A high mean number of morbidities (6.1, SD 2.9) was observed. Elderly subjects with higher morbidity had increasing disability and distress. Age, sex, and occupation were important determinants of morbidity. Assessment of the morbidity profile and its determinants will help in the application of interventions, both medical and social, to improve the health status and thus the quality of life of the elderly in Northern India.

Background Early intervention is known to improve outcomes for babies at risk for growth and developmental problems. Such programmes usually have a prolonged course and require frequent contacts with the service providers. As a consequence of poverty, illiteracy and lack of communication facilities in developing countries, treatment adherence can suffer. Methods The present study is an analysis of a clinic‐based early intervention programme for high‐risk babies in a developing society in Goa, India. A sample of 152 neonates and their parents were offered an early intervention programme and followed up until their first birthday. The primary outcome under study was the uptake of the programme. Various socio‐demographic, programmatic and infant‐related variables that could affect compliance were examined. Results Compliance with the intervention programme was only moderate, with 59.2% of infants brought for three or more sessions. Higher maternal educational levels and proximity of the place of residence of the family to the early intervention clinic were significantly associated with better compliance. Conclusions Early intervention programmes that go into homes have a greater chance of reaching high‐risk infants, compared with those provided at a distant centre. Better‐educated mothers are more likely to be convinced about the benefits of such inputs. The authors conclude with recommendations for future practice and research.

Four people admitted to a tertiary care hospital during February 2002 had similar respiratory symptoms; they belonged to one family residing in a village in Himachal Pradesh, India. The clustering of these cases in space and time led to the suspicion that it could be a pneumonic plague outbreak. A standard case definition, and treatment and prophylaxis guidelines were prepared. Active surveillance identified 30 cases. The incubation period ranged from 3 to 7 days. Among the affected people, 53.3% were males, and 90% were >15 years of age. Fever with cough was the most common presenting feature (43.3%). The diagnosis of pneumonic plague was confirmed from blood cultures using conventional biochemical tests, phage susceptibility of the identified organisms, and F1 antigen ELISA and PCR for the pla gene. Five patients died giving a case-fatality ratio of 16.6%. The other cases recovered following treatment. Early identification of cases and prompt institution of control measures, particularly among close family members, relatives and health care contacts is essential for containing outbreaks. To prevent future outbreaks, known endemic foci should be identified and essential information should be gathered on the epizoology of plague.

Introduction Because of its high morbidity and mortality, sepsis remains the leading cause of death in the ICU. Microparticles (MP) have been largely studied as potential diagnostic or prognostic markers in various diseases including sepsis. Objective The biological and clinical relevance of neutrophil-derived microparticles (NDMPs) within the MP population remains unclear. The objective of this study was to elucidate the relationship between plasma NDMPs and the prognosis of patients with sepsis and/or septic shock. Methods The study was designed as an observational, noninterventional clinical study. The cohort for this study included 40 sepsis and 40 septic shock patients together with 10 healthy controls admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the Health Surveillance Center in the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China, from January to November 2018, respectively. The degree of critical disease for sepsis and septic shock was evaluated, with data analyses conducted from 2018 to 2019. Results On days 1, 3 and 5 post-admission a series of data including plasma NDMP levels, patient demographics, TNF-α levels, IL-6 levels, sTREM-1 levels, and the sepsis severity score measurements were collected. A survival curve was plotted against levels of plasma NDMPs. Levels of NDMPs were observed to be higher in the septic shock patients than in the sepsis patients on days 1, 3, and 5 post-ICU admission ( p < 0.05). NDMP levels were significantly increased in sepsis and septic shock patients with a parallel increase in pro-inflammatory mediators and sepsis severity score ( p < 0.05) as well as mortality. Conclusion Our data suggest that NDMPs may be a biomarker of sepsis severity and mortality although its implications on sepsis prognosis warrant further study.