Perforated peptic ulcer disease in transferred patients is associated with significant increase in length of stay

BACKGROUND

Perforated peptic ulcer disease (PPUD) has a prevalence of 0.004-0.014% with mortality of 23.5% (Tarasconi et al. in World J Emerg Surg 15(PG-3):3, 2020). In this single center study, we examined the impact associated with patient transfer from outside facilities to our center for definitive surgical intervention (exploratory laparotomy).

METHODS

Using EPIC report workbench, we identified 27 patients between 2018 and 2021 undergoing exploratory laparotomy with a concurrent diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease, nine of which were transferred to our institution for care. We queried this population for markers of disease severity including mortality, length of stay, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, and readmission rates. Manual chart reviews were performed to examine these outcomes in more detail and identify patients who had been transferred to our facility for surgery from an outside hospital.

RESULTS

A total of 27 patients were identified undergoing exploratory laparotomy for definitive treatment of PPUD. The majority of patients queried underwent level A operations, the most urgent level of activation. In our institution, a Level A operation needs to go to the operating room within one hour of arrival to the hospital. Average mortality for this patient population was 14.8%. The readmission rate was 40.1%, and average length of ICU stay post-operatively was 16 days, with 83% of non-transfer patients requiring ICU admission and 100% of transfer patients requiring ICU admission, although this was not found to be statistically significant. Average length of hospital stay was 27 days overall. For non-transfer patients and transfer patients, LOS was 20 days and 41 days, respectively, which was statistically significant by one-sided t-test (p = 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Patients transferred for definitive care of PPUD in a population otherwise notable for high mortality and high readmission rates: their average length of stay compared to non-transfer patients was over twice the length, which was statistically significant. Transferred patients also had higher rates of ICU care requirement although this was not statistically significant. Further inquiry to identify modifiable variables to facilitate the care of transferred patients is warranted, especially in the context of improving quality metrics known to enhance patient outcomes, satisfaction, and value.

Validation, dissipation kinetics and monitoring of flonicamid and dinotefuran residues in paddy grain, straw, its processed produces and bran oil using LC-MS/MS

Flonicamid and dinotefuran are highly effective insecticides in paddy but residue persistence in crop and transmission into food and feed is unknown. This study aimed to examine initial deposits and dissipation kinetics of flonicamid and dinotefuran in paddy matrices and processed products including bran oil. The method was validated following acetonitrile extraction, dispersive solid phase clean-up and finally determination using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry. Recoveries ranged from 76.6 to 109.7 percent for the paddy matrices tested. In a field experiment, flonicamid and dinotefuran were applied to paddy crops to study dissipation patterns. The half-lives of flonicamid and dinotefuran residues in paddy ranged from 2.0 to 3.0 days. However, at harvest time paddy grain and straw samples were found free from residues. Monitoring of residues in farm gate and market samples revealed that paddy products were not contaminated with flonicamid or dinotefuran residues.

Intra-operative Safety of an Autonomous Robotic System for Total Knee Replacement: A Review of 500 Cases in India

Background

Manual total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been documented several times for their safety and complications data. In contrast, there is a limited evidence-based analysis for safety and complications of autonomous robotic-assisted (RA)-TKA. This study aimed to evaluate the safety features and intra-operative surgical complications associated with the use of Cuvis Joint™ autonomous robotic system for TKA.

Methods

The study included 500 consecutive patients who underwent TKA using the Cuvis Joint™ autonomous robotic system from November 2020 to November 2021. All surgeries were performed by a senior surgeon. Patients in whom the surgery was abandoned midway due to technical errors, were excluded from the analysis. In case of unilateral abandonment of the robotic arm during a bilateral RA-TKA, data of the side on which the surgery was completed with robotic assistance was recorded.

Results

There was no incidence of neurological injury, vascular injury, extensor mechanism disruption, or medial collateral ligament injury. There was one case of superficial abrasion of the patellar tendon; however, it did not require any intervention. There were no cases of midway abandonment due to threatened soft tissue injury. There was no intra-operative pin loosening or stress-related fractures at the pin sites. There was one case of Steinmann pin breakage and another case of drill bit breakage, which were removed without any damage to the bone.

