Ophthalmologists are often confronted with difficult clinical management problems. In such cases,... more Ophthalmologists are often confronted with difficult clinical management problems. In such cases, even published experience may be limited; consequently multiple, generally unproven management options are usually available. When placed in such situations, most of us decide on the most appropriate course of action based on intuition or (limited) previous experience. In this article, we use examples to introduce the concept of decision analysis, a method of generating objective decisions for complex clinical problems.
Contrast sensitivity has been recommended as a screening and diagnostic test in primary open angl... more Contrast sensitivity has been recommended as a screening and diagnostic test in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). We tested contrast sensitivity (CS) using Vistech charts in 184 eyes of 95 patients. Three groups were examined--established primary open angle glaucoma, glaucoma suspects and age matched controls. The distribution of contrast sensitivities amongst the three groups were similar. The median contrast sensitivity of glaucoma suspects and controls were well within normal limits while that of the POAG group fell along the lower limit of normal. In all three groups the younger subjects scored better than the older, indicating a depression of contrast sensitivity with increasing age. Even if depression of any one spatial frequency was considered abnormal, the test yielded a sensitivity of 55.4% and specificity of 69.5%. Similarly contrast sensitivity testing was found to be of little use in detecting field defects a maximum sensitivity of 47.3% and specificity of 73.3%. Vistech contrast sensitivity testing is not a useful test in POAG screening or diagnosis.
The quality of life of the increasing ageing population is becoming an important issue in India. ... more The quality of life of the increasing ageing population is becoming an important issue in India. There are very little data on the effect of menopause on women, especially from rural India. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted on perceptions regarding menopause, prevalence of menopausal symptoms and association of family environmental factors with menopausal symptoms among 100 postmenopausal and 100 premenopausal rural women in south India. Fifty-seven per cent of postmenopausal women perceived menopause as convenient. Sixty-nine per cent of them complained of diminishing abilities after menopause. Twenty-three per cent felt that sexual life ends with the onset of menopause. Sixteen per cent reported that their husbands had become disinterested in them after menopause and I1% were apprehensive about the loss of femininity. A higher proportion of postmenopausal women reported hot flushes, night sweats, urge incontinence and other somatic symptoms as compared to prem...
Tetanus toxoid immunization is an integral part of the maternal and child health programme in dev... more Tetanus toxoid immunization is an integral part of the maternal and child health programme in developing countries. It is likely that many women may have had childhood immunization and so already have antitetanus antibodies at the time of their first antenatal visit. A single dose of tetanus toxoid injection can boost the levels of antitetanus antibodies in these women. This study was undertaken to assess the previous immunization status by verbal history and assess the effect of a single tetanus toxoid injection in young women. Ninety-nine unmarried women between 18 and 22 years of age were enrolled for the study. The history of childhood immunization was obtained from their mothers. Blood samples were collected to measure IgG antibody levels to tetanus using ELISA. Antibody levels were also measured on day 14 after a dose of tetanus toxoid injection. Of the 99 women studied, 81 had a history of childhood immunization while 18 did not. Overall, 92% of the women had protective level...
To report the progression of ocular hypertension (OHT) to primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) duri... more To report the progression of ocular hypertension (OHT) to primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) during a 5-year follow up of a population-based sample. Twenty-nine patients diagnosed to have OHT and 110 randomly selected normals from a population-based study in 1995 were invited for ocular examination in 2000. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination; including the daytime diurnal variation of intraocular pressure (IOP) and measurement of central corneal thickness (CCT). The "corrected" IOP was used for analysis. Progression to POAG was based on typical optic disc changes with corresponding field defects on automated perimetry. Twenty-five of the 29 persons with OHT who could be contacted were examined. After correcting for CCT, two persons were reclassified as normal. Four of 23 (17.4%; 95% CI: 1.95-32.75) had progressed to POAG. One person amongst the 110 normals progressed to normal tension glaucoma (NTG). The relative risk of progression amongst OHT was 19...
Background & objectives: This study was undertaken to evaluate a community based programme of ant... more Background & objectives: This study was undertaken to evaluate a community based programme of antenatal screening for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and selective immunization of children commencing at birth, at a secondary care hospital in south India. The primary objective was to assess immunization coverage among children born to HBsAg positive women; secondary objectives were to study the prevalence of HBsAg among antenatal women, prevalence of HBsAg among immunized children (to estimate vaccine efficacy), seroconversion rate and relationship of maternal hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) to hepatitis infection. Methods: The prevalence of hepatitis B antigen among antenatal women and immunization coverage achieved with hepatitis B vaccine in a rural block in Vellore, Tamil Nadu were assessed through examination of records. Children born between May 2002 and December 2007 to hepatitis B positive women were followed up for a serological evaluation, based on which vaccine efficacy ...
