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Biomedical subjects

S M Gupta

Publications and source records attributed to S M Gupta.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

A comprehensive index for longitudinal monitoring of child health status.

The aim of this study was to develop a single comprehensive index of child mortality for longitudinal assessment of health status of children. The need for such a comprehensive index arose from conflicting trends in different child mortality indicators. The data for the study was taken from the Sample Registration System (SRS) reports of the Registrar General of India. SRS is known to provide reliable estimates of births and deaths at the State and the National level. The study included five child mortality indicators, namely, under five mortality rate (U5MR), infant mortality rate, neonatal mortality rate, perinatal mortality rate and still birth rate. These were available for fifteen states of India over the years 1972-1988. To develop this index we modified an earlier method based on factor analysis. Factor analysis of data on various indicators of child mortality revealed two factors which together explained 78% to 93% of the total variation in different years. The first factor was identified as representing mortality after birth and the second as before and during birth. The comprehensive index was obtained as a linear combination of these two factors. The resultant index thus fairly represented all five mortality indicators and provided a comprehensive and reasonably correct picture of child mortality. The lower the magnitude of this index, the better was the child health status. Trends in the index showed that the highest decline in the magnitude was in the state of Kerala followed by Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra in that order. This indicates steady improvement of the child health status over years in these states. In the State of Jammu and Kashmir, the index remained more or less constant over the years though the magnitude was low in the cross-sectional comparison with other states. Thus the comprehensive index developed by using factor analysis of the various mortality indicators can be used for the longitudinal monitoring of child health status in the states of India.

Child↗

Scintigraphic evaluation of bile dynamics before and after endoscopic sphincterotomy.

Endoscopic sphincterotomy has been used for the treatment of many biliary disorders, including extraction of obstructing common bile duct stones. Manometric studies of the sphincter of Oddi and the common bile duct have shown a marked decrease in biliary tract pressures after sphincterotomy. A prospective study of 12 patients with intact gallbladders using hepatobiliary imaging before and after sphincterotomy was performed to assess changes in bile dynamics. Nonfilling of the gallbladder occurred in 9 of the 12 patients after sphincterotomy, indicating significant alteration of bile flow. Such changes in bile dynamics may have serious implications in patients selected for medical dissolution of gallstones. It may also adversely affect specificity of cholescintigraphy in diagnosing acute cholecystitis.

Adult↗

Early pregnancy factor as a marker for assessing embryonic viability in threatened and missed abortions.

It is now well recognized that the presence of early pregnancy factor (EPF) can signify the occurrence of fertilization, continuation of pregnancy and the existence of a viable embryo. With this in view, a study was undertaken to observe the potential of EPF as a marker in assessing embryo viability in cases complicated with vaginal bleeding during early pregnancy. The results indicated that the sensitivity of EPF as a marker in predicting threatened or missed abortion was 78.9% and the specificity 95.6%. The positive predictive value was observed to be 93.8% and the negative predictive value 84.6%. Our studies have shown that since EPF is present in viable but absent in non-viable pregnancies, it could be a useful marker of prognostic value in threatened abortions.

Abortion, Missed↗

Scintigraphic evaluation of multifocal hemangioendothelioma of bone.

Multifocal bone involvement was seen on bone scintigraphy in a young woman being examined for a suspected bone lesion noted on pelvic radiographs. Biopsy of the third lumbar vertebral body demonstrated a vascular lesion. The tumor was resected and a bone graft was performed. The patient was followed with serial scans to assess the viability of the bone graft and course of the disease. This report analyzes the scintigraphic characteristics of this rare tumor and emphasizes the importance of bone scintigraphy in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow up of this condition.

Adult↗

Brain morphology in first-episode schizophrenic-like psychotic patients: a quantitative magnetic resonance imaging study.