Conclusion

The Cuvis Joint™ autonomous robotic system for TKA is safe with no significant intra-operative complications.

Optimization of biogas potential using kinetic models, response surface methodology, and instrumental evidence for biodegradation of tannery fleshings during anaerobic digestion

The optimization of the batch size experiment was run for a hydraulic retention time of 45 days using proteolytic enzyme pretreatment. The highest amounts of biogas were produced in comparison to conventional BDS (25:75), which is not processed with enzymes, and there was an increase in the biogas generation of 13.9 and 18.57%. The kinetic models show the goodness of fit between 0.993 and 0.998 and the correlation coefficient's value domain was [-1, 1] from a statistical perspective. The Box-Behnken design was carried out using the response surface methodology at different levels of independent parameters to optimize the process. Different instruments were evaluated to determine the chemical structure change and the contamination of the different treatments and the raw sample of tannery fleshings was determined. Thermogravimetric analysis was conducted to determine the loss of weight on thermal degradation. The Fourier transform infrared spectrometry was carried out to determine the different functional groups, such as -OH, -CH, -NH, and C-O, present in the samples of tannery fleshings. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis were carried out to determine the morphological alterations in the substrate, digestate, enzyme-pretreated fleshings, and the chemical composition of samples.

Correction: An efficient metal free synthesis of 2-aminobenzothiozoles - a greener approach

Correction for 'An efficient metal free synthesis of 2-aminobenzothiozoles - a greener approach' by Krithika Ganesh et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2023, 21, 564-568, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2OB01981G.

Catalytic response and molecular simulation studies in the development of synthetic routes in trimeric triaryl pyridinium type ionic liquids

Under conventional and silica-supported Muffle furnace methods, water-soluble substituted trimeric triaryl pyridinium cations with various inorganic counter anions are synthesized. The solvent-free synthesis method is superior to the conventional method in terms of non-toxicity, quicker reaction times, ease of workup, and higher yields. Trimeric substituted pyridinium salts acted as excellent catalytic responses for the preparation of Gem-bisamide derivatives compared with available literature. To evaluate the molecular docking, benzyl/4-nitrobenzyl substituted triaryl pyridinium salt compounds with VEGFR-2 kinase were used with H-bonds, π-π stacking, salt bridges, and hydrophobic contacts. The results showed that the VEGFR-2 kinase protein had the most potent inhibitory activity. Intriguingly, the compound [NBTAPy]PF₆^- had a strongly binds to VEGFR-2 kinase and controlled its activity in cancer treatment and prevention.

An efficient metal free synthesis of 2-aminobenzothiozoles - a greener approach

A facile one-pot, metal-free method for the synthesis of 2-aminobenzothiazoles was developed, which includes an initial reaction of electron-deficient 2-haloanilines with aromatic isothiocyanates and the subsequent intramolecular cyclization of the resulting thioureas through the SNAr mechanism. This one-pot, atom-economical, robust, and scalable method avoids the use of reagents such as acid chlorides and Lawesson's reagent that are difficult to handle.

Management of tibial shaft fractures with closed intra medullary interlocking nail among Indians

It is of interest to document data on the well Reamed Intramedullary Nailing in Isolated Tibial Diaphyseal Fractures without Fibular Osteotomy among Indians. 120 patients with isolated tibial diaphyseal fractures were treated with IMIL nail (84 closed fractures, 16 type I open fractures, and 20 type II open fractures) were involved in this study. Research was carried out over a five-and-a-half-year period, from July 2013 to December 2018.According to Johner and Wruh's criteria, good functional findings were achieved in 70% of patients, better operational results in 15%, reasonable functional results in 5%, and poor functional results in 10% of cases after surgery. The percentage of union in the present analysis was 90%. The average time for union was 5 months, with 84 fractures healing before 5 months. Intramedullary Interlocking Nailing reduces length of stay in hospital, lowers the financial load, and promotes early return to work without the need for further surgical treatment such as partial fibular osteotomy.

