Purishaja Krimi in school-going children – A survey study in rural area of Wardha District, Maharashtra

Abstract

Introduction: Ayurveda strongly suggests that diagnosis of a disease is based on its premonitory symptoms that are considered as the first stage of disease followed by clinical signs and symptoms. Purishaja Krimi is a problem of concern in developing countries like India where unhygienic practices and poor sanitary conditions are prevalent. Worm infestations are not noticed easily but can lead to some significant problems, affecting multiorgan systems such as anemia in hookworm infestation. Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2018 to April 2020 in school-going children in Salod village, Maharashtra. Participants were approached through inpatient department, outpatient department, and specialty camps in the area. Informants or parents were explained the details and the purpose of the study. When they gave willingness to participate in the study, informed consent was obtained. All the study participants were interviewed using the predesigned questionnaire and examined for Lakshana and general profile. They were further asked about the causes and their weekly duration of exposure. Randomly stool samples were collected from 10% of the participants for stool examination at the clinical laboratory of the institution. Results: Overall 306 children participated in this study; out of these, 46.42% belong to the 5–8 years of age group. Purishabheda, Shula, Vishtambha, Guda Nishkraman, Karshya, Parushya, Loma Harsha, and Agni Sada were the main Lakshana found in the participants with Purishaja Krimi. Conclusion: The prevalence of Purishaja Krimi with respect to signs and symptoms as described in Ayurveda was confirmed by the presence as 88% in the children.