Perception of medical teachers towards undergraduate medical theoretical assessment system in a medical college of West Bengal

Background: With change of disease pattern and complexities of therapy globally, medical education become challenging. Problem based learning and self-directed learning became more relevant and occupied its space in medical education. Assessment is very crucial with the change in curriculum for appropriate feedback and learning in the system. Present study evaluated the perception of medical teachers on this issue of theory examination. Assessment or evaluation plays a pivotal role in effectivity of the system. Assessors always guide any system to achieve its objectives.Methods: This is an observational study, done with a questionnaire. It was done by interviewing the faculties of R.G. Kar Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal who were examiners at University level.Results: Present study comprised faculty of fifteen undergraduate Departments of R. G. Kar Medical College, Kolkata 29.68% faculty supported semester system. 70.32% faculty participated as the study population. 48.4% agreed and 35.93% strongly agreed on the concept of model answers. A majority of the faculties (31.25%) strongly agreed on the issue that answers should be checked by two or more examiners. Regarding the threshold of pass marks, 48.4% strongly agreed and 43.75% agreed that students need to get 50% marks separately in theory examination to get through the examination.Conclusions: Present study evaluated importance of theory assessment system in medical education. It also necessitates further research to improve the objectivity of theory assessment system in medical curriculum at University level, in India

A comparative study of drug prescribing indicators in various hospitals of West Bengal, India

Background: Rational use of drugs is essential to ensure safety and welfare of patients. Thus, prescription audits are conducted to monitor the practice of writing prescriptions. Various standard parameters have been rationalized by World Health Organization (WHO) in order to regulate drug utilization, globally. Present study aimed to compare the pattern of prescriptions generated in different healthcare centres of West Bengal.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the inpatient and outpatient departments of RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata, in order to evaluate the prescriptions. Literature was also surveyed with the keywords “prescription audit”, “West Bengal”, to extract data on prescription audits conducted in various other hospitals of West Bengal. The WHO prescribing indicators of all these health facilities were then compared to estimate the rationality of drug prescribed by different physicians.Results: Seven published reports of prescription audits were published from the period of 2013 to 2017, the distribution being- 2 health facilities from Kolkata, 2 from Burdwan, 1 each from Bankura, Murshidabad and North Bengal. WHO standards were not strictly followed by any of the hospitals. Polypharmacy level were higher in all the hospitals. Drugs were mostly prescribed from the essential medicine list (EML).Conclusions: Present study clearly indicated that it is essential to improve these parameters for most of the healthcare centres in order to prevent irrational use of drugs. Prescription audits should also be implemented regularly so that the patients can receive better treatment at minimum cost with suitable rational therapy

Evaluation of anti-inflammatory effect of beetroot extract in animal models

Background: Inflammation is complex biological response of body tissues to foreign particles or pathogens. However, adverse effects of anti-inflammatory drugs, necessitate the search for a novel compound from herbal origin. Beta vulgaris rubra or red beetroot, a vegetable plant, is known to possess various beneficial effects. Present study aimed to evaluate the anti inflammatory effect of beet roots in animal models.Methods: Carrageenan-induced and Complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced rat paw edema model were used to assess the acute and chronic anti- inflammatory potential of the Beetroot as compared to standard drug, Diclofenac Sodium.Results: Oral administration of Beetroot extract showed carrageenan-induced rat paw edema inhibition by 26.9%, 34.6% and 50% for beetroot 100mg/Kg, 200mg/Kg and 400mg/Kg, respectively, at the end of four hours. In vivo results noted that percentage inhibition of paw volume and ankle diameter of the Complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced rats were significantly higher for the groups consuming 100 and 200mg/Kg Beetroot extracts. Paw volume of the rats in these two groups reduced by 35% and 30% respectively as compared to the control.Conclusions: Thus, beetroot was found to possess anti-inflammatory property in animals. Further investigations are essential to validate the bioactive components responsible for this property

DRUG PRESCRIPTION PATTERN OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN WEST BENGAL: A CROSS-SECTIONAL AND QUESTIONNAIRE-BASED STUDY

 Objective: Cancer is a disease of uncontrolled division of cells in any part of the body. Breast cancer most common in women accounts for 13% of the death worldwide. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the drug prescription pattern of breast carcinoma patients in a tertiary care hospital of West Bengal.Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational questionnaire-based study done for a period of 6 months at the Department of Pharmacology in Collaboration with the Department of Surgery and Department of Radiotherapy of a Tertiary Care Hospital at Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Female patients with breast cancer (originated from epithelial tissues) of different types and grade attending surgery outdoor patient department were taken as subjects for the study, after signing informed consent.Results: The present study evaluated 28 patients (n=28) diagnosed as breast cancer by the physicians of the department of surgery and radiotherapy. It was observed that breast cancer was mostly found in the middle age group. Breast carcinoma in postmenopausal women accounted to 75%. The most prevalent breast cancer was invasive ductal carcinoma, accounting to 75% of the study population. 5-Fluorouracil, epirubicin, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, docetaxel/paclitaxel, and carboplatin were mostly used as chemotherapeutic agent.Conclusion: Breast carcinoma being a prevalent type of cancer in females, the present study tried to evaluate the pattern of prescribing chemotherapeutic agents for breast cancer patients in a tertiary care hospital. Such study is essential to evaluate and refine the therapeutic regimen of the cancer patients to reduce their sufferings

A comparative study of drug prescribing indicators in various hospitals of West Bengal, India

Background: Rational use of drugs is essential to ensure safety and welfare of patients. Thus, prescription audits are conducted to monitor the practice of writing prescriptions. Various standard parameters have been rationalized by World Health Organization (WHO) in order to regulate drug utilization, globally. Present study aimed to compare the pattern of prescriptions generated in different healthcare centres of West Bengal.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the inpatient and outpatient departments of RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata, in order to evaluate the prescriptions. Literature was also surveyed with the keywords “prescription audit”, “West Bengal”, to extract data on prescription audits conducted in various other hospitals of West Bengal. The WHO prescribing indicators of all these health facilities were then compared to estimate the rationality of drug prescribed by different physicians.Results: Seven published reports of prescription audits were published from the period of 2013 to 2017, the distribution being- 2 health facilities from Kolkata, 2 from Burdwan, 1 each from Bankura, Murshidabad and North Bengal. WHO standards were not strictly followed by any of the hospitals. Polypharmacy level were higher in all the hospitals. Drugs were mostly prescribed from the essential medicine list (EML).Conclusions: Present study clearly indicated that it is essential to improve these parameters for most of the healthcare centres in order to prevent irrational use of drugs. Prescription audits should also be implemented regularly so that the patients can receive better treatment at minimum cost with suitable rational therapy