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Background and Objectives: In India, it is estimated that there are 40 million people suffering from Hepatitis B virus (HBV). Quantification of the viral burden is an important laboratory tool in the management. However, widespread use of different HBV-DNA assays is still affected by the high cost and variable diagnostic precision. The present study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic precision and co-relation of ALT levels with HBV-DNA by Truenat®-PCR. Materials and Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study a total of 567 serums were collected from patients by rapid HBsAg, and processed for liver function tests (LFT). The viral HBV-DNA amplification detection was carried out through by Truenat®-PCR test. Results: Out of 567 samples, 452 samples were found to be positive by both rapid and Truenat®-PCR and 106 were negative for HBV-DNA followed by 9 invalid. High ALT level found in 73% of positive patients who had HBV-DNA level (>100000 copies/ml) which is significantly higher in 447 patients as compared to those have below Ā100000 copies/ml. Conclusion: Truenat®-PCR technique is a highly sensitive and can be performed with low resources for effective control of HBV infection. Evaluation of HBV-DNA levels and serum ALT levels showed a significant proportion of patient harbored ongoing viral replication and disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the present study was to describe the accurate rate of infection and specific type of treatment in nephrotic syndrome cases admitted with activity to nephrology unit. Methods: It was a retrospective case series study carried out in the department of Pediatrics, BRD Medical College Gorakhpur U.P. Children of 1-15 years of age who had developed nephrotic syndrome for the first time and fulfilled the International Study of Kidney Disease in Children (ISKDC) criteria for diagnosis of primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS) were enrolled in the study through OPD, nephrology ward and emergency room. The study was conducted over a period of 12 months. 120 patients were included in the study. Results: A total of 120 children between the ages of 1 year to 15 years, diagnosed with NS were taken for the study. Majority of the subjects presented between 5-8 years of age (40%), followed by 9-12 years of age (30%). Among these, 66.66% of children were male and 33.34% were female. The most common presenting symptom was facial puffiness seen in 100% of patients, followed by abdominal distension (90%), pedal edema (80%), oliguria (50%), scrotal edema (40%), fever (33.34%), burning micturition (23.34%), abdominal pain (25%), hematuria (16.66%) and vomiting (13.34%). Most common was observed to be ascites comprising of 63.34% of cases, followed by hypertension (41.66%), respiratory complications like pleural effusion and pneumonia (25%), thromboembolism in 5% of cases and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis seen only in 2.5% of the cases. Of the 120 subjects included in the study, it was noted that 75% of the children presented with first episode of nephrotic syndrome, 20% with infrequent relapses and 5% with frequent relapses. Conclusion: Major infections remain an important complication of nephrotic syndrome in children, especially during relapses. Drug resistant organisms should be considered while treating these infections in children with nephrotic syndrome. Counseling the parents is very important for the prompt management of these children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ability of Staphylococcus aureus to maintain a clinically very indolent state depends on various lifestyles the bacteria evolved as small colony variants (SCVs) phenotype to safeguard themselves causes chronicity of the infection, providing resistance to the host challenge and antibiotics. Aim: A prospective study has been conducted on none-duplicated S. aureus isolates from bloodstream infections to assess the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical effect/outcome of SCV versus normal colony variant (NCV) patients. Methods: We conducted a prospective study considering the characteristics morphology, identification, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of SCV were also investigated as per standard guidelines (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute 2023). Results: A total of 585 positive blood culture samples were collected with the growth of S. aureus. Among which 140 (23.93%) isolates came out to be SCV, remaining 445 (76.07%) were NCV of S. aureus. The prevalence of methicillin resistance among S. aureus (MRSA) among 140 SCV came out to be 80 (57.14%) as compared with 445 NCV was 182 (40.90%). In this study majority with type-2 DM (51.79%), prolonged hospitalization (42.22%), and the placement of central line (36.41%). The mortality rate was 7.69%, in which the majority of the patients belong to NCV, (84.44%) followed by SCV (15.55%). Conclusion: The SCV phenotype and antibiotic resistance are interlinked; we still need to learn more about the clinical consequences of infection as well as the risk factors for SCV MRSA. These results highlight the importance of SCV infection and support the routine use of clinical laboratory tests that are sensitive to SCV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]