Insights from global data for use of rotavirus vaccines in India

Rotavirus vaccines are being introduced in several low- and middle-income countries across the world with and without support from the GAVI Alliance. India has the highest disease burden of rotavirus based on morbidity and mortality estimates and several indigenous vaccine manufacturers are developing rotavirus vaccines. One candidate has undergone phase III testing and others have completed evaluation in phase II. Global data on licensed vaccine performance in terms of impact on disease, strain diversity, safety and cost-effectiveness has been reviewed to provide a framework for decision making in India

Nations within a nation: variations in epidemiological transition across the states of India, 1990–2016 in the Global Burden of Disease Study

18% of the world's population lives in India, and many states of India have populations similar to those of large countries. Action to effectively improve population health in India requires availability of reliable and comprehensive state-level estimates of disease burden and risk factors over time. Such comprehensive estimates have not been available so far for all major diseases and risk factors. Thus, we aimed to estimate the disease burden and risk factors in every state of India as part of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2016

To Evaluate the Role of Antibiotics Following Periodontal Flap Surgery: A Relative Clinical Study

Periodontitis is a multifactorial disease occurring as a result of complex interrelationship between infectious agents and host factors. Moderate to severe cases of chronic periodontitis may warrant periodontal surgical procedures. As postoperative infection can have a significant effect on the surgical outcome. In the study, an attempt has been planned to evaluate the role of antibiotics in periodontal flap surgeries in reducing postsurgical infections. 40 Patients (male and female) aged 25-50 yrs with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis were selected from the Department of Periodontics and Oral Implantology at Desh Bhagat Dental College and Hospital, Mandi Gobindgarh. Therapeutic group (20 patients) - Amoxicillin 250 mg + metronidazole 200 mg for 5 days after surgery. Control group (20 patients) - No antibiotics given postoperatively. Analgesics and antiseptic mouthwash were prescribed for both the group. Patients were evaluated for pain (measured on visual analog scale [VAS]), Modified gingival index, Wound healing index, Swelling, fever, ulceration, delayed wound healing were recorded on the 7 th day of suture removal. Visual analog scale [VAS] recorded in control group was 2.90 and in Therapeutic group was 2.10. Mean modified gingival index score recorded in control group was 0.92 and in Therapeutic group was 0.66

To evaluate the role of antibiotics following periodontal flap surgery: A relative clinical study

Periodontitis is a multifactorial disease occurring as a result of complex interrelationship between infectious agents and host factors. Moderate to severe cases of chronic periodontitis may warrant periodontal surgical procedures. As postoperative infection can have a significant effect on the surgical outcome. In the study, an attempt has been planned to evaluate the role of antibiotics in periodontal flap surgeries in reducing postsurgical infections. 40 Patients (male and female) aged 25-50 yrs with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis were selected from the Department of Periodontics and Oral Implantology at Desh Bhagat Dental College and Hospital, Mandi Gobindgarh. Therapeutic group (20 patients) - Amoxicillin 250 mg + metronidazole 200 mg for 5 days after surgery. Control group (20 patients) - No antibiotics given postoperatively. Analgesics and antiseptic mouthwash were prescribed for both the group. Patients were evaluated for pain (measured on visual analog scale [VAS]), Modified gingival index, Wound healing index, Swelling, fever, ulceration, delayed wound healing were recorded on the 7 th day of suture removal. Visual analog scale [VAS] recorded in control group was 2.90 and in Therapeutic group was 2.10. Mean modified gingival index score recorded in control group was 0.92 and in Therapeutic group was 0.66

Clinical significance of biological width in crown lengthening

The biologic width is defined as the physiologic dimension of the junctional epithelium and connective tissue attachment. This article reviews clinical Significance of Biological Width in Crown Lengthening

Relationship of Quality Parameters with Time during Storage of Turmeric

Studies were carried out to evaluate the effect of storage period and different packaging materials on the quality of turmeric rhizome and turmeric powder. Turmeric rhizomes were packed in gunny bag, plastic bag, cloth bag and PET jar; whereas turmeric powder was packed in high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), laminated aluminum foil and PET jars. Samples were stored at ambient and under refrigerated conditions and examined for change in moisture content, colour, curcumin and oleoresin content. Moisture content increased linearly with the storage period in both storage conditions in all the packaging materials for rhizomes as well as powder. The minimum colour change of powder was in aluminium foil pack and PET jars; whereas rhizomes colour change was most pronounced in gunny bags and PP. The curcumin and oleoresin content of rhizomes and powder decreased with increase in storage period, with minimum change in PET jars in both storage conditions. Turmeric rhizomes can be stored in PET jars and plastic bags till the next harvesting season, and turmeric powder can be stored in a laminated aluminum foil packs and PET jars at least up to a period of six months under refrigerated and for three months under ambient conditions without deterioration of qualit