Synthesis, spectroscopic, DFT, and molecular docking studies on 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative compounds: a combined experimental and theoretical study

Dihydropyridines are the most extensively used drugs in the treatment of hypertension. Nifedipine is the prototype of calcium channel blocker. The dihydropyridine derivative compounds of diethyl 4-(4-bromophenyl)-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate (DHPB), diethyl 4-(furan-2yl)-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate (DHPF), and diethyl-4-phenyl-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate (DHPP) were synthesized using the Hantzsch reaction. The DFT/B3LYP exchange-correlation function was employed to perform quantum chemical calculations such as molecular geometry optimization, vibrational analysis, frontier molecular orbital (FMO), molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), natural bond order (NBO), global reactive descriptors, and Fukui functions to determine the structural characteristics related to biological activity of the compounds. The molecular docking and molecular dynamics were employed to study the binding interaction and stability of protein-ligand complex in the docked site.

Autism and Emotion: A Narrative Review

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes a variety of childhood-onset and lifelong neurodevelopmental condition with an enduring impact on multiple domains of functioning characterized by persistent deficits in social communication, restricted and repetitive behavior interest, and activities. They often find it hard to recognize and control emotions but their emotional expression can be improved by various intervention techniques that in turn can help them understand and respond more appropriately to other people. Problems in the area on emotional reciprocity among individual with ASD involve recognizing, understanding, expressing, and regulating emotions. Their ability in emotional reciprocity is often improved with a comprehensive treatment approach, especially by focused emotional enhancement intervention. In this review, we followed the standard IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) structure to critically examine the condition of autism and its relation with genetic mechanism, and how theories of emotion and theory of mind associated with persons with ASD, some of the widely used assessment tools and future research direction in the emotional development of individuals diagnosed with ASD by using the narrative review method. Records collected through research databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, EBSCO and published books with ISBN (International Standard Book Number), and published test manuals were evaluated in-depth and summarized based on the subtopic of the proposed title. A critical theoretical analysis of the genetic mechanism of emotions, theories of emotions, and theory of mind was explained in connection with ASD.

Insilico Molecular Docking Studies of Volatile Compounds Identified by GC-MS from Tagetes Species Against Mamestra brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758)

Plants evolved to be a potential source of pharmacologically active compounds that are being widely accepted as insect repellent compounds for generations. Products of natural origin are mostly preferred over synthetic compounds because of fewer side effects on human health and the environment, have the potential to be produced locally, cost-effective, and are proved to be more efficient. They are best suited in organic food production and can play a much greater role in developing countries as a new class of eco-friendly products for controlling pests. In turn, the development of repellents is desirable alternatives to synthetic chemical insecticides for controlling pests. In the process of continual search for insect-based repellents of natural origin, a wide number of Tagetes species have been archived and all parts of this plant from root to seed possess a range of phytochemicals that are responsible for the repellent activity. The present study concentrates on the identification of active volatile compounds from Tageteserecta leaves by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and further evaluation through molecular docking studies of identified compounds against Mamestra brassicae.

A study on contraceptive prevalence rate and factors influencing it in a rural area of Coimbatore, South India

Introduction

India is the first country to implement National Family Program in 1952. Acceptance of contraceptive methods is influenced by various factors at the individual, family, and community level with their roots in the socioeconomic and cultural milieu of Indian society. This study was carried to find the contraceptive prevalence rate among eligible couples as well as to find the factors influencing it in a rural area of Coimbatore.

Methodology

The study was carried out using the data extracted from the family health survey conducted by trained field staff for the purpose of furnishing details regarding people residing in the field practice area of Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC), Vedapatti located in Coimbatore district after obtaining Institutional Human Ethical clearance. All eligible couples were included for the study. Contraceptive prevalence is expressed in percentage with 95% Confidence interval. Univariate analysis (Chi-square test) was done to find the association between contraceptive acceptance and independent variables. Strength of association is determined by odds ratio with 95% Confidence Interval (CI). P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate among eligible couples was found to be 75% (95% CI: 73.6-76.4). Most commonly used method among the study participants was tubectomy (81.6%), followed by condoms (11.4%), intrauterine devices (6.3%), and oral contraceptive pills (0.7%). Higher age of the women, religion, educational status of the women, socioeconomic status, working status of the women, number of living children, age at the time of marriage, and age at the time of first child birth were found to have statistical significant association with higher usage of contraception.