Attitude, concerns and conduct of research among medical students. ... There are no files associa... more Attitude, concerns and conduct of research among medical students. ... There are no files associated with this item. ... Items in IMSEAR Digital Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. ... Index Medicus for South-East Asia Region ( ...
(1) To determine the agreement between optical and ultrasound pachometry for central corneal thic... more (1) To determine the agreement between optical and ultrasound pachometry for central corneal thickness measurements used to "correct" applanation intraocular pressure (IOP) readings. (2) To determine the inter- and intra-observer variability of optical and ultrasound pachometry. Central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured in a masked manner using optical and ultrasound pachometry in 50 normal eyes. To assess intra- and inter-observer variability, multiple masked measurements were obtained in 51 eyes (optical pachometry) and 34 eyes (ultrasound pachometry). Agreement was determined by a published technique that uses the mean of the differences, standard error (SE) and standard deviation (SD). The mean difference in CCT between optical and ultrasound pachometry was 0.001 mm (SD 0.031 mm; SE 0.00439 mm). The mean inter-observer difference for the optical pachometer was 0.019 mm (SD 0.049 mm; SE 0.0069); the mean intra-observer difference was 0.003 mm (SD 0.017; SE 0.0.0024). The mean inter-observer difference for ultrasound pachometry was 0.001 mm (SD 0.009; SE 0.0015) and the mean intra-observer difference was 0.002 mm (SD 0.011; SE 0.0019). Ultrasound pachometry is the more reliable method for the measurement of central corneal thickness used to correct applanation IOP values. Optical pachometry had good intra-observer variability. The range of error in IOP correction for corneal thickness (inter-observer) that can occur using the ultrasound pachometer is -1.2 mmHg to +1.4 mmHg as compared to -5.6 mmHg to +8.5 mmHg with the optical pachometer.
To compare the short-term efficacy and safety of topical latanoprost and brimonidine in Indian ey... more To compare the short-term efficacy and safety of topical latanoprost and brimonidine in Indian eyes. Twenty-eight patients with ocular hypertension, primary open-angle, pseudoexfoliation or pigmentary glaucoma were enrolled. Following baseline measurements, latanoprost was applied topically once daily in the evening for 12-weeks. After a washout period, brimonidine was applied twice daily in all patients for 6 weeks; 16 patients continued for 12 weeks. Patients were examined at 2, 6 and 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the difference in mean intra ocular pressure (IOP) reduction at 6 and 12 weeks. The mean diurnal variation of IOP at baseline and at 12 weeks was also compared. Twenty-six of 28 enrolled patients completed the study. One randomly selected eye of each patient was used for analysis. At 6 weeks, the mean IOP reduction was 11.2 mm Hg (+/- 2.9 mmHg) with latanoprost and 6 mmHg (+/- 3.3 mmHg) with brimonidine. At 12 weeks this was 10.8 mmHg (+/- 2.8 mmHg) and 6.9 m...
To determine the effect of central corneal thickness (CCT) on applanation tonometry and any resul... more To determine the effect of central corneal thickness (CCT) on applanation tonometry and any resultant misclassification of normals as ocular hypertension. The central corneal thickness was measured using the ultrasound pachometer in 50 normals, 25 glaucoma and 23 ocular hypertensive patients. The student's "t" test was used to determine any significant difference in CCT between the three groups. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean CCT of the ocular hypertensives (0.574 +/- 0.033 mm) as compared to the glaucomas (0.534 +/- 0.030 mm) and normals (0.537 +/- 0.034 mm). Applying the described correction factor for corneal thickness, 39% of eyes with ocular hypertension were found to have a corrected IOP of 21 mmHg or less. Increased corneal thickness in ocular hypertension may lead to an overestimation of IOP in 39% of cases. Measurement of central corneal thickness is advisable when the clinical findings do not correlate with the applanation IOP.
