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Colon Infection: Everything You Need to Know About It!!

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Intestinal infections continue to be a cause of worry for many patients and their families. As per a June 2019 study published in Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, in a developing country like India, intestinal parasitic infections remain an important public health concern. “The infection remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, especially among children. It is presumed that the prevalence is high in developing countries probably due to poor sanitary conditions and improper personal hygiene practices.”

Colon infection

Colitis is a chronic digestive disease characterised by inflammation of the inner lining of the colon, the long, coiled, tube-like organ, also known as the large intestine, that is known to remove water and salt from digested food. When the body is ready for bowel movement, the waste is dumped into the rectum. According to National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), “the colon is a common site of infection for a heterogeneous group of bacterial pathogens”.

As per Dr Vivek Vij, director, Fortis Hospital, Noida; Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram; Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Okhla Road, “Colon infection or colitis is a broad term comprising any infection (bacterial, viral, amoebic etc.) of the large intestine. It can happen due to unhygienic food, water, etc.”

Symptoms

Inflamed colon symptoms include diarrhoea with or without blood, abdominal pain and cramping, fever, nausea, fatigue, weight loss and bloating, among others.

Causes of colon inflammation

Infection is one of the causes of colon inflammation. Colitis can be caused by viruses, bacteria and parasites. Infection colitis can be contracted from contaminated water, foodborne illnesses or poor hygiene.

Other causes include Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), ischemic colitis and diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Prevention

It can also occur spontaneously in some patients with decreased immunity. It can be prevented by ensuring consumption of hygienic food and clean water. Patients with decreased immunity should be in regular touch with their physicians, advised Dr Vij.

Detection

Some common tests for colitis include X-rays of the colon, testing the stool for blood and pus, sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy. Additional tests include stool cultures and blood tests, including blood chemistry tests.

Treatment

As per NCBI, “The presentation of disease in the colon is generally in the form of distinct syndromes, and it is important for physicians to recognise the causative organisms, because specific treatment is highly effective.”

The treatment depends on what is causing colitis. Many cases require a little more than symptomatic care, including clear fluids to rest the bowel and medications to control pain. Patients who have are acutely ill often need intravenous fluids among other interventions.

While colon infection caused by diarrhoea and colitis may potentially require antibiotics, depending on the cause, viral infections require fluids and time. Some bacterial infections, such as salmonella, do not need antibiotic therapy as the body is able to get rid of the infection on its own. Other bacterial infections, such as Clostridium difficile, require antibiotic treatment.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Medications are often used to control IBD. Anti-inflammatory medications may be used initially and medications that suppress the immune system can be added, if necessary. Surgery may be an option in severe cases, including removal of the colon and small intestine.

Ischemic colitis

Intravenous fluids are given to rest the bowel and prevent dehydration. If sufficient blood supply is not restored, surgery may be needed to remove parts of the bowel that lost blood supply.

Diarrhea and abdominal pain

Initial treatment at home may include a clear fluid diet for 24 hours and rest. If symptoms resolve quickly, no further care is needed.

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-in/health/medical/colon-infection-everything-you-need-to-know-about-it/ar-BB13lZKa

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Timely Cancer Specialist Opinion Saves Life of Cancer Patient!!

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A large population in India lives far from metro cities whereas cancer centers are established mainly in the metro cities. Since cancer affects elderly population more and it makes the access even tougher for patients with other comorbid conditions to reach out to the oncologist care in timely manner. The current shortage scenario of 2400 oncologist managing 15 lac new cancer cases in India with vast geography needs advance solutions such as remote monitoring and Online Second Opinions to diagnose better and intervene faster.

Cancer is a deadly disease that prevails around the world. India is one of such countries wherein the vast demography of people is not spared from the clutches of this disease. Currently, it has been speculated that there are around 2.25 million people in India who live with the disease and seek for medical attention and care, while battling hard against it to survive as well.

All came under a baffling halt for Mrs. Abha Roy, when she was diagnosed with blood cancer as well. However, this did not seem to deter her from fighting for her life and she made it certain to do everything that she could, in order to survive. However, it was not easy as she had previously ascertained.

Early diagnosis of the early cancer stages can help patients take the right step towards avoiding the spread of the deadly disease from benign to malignant stages. However, the biggest challenge that most health professionals face is the late stage diagnosis of the disease. Mrs. Roy’s family tried to seek out all the help that they could avail, as soon as she was diagnosed with cancer. However, time was running out and each moment was crucial in order to take the right step towards recovery. When all hopes were lost, the last ray of hope shined on Mrs. Abha Roy when her son Prantosh found on the internet about Cancer Second Opinion Program helpline number which was an initiative by a Cancer Hospital.

Mrs. Abha Roy belongs to a middle class family and hails from a remotely located village in Tripura, near Agartala. Given the nature of healthcare infrastructure and its availability, Mrs. Roy was in dire need of professional help and that too, in a very short period of time. Unfortunately, her condition had deteriorated to a level that made it even more difficult for her to relocate herself to the nearest healthcare facility.

