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Background: Pregnant women are at increased risk of complications in hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection, with the risk increasing as the pregnancy progresses, often leading to fulminant hepatic failure and adverse fetal outcome. Aims: The primary objective of the following study is to evaluate the maternal and fetal complications of this infection and secondary aim is to compare the clinical features of hepatitis E in pregnant women to those in non‑pregnant women. Subjects and Methods: This was a hospital based case‑controls study, carried out from July 2008 to June 2010. Over a period of 2 years, cases were serologically confirmed pregnant women with hepatitis E, selected by screening in antenatal clinic. Controls were serologically confirmed non‑pregnant women with hepatitis E, selected by screening in Medicine Outpatient Department. We studied 96 women with HEV infection, of which 52 were pregnant and 44 were non‑pregnant. Clinical and laboratory profile of patients in both groups were studied. Patients were treated as per protocol and the outcome was studied in both groups. Pregnant women were followed‑up for fetal and maternal outcome. We used t‑test and z‑test to compare normally distributed data and non‑normally distributed data, respectively. Chi‑square test was used to compare discrete values between groups. Results:Mean (standard deviation [SD]) age in pregnant patients was 24.1 (3.3) years while 32.6 (10.5) years in non‑pregnant patients. 71.1% (37/52) of the patients were primigravida and 28.8% (15/52) patients were multigravida, by natural occurrence. Mean (SD) gestational age when infection occurred was 27.5 (7.2) weeks. Among pregnant women, 63.4% (33/52) were in 3rd trimester. Jaundice 1‑5 days before presentation was seen in 51.9% (27/52) pregnant and 44.2% (23/44) non‑pregnant women. Myalgia/arthralgia, fever, nausea/vomiting, right upper quadrant pain, jaundice, dark urine, light‑colored stools, pruritus, diarrhea, altered sensorium and hematemesis/melena were presenting features. In pregnant group, 46.1% (24/52) patients developed encephalopathy while in non‑pregnant group 34% (15/44) developed this complication. Among pregnant cases, 67.3% (35/52) survived and 32% (17/52) cases died. In non‑pregnant group, nearly 90% (40/44) patients survived and only 9% (4/44) patients died. This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Adverse fetal outcome was seen in 71.1% (37/52) pregnant women with acute hepatitis E, including pre‑term delivery in 23% (12/52), stillbirth in 23% (12/52), abortion in 3.8% (2/52) and intra‑uterine fetal death in 21.1% (11/52) patients. Conclusions: There is significantly higher occurrence of hepatitis E infection in pregnant women than in non‑pregnant women, which increases with gestation, with associated fulminant hepatic failure, maternal mortality and worse fetal outcome.

Background and Aims: This study was undertaken, to assess the clinical parameters in patients of poisonous snakebite, complications which occurred in them, their outcome and to evaluate various clinical predictors of mortality Materials and Methods: Four hundred and thirty-two patients of snake bite were admitted, of which 172 did not show any signs of envenomation and excluded. Two hundred and sixty patients had signs of local or systemic envenomation and included. Complete clinical examination, blood counts, kidney function tests, serum electrolytes, coagulation profile was done in all patients. All received tetanus toxoid and anti-snake venom (ASV). Appropriate supportive treatment was given. Clinical and laboratory parameters were compared between patients who were discharged (Group A) and those who expired (Group B). All data analysis was performed by using stata software version 10 [StataCorp LP, Texas, USA] and SPSS version 11 [SPSS Inc, Chicago, USA]. Results: Out of 260 patients, 58 died and 202 survived. Mean age was 34.97 ± 14.07 years. One hundred and eighty-six (71.5%) patients were from rural areas and 74 (28.5%) from urban. 63.4% of bites occurred during rainy season. One hundred and ninety-seven (75.8%) had bite on lower limb and 62 (23.8%) on upper limbs. All 260 patients (100%) had pain at site of bite, local swelling in 252 (96.9%) and blackening of skin, blebs in 18 (6.9%). Seventy-seven (29.6%) had bleeding tendencies. Ptosis was present in all the 65 patients with signs of neuroparalysis. Eighty (30.8%) patients had acute renal failure. The mean duration of stay in survivors was 7.50 + 4.13 days and in non-survivors it was 3.45 + 3.02 days. Out of 58 who died 18 (31%) patients, succumbed within 24 hrs. On multivariate analysis, significant predictors o mortality were bleeding tendency (P = 0.013), mean PTTK (sec) (P = 0.047), respiratory failure (P = 0.045), shock (P = 0.013), mean ASV dose (cc) (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Mortality in patients with snake bite can be predicted by simple variables like presence of bleeding tendencies, respiratory failure, and shock. These parameters can help the doctors at peripheral health centers to predict outcome, so that such high risk cases can be referred to higher centers for expertise management without wasting time.

Background: Snake bite envenomation is a major public health concern in developing countries. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is as important cause of mortality in patients with vasculotoxic snake bite. Aims: This study was to evaluate the clinical profile of snake bite patients and to determine the predictors of developing AKI following snake bite. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and eighty-one patients with snake envenomation were included. Eighty-seven patients developed AKI (Group A) and 194 (Group B) did not. History, examination findings and investigations results were recorded and compared between the two groups. Results: In group A, 61 (70.11%) patients were male and in group B, 117 (60.30%) patients were male. Out of 281 patients, 232 had cellulitis, 113 had bleeding tendencies, 87 had oliguria, 76 had neuroparalysis, and 23 had hypotension at presentation. After multivariate analysis, bite to hospital time (P = 0.016), hypotension (P = 0.000), albuminuria (P = 0.000), bleeding time (P = 0.000), prothrombin time (P = 0.000), hemoglobin (P = 0.000) and total bilirubin (P = 0.010) were significant independent predictors of AKI. Conclusions: AKI developed in 30.96% of patients with snake bite, leading to mortality in 39.08% patients. Factors associated with AKI are bite to hospital time, hypotension, albuminuria, prolonged bleeding time, prolonged prothrombin time, low hemoglobin and a high total bilirubin.