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2015
Adverse drug reactions are a major concern with zidovudine/stavudine treatment regimens. The less... more Adverse drug reactions are a major concern with zidovudine/stavudine treatment regimens. The less toxic tenofovir regimen is an alternative, but is seldom considered due to the higher costs. This study compared adverse drug reactions and other clinical outcomes resulting from the use of these two treatment regimens in India. Baseline, clinical characteristics and follow-up outcomes were collected by chart reviews of HIV-positive adults and compared using univariate/multivariate analysis, with and without propensity score adjustments. Data were collected from 129 and 92 patients on zidovudine (with lamivudine and nevirapine) and tenofovir (with emtricitabine and efavirenz) regimens, respectively. Compared to patients receiving the zidovudine regimen, patients receiving the tenofovir regimen had fewer adverse drug reactions (47%, 61/129 vs 11%, 10/92; p<0.01), requiring fewer regimen changes (36%, 47/129 vs 3%, 3/92; p0.01). With the propensity score, the zidovudine regimen had 8 times more adverse drug reactions (p<0.01). Opportunistic infections were similar between regimens without propensity score, while the zidovudine regimen had 1.2 times (p=0.63) more opportunistic infections with propensity score. Patients on the tenofovir regimen gained more weight. Increase in CD4 levels and treatment adherence (>95%) was similar across regimens. Patients on a tenofovir regimen have better clinical outcomes and improved general health than patients on the zidovudine regimen.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Ophthalmology, 1996
To determine the reliability and validity of the flashlight test and van Herick's test in... more To determine the reliability and validity of the flashlight test and van Herick's test in detecting occludable anterior chamber angles. The flashlight test, van Herick's test and gonioscopy were performed independently by two observers on 96 consecutive new patients in our outpatient clinic. Interobserver agreement was determined using the weighted Kappa statistic. Using the glaucoma specialist's assessment of occludability of the angle (assessed by gonioscopy) as a gold standard, the sensitivities and specificities of the two tests were calculated. All three tests showed good agreement (Kappa more than 0.75). The sensitivity and specificity on the flashlight test were 45.5% and 82.7% respectively. For the van Herick's test they were 61.9% and 89.3%. The flashlight test and van Herick's test are of limited use as screening tests for occludable angles.
Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are a major public health problem in tropical and sub-tropical c... more Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are a major public health problem in tropical and sub-tropical countries, affecting the physical growth and cognitive development in school-age children. This study was aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of STH infection among school children aged 6 -14 yr in Vellore and Thiruvanamalai districts in south India. Children aged 6-14 yr, going to government and government aided schools (n=33, randomly selected) in Vellore and Thiruvanamalai districts were screened to estimate the prevalence of STH, and a case control study was done on a subset to assess the risk factors for the infection. The prevalence of STH was 7.8 per cent, varying widely in schools from 0 to 20.4 per cent, in 3706 screened children. Hookworm (8.4%) rates were high in rural areas, while Ascaris (3.3%) and Trichuris (2.2%) were more prevalent among urban children. Consumption of deworming tablets (OR=0.25, P < 0.01) offered protection, while residing in a field hut (OR...
To estimate the burden and assess prenatal and postnatal determinants of illnesses experienced by... more To estimate the burden and assess prenatal and postnatal determinants of illnesses experienced by children residing in a semiurban slum, during the first 1000 days of life. Community-based birth cohort Southern India Four hundred and ninety-seven children of 561 pregnant women recruited and followed for 2 years with surveillance and anthropometry. Incidence rates of illness; rates of clinic visits and hospitalisations; factors associated with low birth weight, various illnesses and growth. Data on 10 377.7 child-months of follow-up estimated an average rate of 14.8 illnesses/child-year. Gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses were 20.6% and 47.8% of the total disease burden, respectively. The hospitalisation rate reduced from 46/100 child-years during infancy to 19/100 child-years in the second year. Anaemia during pregnancy (OR=2.3, 95% CI=1.08 to 5.18), less than four antenatal visits (OR=6.8, 95% CI=2.1 to 22.5) and preterm birth (OR=3.3, 95% CI=1.1 to 9.7) were independent pr...
