Double barrelled cross Abstract of articles from
Indian Journal of Tuberculosis
reproduced with kind permission
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Vol 53 No 4Oct 2006 ISSN 0019-5707

Original articles

Case reports

Short communications

S.P.Yadav,M.L.Mathur and A.K.Dikshit

Aim: The present study was conducted to test the knowldege and attitude of sand-stone quarry workers of Jodhpur
Amterial and methods: Nineteen sand-stone quarry sites were selected randomly in Jodhpur district from which three hundred and seventy quarry workers were interviewed who consented to participate in the study
Results: Theirr literacy rate was 28.5%.More than half(55.5%)had heard about tuberculosis from neighbours followed by friends(42.6%)and family members(37.2%) Only 1.6% knew that tuberculosis was caused by germs and 45.2% respondents had misconceptions that TB was a hereditary disease.Literates were more aware than illiterates about symptoms of tuberculosis.Only 6.9% knew about the need of treatment for6-8 months and 0.68% knew about the use of BCG vaccine for prevention of tuberculosis.Tendency to discriminate TB patients was evident as 72.6% respondents opined to isolate TB patients from the family and 80.6% opined to avoid share food with these patients: <>BR> Conclusion: Extensive health education directed towards bringing a change n attitude amond sand-stone quarry workers is needed to create awareness and remove myths about tuberculosis in such groups of people in the community.
Indian J Tuberc 2006;53:187-195: 
Objective: To study the smear and culture positivity rates in pulmonary tuberculsos patients declared as smear positive in the districts of North Arcot(Tamil Nadu),Raichur(Karnataka) and Wardha (Maharashtra) in India in order to evaluate the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis at the field level under programme conditions
MethodsTwo specimens of sputum from each 320 patients in North Arcot,314 patients in Raichur and 302 patients from Wardha district,all of whom had been reported as smear positive at the field level,were examined by smear and culture
Findings: The proportion of specimens found to be smear negative was 4.7% in North Arcot and 5.7% in Raichur as against 38.7% in Wardha.The proportions of culture negative specimens were 5.7%,6.3% respectively in North Arcot and Raichur while it was 35.6% at Wardha.The difference in the smear and culture negativity between Wardha and other two districts was highly significant.
Conclusion: The study revealed an unacceptably high level of false positives in sputum smear microscopy in the Wardh district.This could be attributed to the absence of systematic and intensive training in smear examination consequent to the non implementation of the DOTS strategy in this district and a high standard of training offered in the RNTCP implemented districts. Indian J Tuberc 2006;53:196-200: 
Saranjit Singh,Hemant Bhutaniand T.T.Mariappan