The Cancer Hospital with the Second Opinion Program had been interacting with patients just like Mrs. Abha Roy, for quite sometime now. One of the foremost challenges in the step towards recovery is lifting up the spirits of patients and convincing them that all hope is still not gone! And that’s how it lifted up the spirits of a 53 year old Mrs. Roy, by conducting exclusive counselling sessions with a well renowned psychiatrist.

The next set of advice provided was to take a few blood tests as advised by the expert team headed by Dr Rahul Bhargava. These blood tests were taken at her home in her own village as suggested by Dr Rahul Bhargava, who is an eminent and established blood cancer care specialist or hematologist and is also the Director of pediatric and adult Bone Marrow Transplants. The foremost step that Dr. Bhargava took was to review Mrs. Roy’s case and constituted a team that was to be deployed personally for her aid.

A team was formed in just about 2 hours since Mrs. Roy contacted the Cancer Hospital For Opinion. The team was briefed about the condition of Mrs. Roy, her ailment as well the next set of directives as instructed by Dr. Bhargava. The core team included Dr. Bhargava himself, a local physician, a pathology team from Agartala and case manager from the Cancer Hospital to help coordination between every one. The team along with the patient’s son was available right at the reach of Mrs. Abha and was ready for her help in a very short period of notice.

Mrs. Roy was immediately shifted to a local hospital in order to stabilize her case since her Haemoglobin content had fallen to fatal levels. However, in about 12 days since the point of contact, Mrs. Roy showed signs of great improvement in her condition – she could now walk and thus, could get admitted at a better facility for further treatment. A biopsy investigation suggested some medication for Mrs. Roy that could prolong her life for many years. The patient is now put under a remote monitoring program which allows the patient to report the symptoms and track changes during the course of treatment. Patients who seek help early when the disease is developing can benefit by getting the right test done specially in cases of aplastic anemia and lymphoma said Dr. Rahul Bhargava.

The story only confirms the belief on how comprehensive cancer care can save lives and help patients lead a quality life as well. In India, cancer care is getting evolved and The Second Opinion Program of the Cancer Hospital has taken the lead by building a virtual comprehensive cancer care hospital by solving the gaps in cancer care delivery. However, a major challenge that lies in this process is the easy availability of the same infrastructure and healthcare personnel around the entire stretch of this vast country. This is where the Cancer Hospital comes to the picture to provide comprehensive care.

Source: https://www.aninews.in/news/business/cancer-rounds-timely-cancer-specialist-opinion-saves-a-life20191023191158/

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Second Opinion Saves Man From Double Amputation!!

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It started with a blister on his big toe. Unbeknownst to Reynaldo Reyna, it was the sign of something bigger. But Reyna is a roof inspector. He spends his days walking buildings and warehouses in North Texas and across the country.

To him it was just a blister that wouldn’t go away, he said.

“I’ve had a lot of problems with my legs for a long time,” he said, “I just worked until I got tired, then I would get right up again. I thought I could just work around it.”

After about a month of discomfort, he went to the doctor, who referred him to a specialist in Fort Worth. After undergoing an angiogram, an X-ray of blood flow, the doctor said they would have to amputate his leg. At that point, Reynes was poorly controlling his diabetes and his chronic myopathy. This neglect resulted in total artery blockage in his right leg arteries, from his knee down to his right foot.

An amputation meant the end of Reyna’s career, his livelihood, his quality of life.

At this point, Reyna’s blister had escalated into an open wound. He was referred to the Wound Care Center at Texas Health Plano, where he was referred to Dr. Vijay Ramanath for Second Opinion.

As an intraventricular cardiologist, Ramanath’s specialty is clearing clogged arteries. In his career, he’s seen patients just like Reyna with 100 percent blockages in their arteries, and his solution wasn’t amputation.

“He was willing to take the risk,” Reyna said.

To fix a blocked artery, doctors must carefully drill through the plaque built up to create a pathway for blood to flow.

“We basically had to recreate the whole artery for him, which, fortunately, we were able to do and restore blood flow to his heel,” he said.

To Ramanath, it was simply a challenge he’d faced before and conquered. Thanks to Reyna’s young age – anything below 75 in the medical world is young – Ramanath said his arteries were in solid shape for surgery.

“Fortunately for Reyna, since he’s south of 60, he hasn’t had as much time for all this blockage to form,” he said. “So because of that, it didn’t put up as much of a fight.”

It took two procedures, but Ramanath was able to clear the blockages. The blockage did cost Reyna his big toe, but he’s still able to walk his roofs and do his work.

As the leader of the hospital’s Limb Salvage Program, Ramanath said he and doctors like him work to help cases like Reyna, “to get back people’s lives, especially those who have young families, that have full-time jobs. We want them to get back to their way of life.”

Since the surgery, Reyna said he’s completely turn around his lifestyle. He eats better and exercises regularly and he’s keeping his diabetes under control.

“The biggest lesson here was that diabetes is serious,” he said. “You need to take care of yourself. The bottom line: If you do what the doctor says, you exercise and eat right, live right, then you’ll be alright.”

