Avijit Hazra

• MD
• Professor at Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research

The study examined the coverage of COVID-19-related child health issues in four of the most widely circulated newspapers in Kolkata, India. Daily print versions of the TIMES of INDIA, SANMARG, ANANDA BAZAR PATRIKA, and BARTAMAN newspapers were scanned manually by a single investigator versed in all three languages. News items on health-related issu...

Background Joint deformities in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) are most common in children, are not defined in term of angular measurements. The study was aimed to evaluate the joint deformities in angular deviation of the afected joints in JIA patients. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic, North...

Delayed cord clamping (DCC) is now the standard of care in singleton vigorous neonates. But consensus is lacking on the appropriate approach to placental transfusion in multifetal gestational births. In this study, we tried to determine the effect of cut umbilical cord milking (C-UCM) as compared to early cord clamping (ECC) on hematological and cl...

Background More than 80% of the world's population uses herbal remedies in some form. Heavy metal contamination and the attendant health risks of Indian herbal medicines are not adequately documented. Objective This study aimed to investigate the health risks associated with four common heavy metal contaminants, namely lead, arsenic, cadmium, and...

Background and Objectives The functional disability status of Indian children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis is unidentified. In this cross-sectional study functional capacity of 60 juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients was assessed by the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire. Methods A total of 60 juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients...

OBJECTIVES Drug–drug interactions (DDIs) are a common problem in pharmacotherapy, particularly in situations where multiple disorders must be treated at the same time. We conducted a drug use survey in the general medicine outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital with the objective of assessing the potential for DDI in individual prescript...

Objective Exogenous surfactant therapy is vital in managing respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm infants, with less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) gaining popularity. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and short-term outcomes of LISA using beractant and poractant alfa. Study design In a randomized controlled trial, we enr...

Objective: Exogenous surfactant therapy is vital in managing respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm infants, with less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) gaining popularity. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and short-term outcomes of LISA using beractant and poractant alfa. Study Design: In a randomized controlled trial , we e...

Background: Pituitary Adenoma, a neoplastic proliferation of anterior pituitary hormone producing cells, is mainly considered benign but some are clinically aggressive and recurrent and very rarely malignant. From recent advances in pathological and molecular study, there is a continuous search for numerous prognostic biomarkers, to analyze better...

Introduction The effects of COVID-19 infection persist beyond the active phase. Comprehensive description and analysis of the post COVID sequelae in various population groups are critical to minimise the long-term morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19. This analysis was conducted with an objective to estimate the frequency of post COVID...

Statistical literacy is essential for understanding medical literature and conducting biomedical research. Data constitute the raw material for statistical work. Descriptive statistics summarizes data from a sample or population. Categorical data are described in terms of percentages or proportions. With numerical data, individual observations tend...

Background Sudden upsurge in cases of COVID-19 Associated Mucormycosis (CAM) following the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was recorded in India. This study describes the clinical characteristics, management and outcomes of CAM cases, and factors associated with mortality. Methods Microbiologically confirmed CAM cases were enrolled from April...

Introduction: There is a lack of Indian data on short stature treatment using recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH). We explored the effects of such treatment in eastern Indian patients, with emphasis on biochemical parameters and bone biomarkers in addition to basic anthropometry. Methods: Our descriptive study covered 50 short stature patien...

Lymphocyte range in neonate

Routine practice of delayed cord clamping (DCC) is the standard of care in vigorous neonates. However there is no consensus on the recommended approach to placental transfusion in non-vigorous neonates. In this trial, we tried to examine the effect of cut umbilical cord milking (C-UCM) as compared to early cord clamping (ECC) on hematological and c...

Background Acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTIs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in infants in low- and middle-income countries. We emphasize the differences in presentation and outcome between viral and bacterial origin community acquired ALRTI in late neonatal period. Methods All consecutively admitted neonates, aged 7...

Objective: To evaluate the role of high-resolution intracranial vessel wall imaging (HR-IVWI) in differentiation of various intracranial vasculopathies in addition to luminal and clinical imaging in the largest cohort of Indian stroke patients. Methods: A single-center, cross-sectional study was undertaken recruiting consecutive stroke or TIA pa...

Introduction: Perineural dexamethasone gives promising results in prolonging duration of analgesia in brachial plexus block. Doses between 1 to 10 mg have been used but the optimum dose is not yet settled. Aim: To compare the analgesic efficacy of two low doses of dexamethasone in Ultrasonography (USG)-guided brachial plexus block for planned upper...

