RFP Indian Journal of Hospital Infection

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major global health challenge, causing high rates of mortality and straining public health systems. Although there has been a gradual decline in incidence over the past few decades, in 2022 globally, there were as many as 10.6 million new cases reported by the WHO, affecting 5.8 million men, 3.5 million women, and 1.3 million children. According to the World Health Organization, TB is the second leading cause of death from an infectious agent, resulting in 1.3 million deaths in 2022. This disease disproportionately affects low and middle-income countries, with India experiencing particularly high prevalence and transmission rates. One of the major challenges in TB control is the presence of multidrug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis in most countries, including India. In the specific context of the Kashmir valley in India, there has been a critical situation with emerging cases of multidrugresistant tuberculosis. The COVID-19 pandemic has also posed new challenges for TB detection and control efforts worldwide, including in the Kashmir Valley. The disruptions caused by the pandemic have significantly impacted TB testing and diagnosis, potentially leading to underreporting of cases and delayed treatment. This review aims to provide an overview of global TB epidemiology, including its origins,
historical context, scientific milestones and to highlight the main challenges that need to be addressed post-COVID in order to eliminate the disease as a global public health problem.
 

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is a tightening respiratory disease due to allergic reaction to Aspergillus fumigatus. The disease is of immense public health importance. Imaging of chest by CT thorax and chest X-ray shows tram-track appearance and other characteristic findings. Treatment consists of corticosteroids and other agents. These aspects have been discussed briefly in this article.
 

Extra intestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is a leading cause of invasive infections. These include entities like bacteremia, respiratory tract infections, meningitis and sepsis among others. Invasive ExPEC infection complicates the clinical treatment of other conditions. It is also associated with increased mortality, duration of hospital stay, and worse clinical outcomes. Older adults having comorbidities are at highest risk of acquiring these infections. ExPEC is of particular interest in the AsiaPacific region, due to aging populations and increasing antimicrobial resistance.
 

Burns are one of the most common injuries, which could be due to thermal, scald, electrical burn injuries. Scald injuries tend to be the most common type of burn injury under the age of five, accounting for over 65% of the cases. In current scenario, various scaffolds are used to improve the quality of healing process and reduce the scar formation. Collagen acts as a scaffold through which regeneration of tissues occurs and also helps in new vessel formation. Other scaffolds like amniotic membrane helps in proper epithelization and reduces scarring. It also has unique antiinflammatory, bacteriostatic property. In this study we used amniotic membrane heterograft as a biological dressing in a patient with second degree scald burn wounds.
 

Burn injuries can be devastating, not only causing physical pain and trauma but also increasing the risk of infections, which can further complicate the healing process. Therefore, finding effective methods to prevent postoperative infections is crucial for the successful treatment of burn patients. In this study we consider the effectiveness of silver containing alginate dressings for deep partial thickness burns in a patient with accidental thermal burns. Silver alginate dressings consist of a combination of silver and sodium alginate, a natural polysaccharide derived from seaweed. The silver in it has antimicrobial properties, making it an ideal choice for preventing infection. The dressings are available in various forms, such as sheets, dressings, and ropes, allowing for versatile usage in wound care management. They are able to maintain a moist environment as well as prevents wound infection. They are found to be useful in various conditions including burn wound, skin graft donor site and other conditions like pressure injuries. Silver alginate dressings are highly effective in managing burn wounds due to their unique combination of antimicrobial and wound-healing properties. The alginate interacts with wound exudate to form a gel, maintaining a moist wound environment that promotes tissue regeneration, while the silver provides broadspectrum antimicrobial action, preventing infections caused by bacteria, fungi, and even antibioticresistant pathogens like MRSA. In burn care, silver alginate dressings are particularly beneficial for partial-thickness burns (second-degree burns) and donor sites after skin grafting. They are highly absorbent, making them suitable for burns with moderate to heavy exudate, while reducing the risk of maceration in surrounding skin. The gel formation also minimizes pain during dressing changes, as it prevents adhesion to the wound bed.