BackgroundCohort studies conducted in low-income countries generally use trained fieldworkers for... more BackgroundCohort studies conducted in low-income countries generally use trained fieldworkers for collecting data on home visits. In industrialised countries, researchers use less resource intensive methods, such as self-administered structured questionnaires or symptom diaries. This study compared and assessed the reliability of the data on diarrhoea, fever and cough/cold in children as obtained by a pictorial diary maintained by the mother and collected separately by a fieldworker.MethodsA sample of 205 children was randomly selected from an ongoing birth cohort study. Pictorial diaries were distributed weekly to mothers of study children who were asked to maintain a record of morbidity for four weeks. We compared the reliability and completeness of the data on diarrhoea, fever and cough/cold obtained by the two methods.ResultsOf 205 participants, 186 (91%) ever made a record in the diary and 62 (30%) mothers maintained the diary for all 28 days. The prevalence-adjusted bias-adjus...
Intestinal immunity induced by oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is imperfect and wanes with time, pe... more Intestinal immunity induced by oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is imperfect and wanes with time, permitting transmission of infection by immunised children. Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) does not induce an intestinal mucosal immune response, but could boost protection in children who are mucosally primed through previous exposure to OPV. We aimed to assess the effect of IPV on intestinal immunity in children previously vaccinated with OPV. We did an open-label, randomised controlled trial in children aged 1-4 years from Chinnallapuram, Vellore, India, who were healthy, had not received IPV before, and had had their last dose of OPV at least 6 months before enrolment. Children were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive 0·5 mL IPV intramuscularly (containing 40, 8, and 32 D antigen units for serotypes 1, 2, and 3) or no vaccine. The randomisation sequence was computer generated with a blocked randomisation procedure with block sizes of ten by an independent statistician. The laborat...
While improvements in oral rehydration use and access to healthcare have contributed to impressiv... more While improvements in oral rehydration use and access to healthcare have contributed to impressive gains in child survival, diarrheal diseases remain the second most important cause of child mortality in India. Pathogen specific disease rates, while key to deciding on the utility of specific public health interventions such as vaccines, are extremely difficult to obtain in developing country settings with less than optimal health access, diagnostic services and information systems. This study combined disease burden within five cohorts of infants followed up for diarrheal morbidity with data from the nationally representative Indian Rotavirus Surveillance Network and applies rates of rotavirus related events to UNICEF birth and mortality estimates for India. These estimates, while limited by the lack of data from nationally representative population based studies, use methods consistent with those employed by the World Health Organization Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group. W...
Ophthalmologists are often confronted with difficult clinical management problems. In such cases,... more Ophthalmologists are often confronted with difficult clinical management problems. In such cases, even published experience may be limited; consequently multiple, generally unproven management options are usually available. When placed in such situations, most of us decide on the most appropriate course of action based on intuition or (limited) previous experience. In this article, we use examples to introduce the concept of decision analysis, a method of generating objective decisions for complex clinical problems.
Contrast sensitivity has been recommended as a screening and diagnostic test in primary open angl... more Contrast sensitivity has been recommended as a screening and diagnostic test in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). We tested contrast sensitivity (CS) using Vistech charts in 184 eyes of 95 patients. Three groups were examined--established primary open angle glaucoma, glaucoma suspects and age matched controls. The distribution of contrast sensitivities amongst the three groups were similar. The median contrast sensitivity of glaucoma suspects and controls were well within normal limits while that of the POAG group fell along the lower limit of normal. In all three groups the younger subjects scored better than the older, indicating a depression of contrast sensitivity with increasing age. Even if depression of any one spatial frequency was considered abnormal, the test yielded a sensitivity of 55.4% and specificity of 69.5%. Similarly contrast sensitivity testing was found to be of little use in detecting field defects a maximum sensitivity of 47.3% and specificity of 73.3%. Vistech contrast sensitivity testing is not a useful test in POAG screening or diagnosis.
The quality of life of the increasing ageing population is becoming an important issue in India. ... more The quality of life of the increasing ageing population is becoming an important issue in India. There are very little data on the effect of menopause on women, especially from rural India. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted on perceptions regarding menopause, prevalence of menopausal symptoms and association of family environmental factors with menopausal symptoms among 100 postmenopausal and 100 premenopausal rural women in south India. Fifty-seven per cent of postmenopausal women perceived menopause as convenient. Sixty-nine per cent of them complained of diminishing abilities after menopause. Twenty-three per cent felt that sexual life ends with the onset of menopause. Sixteen per cent reported that their husbands had become disinterested in them after menopause and I1% were apprehensive about the loss of femininity. A higher proportion of postmenopausal women reported hot flushes, night sweats, urge incontinence and other somatic symptoms as compared to prem...