Introduction: The fontanels are soft membrane covered gaps and the meeting of more than two cranial bones placed side by side. There are six fontanels, of which anterior fontanel is most prominent. We tried to determine the anterior fontanel dimension of the neonates of different gestational age. This in turn will help in diagnosing newborns with s...

Objective: The rational use of medicines as per the World Health Organization (WHO) should be practiced globally. However, data regarding the completeness of the prescriptions and their rational use is lacking from developing countries like India. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the prescribing patterns of drugs and completeness of presc...

Introduction Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) has enabled the Government of India to become a strategic purchaser of health care services from private providers. To generate base cost evidence for evidence-based policymaking the Costing of Health Services in India (CHSI) study was commissioned in 2018 for the price sett...

Background In low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), provisioning for surgical care is a public health priority. Ayush-man Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) is India's largest national insurance scheme providing free surgical and medical care. In this paper, we present the costs of surgical health benefit packages (HBPs) for se...

Background Increased occurrence of mucormycosis during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in early 2021 in India prompted us to undertake a multi-site case–control investigation. The objectives were to examine the monthly trend of COVID-19 Associated Mucormycosis (CAM) cases among in-patients and to identify factors associated with development of...

Objective The objective of this study is to delineate the characteristics and outcome of Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome temporally associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV2) infection (PIMS-TS) in Eastern Indian settings. Materials and Methods We conducted a prospective observational multicentric study...

Background: Mucormycosis is a rare but serious fungal infection which has dramatically increased in post-COVID patients. There is a paucity of safety data on amphotericin B (amphoB) used for mucormycosis treatment. Objectives: The objective of this prospective, observational, active safety surveillance study was to evaluate the safety profile of...

Objectives Evaluate mitral - aortic flow velocity integral ratio (MAVIR) as an echocardiographic tool to differentiate between severe and non severe mitral regurgitation (MR), compared to regurgitant volume (RVol) and effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA), with subgroup analysis in patients with calcific mitral valve, both by transthoracic (TTE...

Objectives This study aims to describe the demographic and clinical profile and ascertain the determinants of outcome among hospitalised COVID-19 adult patients enrolled in the National Clinical Registry for COVID-19 (NCRC). Methods NCRC is an on-going data collection platform operational in 42 hospitals across India. Data of hospitalized COVID-19...

Background: Increased occurrence of mucormycosis in India during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2021 in India subsequently prompted us to undertake a multi-site case-control investigation. The objectives were to examine the monthly trend of Covid-19 Associated Mucormycosis (CAM) cases among in-patients and to identify factors ass...

Background: Infraumbilical surgery today is done preferentially under subarachnoid block. The relatively short duration of analgesia is a limiting factor which is overcome by adding an adjuvant to intrathecal bupivacaine. We aimed to determine optimum dose of intrathecal dexmedetomidine as adjuvant to 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine in infraumbilical...

Background In low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), provisioning for surgical care is a public health priority. Ayush-man Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) is India's largest national insurance scheme providing free surgical and medical care. In this paper, we present the costs of surgical health benefit packages (HBPs) for se...

Background Severe Corona virus disease (COVID-19) is associated with high mortality. Although single centre intensive care units (ICU) have reported clinical characteristics and outcomes, no large scale multicentric study from India has been published. The present retrospective, multi-centre study was aimed to describe the predictors and outcomes o...

Introduction: The studies in animal models of cirrhosis suggest that dipeptidyl peptidase type 4 (DPP‑4) enzymes play a crucial role in disease pathogenesis. In this clinical observational study, activity of DPP‑4 and related gene expression were analysed in chronic liver disease patients. Objectives: To understand the DPP‑4 enzyme activity varia...

Introduction: No previous study has assessed the frequency and clinical-radiological characteristics of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and acute onset non-choreic and non-ballistic movements. We conducted a prospective study to know the spectrum of acute onset movement disorders in DM. Methods: We recruited all the patients with acute onse...

Introduction Moyamoya angiopathy (MMA) is a chronic, progressive intracranial vasculopathy with variation in prevalence and clinical manifestations across different populations. This study was aimed to estimate the frequency of MMA as an etiology of stroke and its epidemiological features in the largest cohort of MMA patients in India. Method A si...

Background Medication errors are a reality in all settings where medicines are prescribed, dispensed and used. High Alert Medications (HAM) are those that bear a heightened risk of causing significant harm to the patient, if used erroneously. Though mishaps with HAM may not be more common than with other drugs, the consequences of error with them c...

