Local anesthetic agents along with hyaluronidase for inguinal hernia block provides excellent analgesia: a double blind study

Background: Inguinal hernia block is cost effective, but fear of intra-operative pain may hinder its widespread use. It is unknown whether hyaluronidase along with local anesthetic agent provides good analgesia for hernia block. The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of hyaluronidase along with local anesthetic agents for inguinal hernia block in patients undergoing inguinal hernioplasty.Methods: 50 patients ASA grade I and II, age above 18 years, undergoing inguinal hernioplasty were randomized into two groups. Group A received inguinal hernia block with local anesthetic agents without hyaluronidase and Group B received inguinal hernia block with hyaluronidase and local anesthetic agents. Both groups received premedication 10 minutes before induction in the form of inj. Fentanyl, Midazolam, Ranitidine and OndansetronResults: In Group B, out of 25 patients only 4 patients required intraoperative analgesia while in group A 16 patients required intraoperative analgesia. Post operative pain was assessed for 24 hours using the pain rating scale. The mean duration of analgesia was significantly longer in group B (16.16±6.8780 hrs) compared to group A (7.32±2.5285 hrs); pain score was compared between the two groups. Group B had lower pain scores than group A which was statistically significant (P<0.05).Conclusion: It concludes that hyaluronidase with local anesthetic agent for inguinal hernia block provides excellent intraoperative analgesia and also prolongs the post operative analgesia

Changing pattern of prescribing antidiabetic agents in patients suffering from diabetes mellitus

Background: Drug utilization studies are powerful exploratory tools to ascertain the role of drugs in society. They create a sound sociomedical and health economic basis for healthcare decision making. The study was aimed to find out the changing pattern of prescribing the antidiabetic agents in patients suffering from diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2.Methods: It was a cross sectional study done on 200 patients suffering from type 1 and 2diabetes. Indoor patients and diabetes mellitus due to secondary cause were excluded. Each patient was followed up over a period of 1 year and the analysis of the prescriptions was done during that period. At end of study only 129 patients could be included for analysis.Results: In this study the maximal change in medicine was with pioglitazone which was discontinued as a 1st change in 6.2% of patients followed by metformin [5.4%], insulin [4.6%], and glipizide [3.8%]. The drug most commonly added as a first change was glipizide [11.6%] followed by metformin [10.0%] and pioglitazone [7.7%]. In order of 2nd change the most common drug discontinued was insulin [4.6%] followed by pioglitazone [3.8%] whereas drug commonly added as second change was insulin [2.3%] followed by glipizide [1.5%] and pioglitazone [1.5%]. In our cross sectional study average onset of 1st change was found to be at 4.38±2.75 months for discontinuation of drug and 3.75±2.42 months in adding the drugs.Conclusions: Due to lack of certain records, it is envisaged that the change of medicine both discontinuation as well as addition was done because of blood glucose control, cost factor [in case of pioglitazone] as well as patient’s compliance

Pharmacoepidemiological profile and appropriateness of drug use in paediatric diarrhoea patients: a cross sectional study in western India

Background: The background of the study was to analyze the prescribing pattern and appropriateness of drug treatment of diarrhoea.Methods: Total 194 pediatric patients with diarrhoea (140 admitted at tertiary care centre and 54 patients attended primary health care centre) were included and their demographic details; disease related parameters, drug treatment and adverse drug reactions were recorded. Appropriateness of drug treatment was analyzed using the WHO and Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) guidelines for management of diarrhoea.Results: Most patients (27.32%) were less than 1 year of age and majority 54.64% were males. Most common presenting symptoms was diarrhoea with dehydration (100%) followed by vomiting (60%), fever (54.29%). Stool cultures were carried out only in 22.86% patients at tertiary health care centre while no investigations were carried out at PHC. Average number of drugs prescribed per patient was 8.25 ± 1.3. All the patients were given fluid replacement therapy. 94.29% and 85.19% patients were prescribed antimicrobials at tertiary centre (THC) and PHC respectively. Most common antibiotic used was cephalosporins (82%) followed by aminoglycosides (48.57%) of patients at THC while ofloxacin (82.60%) and metronidazole (17.40%) were commonly used at PHC.  Analgesic/antipyretic was required in 70.71% and 85.19% of patients at THC and PHC respectively. Comparing with the WHO diarrhoea management guidelines and IAP guidelines, only 8 (14.81%) prescriptions were considered as rational. 2.85% patients developed mucocutaneous rash as ADR.Conclusions: Inappropriate prescribing for diarrhoea is highly prevalent in society. Emphasis on proper diagnosis and treatment, education and availability of locally effective guidelines may help in a better and judicious use of drugs in children

