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BACKGROUND Electrical burns are devastating injuries and can cause deep burns with significant morbidity and delayed sequelae. Epidemiological data regarding the etiology, socioeconomic differences and geographic variation are necessary to assess the disease burden and plan an effective preventive strategy. These severe injuries often lead to amputations and thus hamper quality of life in the long term AIM To identify the population at maximum risk of sustaining electrical burns. We also studied the impact of electrical burns on these patients in terms of quality of life as well as return to work. METHODS The study was conducted at a tertiary referral teaching hospital over a period of eighteen months. All patients with a history of sustaining electrical burns and satisfying the inclusion criteria were included in the study. All relevant epidemiological parameters and treatment details were recorded. The patients were subsequently followed up at 3 mo, 6 mo and 9 mo. The standardized Brief Version of the Burn Specific Health Scale (BSHS-B) was adopted to assess quality of life. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS statistics (version 22.0). A P value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS A total of 103 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 31.83 years (range 18-75 years). A significant majority (91.3%) of patients were male. The mean total body surface area (TBSA) in these patients was 21.1%. In most of the patients (67%), the injury was occupation-related. High voltage injuries were implicated in 72.8% of patients. Among the 75 high voltage burn patients, 31 (41%) required amputation. The mean number of surgeries the patients underwent in hospital was 2.03 (range 1 to 4). The quality of life parameters amongst the patients sustaining high voltage electrical burns were poorer when compared to low voltage injuries at all follow-up intervals across nine domains. In eight of these domains, the difference was statistically significant. Similarly, the scores among the amputees were poorer when compared to non-amputees. The difference was statistically significant in six domains. CONCLUSION Electrical burns remain a problem in the developing world. Most injuries are occupation-related. The quality of life in patients with high voltage burns and amputees remains poor. Work resumption was almost impossible for amputees. These patients could not regain pre-injury status. Steps should be taken to create awareness and to implement an effective preventive strategy to safeguard against electrical injuries.

Background: Confusion lies over the diagnosis when the patients show ring enhancing lesions of the brain on CT scan. Some consider it as tuberculoma while some consider it as cysticercosis. More studies are required to give clear picture of ring enhancing lesions of the brain. The objective was to study clinical profile and etiology ring enhancing lesion in CT scan brain at a tertiary care center.Methods: This study was conducted in the Department of General Medicine, SVS Medical College, Mahabubnagar district which is a tertiary care referral hospital in the state of Telangana. This study was done during the period from July 2006 to October 2008. A total of 50 cases were taken up for this study. After selecting the patients for the study, already prepared protocol was followed strictly for each patient. The protocol contained identification data, detailed history and examination of central nervous system and peripheral signs for tuberculosis and cysticercosis.Results: The males were more than the females and 14-24 years age group was most affected. The most common presentation of ring enhancing lesions was seizures alone in 72% of the cases. Out of these cases the most common presentation was generalized tonic-clonic seizure in 40% of the cases. Majority i.e. 45 had single ring enhancing lesion on CT scan of the brain. The most common etiology of the ring enhancing lesion was found out to be neurocysticercosis in 54% of the cases of ring enhancing lesions.Conclusions: Ring enhancing lesions should be considered in differential diagnosis of those who present with seizures in endemic areas like India.