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Biomedical subjects

D Mahalanabis

Publications and source records attributed to D Mahalanabis.

152 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparative trial of five antimicrobial compounds in the treatment of cholera in adults.

To compare the efficacy of ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, nalidixic acid and pivmecillinam in the treatment of tetracycline-resistant strains of Vibrio cholerae O1 in adults, a randomized, open, clinical trial was conducted. A tetracycline group was used for comparison. Seventy-five adult men infected with V. cholerae O1 were randomly assigned to receive either 400 mg pivmecillinam or 500 mg of one of each of the other drugs. Ciprofloxacin was given every 12 h and the others every 6 h for 3 d. The mean total stool volume per kg was 155 mL for the ciprofloxacin group, 212 mL for the erythromycin and pivmecillinam groups, 246 mL for nalidixic acid, and 293 mL for tetracycline. The difference between ciprofloxacin and tetracycline was significant (P = 0.045). After 72 h, diarrhoea had stopped in 14 patients (93%) in the ciprofloxacin group and 12 (80%) in the erythromycin group, compared to 5 (42%) of those receiving tetracycline (P = 0.006 and 0.049, respectively). Bacteriological clearance was 100% at 24 h in patients treated with ciprofloxacin compared to 20% and 8.3% (P < 0.001 for both comparisons) in the erythromycin and tetracycline groups. Ciprofloxacin in conjunction with appropriate fluid therapy was the most effective treatment for cholera in adults; erythromycin was the next best.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of efficacy of a glucose/glycine/glycylglycine electrolyte solution versus the standard WHO/ORS in diarrheic dehydrated children.

It was hypothesized that a mixture of glucose and amino acids enhances sodium and water absorption and therefore diminishes the volume of oral rehydration solution, stool output, and duration of diarrhea. To investigate this hypothesis, the efficacies of two oral rehydration solutions (ORS) were compared, one containing (mmol/L): Na+ 90, K+ 20, Cl- 80, citrate 10, glucose 67, glycine 53, and glycylglycine 30, yielding an osmolality of 350 mosmol/kg H2O, and the other, the standard ORS recommended by the World Health Organization, containing the same electrolyte concentrations and only glucose 110 mmol/L, yielding 310 mosmol/kg H2O. The study group comprised 31 infants and small children for group A (receiving solution A, the glucose/glycine/glycylglycine-based ORS) and 31 patients for group B (receiving solution B, the standard WHO/ORS). There were no significant differences between the groups in age, fluid loss, or dehydration, or between the groups with respect to clinical outcome, mean time to achieve rehydration, mean percent body weight gain, and serum electrolyte composition. The only statistically significant difference was the mean time between admission and the last diarrheic stool. The glycylglycine/glycine/glucose electrolyte solution was found to be suitable for rehydration, but not to have an advantage over the standard WHO/ORS.

Bicarbonates↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of different antibiotics in inhibiting colonization of Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 in the rabbit intestine.

The effects of furazolidone, erythromycin and azithromycin in inhibiting colonisation of Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 in the rabbit intestine were tested. Both V. cholerae O1 and O139 highly colonised the gut in control rabbits. The colonisation of furazolidone-resistant strains in the rabbit intestine was prevented effectively by both erythromycin and azithromycin. In furazolidone-sensitive strains, the efficacies of erythromycin and azithromycin were very much comparable to furazolidone. These results suggested that azithromycin may be subjected to clinical trial in comparison to furazolidone and erythromycin for the treatment of cholera due to O1 and O139 infection in children.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Drug use among the urban poor in Kolkata: behaviour and environment correlates of low HIV infection.

BACKGROUND: HIV infection in injecting drug users (IDUs) has worked as a driving force for further spread of the virus in other population groups. Major metropolitan cities such as Mumbai, Kolkota, Chennai and Delhi have seen a diffusion of injecting drug use within the last decade. The prevalence of HIV infection among injectors ranges from 2% to 30%. Identifying effective interventional elements that have kept the prevalence of HIV low for the past 7 years among IDUs of Kolkata is thus of public health importance. METHODS: A purposive sample of opioid/opiate users was studied. Primary and secondary data on drug users, law-enforcement environment, records at drug treatment centres, jail admission data related to the 'Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substance Act' and interventions in other risk groups were collected. Laboratory tests for HIV, hepatitis B surface antigen and syphilis were done on consenting IDUs (n=129) and non-IDUs (n=120). For univariate and multivariate analysis, IDUs were taken as cases and non-IDUs as controls. RESULT: Of the IDUs, 2% were positive for HIV. No non-IDU was HIV-positive. Significantly more non-IDUs (10% v. 4%, p=0.05) were positive for syphilis. Sharing injection equipment within the past 6 months was reported by 71% of IDUs; sharing partners were stable and ranged from 1 to 3. More IDUs compared to non-IDUs reported being in touch with intervention programmes. The police has been tolerant to needle-syringe exchange and oral sublingual buprenorphine substitution conducted in Kolkata. Unlike in the early 1990s, non-IDUs did not switch to injecting during non-availability of brown sugar in the latter half of the 1990s and instead sought tratment. The availability of high quality heroin (>20%-50%) was low and the proportion of moderate quality heroin (>10%-20%) went up during these times due to increased police seizures. No intervention exists in jails despite the fact that a large number of drug users spend time in jail. CONCLUSION: Stable and few injection equipment-sharing partners of IDUs, launching of early targeted interventions among IDUs and sex workers in the city, police tolerance to harm reduction activities and preference of non-IDUs for detoxification during heroin draught periods have kept HIV prevalence at a low level among drug users of Kolkata for the past 7 years. immediate launching of interventions for drug users in jails seems necessary. Similar multi-pronged strategies with targeted and environmental intervention could work in other settings as well.

Adolescent↗