Tetanus toxoid immunization is an integral part of the maternal and child health programme in dev... more Tetanus toxoid immunization is an integral part of the maternal and child health programme in developing countries. It is likely that many women may have had childhood immunization and so already have antitetanus antibodies at the time of their first antenatal visit. A single dose of tetanus toxoid injection can boost the levels of antitetanus antibodies in these women. This study was undertaken to assess the previous immunization status by verbal history and assess the effect of a single tetanus toxoid injection in young women. Ninety-nine unmarried women between 18 and 22 years of age were enrolled for the study. The history of childhood immunization was obtained from their mothers. Blood samples were collected to measure IgG antibody levels to tetanus using ELISA. Antibody levels were also measured on day 14 after a dose of tetanus toxoid injection. Of the 99 women studied, 81 had a history of childhood immunization while 18 did not. Overall, 92% of the women had protective level...
To report the progression of ocular hypertension (OHT) to primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) duri... more To report the progression of ocular hypertension (OHT) to primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) during a 5-year follow up of a population-based sample. Twenty-nine patients diagnosed to have OHT and 110 randomly selected normals from a population-based study in 1995 were invited for ocular examination in 2000. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination; including the daytime diurnal variation of intraocular pressure (IOP) and measurement of central corneal thickness (CCT). The "corrected" IOP was used for analysis. Progression to POAG was based on typical optic disc changes with corresponding field defects on automated perimetry. Twenty-five of the 29 persons with OHT who could be contacted were examined. After correcting for CCT, two persons were reclassified as normal. Four of 23 (17.4%; 95% CI: 1.95-32.75) had progressed to POAG. One person amongst the 110 normals progressed to normal tension glaucoma (NTG). The relative risk of progression amongst OHT was 19...
Background & objectives: This study was undertaken to evaluate a community based programme of ant... more Background & objectives: This study was undertaken to evaluate a community based programme of antenatal screening for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and selective immunization of children commencing at birth, at a secondary care hospital in south India. The primary objective was to assess immunization coverage among children born to HBsAg positive women; secondary objectives were to study the prevalence of HBsAg among antenatal women, prevalence of HBsAg among immunized children (to estimate vaccine efficacy), seroconversion rate and relationship of maternal hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) to hepatitis infection. Methods: The prevalence of hepatitis B antigen among antenatal women and immunization coverage achieved with hepatitis B vaccine in a rural block in Vellore, Tamil Nadu were assessed through examination of records. Children born between May 2002 and December 2007 to hepatitis B positive women were followed up for a serological evaluation, based on which vaccine efficacy ...
Attitude, concerns and conduct of research among medical students. ... There are no files associa... more Attitude, concerns and conduct of research among medical students. ... There are no files associated with this item. ... Items in IMSEAR Digital Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. ... Index Medicus for South-East Asia Region ( ...
(1) To determine the agreement between optical and ultrasound pachometry for central corneal thic... more (1) To determine the agreement between optical and ultrasound pachometry for central corneal thickness measurements used to &quot;correct&quot; applanation intraocular pressure (IOP) readings. (2) To determine the inter- and intra-observer variability of optical and ultrasound pachometry. Central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured in a masked manner using optical and ultrasound pachometry in 50 normal eyes. To assess intra- and inter-observer variability, multiple masked measurements were obtained in 51 eyes (optical pachometry) and 34 eyes (ultrasound pachometry). Agreement was determined by a published technique that uses the mean of the differences, standard error (SE) and standard deviation (SD). The mean difference in CCT between optical and ultrasound pachometry was 0.001 mm (SD 0.031 mm; SE 0.00439 mm). The mean inter-observer difference for the optical pachometer was 0.019 mm (SD 0.049 mm; SE 0.0069); the mean intra-observer difference was 0.003 mm (SD 0.017; SE 0.0.0024). The mean inter-observer difference for ultrasound pachometry was 0.001 mm (SD 0.009; SE 0.0015) and the mean intra-observer difference was 0.002 mm (SD 0.011; SE 0.0019). Ultrasound pachometry is the more reliable method for the measurement of central corneal thickness used to correct applanation IOP values. Optical pachometry had good intra-observer variability. The range of error in IOP correction for corneal thickness (inter-observer) that can occur using the ultrasound pachometer is -1.2 mmHg to +1.4 mmHg as compared to -5.6 mmHg to +8.5 mmHg with the optical pachometer.
