Health

A sudden episode of severe breathing difficulty in a teenage girl from Jharkhand initially appeared to be a case of a serious respiratory infection, but there was more to it, as doctors at a hospital in Kolkata recently found.  However, when her condition worsened rapidly despite treatment, doctors had to look beyond the obvious and identified a rare neurological emergency, Myasthenia Gravis leading to Myasthenic Crisis, a condition where weakness of the muscles can severely affect breathing. Doctors navigate a complex diagnosis The girl was referred to Manipal Hospital Broadway from a railway hospital in the month of May with acute respiratory distress. Her initial symptoms, along with CT scan findings, suggested pneumonia, and she was started on intravenous antibiotics for a suspected...

AIIMS Jammu has achieved a major milestone in cancer care by successfully performing Jammu and Kashmir's first-ever interstitial brachytherapy procedure on a 26-year-old woman diagnosed with Stage II vulvar cancer, the institute said. Vulvar cancer is a rare gynaecological malignancy, accounting for only four percent of all gynaecological cancers, and is particularly uncommon in young patients. The case was extensively reviewed by a multidisciplinary tumour board comprising experts from the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radiation Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Radiodiagnosis, and Pathology to formulate an individualized treatment strategy, the AIIMS Jammu said in a statement. It said the interstitial brachytherapy procedure was successfully performed by the Department of Radi...

In a remarkable story of courage, resilience, and timely medical care, a three-year-old child who suffered nearly 60 per cent burn injuries and survived a cardiac arrest was successfully treated at a hospital in Pune. A normal day for the child, a three-year-old resident of Thergaon in Pune, quickly turned into a terrifying ordeal for his family.  Cause of injuries While playing at home on March 28, the young child accidentally fell into a container filled with hot tamarind liquid, his father was preparing for his chaat shop, suffering severe scald burns over large parts of his body. In a matter of seconds, laughter turned into panic as his parents rushed to pull him to safety. The burns affected his chest, back, abdomen, face, neck, arms, legs, genital and gluteal region, covering near...

Bengaluru doctors have successfully treated a 68-year-old man diagnosed with metastatic, Stage 4 gastric adenocarcinoma, reflecting the potential of molecular testing and highly personalised, risk-mitigated chemotherapy protocols. The man was living with prevailing health challenges like morbid obesity (weighing 99 kilograms), diabetes, and coronary artery disease. He sought medical attention after experiencing progressive fatigue, anaemia, and melena (black, tarry stools indicating internal gastrointestinal bleeding). An urgent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy performed by clinical teams revealed a massive, highly fragile ulcer proliferative tumour occupying a large portion of his stomach. The location and size of the growth carried a severe, immediate risk of life-threatening bleeding ...

Doctors at a hospital in Mumbai have successfully treated a 24-year-old pregnant woman diagnosed with a rare tumour involving the eye socket and extending into the brain. The woman presented with rapidly increasing swelling of the right eye along with double vision, particularly while looking towards the right side. At the time, she was 28 weeks (7 months) pregnant. Following an initial consultation and MRI scan, she was referred to Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre for further evaluation. Upon assessment, Dr Sudheer Ambekar, consultant Neurosurgery, identified a tumour involving the orbit, eroding the roof of the orbit, and extending into the intracranial compartment. Based on imaging findings, there were concerns that the tumour could be aggressive and potentially malignant. Given t...

In a major step towards strengthening the quality, safety and integrity of India's pharmaceutical supply chain, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday notified amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945, to expand the ambit of Schedule H2 and bring additional categories of drugs under the QR Code-based track and trace framework. According to the release, "Under the amended provisions, all vaccines, antimicrobials, narcotic and psychotropic drugs covered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and all anti-cancer drugs have been included under Schedule H2 of the Drugs Rules, 1945." With this amendment, manufacturers of these drug formulations will be required to print or affix a Bar Code or Quick Response (QR) Code on the primary packaging label of t...

Doctors in Navi Mumbai have successfully given a new lease of life to a 71-year-old woman with a critical heart condition, avoiding high-risk heart surgery in the process. Sheshabai S. Toraskar from Nerul lived with constant fear and discomfort. Simple daily activities like walking a short distance or carrying out household work had become exhausting because of severe chest pain, breathlessness, restlessness, and extreme fatigue. Despite taking all prescribed medications regularly, her symptoms continued to worsen, deeply affecting her quality of life and independence. He was severely breathless on routine aerated, requiring family members' help. The man was in follow-up with Dr Keshav Kale for two years. His health worsened recently. Hence, he was advised to undergo open surgery and Alco...

Healthy choices made at the start of the day can have a significant impact on overall health and well-being, with nutrition experts stressing that simple and sustainable morning eating habits often lay the foundation for long-term wellness. Building healthier habits does not have to be complicated, said Ritika Samaddar, Regional Head of Dietetics at Max Healthcare. "In my experience, the most successful nutrition routines are often the simplest ones that people can follow consistently. Starting the day with wholesome foods and making mindful choices, such as including almonds as part of a balanced breakfast or morning snack, can help people stay on track with their overall wellness goals," Samaddar said. It is these small, sustainable habits that often make the biggest difference over t...

Once known as the poor man’s fruit as it filled the plates of ordinary households across Keralam, jackfruit could soon get a new identity as a health and wellness food, with the state government planning a programme to highlight its medicinal properties.  Announcing the move, state Agriculture Minister T. Siddique said the government would prepare an effective plan in consultation with the Health Department to popularise the health benefits of jackfruit, Keralam’s state fruit. The minister was inaugurating a seminar on ‘Medicinal properties of raw jackfruit, research findings and possibilities’ organised by the Jackfruit Promotion Council. Keralam produces around 14.3 lakh tonnes of jackfruit annually, but only a small portion of it reaches commercial utilisation. The minister said the ...

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has made an amendment to the Drugs Rules, 1945 to exclude the word “Syrups” from Entry 7 under Serial No. 13 of Schedule K of the rules under the heading 'Class of Drugs'. Schedule K of the 1945 rules provides exemptions from certain provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.  It simply means that before the amendment, a provision allowed cough syrups to be sold in smaller villages with a population of less than 1,000, without requiring compliance with some retail sale licensing norms. However, now the sale will be required to take place only through duly licensed pharmacies in accordance with the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Rules framed within it.  The Health Ministry has said that the amendment has been done to...