Ludhiana, November 6
Two doctors of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) here attended the Australasian Pancreatic Meet held in Sydney, Australia, recently.

Dr Satpal Singh Virk, associate professor and head of gastro-surgery, and Dr Ashish Ahuja, assistant professor in surgery, shared their surgical experience in management of acute pancreatitis at the international forum.

The doctors said acute pancreatitis was a sudden attack causing inflammation of the pancreas and usually associated with severe upper abdominal pain. The pain may last several days and may be serious.

According to them, pancreatic diseases were common in this part of the region due to high incidence of gallstones diseases and heavy alcohol consumption.

The main symptoms of pancreatitis are acute, severe pain in the upper abdomen, frequently accompanied by vomiting and fever.

They mentioned that acute abdominal pain in pancreatitis often led to internal bleeding and infection and was a cause of death in one-third of the patients. Initial management of the disorder is non-surgical and surgery is required in patients with advanced stages.

The patients are advised to adopt healthy lifestyle changes to prevent a recurrence. Other diseases of pancreas like chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer were also discussed during the meet.

These disorders are also common in the region. Early detection of pancreatic cancer and its surgical management is successful.

During the conclave, both Dr Virk and Dr Ahuja were awarded with lifetime membership of the Australian Pancreatic Club.

Ludhiana, November 6
There is increasing incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD), linked to metabolic syndrome, in India. Abdominal obesity (excessive fat tissue in and around the abdomen), elevated blood pressure, blood fat disorders like high triglycerides and low HDL (good cholesterol) are prominent risk factors for metabolic syndrome.

This was stated by Dr Naved Aslam, consultant cardiologist at Hero DMC Heart Institute, while speaking at a continuing medical education (CME) programme organised by the Indian Medical Association, Malerkotla, last evening.

According to Dr Aslam, the best way to save oneself from this potentially disease-causing syndrome is through lifestyle and diet modification.

A healthy diet coupled with regular exercise keeps the heart fit and healthy. For the right diet, one should eat less fat, less sodium, fewer calories and more fiber.

Physical exercise, through increased blood levels of endorphins and nitric oxide, brings physical and mental relaxation and a feeling of well being.

Speaking on the management of patients with acute ischemic stroke, Dr Rajinder Bansal, consultant neurologist at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, observed that optimal treatment of the patient who had sustained an acute ischemic stroke required rapid assessment and early intervention.

“It is essential to recognise stroke early as it can help save life. Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body, sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, and sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination are the warning signs of stroke.”

Dr Naveen Mittal, consultant endocrinologist at the DMCH, was the other speaker at the CME. 

Ludhiana, November 6
Heart valve disease is growing worldwide, including India. The main reasons behind the disease are the “wearing out”, wherein calcium is deposited in the leaflet tissue, or damage caused due to rheumatic fever, said Dr K.C. Mukherjee, a cardiac surgeon at SPS Apollo Hospital, while addressing a press conference here on Saturday.

Around 70 per cent of all heart valve replacements across the world occurred due to natural ageing process.

In contrast, the average age of heart valve replacement patients in developing countries, including India, was much lower, which is due to high prevalence of rheumatic disease, he added.

He said rheumatic fever and its damage to heart valve was highly prevalent in India. Due to low awareness, many patients continue to live with the symptoms that impacted the daily routine activities over long periods.

“There is a need to increase awareness for heart valve replacement and benefits of tissue valves amongst masses.”

He said rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease was commonly seen in India.

It could affect body’s connective tissues, especially those of the heart, joints, brain or skin.

The condition (rheumatic fever) begins with a strep throat from streptococcal infection.

The heart valve malfunctioning can be detected from the occurrence of symptoms, which include chest pain or tightening of the chest, shortness of breath, inability to sleep, general fatigue and inability to perform day-to-day activities, along with swollen ankles or feet or an abnormally large abdomen.

Explaining the options for a heart valve replacement, Dr Mukherjee said a patient in need of a replacement could go in for either a mechanical valve or a valve made of animal or human tissue.

“Mechanical valves are manufactured from a biocompatible metal, plastic or ceramic-like material. The valve itself consists of a ring, with one or two moveable discs inside that open and close to control the flow of blood, much like a natural valve.”

He added that mechanical valves performed well and were durable.

These usually lasted throughout the patient’s lifetime and did not require replacement.

However, patients having mechanical valves made from metal or plastic required to take anticoagulation medication (blood thinners) throughout their lifetime to prevent the formation of blood clots.

These clots could result in strokes or other serious medical problems.

In contrast, on account of their origin, tissue valves mimicked natural valves more closely than mechanical valves did.

As such, tissue valves typically did not require the prolonged use of anticoagulation medication and therefore might provide a better quality of life, he added.

Ludhiana, November 6
On the penultimate day of the CBSE Cluster XVI Basketball Tournament (u-19) being played at BCM Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh road branch, here today, host BCM School scored an emphatic victory (41-14) over Delhi Public School, Jalandhar, and Apeejay Public School, Jalandhar, outnumbered Guru Nanak Public School, Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana, 39-14, to set up the title clash in the girl’s section.

Jaspreet Kaur and Deepali netted 20 ad 18 points, respectively, to script victory for BCM School while Jaspreet and Supreet accounted for 11 and 13 points, respectively, for Apeejay School and helped their team to secure a berth in the final.

In the match to decide the third spot, Guru Nanak Public School, Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana, overpowered Delhi Public School, Jalandhar, 21-15.