Non-descent vaginal hysterectomy in women with previous caesarean section scar: our experience

Background: Hysterectomy is one of the common gynaecological major surgeries performed worldwide. In spite of technological advancement with laparoscopic and robotic hysterectomy conventional hysterectomy through vaginal route of nonprolapse uterus popularly known as, Non-Descent Vaginal Hysterectomy (NDVH) remains a justifiable cost effective, cosmetically appealing option especially in resource-crunched developing country. NDVH in post caesarean scarred uterus too a technically challenged procedure requiring skills and expertise.Assessment of technical feasibility and safety of non-descent vaginal hysterectomy in women with previous caesarean section scar were studied.Methods: The study was a prospective observational study of 72 patients with LSCS scar requiring hysterectomy for benign conditions were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria carried out from June 2012 to May 2017. Operating time, blood loss, surgical techniques, intra/postoperative challenges, conversion to laparotomy or laparoscopic assistance and length of hospital stay were recorded for each case. Patients were followed up till 03 months of surgery.Results: Vaginal hysterectomy was successful in all cases. Morcellation, bisection or myomectomy, were done in 86% cases. Two patients had bladder injury, which was repaired vaginally, two cases required support of laparoscopy.  No patients needed blood transfusion. None of the patients were converted to laparotomy.Conclusions: Vaginal hysterectomy is a safe and effective procedure for benign non-prolapsed uteri in women with previous caesarean section scar when uterine size is less than 14 weeks. Standby operating laparoscopy provides added advantages to surgeon in doubtful or difficult cases to avoid conversion laparotomy

A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ON DRUG UTILISATION EVALUATION OF HIGH ALERT DRUGS USED IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Background:High alert medications are drugs with narrow margin of safety and require heightened vigilance. Although any drugs used improperly can cause harm, high-alert medications cause patient harm more likely when used in error and the harm they produce is likely to be more serious and leads to patient suffering and additional costs associated with care of these patients. Objective: To ensure safe medication practices and to eliminate medication errors that cause harm to the patients and standardize high-alert medication-handling practices Methodology It is a prospective observational study conducted in a tertiary care hospital for period of 3 months.75 patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in study and conducted by using a high alert medication audit tool Result: Among the high alert drugs collected, it was observed that anti-thrombotics [34.57%] was found to be highly used as it place an effective role in orthopaedics and cardiac cases followed by opiods and narcotics 24.77%. Conclusion: Educational classes should be provided for all medical proffesionals who handling these medications thus medication errors can be reduce thus the significant injury cause by this drug can be prevented. Keywords: High alert medication, patient harm,educational classe

A brief note on portunid crab, Charybdis (Goniohellenus) omanensis septentrionalis from southwest coast of India

Crustacean Fisheries Division of ICAR-CMFRI, has recently taken up a two year programme on experimental trawling using fishing vessel F.V. Silver Pompano. Samples were collected from different bathymetric stations off Kochi and Alappuzha during fortnightly intervals. Samples in the last fortnight of August 2016, collected at a depth of 65m off Alappuzha, included a good number of Charybdis (Goniohellenus) smithii along with fishes and other crustaceans. While segregating the samples of swarming crab C. (G.) smithii, approximately 5 kg of small sized Charybdis sp. was also collected. This species was not included in the earlier samplings of the programme as well as in the commercial fishery landings. Hence detailed studies were carried out and found the species is C.(G.) omanensis septentrionalis, a new record in the Indian seas

Design of a smart security registration plate for seagoing motorized non-mechanical crafts.

Unauthorized and uncertified small seagoing fishing crafts are being widely used for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, especially in the Indian sub-continent. Nevertheless, the registration is mandatory; the display of the registration mark and its standards for the seagoing fishing craft has not been specified in detail. Now, any fraudster can mark a fake registration number quite easily on the craft and can be used for criminal activities in the coastal areas because of the effortless wipe out possibility for the present registration marks. Thus due to the lack of standardization and regulation for the display of registration number plate for the seagoing craft, identification of genuine one is very difficult. This paper proposes a typical design of a Smart Security Registration Plate (SSRP) using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to provide secure authentication of the motorized non-mechanical fishing crafts

Observations on the monsoon prawn fishery in Kerala

The ban on trawling in Kerala from June 15th to July 30th coincides with the southwest monsoon. During the period fishermen venture into the sea with their traditional/motorised crafts and gears such as thermocol boats (Alapuzha) and Thanguvallom (Ernakulam and Thrissur). The latter is operated with outboard engines and operate up to 8 km from the shore. The thermocol boats fish very near the shore (up to 3 km). The gear operated are ring seines or thangu vala and gill nets. The unique phenomenon in the monsoon season known as mud-bank or ‘chakara’ is characterised by calm areas close to the shore

Note on the shoal of Priacanthus hamrur caught during experimental trawling

During the experimental fishing conducted by F V Silver pompano on 10th November 2016, a shoal of bullseye Priacanthus hamrur, weighing 1.5 t, was caught at 65-70 m depth off Alappuzha coast (90 25' 51'’ N, 750 58' 49'’ E). The shrimp trawl net with cod end mesh size of 20 mm was operated for an hour and the total catch comprised of P. hamrur (99%) and Uroteuthis (Photololigo) duvaucelii (1%)

Productivity and nitrogen use efficiency of rice under conventional and organic nutrition

The current study demonstrates the influence of conventional and organic nutrient management practices on nitrogen use efficiency, growth, yield, and physiological and biochemical parameters in four rice varieties, namely, Jaiva, Ezhome 2, Jyothi and Uma. Growth parameters, grain yield per hill, and physiological and biochemical parameters were higher under conventional management for all rice varieties. Although the nitrogen use efficiency of each variety varied significantly with nutrient management practices, the variation was least in Jaiva (23.8%), which is the organic rice variety released by Kerala Agricultural University. The rice varieties Jaiva and Ezhome 2 showed consistency in the grain weight per panicle under both conventional (Jaiva- 4.57 g, Ezhome 2- 5.86 g) and organic (Jaiva, 4.24 g, Ezhome 2, 4.54 g) management. The soil nitrogen content at the tillering stage (0.66**) showed a significantly higher positive correlation with nitrogen use efficiency under organic management. The results of the study provide a better understanding of factors that can lead to a sustained yield in organic rice production in terms of nitrogen use efficiency

Brief note on the ribbonfish Tentoriceps cristatus from the southwest coast of India

Tentoriceps cristatus (Klunzinger, 1884) commonly called as crested hair tail is a monotypic genus of cutlassfish family Trichiuridae. During the experimental fishery survey conducted by FV Silver pompano on 28 September 2016, specimens were obtained in the trawl net operated off Alappuzha (09º 21'N, 75º 56'E and 09º 21'N, 76º 18' E) at a depth of 50- 60m along with other fishes and crustaceans

Prawn or shrimp? Resolving the question

The confusion in the usage of terms “prawn” and “shrimp” is existing since a long time among the common people as well as the scientific community. It is hard to differentiate between these two based on their size, habitat, texture, nutritional value etc. as there are no existing standards to classify these two into separate groups. In reality, both the terms are widely and similarly used in all arenas of fisheries whether it is capture, culture, post-harvest or in the trade and do not have any particular scientific basis