Source: https://starlocalmedia.com/planocourier/second-opinion-saves-man-from-double-amputation/article_05f5c5a8-3299-11e7-8f88-17d837217d7f.html

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Will The Pandemic Lead To Outbreaks Of Other Maladies?

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An unusual silence fills the waiting area of my fellow pediatrician’s office in suburban Maryland. On a typical day, one would expect to see the animated bustle of children. Nowadays, only two out of 10 scheduled visits might take place. Unused vaccine vials rapidly accumulate as families shelter at home.

With lockdowns and fears of the pandemic, this scene has been playing out in pediatricians’ offices around the country.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccine Safety Datalink show an almost 50 percent drop in children being vaccinated for measles during the first quarter of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019.

This situation also unfolded across the world as countries ordered lockdowns of varying severity. At least 25 countries suspended mass measles immunization campaigns in the face of the pandemic as of late last month, according to UNICEF. As the coronavirus continues its relentless spread, leaving death and economic devastation, other ancient diseases may gain a foothold as vaccination rates drop precipitously.

Measles can cause pneumonia, swelling of the brain and death. Very young children and susceptible adults are more likely to suffer from these complications. Like the coronavirus, it is spread person-to-person through droplets in the air. But the measles virus is about 10 times more transmissible than the coronavirus, and often deadlier. Vaccination coverage of up to 95 percent is needed to prevent measles transmission in communities.

Before the pandemic, global measles cases were already surging, reaching an estimated 10 million in 2018 with 140,000 measles-related deaths — a 58 percent increase from the previous two years. Although measles was all but eliminated in the United States in 2000, misinformation and a loss of public trust in vaccines resulted in 1,200 cases of measles in 2019 — the highest number in almost three decades.

In recent years, many measles cases entered the United States from foreign travel destinations. Now, with diminished vaccinations of children causing a wider gap in community immunity, there is clear and present danger that hard-won gains could be reversed. As schools start reopening their doors, vaccination rates among children could improve. However, school vaccination requirements are not ironclad; medical and nonmedical exemptions will leave some children unprotected. Public understanding of this risk and improved confidence in vaccines is crucial.

And yet, the anti-vaccine movement has seized on the Covid-19 pandemic as a rallying point, inexplicably arguing against any vaccine that may be developed. The assertions are baseless and endanger public health.

At the same time, other deadly scourges lurk in the shadows. Poliomyelitis, one of the most feared diseases of the early 1900s, was headed toward global eradication, with only a few remaining pockets of transmission in the world. Now these clusters are expanding. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s interactive map indicates that polio cases have increased this year. Diphtheria, another deadly disease of the early 20th century, has resurged recently in places like Venezuela, Bangladesh and Yemen, where state failure, conflict or the displacement of populations have severely weakened public health systems.

The danger is that the continuing pandemic will disrupt immunizations and monitoring of infectious diseases, which could lead to the further spread of these ancient diseases into new populations instead of being consigned to history.

No example from the recent past could be more poignant than the West African Ebola virus disease outbreak in 2014, whose devastating impact extended far beyond just Ebola cases and deaths. Ebola overwhelmed local health care systems, while societal stigma and anxiety led to reduced vaccination. An estimated 200,000 cases of measles may have resulted because of these disruptions.

And then, in 2019, twice as many children died from a fast-moving outbreak of measles in the Democratic Republic of Congo than from an Ebola outbreak there that received far more public attention.

As the pandemic advances and universal immunization keeps slipping worldwide, preventable diseases in children will keep surging in the background. Many outpatient dispensaries and vaccination clinics were shuttered as health care systems shifted to support the response to the coronavirus, public transport became unavailable, and fear of Covid-19 became rife. The World Health Organization says routine immunization services should be prioritized, yet estimations indicate that over 100 million children around the world are unlikely to receive their basic vaccines.

The Greek historian Thucydides vividly described the plague of Athens of 430 B.C. He attributed the strikingly deadly toll not just to disease but also to the failed societal response. History can be instructive, but only if we take its lessons seriously.

Avoiding vaccine-preventable deaths is critical for nations to preserve their gains in child survival. To do so, governments should establish vaccination as an essential service and reinstate services to stop diseases from re-emerging, particularly among vulnerable populations. Next, while Covid-19 control measures are being instituted, countries must catch up on missed immunizations. Third, governments should improve how they communicate with the public, to allay concerns about vaccinations and re-establish community demand for them.

Finally, health agencies should expand collaborations with nutrition, education and other government operations — and especially with regional and national governments. Disease surveillance within and across nations is essential to these public health efforts. Neither the coronavirus nor the measles virus respects geographic boundaries.

In the face of the current pandemic, it can be easy to lower our guard against the potential for future public health disasters. We cannot let that happen. Governments at all levels must work together to protect children from the deadly preventable scourges we have done so much to eradicate.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/will-the-pandemic-lead-to-outbreaks-of-other-maladies/articleshow/76025365.cms

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