Emedinews: Inspiration: All for Love and Life

In a strange case, a woman donated her organ twice to save her husband from the jaws of death. In 2005, Surat-based Rameshbahi Patel's life turned topsy-turvy when doctors at the Global Hospital in Hyderabad found him afflicted with liver cirrhosis. Only a liver transplantation could save him. Getting a donor was tough. But his wife Sharadabhen stepped in and offered a part of her liver. The transplantation was successfully done in November 2005.

But 4 years later, another crisis struck the family when both the kidneys of Ramesbhai failed due to diabetic nephropathy. The worried couple rushed back to Hyderabad from Surat. He was put on dialysis. Sharadhabhan once again stepped in and donated her kidney. The transplantation was done in June end and Ramesbhai is completely recovered. "I am lucky to have a wife who is prepared to sacrifice any thing for me", said Rameshbahi after the operation.

Shardaben said: "Actually I am afraid to take even paracetamol tablet. but for my husband I can do anything." love conquers everything. Sequential liver and kidney transplantation is rare, say nephrologists KS Naik and Dharmesh Kapoor of Global Hospital.

Emedinews:Insights on Medicolegal issues:Embalming certificate of deceased is required by law in air/rail transportation

Embalming is the process of chemically treating a dead body developed by the ancient Egyptians of preserving a person's body after death or to delay the decomposition of the body, restore it to an acceptable physical appearance and reduce the presence and growth of bacteria to prevent foul smell as well as perfume or add fragrance to corpse.

·         One of the most famous embalmed corpses today is that of the Russian communist leader Vladimir Lenin, whose embalmed corpse is on display at the Red Square mausoleum in Moscow. The corpse is very well-preserved, and should last for at least another 100 years.

·         The process of embalming has a very long history, dating back to the Egyptian process of mummification. Though their techniques were quite different from those used today, the effect was the same — to preserve an individual's body after death. In case of the ancient Egyptians, they believed that the spirit would return to the body after death, so it must remain in good condition. To preserve the corpses, they covered bodies in a drying chemical called natron, and then wrapped them in linen sheets.

·         Today, embalming is done by injecting chemicals directly into the bloodstream to preserve the corpse's appearance. The most commonly used chemicals for embalming are formaldehyde and ethanol. A combination of these two chemicals is sufficient to preserve the body for a short time means up to a week

·         To keep the corpse in good condition for a longer period means up to a month, you would use a solution made up almost entirely of formaldehyde.

·         There are several steps involved in modern embalming. First, the embalming fluid is injected directly into the deceased’s blood vessels, and pushed through the body with a mechanical pump. Next, the internal organs are hollowed of their contents and filled with embalming fluid. The chemicals are then injected beneath the skin wherever necessary, followed by a final surface embalming on injured areas of the body. 

Emedinews : Inspiration

"One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all

grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off

and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Moral: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happens.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more -

5. Expect less from people

(Contributed by Mr Radhakrishna)

Emedinews:Insights on Medicolegal issues:What is the concussion of the brain?

It is a rotational injury caused by sudden acceleration.

• As seen in autopsy, concussion occurs when the head is free to move with sufficient velocity, but not when it is fixed. It is popularly known as ‘stunning ‘, and may be produced by direct violence on the vertex, by indirect violence as a result of a violent fall upon the feet from height, or by an unexpected fall on the ground, when pushed forcibly in any traffic accident or an injury received in industry.
• The impact on the hollow structure of skull is propagated by radiating waves of motion along with the site of impact and coverage as they approach the opposite pole giving rise at the point of collision to a contralateral or countercoup injury.
• The contusion and laceration of brain occurs due to the traction as the brain is torn away from its covering by the force of its own momentum. Application of a blow to the movable head is followed by a positive pressure in the area of brain underlying the zone of impact and by a negative pressure over the contralateral brain surface where the brain pulls away from the skull.
• The injuries of the brain heal by forming adhesions and may later cause secondary epilepsy.

(Contributed by Dr Sudhir Gupta)

Emedinews:Insights on Medicolegal issues:What is the countercoup injury of brain?

• Two types of impacts occur on skull and the sound wave elicited by the impact. The first at the site where the force is applied, the second where the advancing segments of the accelerated brain are brought suddenly to rest by the forces that resist its forward motion.
• Counter coup lesions of the brain were once thought to be caused by the brain moving within the skull in a straight line with the force of the blow striking against its opposite side, but from experiments on mechanics of head injuries it has demonstrated the countercoup lesions are chiefly due to local distortions of the skull and the sudden rotation of the head as result of a blow, which arouse shear strains or slide produced by the pulling apart of the constituent particles of the brain .
• Shear strains occur due to pulling apart of the constituent particles of the brain. They occur in all parts of the brain, but to a large extent at the base of the frontal lobe and the tip of the temporal lobe, as the skull gets a good grip on the brain in this region owing to the projecting ridge of the sphenoid bone. Hence, severe and extensive injuries occur in this region when a blow is struck on the occiput.
• On the other hand, countercoup injuries which are caused by rotation will not occur if the head is so well fixed that it cannot rotate at all when it receives a blow. Cerebral contusions and tears have been reported in autopsy as a result of trauma.

