The clinical findings suggestive of diabetic foot include, ulceration, lack of blood supply manifesting as gangrene, mycotic infections, skin fissures, maceration of ABSTRACT Background: The pathogenetic pathways and morbidity associated with diabetic foot ulcers render it a difficult clinical entity to manage. Newer biological methods such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are being investigated as improvements on conventional treatment techniques such as saline gauze antiseptic dressings. Methods: The present study is a randomised controlled trial, with 25 subjects each in the PRP dressing and conventional dressing arms. It was conducted in the General Surgery wards of a tertiary care hospital among patients suffering from foot ulcers due to diabetes mellitus. PRP dressings were done biweekly for 4 weeks before final wound assessment.Results: Most of the study population was males of more than 50 years of age. The lesions are predominantly on the plantar aspect. The inciting factor was trauma in around two-thirds of the cases. Nearly 80% of the subjects were on insulin for treatment. In the patients receiving treatment using PRP dressings, the wound contracted by more than 34% which was statistically significantly higher than those receiving conventional dressings. Conclusions: Newer biological methods such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) dressings offer a relatively novel safe and efficient technique for management of diabetic foot ulcers, compared to conventional methods.

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the cancers whose incidence is increasing globally. Coupled with the relatively sophisticated and expensive management protocols, it poses a major health systems challenge.Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional study conducted among patients admitted with colorectal carcinoma in the General Surgery wards in a tertiary care hospital. Data was collected using a pretested pre-structured interview schedule. Relevant lab and radiographic workup was done.Results: A total of 50 subjects were studied. The study population was largely male, illiterate and in the older age groups. The lesions were mostly left-sided and located in the rectum. 10% presented with metastasis and 16% presented as acute intestinal obstruction. Most of the lesions were in the Dukes’ stage C and mostly moderately differentiated. The common surgical procedures done in elective cases were curative abdomino-perineal obstruction and right hemicolectomy.Conclusions: Being a disease associated with old age and non-vegetarian dietary habits and requiring advanced surgery as gold standard treatment, colorectal cancer is especially important in a country undergoing disease-favorable epidemiologic and demographic transitions like India.