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Biomedical subjects

R Ramakrishnan

Publications and source records attributed to R Ramakrishnan.

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

Frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser treatment for premacular hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Premacular hemorrhage occurs as a result of Valsalva retinopathy, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and retinal artery macroaneurysm and may cause sudden, profound visual loss. Currently, it is managed with observation or vitrectomy. An alternative method of treatment is by Nd:YAG laser or argon laser membranotomy. This study investigates the efficacy of frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser membranotomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twelve patients had frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser membranotomy as a two-step procedure to drain premacular hemorrhage: two stretch burns to make the membrane stable and taut and then placement of penetration burns between stretch burns. The follow-up period was 18 months. RESULTS: Ten eyes had marked clearing of hemorrhage and immediate improvement of vision following the laser treatment. One eye with retinal macroaneurysm and another with proliferative diabetic retinopathy did not show marked improvement immediately following membranotomy. CONCLUSION: Frequency-doubled Nd:YAG membranotomy is a safe, simple, and noninvasive alternative to conservative treatment or vitrectomy and allows faster resolution of premacular hemorrhage.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence of disability and handicaps in geriatric population in rural south India.

Proportion of aged persons in India is increasing and is expected to be around 70 million by the end of the year 2000. The epidemiological consequences would be increase in the geriatric problems, particularly, impairments, disabilities and handicaps There are not many community-based studies using the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps (ICIDH). The main objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of disabled in the elderly population (aged above 60 years) in a district of south India using ICIDH classification. Thirty villages were selected using probability proportional to size linear systematic sampling (PPSLSS) from Villupuram health unit district in Tamilnadu in south India. One hundred and five households were selected from each selected village by using linear systematic sampling. A structured proforma was administered to 974 subjects to obtain information on disability as perceived by rural geriatric population. Visual disability was found to be the most important single preventable disability (56%). Only 33% of persons with visual disability wore spectacles. A decline in social interaction was reported. There was an urgent need to strengthen health care activities related to geriatric health care to improve the quality of life of the elderly population, including care of vision in particular.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Malignant melanoma of choroid.

Four cases of malignant melanoma of the choroid are reported due to rarity of the condition in India. One of the cases presented with Naevus of Ota. All the cases had typical clinical and investigative features. All cases were enucleated. Histopathologically three of them were of mixed type and one was of the epithelioid type. Two of the cases were seen in patients below 40 years of age.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A 20-year study of the Leprosy Control Programme at the Hemerijckx Leprosy Centre in Polambakkam in South India.

The Hemerijckx leprosy centre at Polambakkam in South India covers a rural population of about 800,000 and has treated over 40,000 cases of leprosy during the period 1955-75. Based on a stratified random sample of 25% of the case records, information was obtained about the profile of newly-detected cases in various cohorts (1955-57, 1958-60, 1961-64, 1965-69, 1970-75), regularity in drug collection and response to treatment. In newly-detected cases, the ratio of males to females was stable (3:2), but the proportion of adults aged 45 years or more increased from 15% in 1958-60 to 20% in 1970-75 and the lepromatous rate decreased from 9% to 6%; the proportion deformed at the time of diagnosis ranged from 11% to 15%. Regularity in drug collection was unsatisfactory even in the first year of treatment, with less than half the patients making 6 (or more) of the 12 monthly drug collections. The clinical status at 4-6 years was known for 70-75% of the patients who started treatment and of those approximately 60% had inactive or arrested disease. Data from population surveys was sparse; about 60% of the expected numbers were initiated and less than 30% of these had a coverage of 75% or more. The limited evidence, however, showed a decline in the prevalence of about 2 per thousand per annum. Field studies to evolve strategies for better motivation of patients, introduction of short-course regimens, and continuous monitoring of the programme are urgently needed.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Advances in the development of herpes simplex virus-based gene transfer vectors for the nervous system.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is an attractive candidate vector for treatment of nervous system disease by gene therapy. Here we review molecular aspects of the natural biology of HSV as it relates to vector design and application. Although gene transfer and transient expression was readily achieved using first generation replication defective HSV vectors, these vectors did not provide for long-term transgene expression, a prerequisite for effective treatment of neurodegenerative disease. The principle impediments to effective use of HSV vectors are residual toxicity of non-replicating vectors and the silencing of transgene expression from persisting latent viral genomes in neurons. Recent advances suggest that vectors deleted for multiple immediate early viral genes provide a solution to both of these problems and thereby provide for the first time insight into methods for the effective design of useful gene vectors for central nervous system applications.

Animals↗