(References Modi’s medical jurisprudence 25th edition)
(Contributed by Dr Sudhir Gupta)

Emedinews: Inspiration: My Mom Only Had One Eye

My mom only had one eye. I hated her… She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for students and teachers to support the family. There was this one day during elementary school where my mom came to say hello to me. I was so embarrassed. How could she do this to me? I ignored her, threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school one of my classmates said, ‘EEEE, your mom only has one eye!’

I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my mom to just disappear. I confronted her that day and said, ‘If you’re only going to make me a laughing stock, why don’t you just die?’

My mom did not respond… I didn’t even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to her feelings. I wanted out of that house, and have nothing to do with her. So I studied real hard, got a chance to go abroad to study.

Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. I had kids of my own. I was happy with my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one day, my Mother came to visit me. She hadn’t seen me in years and she didn’t even meet her grandchildren. When she stood by the door, my children laughed at her, and I yelled at her for coming over uninvited. I screamed at her, ‘How dare you come to my house and scare my children!’ GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!’

And to this, my mother quietly answered, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address,’ and she disappeared out of sight.

One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I went to the old shack just out of curiosity.

My neighbors said that she died. I did not shed a single tear. They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.

‘My dearest son, I think of you all the time. I’m sorry that I came to your house and scared your children. I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you. I’m sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were growing up. You see……..when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn’t stand watching you having to grow up with one eye. So I gave you mine. I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye. With all my love to you, Your mother.’

(Contributed by Ms Ritu Sinha)

Insights on Medicolegal Issues: What is a coup lesion of brain?

The brain Injury is due to movements of the brain in relation to the skull or distortions of the skull.

· The flax cerebri and tentorium divide the cranial cavity into three communicating compartments and have a partly restraining effect on brain movements.

Injuries like Contusion and lacerations of the brain seen in vehicular accidents and falls from heights are caused by the application of violence to the head and may occur with or without external injury to the scalp and fracture of the skull.

Injuries may be seen superficially anywhere on the surface of the brain, though the commonest site is the outer surface of the parietal and temporal lobes or deep within the brain substance,and are associated with hemorrhages limited in small areas or multiple hemorrhages diffused largely within the brain tissues. They are also associated with disturbances of cerebrospinal fluid circulation.

These injuries, also known as coup lesions, are commonly found under the site of application of the blow, but are also sometimes found particularly during autopsy on the surface of the brain diagonally opposite the site of impact, and are called countercoup injuries.

Coup injuries are most commonly found on the frontal lobes and near the tips of the temporal and frontal poles, rarely on the occipital poles. They are usually severe injuries.

(References modi’s medical jurisprudence 25th edition)

(Contributed by Dr Sudhir Gupta, Additional Prof, Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, AIIMS)

Emedinews: Inspiration: Temper Control

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily, gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said “you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.”

Make sure you control your temper the next time you are tempted to say something you will regret later.

(Contributed by Ms Ritu Sinha)

Fitness Update: Studies show 15 minutes of daily exercise makes a big difference

It's still no excuse to slack off. Regular exercise strengthens muscles, reduces the risk of some diseases and promotes mental well-being. The more exercise, the better. But not everyone has the time or willpower. So researchers set out to find the minimum amount of physical activity needed to reap health benefits. The findings by a study in Taiwan suggest just 15 minutes of moderate exercise a day can lead to a longer life.

(Contributed by Rajat Bhatnagar, International Sports & Fitness Distribution, LLC, http://www.isfdistribution.com)

Was Lord Ganesha born of a stem cell transplant?

Today West claims that they can make human bladder tissue from the human skin cells. But was not lord Ganesha created by Parvati from the dirt of her body? The dirt from allopathic point of view would equate to the cells of her skin. In today’s terms Ganesha birth can be explained as the origin of stem cell baby birth in the literature.

First identified in the hematopoietic blood system stem cells are present in many other tissues. All stem cells are capable of self–renewal and they can differentiate.

Self–renewal is the ability to proliferate without the loss of differentiation potential and without undergoing biologic aging. Stem cells can divide symmetrically (in which both daughter cells are either stem cells or differentiated cells) or asymmetrically (yielding both a stem cell and a more differentiated cell)

Stem cells can be either totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent, or unipotent. Totipotent cells can produce all cell types (embryonic and extra embryonic placenta). Pluripotent cells can only make cells of the embryo proper. Multipotent cells can only make cells within a given germ layer.
Unipotent cells make cells of a single cell type.

In 2006 Shinya Yamanaka and colleagues introduced genes expressed in pluripotent cells into mature cells by a process, called reprogramming and induced a pluripotent state in a previously differentiated cell type. These cells are now called induced pluripotent cells (iPS).

iPS technology has revolutioned science today. A keratinocyte derived from the skin can be induced to become a pluripotent stem cell. Also a cell taken from an individual can be induced to become a cell type capable of forming any other cell type. A skin obtained from a patient with a degenerative brain disorder is now used as a drug after getting converted into a pluripotent cell.

Today the recognition that a cell taken from an individual can be induced to become pluripotent (a cell type capable of forming any other cell type in that individual's body) has provided unprecedented opportunities for regenerative medicine.

Today most easily accessible patient cell types, such as skin fibroblasts or blood cells are being reprogrammed to iPS.

Theoretically therefore it is possible to make any tissue from iPS. That means the skin cells can make liver, brain, heart or I fact the whole baby.

It looks that this technology claimed by the Western scientists of converting skin cell into iPS cell was available in our Vedic era and the birth of Ganesha by Parvati might have been an example of the first human baby made from the skin iPS.