Table 1.

Demographic characteristics of subjects

	Control group	Study group
Number	30	30
Age (mean); years	36	37.5
Male / Female	19 / 11	18 / 12
Medical patients	20	21
Stroke	3	2
CHF	4	5
GB syndrome	1	0
COPD	5	7
Snake/insect bite	2	3
Hepatic encephalopathy	1	0
Tubercular pleural effusion	3	1
Organophosphorus poisoning	1	3
Surgical patients	10	9
Gunshot/stab wound abdomen	0	1
Blunt trauma chest with flail chest	1	1
Blunt trauma abdomen	2	0
Head injury	2	3
Intestinal obstruction	3	2
Perforation peritonitis	2	2