Journal of Research in Medical and Interpathy Sciences

Charting New Horizons in Research and Interpathy Sciences

Amit P Gujarathi — 2025-07-12

Welcome to the inaugural 2025 issue of the Journal of Research in Medicine & Interpathy Sciences! It’s with great pleasure that I present this collection of insightful articles, reflecting the dynamic landscape of health research. Our mission remains steadfast: to foster rigorous scientific inquiry and bridge diverse perspectives within medicine and interpathy sciences.
This issue, covering January to June 2025, dives into crucial public health and clinical topics. Our original articles explore the health-related aspects and migration-specific issues among migrant workers in rural North Maharashtra, highlighting their awareness of government schemes. This timely research underscores the need for targeted interventions for vulnerable populations. The second original article provides a descriptive cross-sectional analysis of body composition among employees of a tertiary healthcare institute in Nashik, offering valuable insights for occupational health.

A Cross-sectional Study of Health, Migration-specific Issues, and Policy Awareness among Migrant Workers in a Rural Educational Complex of North Maharashtra

Anusha Sholapurkar — 2025-07-12

Background: Migrants are prone to poor health, low wages and other issues. Awareness about the rights and laws pertaining to them is usually poor too. This study was planned with the objective of assessing health related aspects of migrant workers, migration specific issues and awareness about Government and other official services and schemes.

Methodology: Study was conducted on campus of an Educational Complex. The questionnaire was administered followed by general health Examination and essential treatment with health education talk.

Results: Prevalence of Obesity, Hypertension was around 10%, respectively. More than 95% respondents were totally unaware of the labour laws and medical schemes pertaining to them though most of them had bank accounts (79%) and low addiction rates (27.14 %) due to the company rules. Knowledge about the use of personal protection gear use and its application was seen (72%). Precautions regarding working in a hospital cases of needle prick injuries could be seen with no notion regarding its effects. A direct co relation regarding home visiting and happiness of the people could be gauged. Lack of hygiene, cleanliness & necessities could be observed.

Conclusion: Routine health check-ups, information about personal protection measures and provision of basic facilities for better life and their upliftment are recommended.

Body Composition Assessment using Impedance Analysis among Employees of a Tertiary Healthcare Institute in Nashik: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Amit Gujarathi — 2025-07-12

Background: Body composition is a critical indicator of metabolic health and disease risk. Modern tools such as bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) offer a convenient, non-invasive assessment in clinical and community settings.

Objective: To assess the body composition of employees at a tertiary healthcare institution in Nashik using BIA and to evaluate the influence of demographic, lifestyle, and occupational factors on body composition parameters.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 53 employees aged ≥18 years. Participants included doctors, residents, interns, and Class 3/4 staff. Sociodemographic data, anthropometric measurements, random blood sugar (RBS), and blood pressure (BP) were recorded. Body composition was assessed using the Tanita Body Composition Analyzer. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, t-tests, and chi-square tests, with p<0.05 considered significant.

Results: Participants were predominantly male (62.3%) and aged 18–30 years (41.5%). Statistically significant sex-based differences were observed in basal metabolic rate (BMR), waist circumference, total body fat percentage, and skeletal muscle mass (p<0.05). Regular exercisers had significantly lower BMI (23.4 ± 3.6) and higher BMR (1490 ± 140 kcal/day) compared to non-exercisers (BMI: 26.1 ± 4.2; BMR: 1370 ± 150 kcal/day). Most participants (66%) consumed a mixed diet, with rice being the staple for 56.6%.

Conclusion: BIA effectively identified body composition disparities across gender and lifestyle habits. Regular physical activity was associated with favorable BMR and BMI outcomes. These findings support workplace wellness programs that encourage physical activity and balanced diets.

Addressing Burnout in Medical Training: Evidence-based Interventions and Institutional Strategies

Kavita Gadade — 2025-07-12

Burnout among medical trainees has reached alarming levels, with significant implications for trainee wellbeing, patient care quality, and healthcare workforce sustainability. This review examines the current evidence on burnout in medical training, including prevalence, contributing factors, and consequences. It critically evaluates evidence-based interventions at both individual and organizational levels, including mindfulness-based stress reduction, resilience training, work hour regulations, mentorship programs, and curriculum reforms. The article further explores institutional strategies that show promise in creating a more supportive training environment, such as organizational culture change, leadership engagement, and systems-level approaches to wellness. By synthesizing current evidence and identifying gaps in research, this review provides a comprehensive resource for medical educators, administrators, and policymakers committed to addressing burnout in the next generation of physicians.

Recent Updates of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program in India

Amit Gujarathi — 2025-07-12

India bears one of the highest tuberculosis (TB) burdens globally, accounting for approximately 26% of the world's TB cases. The National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP), formerly known as the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP), has undergone significant transformations in recent years to align with global End TB strategies and India's ambitious goal to eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global target. This review examines the recent updates and strategic shifts in NTEP, including diagnostic innovations, treatment regimen modifications, digital health initiatives, private-sector engagement strategies, and community participation models. The program's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its recovery strategies are also discussed. While NTEP has made substantial progress in enhancing case detection, treatment success rates, and reducing catastrophic costs to patients, challenges remain in reaching missing cases, addressing drug resistance, ensuring sustainable financing, and integrating with broader health system reforms. The review concludes with reflections on future directions needed to achieve TB elimination in India by 2025.

Postmortem Diagnosis of Fatal Gastric Mucormycosis in a Young Male

Ashwini Khadatkar Ghodake — 2025-07-12

Background: Gastric mucormycosis is a rare and highly aggressive fungal infection, typically seen in immunocompromised individuals. Its nonspecific clinical presentation often leads to delayed diagnosis and poor outcomes. Pediatric cases, particularly without clear risk factors, are exceedingly uncommon.