Conclusion

The contraceptive prevalence rate was found to be higher in this study population and multiple factors were influencing the contraception usage among the eligible couples.

Hybrid Framework for a Robust Face Recognition System Using EVB_CNN

Recognition of the human face is becoming an ingenious technology that enhancing its strategy gradually by finding its applications in a wide variety of fields including security and surveillance. The traditional methods that are in practise for face recognition are not adequate in producing good accuracy due to two main reasons. The first one is the pictures are affected by various uncontrolled situations such as illumination, blur, and pose, and the second one is struggling in an efficient recognition when dealing with a large number of samples. There is need for an effective face recognition as a part of life in the automated environment. The traditional methods are lagging with some parameters. To overcome the aforementioned issues, a new methodology is implemented. This methodology is a hybrid frame work combined with Eigen value-based convolutional neural networks (EVB_CNN). The EVB_CNN is designed in such a way that the significant features are extracted and classified by the softmax function and fully connected layer, respectively. The experimental analysis is carried out with AR data set and ORL data set that shows enhancement in accuracy with significant reduction in computation time with images taken over specific uncontrolled environments.

Furoate Based Functionalised Ionic Liquid: Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Studies

A tetraalkyl ammonium cation and furoate anion based functionalised ionic liquid (FIL), N-methyl-N,N,N-trioctylammonium furoate ([MTOA]+[FA]–) has been synthesised and characterised using FT-IR, NMR, and UV spectroscopic techniques. The invitro antimicrobial activity of the synthesised FIL against two types of Gram-positive bacteria, namely Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacter faecalis as well as Gram-negative bacteria, namely Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was tested using a well diffusion method. Similarly, an antifungal test was done against Candida albicans. [MTOA]+[FA]– showed significant inhibitory effect against all the organisms tested as compared with the chosen standards. Antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria (zone of inhibition: 16 to 30mm) was found to be higher than that of Gram-negative bacteria (zone of inhibition: 11 to 19mm). Moreover, the antioxidant activity of the synthesised FIL from a ferrous ion (Fe2+) chelating assay and its scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, H2O2, and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) free radical using spectrophotometric methods are reported. The FIL, [MTOA]+[FA]– showed a moderate antioxidant activity.

Genome-wide identification, characterization and expression analysis of non-RD receptor like kinase gene family under Colletotrichum truncatum stress conditions in hot pepper

Receptor like kinases (RLKs) are preserved upstream signaling molecules which regulate several biological processes from plant development to various stress adaptation programs. Non arginine aspartate (non-RD) a prominent class of RLKs plays a significant role in disease resistance and apoptosis in plants. In present investigation, a comprehensive in silico analysis for non-RD Kinase gene family as well as identification of gene structures, sequence similarity, chromosomal localization, gene duplication analysis, promoter analysis, transcript expression profiles and phylogenic studies were done. In this study, twenty-six genes were observed on nine out of twelve chromosomes. All these genes were clustered into five subfamilies under large monophyletic group termed as Interleukin-1 Receptor-Associated Kinase (IRAK) family. Some of the important physiochemical properties of twenty-six proteins are determined and ranged in the following order: (a) Amino acids size ranged from (620 to 1781) (b) Molecular weight ranged as of (70.11 to 197.11 KDa) and (c) Theoretical PI ranged from (5.69 to 8.63) respectively. Structural diversity in genomic structure among non-RD kinase gene family was identified and presence of pathogen induced cis regulatory elements including STRE, MYC, MYB, and W box were found. Expression profiles revealed the potential ability of three genes CaRLK1 from LRRXII and CaRLK15,16 from stress antifung subfamily were pointedly upregulated beyond the severe stress time period (9 DAI) in anthracnose resistant genotype PBC-80 in response to Colletotrichum truncatum infection. Subsequently, in silico studies from the available genome sequencing data helped us to identify candidate genes tangled in inducing disease resistance.

