No abstract

Introduction The diagnosis of anemia in pregnancy should be early to prevent complications to mother and baby. It should be simple and safe, and therefore feasibility of reticulocyte parameters may prove beneficial in this regard. Newer reticulocyte parameters have not been studied extensively especially in pregnancy. The present study was conducted to evaluate reticulocyte hemoglobin content (Ret-He), immature reticulocyte fraction, and reticulocyte count and to compare them with serum ferritin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) in assessment anemia in pregnancy. Material and Methods Prospective study included first trimester pregnant females where hemoglobin, MCV, and MCH were categorized and statistically analyzed with serum ferritin and reticulocyte parameters. Results The study included 155 first trimester pregnant females showing statistical difference in Ret-He between all categories of hemoglobin and MCV (p < 0.05). ROC curve analysis using MCV < 83 fl and MCH <27 pg showed that area under curve for Ret-He at cutoff of 27.8 ng/mL was 0.93 (95% confidence interval 0.90–0.98, sensitivity 93%, specificity 83%). The cutoff of 27.2 ng/mL Ret-He for the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia has specificity of 86%, sensitivity 71%, positive predictive value 0.39, and likelihood ratio of 5.1. Conclusion Ret-He is a feasible and easily available parameter which may be helpful in differentiating between microcytic hypochromic and normocytic normochromic anemia along with frank and borderline anemia in first trimester pregnant females. This in turn is essential to initiate an early therapy so as to prevent the maternal and fetal complications.

Background:Pancytopenia, an important hematological presentation is associated with different causes, which may vary in different regions. Uttarakhand, a north Himalayan state of India lacks studies of pancytopenia and the prevalent causes present in this region. Therefore, the present study was conducted to study the clinico-hematological profile of pancytopenia in a tertiary care center in the Uttarakhand, a north Himalayan state of India. It was also intended to study if these causes showed any variation from other studies done in different regions of India.Materials and Methods:The present observational study was conducted in a tertiary care institute situated in Uttarakhand state of India over a period of 1 year and 8 month from June 2017 to Feb 2019 including all the cases of pancytopenia.Results:The most common cause of pancytopenia was megaloblastic anemia (25%), followed by aleukemic leukemia and hypoplastic/aplastic anemia (19.1% each). Visceral leishmaniasis also constituted an important cause of pancytopenia in this study (11.7%).Conclusion:The study concludes that megaloblastic anemia and aleukemic leukemia are the most common cause of pancytopenia. Although leishmaniasis is considered to be non-endemic in this region, it constitutes an important cause of pancytopenia here. The clinicians, especially the physicians practicing the primary care and pathologists, should be aware of the different causes of pancytopenia present in this Himalayan region of India; therefore, delay in diagnosis can be prevented along with unnecessary investigations.

Background Data on adjunctive use of magnesium with ibutilide for conversion of persistent rheumatic atrial fibrillation and flutter to sinus rhythm is lacking. Aim We aimed to study the efficacy of adjunctive supplementation of intravenous magnesium with ibutilide for conversion of persistent rheumatic atrial fibrillation and flutter to sinus rhythm and to define a definite level of serum magnesium which leads to significant increase in rates of such conversion. Methods and results This was a prospective study including 33 Rheumatic heart disease patients (13 males and 20 females) with mean age of 49.27 ± 11.4 years and persistent AF or AFl. All patients received intravenous magnesium to raise serum magnesium level in range of 4 mg/dl to 4.5 mg/dl prior to administration of Ibutilide. 25 out of 33 (76%) patients converted to sinus rhythm. Upon univariate analysis, presence of background beta blocker therapy, serum potassium and magnesium at time of Ibutilide injection were found to have significant relation with conversion to sinus rhythm. Upon multivariate analysis serum magnesium level at the time of Ibutilide injection was found to have significant contribution on post injection rhythm reversal ( p -value = 0.006). The level of magnesium at 3.8 mg/dl was found to have maximum sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 62.5% for conversion to sinus rhythm by ibutilide with magnesium ( p -value< 0.05). Conclusions Ibutilide is highly effective in cardioversion of persistent rheumatic atrial fibrillation/flutter patients. Raising Serum Magnesium levels above 3.8 mg/dl significantly improves efficacy of ibutilide.

No abstract