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Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is common among children. Empiric antibiotics have to be started as early as possible or it may lead to an irreversible renal parenchymal damage and renal scarring in children. The objectives were to determine the prevalence and microbial profile of paediatric UTI and to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. Methodology: This is a retrospective study which looked at urine cultures of children below 15 years that were sent during the study period. Results: Among the total urine cultures sent only 21.2% showed significant growth of organisms. The most common organism isolated was E. coli (75.5%). E. coli was least sensitive to cefpodoxime and co-trimoxazole, whereas highly sensitive to nitrofurantoin. Of the total children who had significant growth, 46% had ESBL. Discussion: The prevalence of culture-proven UTI among children was found to be 21.2%. The most common organism isolated among the study population was E. coli (75.5%) followed by Enterococcus species (19.0%) and Klebsiella species (14.5%). It was also found that E. coli was least sensitive to cefpodoxime (31.6%) and co-trimoxazole (26.3%), moderately to amoxicillin-clavulanate (52.4%), whereas highly sensitive to nitrofurantoin (82.9%). This was similar with the studies done at other secondary care hospitals, in Oman and Oddanchathram, South India. Conclusions: With the increasing resistance, cephalosporins should not be used in treating paediatric UTI, whereas nitrofurantoin can be started as an empiric antibiotic, which can later be changed according to the susceptibility pattern.

BackgroundIn 2014, 2 studies showed that inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) boosts intestinal immunity in children previously immunized with oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). As a result, IPV was introduced in mass campaigns to help achieve polio eradication.MethodsWe conducted an open-label, randomized, controlled trial to assess the duration of the boost in intestinal immunity following a dose of IPV given to OPV-immunized children. Nine hundred healthy children in Vellore, India, aged 1–4 years were randomized (1:1:1) to receive IPV at 5 months (arm A), at enrollment (arm B), or no vaccine (arm C). The primary outcome was poliovirus shedding in stool 7 days after bivalent OPV challenge at 11 months.ResultsFor children in arms A, B, and C, 284 (94.7%), 297 (99.0%), and 296 (98.7%), respectively, were eligible for primary per-protocol analysis. Poliovirus shedding 7 days after challenge was less prevalent in arms A and B compared with C (24.6%, 25.6%, and 36.4%, respectively; risk ratio 0.68 [95% confidence interval: 0.53–0.87] for A versus C, and 0.70 [0.55–0.90] for B versus C).ConclusionsProtection against poliovirus remained elevated 6 and 11 months after an IPV boost, although at a lower level than reported at 1 month.Clinical Trials RegistrationCTRI/2014/09/004979.

Background:Stigma is an important factor that determines whether individuals seek treatment for mental illnesses. Studies assessing public perceptions regarding mental illnesses are scarce in India. This study documents the stigma perceived by a rural population toward patients with mental illness and their families.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional pilot study was done in five villages, selected by simple random sampling, from a rural block in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. Households in each village were selected by systematic random sampling. From the selected households, 150 subjects aged 18–65 years, without known mental disorders, were chosen by convenience sampling, based on availability. Stigma was assessed using the Devaluation of Consumers Scale (DCS) and Devaluation of Consumer's Families Scale (DCFS).Results:The proportion with high perceptions of stigma associated with mentally ill persons was 63.8%, among the 150 interviewed rural respondents (women: 112, median age: 37 years). The proportion which perceived that there was public stigma toward families of those with mental illnesses was 43.4%. Older respondents (>37 years) had higher perceptions of stigma (odds ratio: 2.07; 95% confidence interval: 1.02–4.20) than others.Conclusion:The high perception of stigma associated with persons who are mentally ill as well as their families needs to be kept in mind while planning interventions to decrease the treatment gap for psychiatric morbidity, especially in rural areas.

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