Complement deficiency are rarely congenital, seen more commonly as acquired defects due to — a) Deficient production e.g. in newborns, PEM and chronic liver diseases, b) Defective function e.g. in sickle cell disease, c) Increased consumption or loss e.g. in septicemia, bums, SLE and nephrotic syndrome. Clinical features Clinically, complement deficiency cases present with recurrent pyogenic [...]

In allergic rhinitis, there is inflation of the mucous membranes of the nose due to exposure to an inhaled allergenic trigger. Allergic rhinitis is becoming more common with increasing urbanization and industrialization. It is being considered as serious global health issue, affecting human productivity and quality of life.20-25 per cent of Indian population suffers from [...]

Dehydration in children denotes loss of TBW from extracellular and! or intracellular compartments, due to reduced intake or more likely, excessive losses via urine, stools, lungs or skin. As these losses are predominantly from ECF compartment, ECF dehydration is dominates in early stages. ICE dehydration usually develops after redistribution of fluids. Etiology Acute Diarrhea or [...]

Niacin deficiency - Niacin is a component of two important glycolytic enzymes — Nicotinaminde adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and NAD phosphate, as well as a regulator of DNA synthesis and repair. Nutritionally, it is available as — a) Preformed niacin or nicotinic acid, mainly in non- vegetarian foods e.g. meat and fish; or b) Synthesized from its [...]

Rickets is defined as failure of mineralization of the growing bones, which should not be confused with osteomalacia i.e. defective mineralization of mature bones, or osteoporosis i.e. de-mineralization of pre-mineralized bones. Rickets may be broadly divided into two categories Vitamin D deficiency or nutritional rickets, and Vitamin D-resistant or refractory rickets. Nutritional rickets accounts for [...]

Vitamin E deficiency - Vitamin E is a group of natural fat-soluble compounds – ct-tocoferols. Physiology Vitamin E is an important anti-oxidant (free-radical scavenger) as well as involved in nucleic acid metabolism and stabilization of cellular membranes. It is widely distributed in vegetable oils,fats and nuts, specially those rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. RDA: 3-7 mg of [...]

Clinical spectrum of Protein energy malnutrition is a continuum, ranging from borderline growth delay to well-defined syndromes of Kwashiorkor and Marasmus. Within this spectrum, many other terms are used to denote clinical variations e.g. Prekwashiorkor, Marasmic kwashiorkor (MK), Nutritional dwarfism etc. Broadly, clinical presentations of Protein energy malnutrition may be divided into 4 major groups  Under nutrition, [...]