Fixed dose combinations(FDCs)of anti-tuberculosis drugs(Rifampicin,Isoniazid,Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol hydrochloride)have several advantages over losse combinations of these drugs.Hence the use of FDCs in the short course chemotherapy of tuberculosis is being promoted internationally.However,these products are associated with quality problems such as loss of bio-availablity of Rifampicin and instability of the drugs in the combination.Recent research in Indian tuberculosis has helped in identification of the major reasons behind these problems,which suggest that and entirely diffent approach is required to that currently being recommended by the world bodies.The purpose of this article is to briefly discuss the quality problems and to highlight the potntial forward ways. Indian J Tuberc 2006;53:201-205: 
Rajeswari Ramachandran,K.Jaggarajamma,M.Muniandy and Rani Balasubramanian
Background There is scarcity of information on communication channels in rural areas where about 38% of people are illiterate.
Objective To identify the channels of communication available in rural areas by interviewing key informants.
Mehtods This tudy was conducted in 51 villages of Ellapuram block,Tiruvallur district,Tamilnadu in the year 2004.Key informants selected from the villages were interviewed by a medical social worker.The questionnaire included information onmeds of communication channels availabilty of markets public facilities,and local associations.
ResultsThe sudy block included 9893 households covering a population 39255.Their main occupation was agriculture(86%)Eletricity was vailable in all the villages.More than 80% of the villages had community TV caable connections >50% of the villages cinema star fan associations,Mahila mandals,youth clubs,selh help groups, anganwadi centres and ration shops.The main source of communication as per interview was television(100%),wall posters(55%),publicity through panchayat office meetings(53%) and dandora or beat of drums(43%)
Conclusion : Main communcation channels commonly used to disseminate information were TV and wall posters.More tha 50% of villages had local associations which can be used for effective communication.This information is vital for disseminating important information on public health prograames and educatiing the rural community [Indian J Tuberc 2006;53:206-211]: 
Monica Chaudhary,C.P Baveja,V.K.Sharma and G.R.Sethi
Background Conventional bacteriological methods rarely detect M.tuberculosis in clinical samples from children and hence are of limited use in the diagnosis of active tuberculosis in them.There is need for an alternative detection method which is rapid, specific and senstive.
Aim: The efficacy of polymerase chain reaction(PCR) was evaluated in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in children. Methods: Sixty(62)hospitalised children were included in the study.31 were suffering from active tuberculosis.11 children had tuberculosis infetcion but no active disease and twenty children had other unrelated diagnosis.early morning gastric aspirates and sputum samples were processed using conevention techniques of mycaobaterial isolation and PCR for M.tuberculosis complex specific from MPB64 gene.Favourable response to anti-tubercular treatment(ATT)was taken as the gold standard
ResultsIn the active tuberculosis group twelve out of 31 children were positive by PCR while microscopy and cultue were positive in 3 and 6 children respectively.All samples positive by microscopy and culture were ositive by PCR giving a sensitivity of 100% for culturee confirmed cases
Conclusion Benefit of rapid and reliable results with PCR offers an appreciable advantage over tradition techniques when used in conjunction with clinicaal profile and epidemiological factors such as age,socio-economic and nutritional status,contact history and any other intercurrent illness. [Indian J Tuberc 2006;52:213-216]: 
  • For the second quarter of 2006 the case detection rate was 71%
  • 147928 new smear positive cases,101448 new smear negative cases,49038 extra-pulmonary cases and 49580 smear positive re-treatment cases were initiated on treatment in this year.
  • Success rate of 86% of the new smear positive in the 2nd quarter of 2005
  • Sputum conversion rate and cure among the new sputum positives --89% and 83% respectively
[Indian J Tuberc 2006;53:217-219]: 
A.Chakravarthy,Rajiv Dhawan,T.B.Shashidhar and J.K.Sahani
Lupus vulgaris is the most common morphological variant of cutaneous tuberculosis.In India the most common sites of involvement are trunk and buttocks.The involvement of other sites like nose,periocular region and face,have been occasionally reported from India.This report presents an unusual case of Lupus Vulgaris involving the external nose.The diagnosis was confirmed in histopathology of the deep biopsy taken from an ulcerated part of the lesion.The reponse to 6 months of anti-tubercular treatment was dramatic.
[Indian J Tuberc 2006;53:220-222]: 
Dinesh.K.Sharda,Paras Kothari,Prashani Avivarekar,Raavikumar,Raghunath Dipali and Bharati Kulkarni
Incidence of tuberculosis is increasing with emergence of many cases of multi drug resistance and extra-pulmonary manifestation.We report three cases of tuberculosis presenting in very atypical ways
[Indian J Tuberc 2006;53:223-226]: 
Nirmal Kumar,Nikhil Choudhary Gaurav Agarwal Yasir Rizvi Bhavana Kaul and Ravinder Ahlawat The genito urinary tract is a common site of involvement in extra-pulmonary tuberculosis.However ,an isolated tubercular abscess in the prostate with no evidence of disease elsewhere in the urinary tract is extremely uncommon unless the patient is immuno-compromised.We report an exremely rare instance of an isolated prostatic abscess presenting solely as pyrexia of unknown origin in a young male with no evidence of immuno suppression.
[Indian J Tuberc 2006;53:227-228]: 
Ashok Bajpai,Salil Bhargava,P.K.Gupta and Nageen Kumar Jain
Forty four case of tubercular lymphadenopathy and sinuses, who were taking anti-tubercular treatmment for more than 6 months and not responding to it,were randomly selected in this study.Overall cure rate in cases of lymphadenopathy was 93.99% sinus 77.77% and cold abscess 100%.Mean age of the patients was 30.13(Male:Female 1:4.5)Most common site of lymphadenopathy was cervical,smear was positive in 19(43.18%)cases and culture in 25(56.81%)cases.Low level nitrogen laser therapy may be used as an adjuvant to the tubercular drugs in cases of chronic non responding tubercular lymphadenopathy and sinus.
[Indian J Tuberc 2006;53:229-231]: 
V.K.Dhingra
Coexistent hepatic disease poses a challenge for the physician's treating tuberculosis.The hepatic disease may either pre xistent or may develop during the course of disease or as an adverse reaction to anti-T.B drugs.Treament may need modifications stoppage or even change of drug regimens

Created on ... November 18, 2006