Background: Blood is a vital and limited resource with a lifesaving therapeutic benefit. Knowledge of standard transfusion practices to be followed is important in delivering quality transfusion services. The present study aims at assessing the knowledge of transfusion practices among undergraduate medical students, train them, and to assess the impact of this type of training sessions in improving the outcome. Materials and methods: 82 undergraduate MBBS students participated in the study. The students were asked to attempt a pre-test and a post-test questionnaire before and after the training program. The training session comprised of audiovisual lecture and handout material given to the participants. The mean scores, percentage of both the tests, and percentage of improvement in scores from pre to post-test were analyzed. Results: The mean score in the pre-test was 8.3 with a minimum score of 3 and a maximum of 13 out of 15. The post-test mean score was 10.7 with a minimum score of 6 and a maximum score of 14 out of 15, which was significantly high. The training program helped in the overall improvement of the knowledge in various aspects of blood transfusion like indications, cross-matching, shelf life, transfusion practices, and management of adverse reactions. The p-value obtained was 0.003 (<0.05) which was significant. Conclusions: Knowledge of blood transfusion practices among the undergraduates was low. Training sessions helped improve the immediate knowledge and overall orientation toward the practices. Hence, blood transfusion syllabus should be included in the undergraduates' competency curriculum.
BACKGROUNDBreast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with variable morphological features, clinical outcomes and response to different therapeutic options. Gene expression profiling studies on breast carcinomas have revolutionised the classification of breast carcinomas into molecular subtypes enhancing the treatment protocols and offering better prediction of outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODSThe present study aims to discuss the special histological variants with special emphasis on their molecular phenotype using surrogate immunohistochemical markers. RESULTSSpecial variants of breast carcinomas diagnosed during the study period of two years from August 2013 and July 2015 were classified into molecular subtypes using immunohistochemical expression of ER, PR and HER-2. CONCLUSIONSSpecial types of breast carcinomas are very rare and have different clinicopathologic behaviours. It is important to know their characteristics to make proper management decisions and to predict the prognosis. KEYWORDSIHC, Molecular Typing of Breast Carcinomas, Special Types of Breast Cancers. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Mekhala PM, Aruna L, Arasi NE, et al. Immunohistochemistry as surrogate marker for molecular typing of special types of breast carcinomas.
BACKGROUND Ischaemic Heart Disease (IHD) is one of the most common causes of death worldwide. There has been an increase in incidence of ischaemic heart disease in recent times particularly in the younger age groups with or without risk factors. Various parameters are used in different scoring systems to assess the risk of developing ischaemic heart disease. RDW and NLR are the two emerging parameters from the time Price-Jones C first described variation in RBC size, RDW has evolved as an easily available parameter after the invention of impedance haematology auto analysers. NLR is an inflammatory marker, which is superior to ESR and its level rises in ischaemic heart disease. RDW and NLR can be used as an independent parameter to assess risk of developing CAD. Many studies in the past have worked on either RDW or NLR alone; hence, in the present study, we have considered both RDW and NLR as an attempt to assess their correlation and also the utility of these parameters in risk scoring systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a prospective study where blood from the patients diagnosed with ischaemic heart disease sent for haematological analysis was studied. A complete haemogram, ESR, and haematological analysis using a pure impedance fully automated 3part differential haematology analyser was done. 100 patients of ischaemic heart disease in whom haemoglobin levels were >11 gm/dL were included in the study. 50 non-ischaemic heart disease subjects with haemoglobin >11 gm/dL were selected as control group. RESULTS RDW was found to be high in patients with IHD (47.9±11.02) as compared to control group (41.3±6) with p=0.0001. NLR was also found to be high in patients with IHD (5.09±2.5) as compared to the control group (2.8±1.5) with p<0.0001. ESR was also high in patients (26±6.7) compared to control group (18±7) with p<0.0001. RDW was independent of ESR or NLR or any other risk factor of IHD. CONCLUSION RDW is independent of inflammatory markers and other risk factors in IHD. All the three can be included in the screening programs for IHD, if standardised. NLR appears to be superior to ESR as plasma factors don't play a role in their ratio.
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