Context:Prevalence of hypothyroidism is 2–4% in women in the reproductive age group. Hypothyroidism can affect fertility due to anovulatory cycles, luteal phase defects, hyperprolactinemia, and sex hormone imbalance.Aims and Objectives:To study the prevalence of clinical/sub-clinical hypothyroidism in infertile women and the response of treatment for hypothyroidism on infertility.Materials and Methods:A total of 394 infertile women visiting the infertility clinic for the first time were investigated for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and prolactin (PRL). Infertile women with hypothyroidism alone or with associated hyperprolactinemia were given treatment for hypothyroidism with thyroxine 25–150 μg.Results:Of 394 infertile women, 23.9% were hypothyroid (TSH > 4.2 μIU/ml). After treatment for hypothyroidism, 76.6% of infertile women conceived within 6 weeks to 1 year. Infertile women with both hypothyroidism and hyperprolactinemia also responded to treatment and their PRL levels returned to normal.Conclusion:Measurement of TSH and PRL should be done at early stage of infertility check up rather than straight away going for more costly tests or invasive procedures. Simple, oral hypothyroidism treatment for 3 months to 1 year can be of great benefit to conceive in otherwise asymptomatic infertile women.

It is feasible to use AKIN staging for evaluating AKI in neonates with birth asphyxia.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to estimate the dominant handgrip strength and its correlations with some hand and arm anthropometric variables in 101 randomly selected Indian inter-university female volleyball players aged 18-25 years (mean age 20.52±1.40) from six Indian universities.MethodsThree anthropometric variables, i.e. height, weight, BMI, two hand anthropometric variables, viz. right and left hand width and length, four arm anthropometric variables, i.e. upper arm length, lower arm length, upper extremity length, upper arm circumference and dominant right and non-dominant handgrip strength were measured among Indian inter-university female volleyball players by standard anthropometric techniques.ResultsThe findings of the present study indicated that Indian female volleyball players had higher mean values in eleven variables and lesser mean values in two variables than their control counterparts, showing significant differences (P<0.032-0.001) in height (t=2.63), weight (t=8.66), left hand width (t=2.10), left and right hand length (t=9.99 and 10.40 respectively), right upper arm length (t=8.48), right forearm length (t=5.41), dominant (right) and non-dominant (left) handgrip strength (t=9.37 and 6.76 respectively). In female volleyball players, dominant handgrip strength had significantly positive correlations (P=0.01) with all the variables studied.ConclusionIt may be concluded that dominant handgrip strength had strong positive correlations with all the variables studied in Indian inter-university female volleyball players.

BackgroundChemoradiotherapy plays an important role in management of locally advanced head and neck cancers. This retrospective analysis was done to evaluate and compare acute toxicity profiles and early clinical outcomes in patients treated with conventional and arc techniques.MethodsFifty-five patients of head and neck cancers were evaluated. Thirty patients received conventional radiotherapy with 6 MV or cobalt 60 and 25 patients were treated with simultaneous integrated boost-volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy (SIB-VMAT) with dose prescription of 66 - 70 Gy. Concurrent chemotherapy was given as cisplatin injection at 40 mg/m2 weekly or 100 mg/m2 thrice weekly.ResultsThe incidence of grade 3-4 mucositis was 56% versus 83.3% with SIB-VMAT and conventional treatments (P = 0.026). The incidence of grade 2-3 xerostomia was 44% versus 80% (P = 0.006) in the two groups. Grade 2 dysphagia was seen in 40% versus 80% (P = 0.008) favoring the arc treatments. Seventeen patients undergoing arc treatment had complete response compared to 14 in the conventional group (P = 0.040). The median disease-free survival (median ± standard error) was 16 months (11 ± 1.987 months) in the conventional and arc groups (P = 0.073).ConclusionSIB-VMAT shows a better toxicity profile and a trend towards better disease-free survival when compared to conventional radiotherapy in head and neck cancers.

The supply of oxygen is limited in certain intra abdominal conditions due to direct vascular invasion or inflammatory process, resulting in high lactate levels. Aim of this study was to find the predictive value of lactate levels in the peritoneal fluid (PF) and blood of patients with acute abdomen. The study comprised of fifty patients with acute abdominal conditions, admitted in emergency ward of tertiary care hospital, thirty patients were with surgical abdomen (group I) and twenty patients with non surgical abdomen (group II). Lactate was estimated in PF and blood on Blood Gas Analyzer (NOVA, M-7). The mean lactate levels in PF were significantly higher in group I as compared to group II (14.65 ± 1.195 vs. 5.92 ± 0.97 mmol/L, p \ 0.001). There was no significant difference in blood lactate levels in both the groups. When PF and blood lactate levels were compared within groups, we found that PF levels were significantly higher than blood in group I (14.65 ± 1.195 vs. 3.85 ± 0.54 mmol/L, p \ 0.001) but not in group II (5.92 ± 0.97 vs. 4.36 ± 0.95 mmol/L). Diagnostic value was obtained using ROC curve. Cut off values obtained for PF lactate, difference and ratio of PF and blood lactate (C6.4 mmol/L, C3.3 and C2.1 respectively) are at very high degree of sensitivity and specificity. So it can be useful marker of surgical emergency in patients with acute intra abdominal pathology, especially in clinically ill patients or in whom physical examination is not yielding because of neurologic disorders or unresponsiveness.

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T he purpose of this study was of two-folds, firstly, to evaluate the handgrip strength and some anthropometric characteristics of Indian inter-university female handball players and, secondly, to search the correlations of these physical traits among themselves. To serve this purpose, thirteen anthropometric characteristics, were measured on purposely selected 101 Indian inter-university female handball players aged 18-25 years (mean age 20.13 years, ±1.40) collected from seven Indian universities and the competition was held in Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India. An adequate number of controls (n = 100, 21.10 years, ± 1.70) were also collected from the same place. The results indicated statistically significant differences (p<.05-.001) in all the variables, except BMI, right upper arm and forearm lengths, right upper extremity length and right upper arm circumference between Indian inter-university female handball players and controls. Dominant right handgrip strength has significantly positive correlations (p≤.01) with all the variables, except left hand width and right upper extremity length. Height and weight have significantly positive correlations (p≤ .01) with all the variables, except right upper extremity length and right upper arm circumference. For rest of the anthropometric variables, it was observed that almost all the variables were correlated to each other significantly (p≤ .05 -.01) with positive correlations, except right upper extremity length and right upper arm circumference.

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