Profile of hematological abnormalities and its correlation with absolute CD4 count and human immunodeficiency virus viral load in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients in a tertiary care hospital

Background

A variety of hematological manifestations are seen at every stage of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and they often pose a great challenge in the comprehensive management of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Anemia is the most common hematological abnormality associated with HIV infection. The severity and the incidence of cytopenia are usually correlated with the stage of the disease and underlying immune status if interpreted cautiously, especially if the patient is on regular follow-up. The primary objective of the present study was to understand the spectrum of hematological abnormalities in HIV-infected patients, whereas the secondary objective was to evaluate the correlation of hematological abnormalities with absolute CD4 count and HIV viral load.

Materials and Methods

The present cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 100 patients, aged 18 years and above, diagnosed with HIV infection and confirmed by Western blot or ELISA method. Both inpatients and outpatients at our tertiary care hospital were included in the study.

Results

Individuals with high viral load and low CD4 count had a higher prevalence of anemia. There was a statistically significant and directly proportionate decrease in the absolute CD4 count as the hemoglobin levels decreased (P = 0.004). In the present study, normocytic normochromic blood picture and anemia of chronic disease blood picture were more prevalent among the study participants. Individuals with high viral load and CD4 count <200 cells/mm³ had a higher rate of occurrence of coinfections. The correlation of absolute neutrophil count and thrombocytopenia with absolute CD4 count and HIV viral load was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Complete blood counts and peripheral smear observations were significantly correlated with high HIV viral load and lower absolute CD4 cell counts and therefore can be suggested as economical alternatives for the evaluation of the status of HIV disease stage and its progression.

Output current enhancement of hexylthiophene functionalized D–π-extended–A triphenylamine in dye sensitized solar cells

In this work, we report the synthesis of triphenylamine based D–π-extended–A hexylthiophene functionalized MY-102 dye and its solar power conversion efficiency improvement in dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs).

Highly reactive crystalline-phase-embedded strontium-bioactive nanorods for multimodal bioactive applications

In the present work, a crystallization-induced strontium-bioactive material, with a composition similar to Bioglass 45S5 system, was obtained using a sol-gel-assisted microwave method with nanorod morphologies of 30-80 nm in size. The effect of crystallization induced in the glass network, and its influence on the bioactivity and mechanical properties of bone and dentin regeneration, were the main novel findings of this work. Rietveld analysis of X-ray diffraction spectra showed the best fit with sodium (combeite, Na2Ca2Si3O9) and calcium (clinophosinaite, Ca2Na6O14P2Si2; calcium strontium silicate, Ca1.5O4SiSr0.5; and calcium carbonate, CaCO3) enriched crystal systems. Multinuclear solid-state NMR studies provided detailed atomistic insight into the presence of crystalline mineral phases in the bioactive material. The dentin matrix and antibacterial studies showed good results for 5% strontium-substituted calcium compared with basic 45S5 composition due to its smaller particle size (30 nm), which suggested applications to dentin regeneration. Simulation studies have been demonstrated with clinophosinaite crystal data from the XRD spectra, with the glycoprotein salivary metabolites also showing that 5% strontium-substituted calcium has a higher binding affinity for the salivary compound, which is suitable for dentin regeneration applications. In vitro apatite formation studies showed that this material is suitable for bone regeneration applications.