Case Presentation: We report the postmortem diagnosis of gastric mucormycosis in a 13-year-old male who presented with undifferentiated fever and altered consciousness. The patient died before a definitive diagnosis could be made. Autopsy revealed significant gastric mucosal necrosis and ulceration. Histopathological examination with PAS and GMS stains demonstrated broad, non-septate, angioinvasive fungal hyphae with intravascular thrombosis—hallmarks of mucormycosis. No fungal involvement was found in other organs, suggesting primary gastric infection.

Discussion: This case highlights the diagnostic challenge of gastric mucormycosis, particularly in a young, seemingly immunocompetent host. While commonly associated with diabetes, malignancy, or immunosuppression, our patient lacked overt predisposing factors, though borderline low blood counts suggested a possible undiagnosed immunocompromised state. The aggressive course and fatal outcome underscore the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion in atypical presentations.

Conclusion: Gastric mucormycosis, though rare, should be considered in unexplained systemic deterioration, even in young patients without clear risk factors. Early diagnosis through histopathology remains critical for timely, life-saving intervention.

A Rare Case of T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Paediatric Patient with Sickle Cell Trait

Swati R Bhutada — 2025-07-12

Background: By definition, the HbS level is less than 50% among sickle cell trait carriers. Patients with sickle cell disease seldom develop hemato-oncological cancers. Adult hemato-oncological cancers with sickle cell characteristics are extremely rare. However, as far as we are aware, this is the first case report of pediatric sickle cell trait patients with acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia.
Clinical Description: An 11-year-old boy presented with a two-month history of fever, weight loss, and an enlarging left upper chest swelling. He had notable lymph node enlargement in the neck, armpits, and groin, but no enlargement of the liver or spleen.
Management and Outcome: The child had clinical signs of mild anemia and suspicion of malignancy. Laboratory tests showed a low hemoglobin level (9.1% gm) with a peripheral smear indicating microcytic hypochromic anemia, along with 22% blast cells. The sickling test was positive, confirming sickle cell heterozygosity. CXR imaging revealed mediastinal widening, and chest CT scan indicated soft tissue mass with chest wall infiltration, suggesting a probable lymphoma or thymoma. LDH levels were notably elevated (3089 IU/L). Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and biopsy confirmed small round blue cell tumor, consistent with lymphoma. Cytochemistry and immunophenotypic analysis revealed T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL). The child received treatment with IV Methotrexate, Folinic acid, 6-Mercaptopurine, and Cytarabine and responded positively.
Conclusion: This case highlights a rare and possibly under-recognized association between sickle cell trait and hematological malignancies, specifically T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Given this finding, we recommend that patients diagnosed with hematological malignancies— particularly in regions with a high prevalence of hemoglobinopathies—should be routinely screened for sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait. Early identification of coexisting hemoglobinopathies may influence clinical management, risk stratification, and follow-up protocols. At the same time, further research is warranted to explore the prevalence and potential mechanisms linking sickle cell trait to malignancy. Patients with sickle cell disease should be screened for hematological malignancies.

The Anaesthetic Management for Intraoperative Arrhythmia in a Giant Ovarian Dermoid Cyst

Meera Pandey — 2025-07-12

Giant ovarian tumours are becoming very rare with the improvement in healthcare facilities. Most cysts are benign and very few turn out to be malignant. Such tumours are associated with considerable mortality. They present a challenge to the anaesthesiologist in terms of difficult intubation, maintenance of hemodynamic parameters heart rate and blood pressure and to avoid life-threatening cardiac and pulmonary complications. We report such a case where patient had a large ovarian tumour which was sudden in onset and was carefully managed by thorough preoperative assessment, intraoperative fluid and hemodynamic management and thorough postoperative care.

Lost and Found: A Case of Missing Intrauterine Contraceptive Device

Saudamini Naik — 2025-07-12

The common presentation of patients coming with a misplaced or migrated intrauterine copper device (IUCD) is either absence of strings, or they may become pregnant, while in majority, they may remain asymptomatic. In a developing country like India, contraception is treated like a national emergency. The IUCD is a commonly used contraceptive methods around the world, but it is associated with complications, which are rare. Uterine perforation is the most dreadful complication of the IUCD, which needs surgical intervention. A high degree of clinical suspicion is needed to identify it and Imaging is the best modality to diagnose the same. The IUCD can migrate or get misplaced within the peritoneal cavity, either partially or completely.
We present a case of a 36-year-old female with obstetric score of Para 3 with persistent, mild & dull aching pain in the lower abdomen. She had history of postpartum IUCD insertion five years ago followed by an abortion a year later. With the utilization of imaging modalities, the IUCD was seen on X-ray & Ultrasonography (USG). To remove the migrated IUCD an exploratory laparotomy using a small incision was done.

Anesthetic Management of a Patient with Ischemic Heart Disease for Extended Totally Extraperitoneal Repair under General Anesthesia

Meera Pandey — 2025-07-12

A patient with low ejection fraction was posted for laparoscopic repair of hernia by extraperitoneal technique, which was successfully done general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation. Arterial line was inserted for beat-to-beat arterial blood pressure monitoring. For pain control bilateral transversus abdominis plane block was given. The perioperative goal is to maintain forward flow, avoid inotropy and return the cardiac function to normal level without after surgery without inducing ischemia. With thorough preoperative assessment and optimisation and good intraoperative monitoring with management of the fluid status play an important role in optimisation of such cases.