To compare the short-term efficacy and safety of topical latanoprost and brimonidine in Indian ey... more To compare the short-term efficacy and safety of topical latanoprost and brimonidine in Indian eyes. Twenty-eight patients with ocular hypertension, primary open-angle, pseudoexfoliation or pigmentary glaucoma were enrolled. Following baseline measurements, latanoprost was applied topically once daily in the evening for 12-weeks. After a washout period, brimonidine was applied twice daily in all patients for 6 weeks; 16 patients continued for 12 weeks. Patients were examined at 2, 6 and 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the difference in mean intra ocular pressure (IOP) reduction at 6 and 12 weeks. The mean diurnal variation of IOP at baseline and at 12 weeks was also compared. Twenty-six of 28 enrolled patients completed the study. One randomly selected eye of each patient was used for analysis. At 6 weeks, the mean IOP reduction was 11.2 mm Hg (+/- 2.9 mmHg) with latanoprost and 6 mmHg (+/- 3.3 mmHg) with brimonidine. At 12 weeks this was 10.8 mmHg (+/- 2.8 mmHg) and 6.9 m...
To determine the effect of central corneal thickness (CCT) on applanation tonometry and any resul... more To determine the effect of central corneal thickness (CCT) on applanation tonometry and any resultant misclassification of normals as ocular hypertension. The central corneal thickness was measured using the ultrasound pachometer in 50 normals, 25 glaucoma and 23 ocular hypertensive patients. The student's "t" test was used to determine any significant difference in CCT between the three groups. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean CCT of the ocular hypertensives (0.574 +/- 0.033 mm) as compared to the glaucomas (0.534 +/- 0.030 mm) and normals (0.537 +/- 0.034 mm). Applying the described correction factor for corneal thickness, 39% of eyes with ocular hypertension were found to have a corrected IOP of 21 mmHg or less. Increased corneal thickness in ocular hypertension may lead to an overestimation of IOP in 39% of cases. Measurement of central corneal thickness is advisable when the clinical findings do not correlate with the applanation IOP.
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2015
Adverse drug reactions are a major concern with zidovudine/stavudine treatment regimens. The less... more Adverse drug reactions are a major concern with zidovudine/stavudine treatment regimens. The less toxic tenofovir regimen is an alternative, but is seldom considered due to the higher costs. This study compared adverse drug reactions and other clinical outcomes resulting from the use of these two treatment regimens in India. Baseline, clinical characteristics and follow-up outcomes were collected by chart reviews of HIV-positive adults and compared using univariate/multivariate analysis, with and without propensity score adjustments. Data were collected from 129 and 92 patients on zidovudine (with lamivudine and nevirapine) and tenofovir (with emtricitabine and efavirenz) regimens, respectively. Compared to patients receiving the zidovudine regimen, patients receiving the tenofovir regimen had fewer adverse drug reactions (47%, 61/129 vs 11%, 10/92; p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.01), requiring fewer regimen changes (36%, 47/129 vs 3%, 3/92; p0.01). With the propensity score, the zidovudine regimen had 8 times more adverse drug reactions (p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.01). Opportunistic infections were similar between regimens without propensity score, while the zidovudine regimen had 1.2 times (p=0.63) more opportunistic infections with propensity score. Patients on the tenofovir regimen gained more weight. Increase in CD4 levels and treatment adherence (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;95%) was similar across regimens. Patients on a tenofovir regimen have better clinical outcomes and improved general health than patients on the zidovudine regimen.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Ophthalmology, 1996
To determine the reliability and validity of the flashlight test and van Herick&#39;s test in... more To determine the reliability and validity of the flashlight test and van Herick&#39;s test in detecting occludable anterior chamber angles. The flashlight test, van Herick&#39;s test and gonioscopy were performed independently by two observers on 96 consecutive new patients in our outpatient clinic. Interobserver agreement was determined using the weighted Kappa statistic. Using the glaucoma specialist&#39;s assessment of occludability of the angle (assessed by gonioscopy) as a gold standard, the sensitivities and specificities of the two tests were calculated. All three tests showed good agreement (Kappa more than 0.75). The sensitivity and specificity on the flashlight test were 45.5% and 82.7% respectively. For the van Herick&#39;s test they were 61.9% and 89.3%. The flashlight test and van Herick&#39;s test are of limited use as screening tests for occludable angles.
Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are a major public health problem in tropical and sub-tropical c... more Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are a major public health problem in tropical and sub-tropical countries, affecting the physical growth and cognitive development in school-age children. This study was aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of STH infection among school children aged 6 -14 yr in Vellore and Thiruvanamalai districts in south India. Children aged 6-14 yr, going to government and government aided schools (n=33, randomly selected) in Vellore and Thiruvanamalai districts were screened to estimate the prevalence of STH, and a case control study was done on a subset to assess the risk factors for the infection. The prevalence of STH was 7.8 per cent, varying widely in schools from 0 to 20.4 per cent, in 3706 screened children. Hookworm (8.4%) rates were high in rural areas, while Ascaris (3.3%) and Trichuris (2.2%) were more prevalent among urban children. Consumption of deworming tablets (OR=0.25, P < 0.01) offered protection, while residing in a field hut (OR...
To estimate the burden and assess prenatal and postnatal determinants of illnesses experienced by... more To estimate the burden and assess prenatal and postnatal determinants of illnesses experienced by children residing in a semiurban slum, during the first 1000 days of life. Community-based birth cohort Southern India Four hundred and ninety-seven children of 561 pregnant women recruited and followed for 2 years with surveillance and anthropometry. Incidence rates of illness; rates of clinic visits and hospitalisations; factors associated with low birth weight, various illnesses and growth. Data on 10 377.7 child-months of follow-up estimated an average rate of 14.8 illnesses/child-year. Gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses were 20.6% and 47.8% of the total disease burden, respectively. The hospitalisation rate reduced from 46/100 child-years during infancy to 19/100 child-years in the second year. Anaemia during pregnancy (OR=2.3, 95% CI=1.08 to 5.18), less than four antenatal visits (OR=6.8, 95% CI=2.1 to 22.5) and preterm birth (OR=3.3, 95% CI=1.1 to 9.7) were independent pr...
BackgroundCohort studies conducted in low-income countries generally use trained fieldworkers for... more BackgroundCohort studies conducted in low-income countries generally use trained fieldworkers for collecting data on home visits. In industrialised countries, researchers use less resource intensive methods, such as self-administered structured questionnaires or symptom diaries. This study compared and assessed the reliability of the data on diarrhoea, fever and cough/cold in children as obtained by a pictorial diary maintained by the mother and collected separately by a fieldworker.MethodsA sample of 205 children was randomly selected from an ongoing birth cohort study. Pictorial diaries were distributed weekly to mothers of study children who were asked to maintain a record of morbidity for four weeks. We compared the reliability and completeness of the data on diarrhoea, fever and cough/cold obtained by the two methods.ResultsOf 205 participants, 186 (91%) ever made a record in the diary and 62 (30%) mothers maintained the diary for all 28 days. The prevalence-adjusted bias-adjus...
Intestinal immunity induced by oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is imperfect and wanes with time, pe... more Intestinal immunity induced by oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is imperfect and wanes with time, permitting transmission of infection by immunised children. Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) does not induce an intestinal mucosal immune response, but could boost protection in children who are mucosally primed through previous exposure to OPV. We aimed to assess the effect of IPV on intestinal immunity in children previously vaccinated with OPV. We did an open-label, randomised controlled trial in children aged 1-4 years from Chinnallapuram, Vellore, India, who were healthy, had not received IPV before, and had had their last dose of OPV at least 6 months before enrolment. Children were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive 0·5 mL IPV intramuscularly (containing 40, 8, and 32 D antigen units for serotypes 1, 2, and 3) or no vaccine. The randomisation sequence was computer generated with a blocked randomisation procedure with block sizes of ten by an independent statistician. The laborat...
While improvements in oral rehydration use and access to healthcare have contributed to impressiv... more While improvements in oral rehydration use and access to healthcare have contributed to impressive gains in child survival, diarrheal diseases remain the second most important cause of child mortality in India. Pathogen specific disease rates, while key to deciding on the utility of specific public health interventions such as vaccines, are extremely difficult to obtain in developing country settings with less than optimal health access, diagnostic services and information systems. This study combined disease burden within five cohorts of infants followed up for diarrheal morbidity with data from the nationally representative Indian Rotavirus Surveillance Network and applies rates of rotavirus related events to UNICEF birth and mortality estimates for India. These estimates, while limited by the lack of data from nationally representative population based studies, use methods consistent with those employed by the World Health Organization Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group. W...
Uploads
Papers by Jayaprakash Muliyil