A 14-year-old female presented with the complaints of loss of hair, scalp pruritus, and pain in the abdomen. On careful work-up, she was found to have trichotillomania as well as trichophagia. Investigations also revealed a trichobezoar which completely filled the stomach. Hemogram showed moderate hypochromic anemia. Her detailed psychiatric profile showed a few additional features like obsessive hand washing, knuckle cracking, nose picking and body rocking. Her trichobezoar was removed surgically, and she had an uneventful post-operative recovery. She is being maintained on fluoxetine and is doing well. The role of a multi-disciplinary approach to trichotillomania patients is highlighted.

Background: A large number of mentally ill patients prefer to visit non-medical practitioners such as faith healers because of the stigma attached to mental illness and/or belief that mental illness are caused by supernatural powers. Faith healers are more convenient to be approached fi rst because of ease of availability and prevalent cultural belief and persuasion. Objective: The current study aims to fi nd the help seeking behavior of patients suffering from mental illness and whom they approach fi rst once affected, either psychiatrists or faith healers. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among patients admitted in the psychiatric ward of Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital during 1st January to 30 th July 2012. All patients admitted in the ward during that period were informed about the purpose of the study and a written informed consent was taken. In case of psychotic patients, the consent was obtained from nearby relatives. Results: Among 54 patients enrolled in the study, signifi cant number of psychotic patients (n=15) visited faith healers in comparison to only 4 non-psychotic patients. Number of females (n=12) visiting faith healers in comparison to males (n=7) was higher. Patients having belief in black magic were more likely to visit faith healers than those who were nonbelievers. In contrary to the popular belief, patients approaching the faith healers spent more money (>$20) in the treatment than who approached psychiatrists (<$20). Conclusion:The study shows that most of the patients suffering from mental illness prefer to approach faith healers fi rst because of the prevailing trust on faith healers, because they are locally available and because of a prevailing belief in supernatural causation of mental illness.

OBJECTIVEThe authors aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Acinetobacter isolates responsible for nosocomial meningitis/ventriculitis in the neurosurgical ICU. The authors also sought to identify the risk factors for mortality following Acinetobacter meningitis/ventriculitis.METHODSThis was a retrospective study of 72 patients admitted to the neurosurgical ICU between January 2014 and December 2018 with clinical and microbiological diagnosis of nosocomial postneurosurgical Acinetobacter baumanii meningitis/ventriculitis. Electronic medical data on clinical characteristics, underlying pathology, CSF cytology, antibiotic susceptibilities, and mortality were recorded. To evaluate the outcome following nosocomial postneurosurgical Acinetobacter meningitis/ventriculitis, patients were followed up until discharge or death in the hospital. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to compute factors affecting survival.RESULTSThe study population was divided into two groups depending on the final outcome of whether the patient died or survived. Forty-three patients (59.7%) were included in the survivor group and 29 patients (40.3%) were included in the nonsurvivor group. Total in-hospital mortality due to Acinetobacter meningitis/ventriculitis was 40.3% (29 cases), with a 14-day mortality of 15.3% and a 30-day mortality of 25%. The 43 (59.7%) patients who survived had a mean length of hospital stay of 44 ± 4 days with a median Glasgow Outcome Scale–Extended score at discharge of 6. On univariate analysis, age > 40 years (p = 0.078), admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score ≤ 8 (p = 0.003), presence of septic shock (p = 0.011), presence of external ventricular drain (EVD) (p = 0.03), CSF white blood cell (WBC) count > 200 cells/mm3 (p = 0.084), and comorbidities (diabetes, p = 0.036; hypertension, p = 0.01) were associated with poor outcome. Carbapenem resistance was not a risk factor for mortality. According to a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model, age cutoff of 40 years (p = 0.016, HR 3.21), GCS score cutoff of 8 (p = 0.006, HR 0.29), CSF WBC count > 200 cells/mm3 (p = 0.01, HR 2.76), presence of EVD (p = 0.001, HR 5.42), and comorbidities (p = 0.017, HR 2.8) were found to be significant risk factors for mortality.CONCLUSIONSThis study is the largest case series reported to date of postneurosurgical Acinetobacter meningitis/ventriculitis. In-hospital mortality due to Acinetobacter meningitis/ventriculitis was high. Age older than 40 years, GCS score less than 8, presence of EVD, raised CSF WBC count, and presence of comorbidities were risk factors for mortality.

ABSTRACT

No abstract

Homocystinuria is an inborn error of amino acid metabolism in which homocystine accumulates in the blood and produces a slowly evolving clinical syndrome. We are presenting a case of a 4-year-old female child who presented to us with stroke and also had megaloblastic anemia. She was diagnosed as having homocystinuria type-1, and she responded to treatment.

The present study reveals significant differences in nongenetic variables among patients and control as well as association of gene polymorphisms with CVD risk.

No abstract