the prevalence of TB among silicosis patients as 40.7%. Our study also observed the male sex and elder age as elevated risk of developing silicotuberculosis. All the people getting exposed to silica dust need to be educated in the usage and usefulness of protective equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emergency physicians must be updated about the variations in poisoning pattern during Covid19 pandemic. Limited data exist on the incidence and characteristics of patients presenting with poisoning in Indian Emergency Departments (ED) during the COVID 19 pandemic. Hence, we aimed to explore the impact of Covid19 pandemic on poisoning cases presenting to the ED. Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted on poisoning patients presenting to ED during the pandemic period (April 1-October 30, 2020 (period 2)), and a matching period before the pandemic (September 1,2019 to March 31, 2020 (period 1)). The rate of prevalence and clinical profile were compared between period 1 and 2 using appropriate statistical test. Results: A total of 111 (periods 1 = 57, and periods 2 = 54) cases were analysed. Poisoning prevalence rates had slightly increased by 2.7% before the pandemic (51.33%) in comparison to during the pandemic (48.6%) period (p=0.3). Females were predominant in both periods, and the mean age of 32.5 years. The predominant (57%) patient age group was 15-34 years. 36.9% (n=41) patients consumed multiple poisons, 19.8% (n=22) consumed paracetamol, and 14.4% (n=16) patients consumed psychiatric medications. Before lockdown, 27.02% (n=30) patients presented within 3 hours ingestion, and 21.6% (n=24) presented after 3 hours ingestion (p=0.12). A significant delay in arrival of poisoning cases during lockdown (p= 0.12) with increased hospital admission (p=0.03) was observed. A psychiatric disorder was observed in 36.03% cases. Majority of the cases were admitted in the ICU, and 0.9%(n=1) death was recorded. Conclusions: This is the first Indian study that describes the incidence of poisoning cases and their pattern during the COVID 19pandemic period, study revealed that increased mental health crisis in low resource settings in rural Kerala affects predominantly young population. Study implies the importance of priming the mental health care professionals to initiate their mental health screening programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]