Abstract Objectives We aimed to evaluate blood pressure (BP) in Indian children who had similar demographic characteristics but hailed from different altitudes. Methods BP of school going children, aged 5 to 12 years, at five different locations varying in altitude (near sea level: n = 425; 2000 feet: n = 244; 4000 feet: n = 248; 6000 feet: n = 24...

Introduction Currently, there is no consensus regarding analgesic premedication before the surfactant administration by less invasive surfactant application (LISA) procedure. In this randomized controlled trial, we compared the level of comfort of preterm infants receiving fentanyl as analgesic and sedative versus no fentanyl during LISA procedure....

Objective We aimed to measure the joint angles of major joints in newborn babies to explore their association with gestational age (GA). Materials and Methods This observational study was conducted to evaluate joint angles in healthy newborn infants, born between 28 and 41 completed weeks of gestation. Healthy and hemodynamically stable babies wer...

Objective: We aimed to measure the joint angles of major joints in newborn babies to explore their association with gestational age (GA). Materials and Methods: This observational study was conducted to evaluate joint angles in healthy newborn infants, born between 28 and 41 completed weeks of gestation. Healthy and hemodynamically stable babies we...

Background: In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), provisioning for surgical care is a public health priority. Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) is India's largest national insurance scheme providing free surgical and medical care. In this paper, we present the costs of surgical health benefit packages (HBPs) for...

Objective: There is no established diagnostic test available to diagnose neonatal sepsis. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin 1β (IL1β) and interleukin 6 (IL6) showed some promising results in some recent studies in this respect, but their roles in diagnosis and prognosis of neonatal sepsis are not yet conclusive. In this study, we have tri...

Introduction Pyogenic granulomas are benign vascular lesions of the skin and mucosa which are often a source of concern because of their recurrent bleeding even with minimal trauma. Current treatment for pyogenic granuloma is ablative; no medical therapy is standardized to date. Timolol, due to its vasoconstrictive effect, vascular growth factor in...

Introduction: Wilson disease (WD) is characterized by a wide variety of clinical manifestations. Our study aimed to correlate genotype with clinical and radiological features in Indian WD patients. Methods: We conducted a descriptive observational study in a tertiary care neurology referral center of eastern India over a period of 2 years. Demog...

Abstract Introduction: Sonneratia apetala Buch-Ham is a true mangrove inhabitant in Indian Sunderban and it is used in folk medicine for digestive disorders. Method: Hydro-methanolic (20:80) extract of Sonneratia apetala leaves (SA) was chemically standardized by HPTLC and evaluated for its antiradical and gastro-protective properties. Phenolics an...

Introduction: Sonneratia apetala Buch-Ham is a true mangrove inhabitant in Indian Sunderban and it is used in folk medicine for digestive disorders. Method: Hydro-methanolic (20:80) extract of Sonneratia apetala leaves (SA) was chemically standardized by HPTLC and evaluated for its antiradical and gastro-protective properties. Phenolics and flavono...

Objective There is no established diagnostic test available to diagnose neonatal sepsis. Tumor necrosis factor a (TNFα), interleukin 1b (IL1β) and interleukin 6 (IL6) showed some promising results in some recent studies in this respect, but their roles in diagnosis and prognosis of neonatal sepsis are not yet conclusive. In this study, we have trie...

Objectives: To compare clinical and neurodevelopmental outcome at the age of 6 months for neonates born to SARS-CoV-2-positive mothers. Methods: Neonates of SARS-CoV-2 positive mothers, admitted in our hospital were assessed for growth, neurodevelopment by Amiel-Tison method, and Developmental Profile (DP3) at discharge as part of another study...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Assessing the co-infections with COVID-19 is crucial to delineate its true clinical impact. Pediatric information in this aspect is limited. Our study aims to analyze the spectrum of co-infections in pediatric COVID-19 patients and determine the clinical as well as laboratory parameters predicting co-infection. METHODOLOG...

Currently, there is no consensus regarding analgesic premedication before the LISA procedure. In this randomized controlled trial, we compared the level of comfort of preterm infants receiving fentanyl as analgesic versus no fentanyl during LISA procedure. We randomized 34 preterm infants of 28+ 0 − 33+ 6 weeks of gestation with RDS within 6 h of b...

Introduction: We aimed to evaluate joint mechanics in newborn by goniometric assessment of major joints in healthy babies born at different gestational ages (GAs). Materials and methods: An institution based observational study was carried out on healthy newborn babies within two days of birth. Study subjects were born at 28–41 completed weeks of g...

