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Fluid management has a major impact on the duration, severity, and outcome of critically ill children. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between cumulative fluid overload (CFO) with mortality and morbidity in critically ill children. This was a prospective observational study wherein children (1 month–16 years) who were critically ill (with shock requiring inotropes and/or mechanically ventilated) were enrolled. CFO was defined as the sum of daily fluid balances. Daily fluid balance was calculated as a difference between fluid intake (oral and intravenous) and output (urine output, discharge from nasogastric tube) in 24 hours. Percentage of fluid overload (FO) (PFO) was calculated as the ratio of CFO with weight at admission in kilogram. The CFO and PFO at 24, 48, 72 hours and at 7 days or end of PICU stay were calculated. A total of 291 children (244 survivors and 47 non-survivors; 47% males) were included in the final analysis. A higher mortality was observed in children with higher PFO (>20% FO: 45.8% mortality vs. 14.5% < 10% FO, p < 0.01) and CFO (10.97 ± 6.4 mL/kg in survivors vs. 13.95 ± 9.6 mL/kg in non-survivors; p = 0.022) at 72 hours. A 1% increase in fluid overload was associated with 6% and 4% increase in mortality at 72 hours and 7 days, respectively. Similarly, the impact of every 1% increase in fluid overload on both ventilation (yes/no) and acute kidney injury (AKI; yes/no) were found to be significant for both parameters at 72 hours, but only AKI had significant correlation on seventh day. In the multivariate stepwise Cox's proportional hazard model for PICU stay and hospital stay, 3% (p < 0.05) and 2% (p > 0.05) increase were found for every 1% increase in fluid overload, respectively. Oxygenation index is also associated with fluid overload with the adjusted model estimated 0.27 units (95% confidence interval: 0.18–0.36) increase per 1% increase in fluid overload. FO was associated with increased mortality and morbidity in critically ill children.

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Pearson syndrome is a rare disorder of mitochondrial metabolism presenting in infancy with transfusion dependent refractory anaemia and multisystem involvement. We report a case of a 3-month-old infant presenting with anaemia requiring multiple transfusions. The presence of lactic acidosis, hyperglycaemia and cytoplasmic vacuoles in erythroid precursors on bone marrow aspiration study helped to suspect the diagnosis. However, the baby succumbed to metabolic crisis before he could be offered definitive therapy. This case report aims to emphasise the typical bone marrow aspiration finding which serves as a useful marker for establishing the diagnosis of this rare disorder, which is mostly fatal without bone marrow transplantation.

Introduction: Low Back Pain (LBP) is the most common musculoskeletal symptom encountered on a daily basis in clinical practice and has a significant impact on healthcare resources. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the most sensitive tool for diagnosing spinal degenerative disease and has proven to be a standard imaging modality for its evaluation. Assessment of the correlation between clinical and radiological severity of lumbar disc degeneration will help in better management of the LBP patients. Aim: To determine the correlation between the clinical and radiological severity of lumbar disc degeneration in non surgical LBP patients. Materials and Methods: This observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Radiology and Imaging, Sagar Hospitals, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, from December 2019 to June 2021. A total of 90 patients with LBP who were referred for MRI evaluation were included. Modified Oswestry questionnaire was given to the patients and the clinical severity of the LBP was quantified. Patients with disc degeneration were evaluated on MRI based on six parameters viz., T2-signal intensity, Disc Extension Beyond Interface (DEBIT), annular fissure, modic changes, endplate integrity and osteophytes. Fisher's exact test was used for qualitative data to look into the association between clinical and MRI grades of severity. Correlation was assessed for continuous variables using Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The study included a total of 90 patients with LBP, with a mean age of 57±13.75 years with equal sex preponderance (45 (50%) male and 45 (50%) female). Clinically, 51 (56.7%) of the study population revealed moderate disability. On quantifying the MRI total score of disc degeneration, 65 (72.3%) of the patients were found to show mild degeneration. In terms of involvement of all the evaluated six MRI parameters, the L4-L5 disc was most commonly affected, followed by the L5-S1 disc. Disc desiccation 353 (78.45%) and osteophytes 336 (74.67%) were the most consistently observed variations. Disc bulges 251 (55.78%) were the next most frequently observed parameter in disc degeneration. Conclusion: The correlation between the clinical and radiological severity of disc degenerative disease was found to be weakly positive and statistically insignificant. Disc desiccation, osteophytes and disc bulges were the most commonly observed parameters that contributed to lumbar degenerative disease.