Drug package inserts: how accessible is the information?

Background: Information given in drug package inserts is often not easily accessible by patients and practitioners. Presentation of important information in an easily accessible manner fulfills the very purpose of inserts. In the present study, accessibility of important information in drug package inserts is evaluated.Methods: We evaluated 110 package inserts. Accessibility to important information was noted under following headings: use of box, use of special/bigger font or color, use of table of contents and information in front sheet. Each of these parameters was given a point. Cumulative accessibility score of more than three considered as accessible. Provision of toll free numbers and internet addresses of the companies noted.Results: Information in inserts regarding posology, method of administration, precautions under special conditions, contraindications, pharmacokinetics, interactions, pregnancy and lactation, driving, and machine use precautions were adequate and orderly in most. Only seven drug inserts mentioned important information with special font/different color. 18 drug inserts had used boxes. About 13 inserts used bigger font size for revealing important information. We observed a mean accessible score was 0.37 a insert. Only two inserts carried toll free numbers.Conclusion: Important information in drug package inserts is not easily accessible. Display of toll free numbers and internet addresses for queries and reporting adverse drug reactions is highly recommended

A prospective comparative study of efficacy of lenalidomide plus dexamethasone combination therapy versus VAD (vincristine, doxorubicin and dexamethasone) regimen in the treatment of multiple myeloma

Background: Lenalidomide plus Dexamethasone (Len-Dex) and VAD (Vincristine, Doxorubicin and Dexamethasone) regimen are the two common drug therapies employed in the treatment of Multiple myeloma.Objectives: To compare the efficacy of Len-Dex versus VAD regimen based on complete remission achieved with treatment in newly diagnosed cases of multiple myeloma in a tertiary care hospital in Kerala.Methods: Eighty patients (forty in each group) of newly diagnosed cases of multiple myeloma, who were willing to give the informed consent, were included in the study. Patients were allocated by the treating physician to two groups; one group was given Len-Dex (lenalidomide + dexamethasone) regimen and the other VAD (Vincristine, Adriamycin, Dexamethasone) regimen. A total of six cycles were given for both groups. Their baseline investigations and follow up investigations were collected at regular intervals, based on these values, the outcome was classified as partial remission and complete remission and the results were compared and analyzed.Results: Among the forty patients in each group, 17 (38%) on VAD regimen and 28 (62%) on Len-Dex regimen achieved complete remission. The statistical analysis was done using chi square test (χ2= 6.13, df= 1, p= 0.01) which showed statistically significant difference.Conclusions: The study showed that the efficacy of Lenalidomide-Dexamethasone (Len-Dex) combination therapy is clearly higher than that of VAD regimen among the study population. The overall efficacy of Len-Dex combination is 70% and that of VAD regimen is only 42.5%

Tiger shark landed at Mookaiyur Fisheries Harbour, Tamil Nadu

A large sized male Tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier measuring 288cm in total length (TL) and weighing 261 kg was landed at the Mookaiyur Fisheries Harbour on 22nd October 2020. The shark was caught in a tuna longliner of 22.7 m OAL fitted with 200 hp engine which had fished in the Arabian Sea, close to the Lakshadweep islands

Rooftop Micro Organic Farm: A Promising Initiative to Enhance the Vegetable Production

The growth of the population and simultaneous reduction of agricultural farm create a big challenge to fulfill the demand of food in the world. The utilization of available unutilized/underutilized space of the roof-top on every house for growing of different types vegetables is a scope to increase vegetable production. There are several advantages of this technique such as utilization of free space of the roof, production of healthy and fresh vegetables, harvesting of rain water in an efficient manner, better saving to the family, utilization of kitchen waste and reduction of solid waste as well as air pollution in the environment

कृत्रिम चटानों में अत्यावश्यक रूप से क्या करें या न करें

कृत्रिम चटानों में अत्यावश्यक रूप से क्या करें या न करे

செயற்கை மணற்திட்டுகள் அமைப்பதில் உலகளாவிய அளவில் நிலவும் செயல்வழிமுறைகள்

Global practices in artificial reefs: Historically, it was well understood by the coastal communities and fisher’s world over that the rock patches, sunken ships and vessels and submerged coastal dwellings and reefs supported more life in the coastal waters, and they supported good fisheries. The floating tree trunks, leaves, floating islands in flash floods carried huge sheltering populations of fishes and fauna. The traditional fishers of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in India deployed huge palm trees and thick bushy trees with foliage as anchors in the sea bottom with boulders and sandbags which harboured larger predatory fishes and thus improving catch rates and returns

प्राथमिक मात्स्यिकी आकलन और पकट सांख्यिकी से स्थिति

प्राथमिक मात्स्यिकी आकलन और पकट सांख्यिकी से स्थित

Note on the landings of crab juveniles by mini trawl net

Landings of juveniles of Portunus pelagicuslocally known as olaikkal nandu by mini trawl netwere noticed at Devipattinam Landing Centre duringMarch-April 2016 period. Commonly called flowercrab, it is fished heavily being in high demand indomestic and foreign markets. The traditional craftsoperating a gear locally known as Thalluvalai (minitrawl net) that fish upto 4 m depths were routinelylanding the juvenile crabs during the period season

Primary fishery assessments and status from catch statistics

Primary assessments of fish catch from AR sites are done by ICAR-CMFRI, following a multistage stratified random sampling (MSSRS) technique introduced by the Institute to assess marine fish landings in the maritime states of India (Srinath et al., 2005). Hooks and lines and gillnets operated from traditional boats and motorized FRP boats are usually the chief gears monitored for fish catch assessments from AR sites. The villages or landing centres having AR are surveyed on a fortnightly basis as per MSSRS and the fishes landed by boats fishing in the AR site are identified and quantified. For comparison, the landings from non-AR sites (either in the same village or in the adjacent village without AR, if the former does not happen) are also surveyed simultaneously. The monthly catch from AR and non-AR sites are compared over a year or more. The catch from an AR site is also compared with the catch recorded in the previous year from the same site before the deployment of AR, obtained from the database of ICAR-CMFRI

Taxonomy and Biology of commercially important Species of Shrimps, Crabs and Lobsters

The crustacean fisheries of India have considerable importance in the economy of the country, earning very valuable foreign exchange. Edible marine crustaceans consisting of prawns, lobsters and crabs form the most important constituents of the commercial fish landings of India. Shrimps and prawns constitute a large group of crustaceans varying in size and are widely distributed in marine, brackish, and freshwater regions from the equator to the Polar Regions. Although the majority of the commercial marine species occupy shallow or moderately deep water areas along the continental shelves at depths of less than 100 m, some are found at depths of nearly 5700 m. Many prawns are pelagic but the majority by far is benthic, living on a large variety of bottoms such as rock, mud, peat, and sand, fragments of shells or mixtures of these materials