Background, Objective: We studied the effectiveness and safety of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) preexposure prophylaxis against COVID-19 in Healthcare workers (HCWs) previous studies being inconclusive due to small sample and lack of risk stratification Design and setting: Prospective, observational, multicenter cohort study in 44 hospitals in 17 India...

o r i g i n a l a r t i c l e affordable medicines such as HCQ is therefore needed. We report here a large multicenter prospective cohort study on HCWs, comparing HCQ and no HCQ for pre-exposure prophylaxis and the impact of age, gender, comorbidities, and exposure to SARS-CoV-2 cases, on HCQ effectiveness and safety. Abstract Background, Objective...

Purpose: This multicentric questionnaire-based study was undertaken to address the lack of systematic background data on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices among Indian physicians related to antimicrobial use and resistance. Materials and Methods: A validated structured study questionnaire was used for capturing respondent particulars, antimic...

Objective: To explore association between serum ferritin and severity of sepsis among children, and relate levels to the final outcome. Methods: This observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital between I February and 30 July, 2019. Serum ferritin level was estimated in children (age 6 months to 12 years) suffering from sepsis, irr...

Objective: To explore association between serum ferritin and severity of sepsis among children, and relate levels to the final outcome. Methods: This observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital between I February and 30 July, 2019. Serum ferritin level was estimated in children (age 6 months to 12 years) suffering from sepsis,...

Early and successful extubation prevents several morbidities in preterm newborns. Several secondary non-invasive respiratory modalities exist but with their merits and demerits. Given the benefits of nasal high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (nHFOV), we tried to examine whether nHFOV could reduce reintubation rates compared to nasal intermittent...

Objectives Data from point prevalence surveys (PPSs) in India are scarce. Conducting PPSs is especially challenging in the absence of electronic medical records, a lack of dedicated resources and a high patient load in resource-poor settings. This multicentre survey was conducted to provide background data for planning and strengthening antimicrobi...

Early and successful extubation prevents several morbidities in preterm newborns. Several secondary noninvasive respiratory modalities exists but with their merits and demerits. Given the superior respiratory efficacy of nasal high frequency oscillatory ventilation (nHFOV), we tried to examine whether nHFOV could reduce reintubation rates compared...

Background Transporting sick neonates from the periphery to a tertiary care unit is a challenge and transport-related factors can have a bearing on their survival. These factors influence ultimate survival in resource poor settings. Objectives The objective is to evaluate the transport characteristics for sick newborns from peripheral centers to t...

Background: To address the reasons for inappropriate use of antimicrobials, it is important to understand the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of all pertinent stakeholders. This multicentric survey is aimed at understanding the KAP quotients of the community regarding antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as such informatio...

Background: Published Indian studies on the economic burden of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) are lacking. Methods: A prospective observational study recruited pediatric patients aged from 1 to 12 years with JIA in the pediatric rheumatology clinic of a public sector tertiary care hospital. Direct healthcare costs and indirect costs for transp...

Introduction: Clinical spectrum of Moyamoya angiopathy (MMA) differs across populations with different ethnicity. This study, the largest one done among Indian population was undertaken to assess clinico-radiological profile of MMA patients in eastern India. Methods: A single centre cross-sectional study was undertaken among 76 MMA cases. Each pat...

Objectives: Package inserts (PIs) are used by physicians and other health‑care providers as ready source of approved prescribing information. In India, they are subject to statutory regulations that specify the information to be provided under various headings. Uniformity of PIs with optimal level of information is desirable, the absence of which m...

Objectives: Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) enzyme metabolizes a quarter of prescription drugs. Polymorphisms of CYP2D6 gene and resultant phenotypic variations in metabolic activity have been described in various populations. We assessed the prevalence of CYP2D6 activity phenotypes, employing dextromethorphan (DXM) as probe drug in subjects with at...

Background and objectives: The Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology II with Perinatal Extension (SNAPPE-II) is a vital tool for prognostication in newborns. The study was conducted with the hypothesis that the performance of the SNAPPE-II score might be affected by the presence of sepsis in newborns admitted with possible early onset septicemia and...

We thank Dr. Al-Mendalawi1 for his comments on our study of gestation-wise reference ranges of neutrophil counts in Indian newborns.2 The main objective of our study was to generate normative data for neutrophil counts in Indian neonates, taking cognizance of the fact that such data are lacking in the Indian context. As noted by the author, our stu...

