Meningitis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and presents particular challenges in terms of diagnosis and management. The prevalence of TB meningitis remains largely underestimated due to nonspecific clinical manifestation. At early stages diagnosis is largely based on microscopy and culture which are often less sensitive and time consuming. This study was aimed to evaluate the diagnostic potentials of urinary polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by using TRC4 and IS6110 primers. Further the results were also compared by culture on Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) media and AFB smear by Zeihl-Nelson (ZN) staining. A total of 20 CSF samples were studied from clinically suspected cases of tubercular meningitis. All the samples were processed for conventional ZN staining, TB culture on LJ media and TB-PCR by IS6110 and TRC4 primers by standard protocols. Of the total 20 samples, 12 cases were diagnostically positive TB meningitis samples among which bacteriological test were positive in only 1(8.33%) cases. PCR assay detected MTb in 10(83.33%) patients by TRC4 primers and in 8 (66.67%) patients by IS6110 primers. Since some strains of MTB may lack the IS6110 element in their genome using TRC4 primer instead of IS6110 is superior in diagnosing tubercular meningitis by PCR assay.Citation: Sattar ANI, Setu SK, Firoz TH, et al. Diagnosis of tuberculosis meningitis by using Trc4 and Is611o primers in Bangladesh.

Introduction: Pleural effusion is a common clinical manifestation of varying aetiology. Its outcome varies according to underlying aetiology. The causes and prognosis vary between developed and developing countries. Objectives: To find out the most common causes of pleural effusion in a tertiary care hospital of Bangladesh. Materials and Methods: Total 50 patients were enrolled in the study during the period from January 2014 to November 2015 in combined military hospital, Dhaka. Informed written consent was obtained from all patients under the study, explaining the risk benefits and objectives of the study before sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire containing all the key variables along with radiological, laboratory and pleural fluid analysis report. Data presented as frequency and percentage and Chai-square test was performed by using SPSS 23.0. Results: Patients' mean age was 48.28 ± 12.53 years and ranged from 12 to 70 years where half of them were above 50. Male-female ratio was 1.63:1. Sixty five percent of the patients had positive smoking history. Persistent cough, fever and weight loss were the main presenting symptoms. Radiological findings revealed 50% had isolated right-sided pleural effusion and laboratory investigation found 28% cases ESR value 50-100 mm in 1st hour. Pleural fluid examination revealed 75% patient had straw coloured pleural fluid. Sputum for Acid-Fast Bacilli and other relevant investigations revealed 44% patients had tuberculosis, 16% had pneumonia, 8% had malignancy and 24% had other causes of pleural effusion. Conclusion: This study revealed that the tuberculosis is the predominant cause of pleural effusion followed by pneumonia and malignancy. Journal of Armed Forces Medical College Bangladesh Vol.13(2) 2017: 15-17

Introduction: Hepatitis B and C virus infections are important but mostly neglected public health problem in Bangladesh, although a large number of people are suffering from that illness. It is one of the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the country today. Aim: To assess the level of knowledge and preventive practices regarding hepatitis B and C and to compare between the nursing staffs and paramedics in CMH, Dhaka. Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study was carried out among 141 respondents; 60 nurses and 81 paramedics in CMH, Dhaka from July 2018 to December 2018. All the respondents were interviewed through an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed with SPSS 20. Chi-square test was used to see the level of significance. Results: In this study, 57.4% paramedics had HSC or equivalent educational status, on the other hand among nursing staffs 39.0% had graduate or equivalent and 3.5% had masters or equivalent educational level. Knowledge and preventive practices about hepatitis B and C of nursing staffs was significantly (p<0.05) higher than paramedics. Preventive practice was significantly (p<0.05) associated with status of knowledge. Conclusion: Overall knowledge and preventive practices were found to be acceptable in this study. Most of the nursing staffs and paramedics were at risk of hepatitis B & C. So, appropriate measures needed for further improvement of preventive practices by nursing staffs and especially paramedics. JAFMC Bangladesh. Vol 15, No 1 (June) 2020: 54-57

In December 2019, a new human coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was discovered in Wuhan, China. Since then, the virus has spread over the world, affecting over 180 nations. SARS-CoV-2 has infected people of all ages, races, and genders, infecting both men and women and spreading at an alarming pace across communities. Given the virus's origin, much remains unknown; however, we do know that clinical presentations vary from a typical cold to more serious infections, including pneumonia, bronchitis, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multi-organ failure, and even death. COVID-19 is thought to have a more fast and severe progression in people with underlying health issues or co-morbidities, frequently resulting in death. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at Bangladesh's Tertiary care hospital. 534 patients were selected for this study. Medical history, age, gender, and co-morbidities (including Hypertension, Diabetes, and CKD, etc.) were recorded at the time of diagnosis, biochemical parameters such as CRP, ESR, creatinine, FBS, Hb, and LDH were also recorded. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected using a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) at diagnosis and throughout the follow-up of these patients. Results: The comorbid conditions, illness progression, and death rates in patients from a Bangladeshi tertiary care hospital were investigated in this study. COVID-19 patients with co-morbidities, such as hypertension or diabetes, are more likely to have a more severe course and development of the disease. Furthermore, individuals over the age of 60 who have co-morbidities and are infected have a higher incidence of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and death from the COVID-19. Conclusion: Where Vaccination, Early diagnosis, and Management lead to a better prognosis, patients with co-morbidities should take all steps to prevent contracting SARS CoV-2 since their prognosis is generally the poorest.