Dr. Ankita Shrivastav

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 infection on retinal microvasculature by topographically mapping the retinal arteriole-to-venule ratio (AVR). Methods: In a comparative cross-sectional case-control study, fundus photos were obtained in COVID-19-infected patients and healthy controls. AVT was measured over 16 points across the retina using retinal vascularity index (RVI)-a novel semi-automated computerized parameter based on retinal vasculature. Results: A total of 51 COVID-19-positive patients and 65 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Overall, the mean RVI of all 16 points across the retina was 0.34 ± 0.02 in patients with COVID-19 and 0.33 ± 0.02 in control subjects (p = 0.64). Out of the 16 points being measured, three points had a statistically significant greater value in patients with COVID compared to normal controls. Conclusions: Localised greater RVI values were found in some of the points in COVID-19-positive patients, which likely indicates a more focal change of the vasculature.

Background: Marginal accuracy is one of the serious factors that play a key role in the overall success of prostheses. It is openly associated with marginal activities of microorganisms, which may develop micro-leakage and other problems. Therefore, this in vitro study was conducted to assess marginal accuracies in copings fabricated with two different alloys used in fixed partial dentures. Methods: Two popularly used metal alloys, Mealloy (nickel-chromium alloy) (Dentsply India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India) and Supranium (nickel-chromium alloy) (Bombay Precision Alloy Inc., Mumbai, India), were studied. Group 1 has 20 copings of Mealloy; group 2 also has 20 copings of Supranium. Blue inlay wax was used for wax pattern fabrication. All copings were cast and made by similar casting techniques. After adequate seating of copings on metal dies, the marginal difference was assessed under a stereomicroscope at typical intensification. All measurements were noticed and converted to the nearest micron. For each coping sample, four measurements were recorded; however, the means of all four surfaces were taken into account for further analysis. Results: All interrelated data was processed by statistical analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). The overall mean marginal gap of the samples of group 1 was higher than group 2. For group 1 coping samples, a maximum mean marginal gap of 43.379 was noticed at the buccal surface of the copings. P-value computation revealed non-significant values (0.60). For group 2 coping samples, a maximum mean marginal gap of 41.218 was found at the buccal surface of the copings. The measured value was 41.218. One-way ANOVA analysis showed that the degree of freedom was 132.13 for cumulative comparison, while it was 2.930 and 6.837 for calculations between groups and within groups, respectively. Two-sample t-test assessments revealed a p-value of 0.001 (significant) for group 1 and a p-value of 0.810 (non-significant) for group 2. Conclusions: The marginal space at the margin of the metal coping and the die was minimum for Supranium and maximum for Mealloy. Also, highly significant values were also identified for the metal samples of Supranium. Additionally, the selection of the perfect metal alloy should be entirely dependent on operator skills and clinical decision-making.

The impact of plant-based diets on the digestive physiology of rohu Labeo rohita fingerlings (10.66 ± 0.53 g) was evaluated. A diet with all protein supplied by fishmeal was included as a control (F). Four test diets containing 300 g/kg protein were formulated using the following plant ingredients and fishmeal in a 1:1 blend: almond oil-cake Terminalia catappa (FTC), duckweed Lemna minor (FLM), water fern Salvania molesta (FSM) and combination of these three ingredients (FTCLMSM). The final body weight and specific growth rate were significantly higher in rohu fed diet FLM compared to the other treatments. Significantly lower feed conversion ratio in rohu fed diet FLM showed that diet was utilized efficiently in this feeding regime compared to the other diets. The composition of diets also influenced the digestive enzyme activities of the fish. Thus, amylase, trypsin and chymotrypsin activities were significantly higher in rohu fed diet FLM compared to the rohu fed the other diets. Protease activity was significantly higher in rohu fed diets FTC and F and lipase activity was significantly higher in rohu fed diet FTC compared to the rohu fed the other diets. The inclusion of raw duckweed in feed replaced 300 g/kg of dietary fishmeal without affecting growth.

Purpose: The aim of this article to study causative organisms for scleral buckle (SB) infections in North India. Methods: A retrospective review of records was done for all patients who have undergone SB removal at our institute between January 2009 and December 2017. The records were analyzed for etiological agent of the infected buckle and its antibiotic sensitivity. Results: A total of 43 samples were analyzed and a positive culture was noted in 35 (81.40%) cases. The buckle infection rate at our institute was noted to be 2.53%. The commonest organism causing SB infections was Staphylococcus - 15 (42.6%) cases, followed by Pseudomonas - 6 (17.14%) cases and Fungi - 6 (17.14%) cases. The median interval between retinal detachment surgery and buckle explantation was 3 years. Conclusion: A large variety of organisms may cause SB infections. The commonest organism found to cause buckle infections in our study was Staphylococcus sp.

Purpose: We conducted a prospective, randomized study to evaluate the efficacy of dexmedetomidine as an additive to peribulbar block for vitreoretinal surgery in terms of onset time of block, hemodynamic stability profile, patient comfort, and surgeon satisfaction. Methods: One hundred patients of American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1 and 2 scheduled for vitreoretinal surgery were randomly assigned into two groups: control group (n = 50) received lignocaine bupivacaine block, and Dex group (n = 50) received lignocaine bupivacaine plus 20 μg dexmedetomidine peribulbar block. Information regarding time for onset of block, hemodynamic data, visual analog scale for pain, sedation levels, total duration of surgery, and surgeon satisfaction levels were collected. Results: All the demographic characteristics including age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade, onset of anesthesia, and duration of surgery were comparable in both groups. At the baseline, there was no statistically significant difference in heart rate, mean arterial pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and respiratory rate between the two groups, with a difference noted in systolic blood pressure at the baseline. There was significant difference noted in the systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure at different time intervals with a decreasing trend as time progressed. The mean sedation score was significantly higher in the Dex group than that in the control group. The surgeon satisfaction was higher in the Dex group than that in the control group. Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine is a useful and safe drug in combination with lignocaine bupivacaine in peribulbar for vitreoretinal surgery as it maintains hemodynamic stability and provides sedation, which enables full cooperation and potentially better operating conditions.