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Introduction:Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is common and is accompanied with other comorbidities. Challenges to treatment exist at our institute as it serves women with low income. This study assessed the burden of comorbidities and the outcome of GDM.Methods:This was a prospective, observational study of women with gestational diabetes attending the obstetrics department from September 2012 to April 2014. GDM was diagnosed based on the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria. Medical comorbidities were noted, and lipid profile was done. All the women were followed up till delivery, and the complications were recorded. Age- and parity-matched pregnant women with normal oral glucose tolerance test were recruited as controls.Results:One hundred and thirty-nine women were followed up till delivery. The average age was 28 years. Eighteen percent had bad obstetric history. The average body mass index was 28.8. Twenty-five percent had gestational hypertension (HTN), and 6.4% had chronic HTN. Thirty percent had hypothyroidism. 65% women received insulin. The glucose values were within the recommended range in 60% of the women. Maternal hypoglycemia occurred in 7 (5%) women. Forty-four percent of the women required cesarean section and 34% had complications either during pregnancy or labor. Three neonates had macrosomia. Twenty-six neonates (20%) required admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Four neonates (3%) died. Newborns of mothers whose GDM optimally treated had less complications.Conclusion:Gestational diabetes is associated with HTN, hypothyroidism, obesity, and lipid abnormalities. The majority of women required insulin for treatment and optimal control of blood glucose resulted in lower neonatal complications.

Liver disease in HIV-infected patients has remained unaddressed in India. This study describes the causes of liver disease in HIV-infected patients and short-term outcome in them. Designed as a prospective observational study, it was conducted at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research between September 2011 and March 2013. All consecutive HIV patients (>13 years) attending the antiretroviral therapy clinic or admitted in the Medicine Department were screened, and patients with liver disease or with either HBsAg or anti-HCV antibody positivity were included in the study. Of the 198 patients screened, 51 (26 %) had either abnormal liver function test or had HBsAg or anti-HCV positivity. The median age of the patients was 40 years and 82 % were males. The median CD4 count was 123 cells/mm(3). Eighteen (35 %) of them had alcoholic liver disease. Six patients had probable hepatic involvement due to tuberculosis. Ten patients had antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity. One patient had acute hepatitis B and seven patients had chronic hepatitis B. The cause could not be established in 10 patients (20 %). After a median period of 8 months of follow up, 23 patients had improved, 19 patients (37 %) had died, and six patients had been lost to follow up. Of the patients who had died, 11 patients (58 %) had tuberculosis, and 6 patients (30 %) had decompensated alcoholic liver disease. In conclusion, liver disease in HIV-infected patients was associated with high mortality. Alcohol abuse, tuberculosis, and antituberculosis drugs were the major causes.

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Weight adjusted fixed dose subcutaneous unfractionated heparin (UFH) is one of the options for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), but the degree of its anticoagulant effect has not been tested in India. This was a prospective observational study, conducted at a tertiary care hospital in South India between September 2012 and March 2014. DVT was diagnosed using compression ultrasonography. UFH was given as an initial loading dose of 333 U/kg followed by a maintenance dose of 250 U/kg twice daily subcutaneously. aPTT was done on day 2 and day 4 after 6 h of the morning dose of heparin. Patients were categorized based on aPTT ratios. Fifty five patients treated for proximal lower limb DVT had received UFH. Their median age was 41 years. DVT was secondary to malignancy, immobilisation or pro-coagulant state. No obvious etiology was found in 47 % of the patients. The mean aPTT on day 2 was 41.8 s and 51.7 s on day 4. The aPTT ratio was subtherapeutic in 63.6 % and therapeutic in 32.7 % of the patients on day 2. Five patients had adverse events in the hospital. Three patients died and two other patients had confirmed pulmonary embolism. Death was due to pulmonary embolism in one patient and metastatic malignancies in the other two. No bleeding manifestation had occurred. Caution is required in implementing this UFH regimen as this preliminary investigation has found predominantly subtherapeutic aPTT ratios during the initial phase of anticoagulation.

There was a trend toward improved outcome over the period of time, but the attrition rate remained high.

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