Morning MEDtalks with Dr KK Aggarwal 19th October 2018

There are now 62 confirmed reports of acute flaccid myelitis across 22 states in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). AFM is an illness similar to polio. As of Sept. 20, the CDC had confirmed 38 cases in 16 states, which arent required to report AFM cases to the CDC. Acute flaccid myelitis affects the spinal cord and can cause partial paralysis. It mostly afflicts children and young adults

“The outbreak strain of Salmonella was found in live chickens and in many types of raw chicken products, indicating it might be widespread in the chicken industry,” the CDC said in a statement. CDC and public health and regulatory officials in several states are investigating a multistate outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella infections linked to raw chicken products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) is monitoring the outbreak.

The WHO predicts that, without urgent action, the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria will lead to a resurgence in deaths from minor injuries and previously benign infections.

Ongoing Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo does not rise to the level of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. In a statement, the Expert Committee convened by the WHO Director-General said, “It was the view of the Committee that a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) should not be declared at this time. But the Committee remains deeply concerned by the outbreak and emphasized that response activities need to be intensified and ongoing vigilance is critical. The Committee also noted the very complex security situation.” 

Biopsies of hand tissue could be an early signal of life-threatening cardiac amyloidosis, suggest Cleveland Clinic researchers who identified amyloid deposits in 10.2% of patients undergoing carpal tunnel release surgery. The study, published online in the Journal of American College of Cardiology, contained wide inclusion criteria; all men in their 50s or older and all women in their 60s or older were eligible unless they had known amyloidosis or carpal tunnel syndrome considered to be from trauma or arthritis.

“As a rule of thumb, you should be concerned when your shortness of breath is out of proportion to what you would expect for your age or activity level. And definitely take it seriously if you get short of breath when you lie down to sleep, or if you awaken at night with difficulty breathing.”  Physical exertion and panic are common reasons for shortness of breath.

Infant mortality in the UK will be 140% higher than other European countries by 2030, says a new report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which predicts that if the rate of increase stays the same, the UKs infant mortality will be 140% higher than 15 other European countries within the next 12 years, due to a faster fall of mortality rates elsewhere in Europe. If the mortality rates in the UK starts to decrease again, at the rate seen between 2001 and 2014, it can expect an 80% higher mortality rate than other European countries by 2030 … (CNN).

Do not pick a mushroom that has popped up in your yard from the rainy weather and eat it, don’t do it. The Cleveland Clinic reports about a dozen cases after eating poisonous mushrooms together.

Dr Swati Bhave has been awarded the All India Women Empowerment Award. Seven women doctors received this award in the inaugural function of the IMA Women Leaders’ Summit held in IMA house New Delhi on 14th October.

One should consume 2.5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits daily for a 2000-calorie diet. They are a rich source of fiber and essential vitamins and minerals, as well as carbohydrates with a low glycemic index. Increased fruit and vegetable intake is associated with decreased risk for mortality, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers.

Recurrent vertigo is a predictor of stroke in hypertensive patients, as per findings of a study published Oct. 10 in the Journal of Hypertension. In the multivariate Cox regression model, the presence of dizziness had no impact on the risk for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality or stroke mortality. However, in an analysis of the different subgroups of dizziness, only vertigo had a prognostic impact. The increased risk was particularly marked on stroke death with a hazard ratio of 2.43 vs patients without dizziness and 2.22 vs patients with dizziness excluding vertigo. The study cautions that hypertensive patients with vertigo must be monitored because of the higher stroke mortality.

Video to watch: TEDx Video: Doctor-patient relationship www.youtube(dot)com/ watch?v=i9ml1vKK2DQ

Dr KK Aggarwal

Padma Shri Awardee

President Elect CMAAO

President Heart Care Foundation of India