Development of the sexually transmitted infection service evaluation tool: Use of Delphi approach

Background: With the wide variation in sexually transmitted infection (STI) services, it is a challenge to devise strategies for ensuring effective service delivery. The objectives of this study were to develop a standard tool for STI services evaluation and use the Delphi method to derive a weighted factor for each parameter of the tool. Methods: A review of existing guidelines for quality care STI services were conducted, and parameters were selected to form the content of the measurement tool. Delphi technique was used to derive weighted factor for each STI service delivery parameter by using the Likert scale of 0–7. A heterogeneous group of 18 anonymous experts was invited to rate the parameters. All the responses were collected online. Cronbach's alpha level ≥0.8 was selected to define consensus the experts. Results: The STI service evaluation tool (SSET) was created including ten parameters to evaluate the performance of clinic with the help of standard National guidelines. The SSET was standardized by deriving weighted factor for each evaluation parameter. Three rounds of Delphi were required to achieve consistency. Response rates for each Delphi round were 77.78%, 100%, and 78.57%, respectively. Each parameter, such as workforce, materials, consumables, consultation, counseling, coverage, referral, records, information education and communication, and supervision, was assigned weighted factor derived by converting the final score into the total standard score of 100. Conclusion: The Delphi method represents a novel approach to develop standardized tools to evaluate the performance of service delivery

Future Pharmacological Armamentaria in Management of Alzheimer Disease

ABSTRACT Introduction: Alzheimer&apos;s disease (AD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorder and common cause of dementia in elderly. With advancing age, number of people suffering from AD is also increased. Exact aetiology of AD was not known and therapy was focused mainly on increasing central cholinergic transmission with drugs like donepazil, reivastigmine and galantamine. With the generation of amyloid hypothesis, extracellular amyloid plaques, consisting of amorphous extra cellular deposits of β-amyloid protein (known as Aβ) and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles(Tau) mainly in the hippocampus and frontal cortex ,altered processing of amyloid protein from its precursor (amyloid precursor protein, APP) recognised as the key to the pathogenesis of AD. But, now various studies have shown that etiology may be multifactorial. Inspite of having identified many potential targets, currently no drug modifying disease pathology is available .Advancement of the early diagnostic methods like positron emission tomography (PET) scan and measurement of various biomarkers like NO tagged proteins, ADAM-10 in c.s.f. could potentiate research to develop disease modifying drugs. Drugs modifying Y secretase, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, sigma receptor agonists, anti-Aβ monoclonal Abs are in the various stages of drug development and could become the cornerstone in the management of AD in future

De-novo Histoid Hansen cases

Histoid leprosy is a rare form of multibacillary leprosy with distinct clinical and histopathological features. It is a variant of lepromatous leprosy with a very high bacterial index. It appears in patients as a relapse after dapsone monotherapy, in the presence of dapsone resistance or rarely ′de-novo′. It is a matter of concern as we found three cases of de-novo Histoid that too in 3 months from February 2013 to April 2013; in post-global leprosy elimination era. We report three cases presenting with ′de-novo′ Histoid Hansen′s disease, with no history of leprosy or exposure to dapsone/multi-drug therapy, with heavy bacillary index. The above cases proved to be an eye opener to us in more than one senses. We are reporting these cases just to create awareness and avoid misdiagnosis which will help in prompt treatment and avoid its spread as well as avoid complications and deformities associated with it