Brain morphology was examined using magnetic resonance imaging in 30 first-episode patients with a schizophreniclike psychosis, 15 chronic schizophrenics, and 20 neurological controls. Statistical analyses of computer-generated measurements of regions of interest were controlled for gender, age, social class, and total brain volume. Lateral ventricular size was increased in both first-episode and chronic schizophrenic patients, with greater significance on the left than on the right side. Only the chronic patients, however, had reduced temporal lobe size, which also was greater on the left side. No major correlations of regional brain morphological measurements with cognitive functioning were found, although some measurements of verbal memory were correlated with parahippocampal size. This is a report of a preliminary study that suggests that some morphological brain changes may be present at the time of first treatment for a psychotic illness, whereas others may occur later in the course of illness. Future prospective studies may determine the clinical significance of these changes and whether they progress with the development of illness chronicity.

Adolescent↗

Development of an index of need for health resources for Indian States using factor analysis.

An index of need for health resources in the Indian States has been developed using the statistical technique of factor analysis. Data on seven selected indicators measuring various aspects of population health in 17 Indian States for the year 1981 were used to extract factors. Two factors were discovered which together explained 83% of the total variation. The first factor alone, identified as 'proximate determinants', explained 67% of the variation. The second, 'sociomedical background' accounted for 16%. Factor analysis results have been used to derive standardized indices which helped to compare quantitatively the health needs of the people of various States.

Data Collection↗

Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome with recurrent pulmonary embolism.

A man with Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome had worsening pulmonary hypertension secondary to recurrent multiple pulmonary embolism despite anticoagulation. Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy was done. However, the patient expired 10 days after surgery due to another bout of pulmonary embolism from his right arm or right chest wall.

Humans↗

Significance of intensity of delayed activity during technetium-99m-RBC gastrointestinal bleeding study.

In 27 patients with normal hepatic function, delayed concentration of radioactivity (during 99mTc-RBC gastrointestinal bleeding studies) was compared with liver blood-pool activity. That is, for images at 4 to 24 hr postinjection, grading was accomplished by comparison to the liver blood pool (less than, equal to, or greater than hepatic activity). There was a correlation between the accuracy of scan interpretation (for active bleeding and localization) and the intensity of activity as related to the liver. This simple grading system may be useful for interpretation of delayed images during bleeding studies.

Adolescent↗

Intestinal obstruction diagnosed by cholescintigraphy.

Radionuclide cholescintigraphy provides useful information about the dynamics of bile flow through the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and intestines. Besides helping to diagnose acute cholecystitis, it may provide other meaningful information to effectively alter the patient's management. Preoperative diagnosis of intestinal obstruction was made on routine cholescintigraphy and was proved subsequently at surgery.

Adult↗

Skinfolds in affluent Punjabi preschool children.

The skinfold thickness at three different sites (triceps, subscapular and suprailiac) were measured using Holtain Skin Fold Caliper in 941 children of 0-5 years of age. The sample consisted of children from affluent families of Ludhiana (Punjab) in order to include only the optimally growing children. The skinfold thickness at all the three sites showed a progressive rise in mean values upto the age of 1 year and thereafter the trend was downwards till the age of 5 years in both the sexes. The values were higher in girls in all age groups. The mean triceps skinfold thickness was the highest followed by subscapular and suprailiac thickness in both sexes in almost all age groups. There was no correlation between the body weight and skinfold thickness values (mean r value = 0.09). Triceps and suprailiac skinfold thickness were significantly lower than the corresponding British values in both the sexes in all age groups. However, the subscapular values were comparable with British values in the females of all age groups and also in males above three years of age. Larger multicentric studies are recommended to frame the norms for Indian children.

Anthropometry↗

The spleen: diagnosis of splenic diseases using radiolabeled tracers.

The coupling of hematologic data with radionuclide studies of the spleen has provided information as to the functioning of the organ in a variety of disease states. The major radionuclide studies have been presented in terms of the type of information derivable and the various conditions that can result in fairly similar image presentations. By utilizing the imaging results in conjunction with other available data, a more coherent view emerges of the role of the spleen.

Adolescent↗