Postgraduate Journal of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine

Chelation in Thalassemia: Improved Status Over a Decade

Kushagra Taneja, Chandrika Verma, Amita Mahajan — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Optimal chelation of iron overload is a major determinant of both the life span and health related quality of life in patients with transfusion dependent Thalassemia (TDT). With the introduction of Deferasirox (DFX) in India in 2008, it was hoped that once daily oral dosing, superior efficacy, favorable safety profile and availability of generics would lead to improved compliance and better control of iron overload. This was favored in our earlier study of 36 months duration (2011-2013) published in 2013. In this brief communication, we present the trend of iron overload status in our cohort over a decade duration. Analysis of 85 TDT patients on deferasirox alone or on combination chelation was done. Mean age of the cohort was 15 years. Mean/ median S. Ferritin values observed in 2011 and 2021 were 3042/ 2271 ng/ml and 1065/ 969 ng/ml respectively showing a significant decline in the iron overload. This was also reflected in as T2* MRI values showing evidence of moderate to severe iron overload in liver/ heart in 7%/ 2.3% respectively. No severe chelation related toxicity was noted. Motivating patients for continued compliance as this cohort becomes older is the biggest challenge.

Keywords: chelation, deferasirox, iron overload, transfusion dependent Thalassemia

Emotional Intelligence and Its Relationship with Different Aspects of Student Life

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction: The importance of Emoti onal Quoti ent (EQ) in personal happiness and relati onships for both children and adolescents is rarely recognized. The Associati on of Adolescent and Child Care in India (AACCI) conducts workshops to create awareness among students, parents and teachers including, multi -centric studies to assess levels of EI using standardized scales.
Aim: To assess the emoti onal intelligence (EI) scores in college students and study the eff ects of various demographic variables
Methods: Cross-secti onal study, using Schutt e’s Emoti onal Intelligence Scale (SEIS) students - all-women’s college in North India (n = 354: 17–21 years; M = 18.63 years, SD = 1.06 years). Group I: 17–19 years
(late adolescents); Group II: 20–21 years (young adults). Variables used - age, sibling status, academic course, extracurricular activities, self-perceived internet, social media usage and dependence, substance use, and self-percepti on of control over one’s life to see their eff ects on SEIS scores. The data were analyzed using t-tests and one-way ANOVAs.
Results: Those with social media usage showed higher moderate SEIS scores (p < 0.022) scores as compared to parti cipants who did not use social media (p < 0.022). The other variables did not show a stati sti cally signifi cant eff ect on SEIS scores.
Conclusion: In our sample, social media usage showed a signifi cant impact on EI. Further studies are needed to focus on the various aspects of social media infl uences and their role in EI.

How to cite this arti cle:
Bhave S Y, Meghana P, Mota J, Chorghade S, Bhalla L, Sovani A, Role of Emoti onal Intelligence in Young People: “Making Emoti ons Work for You, Instead of Against You”. Postgrad J Pediatr
Adol Med. 2023;2(1):4-14

Correlation of Body Mass Index and Puberty with Blood Pressure in Healthy Adolescents

Yashika Rani, Harish K Pemde, Virendar Kumar, Srikanta Basu — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 09:51:48 +0000

Background: Limited research in the Indian populati on hinders our understanding of how blood pressure is infl uenced by factors such as body mass index and puberty.
Objective: To study the relati on of body mass index and pubertal stage with blood pressure in healthy adolescents.
Methods: The study design was an observati onal descripti ve study. Parti cipants included 518 adolescents aged 10 to 18 years at Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital, with representati on from each pubertal stage. The primary outcome aimed to examine the correlati on between body mass index and blood pressure, parti cularly within diff erent pubertal stages. The secondary outcome focused on the correlati on between
height and blood pressure, as well as the development of a blood pressure nomogram based on body mass index.
Results: Height showed a signifi cant (p < 0.05) positi ve correlati on with systolic (r = 0.604 in males, r = 0.509 in females) and diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.566 in males, 0.488 in females). The body mass index positi vely correlated with systolic (r = 0.356 for males, r = 0.366 for females) and diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.336 for males, r = 0.435 for females). Percenti les for systolic and diastolic blood pressure were calculated across diff erent body mass index and height groups for both males and females. Correlati on coeffi cients between puberty and systolic blood pressure were 0.5 (p < 0.01) and 0.4 (p < 0.01) in males and females, and for diastolic blood pressure were 0.4 (p < 0.01) for both genders.
Conclusion: A positi ve correlati on exists between systolic and diastolic blood pressure with height, body mass index and all pubertal stages in both males and females in all age groups.

A Pediatric Case of Post-SARS-CoV-2 Guillain Barre Syndrome of Pure Axonal Variety

Sanghamitra Ray, Manish Kumar — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Guillain–Barre syndrome (GBS) is a common enti ty in the pediatric populati on and a major cause of fl accid paralysis worldwide. Recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a surge in GBS cases has been observed, primarily in the adult populati on. Here, we present a case of a child with post-SARS-CoV-2 infecti on GBS of a rare variety. A fi ve-year-old female child presented with weakness in both lower limbs for two months and complaints of numbness in her lower limbs. She had a history of fever three weeks prior to this admission. Along with universal arefl exia and reduced power in both lower limbs, the cerebrospinal fl uid analysis
showed albuminocytological dissociati on. A nerve conducti on study (NCS) was performed, which was typical of GBS of the severe acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN) type. The anti -COVID-19 anti body (IgM) was signifi cantly high. The pati ent was successfully managed with plasmapheresis and showed complete recovery. This is a rare pediatric case of post-COVID-19 GBS of the AMSAN variety treated successfully with plasmapheresis.

How to cite this article:
Ray S, Kumar M. A Pediatric Case of Post-
SARS-CoV-2 Guillain Barre Syndrome of Pure Axonal Variety. Postgrad J Pediatr Adol Med. 2023;2(1):15-17.