Introduction:Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a well-established psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in patients for therapeutic effects. ECT can produce severe disturbances in the cardiovascular system and a marked increase in cerebral blood flow and intracranial pressure. These cardiovascular changes may be altered using various anesthetic drugs.Aim and Objectives:This study was undertaken to compare the effects of intravenous (IV) sodium thiopentone, propofol, and etomidate, used as IV anesthetic agents in modified ECT as regards, induction time and quality of anesthesia, alteration of hemodynamics, seizure duration, and recovery time.Materials and Methods:A total of 90 patients in the age group of 16–60 years of either sex, who had to undergo ECT therapy were divided randomly into three equal groups. Group A received propofol 1% - 1.5 mg/Kg, Group B received etomidate - 0.2 mg/Kg, and Group C received thiopentone 2.5% - 5 mg/Kg. All the patients were monitored for changes in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and oxygen saturation at basal, after induction and 1 min, 2 min, 3 min, 5 min, 10 min, 20 min, and 30 min following ECT. Quality of anesthesia, seizure duration, and recovery times were also recorded.Conclusion:We found that propofol had the advantage of smooth induction, stable hemodynamic parameters and rapid recovery as compared to etomidate and thiopentone. Thiopentone had the advantage over propofol of having longer seizure duration at the cost of a relatively prolonged recovery period. Etomidate had a definite advantage of longer seizure duration.

A myriad of symptoms presented by severely ill mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients has added pressure on the caregivers to explore therapeutic options. Systemic steroids have been reported to therapeutically benefit patients, with elevated inflammatory markers, during the severe acute respiratory syndrome, and the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak. COVID-19 disease is characterized by inflammation of the respiratory system and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Given the lack of specific treatment for COVID-19, the current study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic benefit of methylprednisolone as an add-on treatment for mechanically ventilated hospitalized COVID-19 patients with severe COVID pneumonia. Data were collected retrospectively from the electronic patient medical records, and interrater reliability was determined to limit selection bias. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyze the data. The variables were cross-tabulated with the clinical outcome, and the chi-square test was used to determine the association between the outcomes and other independent variables. Sixty-one percent (43/70) of the COVID-19 ARDS patients received standard supportive care, and the remainder were administered, methylprednisolone (minimum 40 mg daily to a maximum 40 mg q 6 h). A 28-day all-cause mortality rate, in the methylprednisolone group, was 18% (5/27, p < 0.01) significantly lower, compared to the group receiving standard supportive care (51%, 22/43). The median number of days, for the hospital length of stay (18 days), ICU length of stay (9.5 days), and the number of days intubated (6 days) for the methylprednisolone-treated group, was significantly lower ( p < 0.01) when compared with the standard supportive care group. Methylprednisolone treatment also reduced the C-reactive protein levels, compared to the standard care group on day 7. Our results strengthen the evidence for the role of steroids in reducing mortality, ICU length of stay, and ventilator days in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients with respiratory distress syndrome.

Background: Spinal anesthesia for LSCS has a high incidence of maternal hypotension which can be severe and disastrous for the fetus and the mother. Coloading in these patients is a physiologically more appropriate method for preventing spinal anesthesia induced hypotension.Methods: 100 ASA I patients for elective LSCS were randomly divided into two equal groups to either receive 1000ml colloid (6% Hetastarch) or 1000ml crystalloids (Ringer lactate) as coload. NIBP, heart rate SPO2 and incidence of nausea and vomiting and use of ephedrine to treat any hypotension was recorded. Fetal outcome was measured using APGAR score at 0, 1 and 5 minutes.Results: The incidence of hypotension was lesser with colloid coload group (41.7%) as compared to the crystalloid coload group (58.3%) but the difference between the two groups was statistically insignificant. Similarly, no statistically significant difference was noted in the incidence of nausea and vomiting and Fetal APGAR score between the two groups.Conclusions: Both Colloid and Crystalloid coloading is effective in decreasing the incidence of spinal anesthesia induced hypotension during LSCS with lesser incidence of hypotension and nausea vomiting with colloid coloading.

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Background: PCOS is a complex endocrine disorder characterized by menstrual dysfunction, anovulation, infertility and hyper androgenic symptoms with dyslipidaemia, cardiovascular diseases, and impaired glucose tolerance and type II diabetes mellitus. Multiple risk factors are involved in the pathogenesis of PCOS.Methods: A comparative evaluation of deranged lipid profile and OGTT in PCOS patients with normal females was done in patients with age group of 15 to 30 years. The Rotterdam criteria for PCOS was used for selection of the participants prospectively and a detailed history regarding period of amenorrhea, menstrual cycles, obstetric history, any past history of medical disorder were taken followed by general physical, systemic and obstetric examination. All the patients underwent Ultrasound examination, OGTT and lipid profile, prolactin, 17-OH progesterone and testosterone level.Results: A significant association of PCOS with deranged lipid profile and blood glucose tolerance and obesity was observed. Patients with PCOS had higher prevalence of oligomenorrhoea, infertility, hirsutism and acne. Furthermore, a statistically significant trend was seen where signs and symptoms like infertility, hirsutism and acne, deranged OGTT and dyslipidaemia were more frequently associated with increased BMI, sedentary life style intake of high calorie diets.Conclusions: An association between obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and dietary factors with PCOS was observed which can be modified to improve the health condition of the women with PCOS.