Toxicity impact of fenvalerate on the gill tissue of Oreochromis mossambicus with respect to biochemical changes utilizing FTIR and principal component analysis

The use of pesticides in agriculture can make their way into the earth and wash into the amphibian system causing ecological stress. This study aims to understand the changes occurring in gill tissues as a result of fenvalerate exposure using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The intensity ratio of the selected bands I1545/I1657, I2924/I2853, and I1045/I1545 measures changes in proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. Curve-fitting analysis was performed in the selected band region to analyze the quantitative changes of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. The band area ratio of CH3/asCH2+ sCH2 shows the absence of a long chain of fatty acids due to fenvalerate treatment. The band area ratio of asCH2/sCH2 increases for higher sublethal concentrations, which shows the lower disorder of lipid acyl chain flexibility. A decrease in lipids was found in lower sublethal concentrations. The secondary structure of proteins affirms β sheet development. Carbohydrate metabolism of gill tissues demonstrates a decrease in glycogen contents. A further decrease in glycogen content and an increase in lactic acid were observed when presented to a fenvalerate concentration. PCA plots indicate distinct variations among the biochemical parameters of the gill tissues. This study provides a quantitative examination of assessing pesticide toxicity in aquatic environments.

Performance of an indigenous integrated slurry photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR) on the removal of aqueous phenanthrene (PHE)

In this study, a slurry photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR) was developed and evaluated for the degradation of aqueous phenanthrene (PHE). During continuous process with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 140 min, the maximum PHE degradation and total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiencies were found to be 97% and 79%, respectively. The reuse and recovery potential of TiO₂ was studied with continuous recycling. The major intermediates during photodegradation of PHE were found to be phenanthrenequinone, phenanthenol and fluorine. This study also includes an investigation of membrane fouling caused by hydrophilic nano TiO₂. The cake layer observed on the membrane surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). In addition, the effect of operating parameters such as pH and permeate flux on membrane fouling were also investigated. Low permeate flux and alkaline conditions reduced membrane fouling.

Enhanced prediction of recombination hotspots using input features extracted by class specific autoencoders

In yeast and in some mammals the frequencies of recombination are high in some genomic locations which are known as recombination hotspots and in the locations where the recombination is below average are consequently known as coldspots. Knowledge of the hotspot regions gives clues about understanding the meiotic process and also in understanding the possible effects of sequence variation in these regions. Moreover, accurate information about the hotspot and coldspot regions can reveal insights into the genome evolution. In the present work, we have used class specific autoencoders for feature extraction and reduction. Subsequently the deep features that are extracted from the autoencoders were used to train three different classifiers, namely: gradient boosting machines, random forest and deep learning neural networks for predicting the hotspot and coldspot regions. A comparative performance analysis was carried out by experimenting on deep features extracted from different sets of the training data using autoencoders for selecting the best set of deep features. It was observed that learning algorithms trained on features extracted from the combined class specific autoencoder out performed when compared with the performances of these learning algorithms trained with other sets of deep features. So the combined class-specific autoencoder based feature extraction can be applied to a growing range of biological problems to achieve superior prediction performance.

Intravitreal Bevacizumab for Choroidal Neovascularization Associated with Angioid Streaks: Long-term Results

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) in the treatment of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to angioid streaks (AS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Noncomparative, interventional retrospective case series involving ten patients (15 eyes) with a minimum follow-up of 25 months following IVB for AS-associated CNV. Demographic and clinical details at baseline and during follow-up were collected from patient records. Detailed clinical examination was followed by fundus fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography to confirm CNV. Both primary and recurrent CNVs were treated with monthly injections of IVB till the lesion stabilized. Primary outcome measures were the percentage of patients with stable or improved visual acuity (VA) and with stable or decreased central retinal thickness (CRT) at the last visit. Secondary outcome measure was the incidence of ocular and systemic complications.

RESULTS:

Recurrence was observed in 11 eyes (73.33%) over a mean follow-up of 57.33 months (range: 25–100). A mean number of injections administered was 5.60. VA improved or stabilized in 73.33% and deteriorated in 26.67% of eyes at the final visit. Mean CRT improved from 324.40 μm at baseline to 265.53 μm at final visit, which was statistically significant. Complications observed were ocular hypertension in one patient and thromboembolic event in another patient.

CONCLUSIONS:

IVB appears to be a safe and effective option to treat CNV and to preserve vision over a prolonged period. It cannot eliminate the risk of recurrent CNV indicating the need for more effective treatments to arrest this visually debilitating condition.