A comparative study of the effects of risperidone and olanzapine on metabolic parameters of schizophrenic patients

Background: Risperidone and olanzapine are the most commonly prescribed antipsychotic drugs. There is an overwhelming need to look into the adverse effects induced by these drugs; metabolic disturbance being one of the important of them. Metabolic disturbance induced by these drugs is a little searched domain; Most of the literature on their metabolic adverse effects is based on retrospective analysis. Moreover there is a distinct lack of information on the metabolic adverse effects of these drugs in Indian subjects with special reference to rural population.Methods: The present study was a prospective, open label, observational study conducted on 189 consecutive new subjects who were prescribed either risperidone (n=93) and olanzapine (n=96) in the psychiatry department of a rural medical college and hospital.Results: Patients on treatment of risperidone (n=84) showed an increase in all the variables except for HDL cholesterol levels which showed fall. The increases in weight, body mass index were found to be extremely significant (p<0.001). While the rise in the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting sugars and triglycerides, changes was not significant. The fall in HDL cholesterol was not statistically significant.Conclusions: We conclude from this study that both risperidone and olanzapine have propensity to produce metabolic syndrome in subjects who use them. When compared, olanzapine has a higher chance to produce metabolic syndrome in subjects who were prescribed it, as compared to subjects who were on risperidone

ROLE OF TIME STUDY IN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OF AN INDIAN HOSPITAL FOR QUALITY HEALTH CARE

Objectives: To study the role of time study in the emergency department (ED) of an Indian hospital for quality health care. For that, an observational cross-sectional time study was conducted at the casualty department of largest hospitals situated at central India.Methods: Systemic random sampling method is used to select the patients attending the ED. Following parameters and procedure were observed during time study in the casualty department. Patient shifting on bed in ED, patient attending by nursing staff, patient attending and treatment by casualty medical officer (CMO), waiting time for intensivist, diagnostic procedure, waiting time for bed and after the availability of bed, patient was shifted to Intensive Coronary Care Unit (ICCU)/Intensive Care Unit (ICU)/ward.Results: Waiting times are observed which are of five types such as waiting for ward boy, CMO, intensivist, diagnostic procedure, and for bed in ICCU or ICU or ward.Conclusion: Result of this time and motion study shows that after the entry of the patient in the ED, he or she is subjected to different kinds of waits like for ward boy, intensivist, diagnostic tests, bed in ICCU or ICU or ward. Out of this, wait for intensivist and for bed are very important for the overall treatment of the patient. The hospital should aim at reducing these waits by proper management. This study focuses scope for the improvements in patient waiting time which is the important contributor of the patient satisfaction.Keywords: Time study, Motion study, Waiting line model

The antianxiety activity of aqueous extract of Withania coagulans fruits in swiss albino mice by elevated plus maze

Background: Several anti-anxiety drugs used today have the numerous side effects. The Withania coagulans a rare species, is not studied much for its actions on anxiety except in late seventies where it was explored for neuropsychopharmacology. Thus, it was thought commendable to explore the anti-anxiety activities of aqueous extract of Withania coagulans fruits in swiss albino mice using elevated plus maze test.Methods: Elevated plus maze (EPM) test was used for evaluating the anti-anxiety action of Withania coagulans fruits’ aqueous extract. If the extract had anti-anxiety action, then it was expected that the time spent in the open space would increase and that in the closed space would decrease. This increase in time in the open space, if found statistically significant, was considered for antianxiety action.Results: There was statistically highly significant (p value <0.001) association observed between the aqueous extract of Withania coagulans fruits with antianxiety action in the swiss albino mice by elevated plus maze test.Conclusions: The aqueous extract of Withania coagulans fruits did prove the antianxiety effect in the swiss albino mice by elevated plus maze test

The spontaneous motor activity of aqueous extract of Withania coagulans fruits in Swiss albino mice by actophotometer

Background: People spend about one third of their time in sleep every day. The various sedative and hypnotic medications used today have numerous side effects. In the late seventies a very little work was done on the Withania coagulans - a vulnerable species that is found scattered in the world. Therefore, it was essential to discover the CNS depressant activities of aqueous extract of Withania coagulans fruits in swiss albino mice by using actophotometer.Methods: The spontaneous locomotor activity was evaluated by using the actophotometer. The CNS depressant drugs decrease the locomotor activity in mice as they impair the motor coordination so that mice stay at one place for the longer time. Therefore, there is less disruption of the beams of light. This spontaneous locomotor activity time is statistically correlated among the control, standard and the test drugs.Results: There was statistically highly significant (p value <0.001) association observed between aqueous extract of Withania coagulans fruits with spontaneous locomotor activity in swiss albino mice on the actophotometer.Conclusions: The aqueous extract of Withania coagulans fruits demonstrated the CNS depressant activity in swiss albino mice by actophotometer

A comparative study of the effects of risperidone and olanzapine on metabolic parameters of schizophrenic patients

Background: Risperidone and olanzapine are the most commonly prescribed antipsychotic drugs. There is an overwhelming need to look into the adverse effects induced by these drugs; metabolic disturbance being one of the important of them. Metabolic disturbance induced by these drugs is a little searched domain; Most of the literature on their metabolic adverse effects is based on retrospective analysis. Moreover there is a distinct lack of information on the metabolic adverse effects of these drugs in Indian subjects with special reference to rural population.Methods: The present study was a prospective, open label, observational study conducted on 189 consecutive new subjects who were prescribed either risperidone (n=93) and olanzapine (n=96) in the psychiatry department of a rural medical college and hospital.Results: Patients on treatment of risperidone (n=84) showed an increase in all the variables except for HDL cholesterol levels which showed fall. The increases in weight, body mass index were found to be extremely significant (p&lt;0.001). While the rise in the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting sugars and triglycerides, changes was not significant. The fall in HDL cholesterol was not statistically significant.Conclusions: We conclude from this study that both risperidone and olanzapine have propensity to produce metabolic syndrome in subjects who use them. When compared, olanzapine has a higher chance to produce metabolic syndrome in subjects who were prescribed it, as compared to subjects who were on risperidone