Bone health in patients with epilepsy: A community-based pilot nested case–control study

Background: Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) adversely affect bone health and there are reports describing association of alternations of bone and mineral metabolism in epileptic patients. Objectives: This study was undertaken to evaluate the bone profile (bone mineral parameters and bone mineral density [BMD]) of patients with epilepsy and compare them to their age-, gender-, and socioeconomic status-matched healthy controls in a community. Materials and Methods: This was a nested case–control study conducted in fifty individuals, which included 25 cases (age above 18 years and on AEDs for at least 3 years) for which 25 controls were selected from the same community. Bone mineral parameters (serum calcium, proteins, phosphorous, alkaline phosphate, parathyroid hormone, and Vitamin D) and BMD were measured. Results: There was significant hypocalcemia (P = 0.003), hypoproteinemia (P = 0.014), hyperparathyroidism (P = 0.048), and increased levels of serum alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.019) in cases as compared to controls. The difference was insignificant in the serum levels of Vitamin D and phosphorous among both the groups. Vitamin D was significantly low in female patients as compared to males (P = 0.043). There was no significant difference in BMD at the lumbar spine and femur neck among both the groups. Mean duration of epilepsy was longest in patients with osteoporosis (23.6 years), and increasing duration of epilepsy was associated with reduction in age- and sex-corrected total BMD mean Z-score anteroposterior spine. There was negative correlation between cumulative drug load and T-score of patients with epilepsy. Conclusion: Patients on long-term AED treatment have altered bone profile as evident from biochemical parameters and reduced BMD. There is a need for more extensive research and that too on a larger sample size

Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Index-5: an easy and effective way of monitoring patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective To study the utility of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Index-5 (RADAI-5) as a valid tool for daily rheumatoid arthritis (RA) monitoring and to compare its predictability to assess RA activity with respect to Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) and Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI). Patients and methods A total of 100 patients with RA (diagnosed as per American College of Rheumatology 1987 criteria) were enrolled in the study group. Each patient was assessed two times with 3-month interval for disease activity (DA) using DAS28, CDAI, and RADAI-5. Spearman’s correlation coefficient (ρ) for correlation and kappa for agreement between different activity measures were assessed. Results In our study group, 19% patients were men and 81% patients were women, with male to female ratio of 1 : 4.3. Their mean age was 44.4±11.8 years, and their mean disease duration was 67.5±59.8 months. On initial visit, that is, baseline, mean DA as per RADAI-5, DAS28, and CDAI were 5.14±2.17, 5.58±1.55, and 27.96±15.46, respectively, and on follow-up visit, the readings were 3.76±1.92, 4.54±1.41, and 17.67±12.46, respectively. The mean changes in DA at follow-up visit were −1.37±2.15 by RADAI-5, −1.04±1.58 by DAS28, and −10.29±15.75 by CDAI. Changes in DA indices correlated significantly with each other with ρ ranging from 0.8 to 0.9 (P<0.001). An average agreement was found among all three measures at different DA level. Conclusion RADAI-5 seems to be an effective tool with high tendency to assess the changes in RA DA in routine patient care in hospital settings as well as in home-based settings

Family physicians' knowledge and awareness regarding oral health: A survey

INTRODUCTION: Oral health is an important component of general health. The World Health Organization has highly recommended the integration of oral health promotion into general health care. In majority of the cases, patients visit their physicians with simultaneous oral and systemic complaints, and primary oral complaints are more frequently encountered. Therefore, primary care physicians can play an expanded role within oral health care to raise the overall health of the patients. AIM: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness of family physicians regarding oral health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational (cross-sectional) study was conducted among 250 family physicians who are practicing in Tricity. A self-structured questionnaire (close-ended) prepared by a panel of oral health experts in English language (close-ended) was administered to the study participants. The questionnaire which was divided into two parts, A and B, contained 15 questions on knowledge and awareness regarding oral health. Categorization of knowledge scores was done at three levels: low, medium, and high. Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance and Student's t-test. RESULTS: Males comprised 72.8% (182) of the study population and 55.2% (138) of the participants were doing combined practice (academic and private both). Low knowledge scores were reported in 47.2% (118) of the participants whereas only 22.4% (56) of participants had a high score. The mean knowledge score according to educational level and working profile was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of our study showed a considerable lack of knowledge among family physicians regarding connection of oral health with general health. Therefore, there is an urgent need to increase their knowledge by various continued medical education and training programs