Aim: Poisoning is a preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in India. We undertook a prospective observational study to estimate the incidence, nature, severity and treatment outcome trends of acute poisoning in a tertiary care hospital in eastern India. Methods: All patients, admitted during the study period with acute poisoning, drug over...

Objective: To generate data of electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters according to gestational age in Indian newborns. Methods: An observational study was carried out over 7 months in neonatology unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Following auscultation, ECG parameters were recorded simultaneously in 12 leads, on third day of life, in hemody...

Objective: To generate data of electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters according to gestational age in Indian newborns. Methods: An observational study was carried out over 7 months in neonatology unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Following auscultation, ECG parameters were recorded simultaneously in 12 leads, on third day of life, in hemodynam...

Background and aims: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by abdominal pain-discomfort and altered bowel habits. The IBS-diarrhoea predominant subtype (IBS-D) is defined as >25% of bowel movements representing type 6 or 7 of the Bristol Stool Form Scale. Management of IBS-D is mainly symptomatic, including l...

Objectives: The objective of this study was to carry out a head-to-head comparison of topical sucralfate combined with mupirocin versus mupirocin alone in the treatment of chronic skin ulcers with respect to both effectiveness and safety. Materials and methods: A parallel-group, open-label, randomized, controlled trial (CTRI/2015/12/006443) was...

Aim The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in joint cartilage thickness in different subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) using ultrasound, comparing them with healthy children and to evaluate the relationship with disease duration and inflammatory markers. Methods We conducted a cross‐sectional study comprising of 27...

CONTEXT There is limited evidence on the influence of social media among medical students. AIMS To assess the pattern of social media usage among medical students in eastern part of India and analyze self-perceived impact on academic performance and interpersonal relations. METHODS This cross-sectional study was based on an online survey, taken b...

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the clinico-laboratory parameters, complications and therapeutic responses in children with scrub typhus in Eastern India. Materials and methods: In this prospective, observational study, all children (age, <12 years) with suspected scrub typhus with a compatible clinical scenario were enrolled cons...

ABSTRACT Objectives: Blood counts are commonly performed tests in neonatal intensive care units with the results having various clinical ramifications. Interpreting blood counts as normal or abnormal requires reference ranges as per gestation. Studies on reference ranges for neonatal neutrophil counts are already scarce, and data is lacking in the...

Objective To evaluate utility of a new Extended Sick Neonate Score (ESNS). to predict ‘inhospital mortality’ and compare with Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology – Perinatal Extension II (SNAPPE II) and Sick Neonate Score (SNS). Design Prospective observational study. Methods All extramural sick newborns transported to the neonatology unit of a t...

Objective: Childhood disabilities are common and impose a significant handicap on the affected children and their caregivers. There are limited data on the prevalence of childhood disabilities as assessed by specialist evaluation. We aimed to explore the spectrum of childhood disabilities in a cohort of rural children in North Bengal. Materials and...

OBJECTIVES: To assess efficacy and safety of oxaceprol, a hydroxyproline derivative with putative mechanism of action different from traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, in comparison to tramadol. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A parallel group, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted with a...

Context: Hyperglycemia has been found to occur during myocardial infarction and cardiac surgery even in nondiabetic patients. These being essentially stressful processes associated with hypoperfusion, we decided to find a possible relationship between the occurrence of global tissue hypoperfusion (GTH) and elevated blood glucose level in adult non...

OBJECTIVES: To assess efficacy and safety of oxaceprol, a hydroxyproline derivative with putative mechanism of action different from traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, in comparison to tramadol. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A parallel group, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted with am...

Objectives Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) has a crucial role in clinical assessment and monitoring of patients with rheumatologic diseases. Early detection of joint cartilage destruction is difficult. MSUS is a cheap, noninvasive, nonhazardous bedside tool that can be used for detection of cartilage damage. We aimed to generate normative data of...

Objectives: We sought to evaluate the relationship between gestational age (GA) and neonatal anthropometric parameters, namely head circumference (HC) and crown-heel length (CHL). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in a tertiary care hospital with 530 consecutively live-born newborns of 28-41 weeks gestation. Anthropometric parameters...

This brief overview intends to shed light on the nature of research activities in the field of pharmacology undertaken mainly by the pharmacology departments of various medical, veterinary and pharmacy colleges from the states of Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Tripura. Both experimental and clinical pharmacological research have been underta...