All you need to know about Mucormycosis: Dos and Don’ts

Published

3 years ago

May 13, 2021

Dr.Tidy

What is Mucormycosis?

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection that mainly affects people who are on medication for other health related problems that reduces their ability to fight environmental pathogens.

Lungs or Sinuses of such individuals get affected after fungal spores are inhale from the air. And this leads to serious disease. Below are the symptoms.

Pain and redness around eyes or nose
Fever
Headache
Coughing
Shortness of breath
Bloody vomits
Altered mental status

What predisposes?

Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus

Immunosuppression by steroids

Prolonged ICU stay

Co-morbidities – post transplant/malignancy

Voriconazole therapy

How to prevent?

Use masks if you are visiting dusty construction sites

Wear shoes, long trousers, long sleeve shirts and gloves while handling soil (gardening), moss or manure

Maintain personal hygiene including thorough scrub bath

When to Suspect?

Sinusitis – nasal blockade or congestion, nasal discharge (blackish/bloody), local pain on the cheek bone

One sided facial pain, numbness or swelling

Blackish discoloration over bridge of nose/palate

Toothache, loosening of teeth, jaw involvement

Blurred or double vision with pain; fever, skin lesion; thrombosis & necrosis (eschar)

Chest pain, pleural effusion, haemoptysis, worsening of respiratory symptoms

Dos:

Control hyperglycemia

Monitor blood glucose level post COVID-19 discharge and also in diabetics

Use steroid judiciously – correct timing, correct dose and duration

Use clean, sterile water for humidifiers during oxygen therapy

Use antibiotics/antifungals judiciously

Don’ts

Do not miss warning signs and symptoms

Do not consider all the cases with blocked nose as cases of bacterial sinusitis, particularly in the context of immunosuppression and/or COVID-19 patients on immunomodulators

Do not hesitate to seek aggressive investigations, as appropriate (KOH staining & microscopy, culture, MALDITOF), for detecting fungal etiology

Do not lose crucial time to initiate treatment for mucormycosis

How to manage?

Control diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis

Reduce steroids (if patient is still on) with aim to discontinue rapidly

Discontinue immunomodulating drugs

No antifungal prophylaxis needed

Extensive Surgical Debridement – to remove all necrotic materials

Medical treatment

Install peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line)
Maintain adequate systemic hydration
Infuse Normal saline IV before Amphotericin B infusion
Antifungal Therapy, for at least 4-6 weeks (see the guidelines below )

Monitor patients clinically and with radio-imaging for response and to detect disease progressions.

For further information and consultation:

For any queries , kindly email to drtidybiz@gmail.com

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Study: 4th Covid vaccine dose effective in protecting people over 60

Published

2 years ago

April 16, 2022

admin

Study: 4th Covid vaccine dose effective in protecting people over 60

As per the new Israeli-led study, the largest healthcare organisation Clalit said fourth dose of Covid vaccine is effective for protecting people aged 60 and above.

The study found that a fourth dose can reduce the possibilities of symptomatic infection, hospitalisation, serious illness and mortality among the elders, Clalit said, Xinhua news agency reported.

In the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Clalit researchers and their colleagues from Harvard University in Boston analysed data from 182,122 Clalit members, all aged 60 and above, who received Pfizer’s fourth dose.

“The study unequivocally demonstrates that the fourth dose provides effective protection in preventing morbidity,” said Ran Balicer, Director of the Clalit Research Institute.

“It will help every person to make a decision on the fourth vaccine based on their level of personal risk,” he added.

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Covid-19: Here are the symptoms of fourth wave

Published

2 years ago

April 4, 2022

Dr.Tidy

Covid-19: Here are the symptoms of fourth wave

covid-19 pandemic. BA.2 has two characteristics – they are dizziness and extreme tiredness. BA.2 sub-variant or stealth omicron affects more on the stomach and intestines of the people, which leads to digestive problems. there is currently no evidence that people can catch covid-19 from food. the virus that causes covid-19 can be killed at temperatures similar to that of other known viruses and bacteria found in food.

Symptoms of Omicron:

Fever
Continuous Cough
Fatigue
Muscle and body health
Shortness of breath
Difficulty in breathing
Skin rash
Sleeping paralysis
Heartburn
Bloating
Back pain
Delirium
A loss of appetite
High temperature
Sore throat
Chest pain
Abdominal pain
Covid toes or figures
Covid tongue
Night sweats
Diarrhoea
Hoarse voice
New loss of taste and smell
Congestion or running nose
Nausea or vomiting
Headache

Covid

Covid-19: WHO shares post COVID symptoms

Published

2 years ago

March 11, 2022

Dr.Tidy

Covid-19: WHO shares post COVID symptoms

In the third year of pandemic, it is not just a fight against COVID, we have another challenge ahead of us i.e. dealing with post-COVID conditions. They are also known as long COVID conditions. With the growing number of cases of long COVID it is confirmed that COVID does not spare any body organ and it affects the biological ecosystem. Fatigue, trouble in breathing and cognitive dysfunction is the most common symptoms.

Fatigue: It is very common response from the body when fighting against any viral infection. It may last for weeks and it is very common symptom seen in all the patients who recovered from COVID.

Trouble in breathing: Even with the minimal physical activity person may have trouble in breathing. It is very common occurrence in the people who have been infected with COVID.

Cognitive dysfunction: It is commonly referred as brain fog. It actually means people having trouble with their attention, trouble in concentrating, trouble in recall or memory, trouble in sleeping.