Mapping private pharmacies and their characteristics in Ujjain district, Central India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In India, private pharmacies are ubiquitous yet critical establishments that facilitate community access to medicines. These are often the first points of treatment seeking in parts of India and other low income settings around the world. The characteristics of these pharmacies including their location, drug availability, human resources and infrastructure have not been studied before. Given the ubiquity and popularity of private pharmacies in India, such information would be useful to harness the potential of these pharmacies to deliver desirable public health outcomes, to facilitate regulation and to involve in initiatives pertaining to rational drug use. This study was a cross sectional survey that mapped private pharmacies in one district on a geographic information system and described relevant characteristics of these units.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study of pharmacies was a part of larger cross sectional survey carried out to map all the health care providers in Ujjain district (population 1.9 million), Central India, on a geographic information system. Their location vis-à-vis formal providers of health services were studied. Other characteristics like human resources, infrastructure, clients and availability of tracer drugs were also surveyed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total 475 private pharmacies were identified in the district. Three-quarter were in urban areas, where they were concentrated around physician practices. In rural areas, pharmacies were located along the main roads. A majority of pharmacies simultaneously retailed medicines from multiple systems of medicine. Tracer parenteral antibiotics and injectable steroids were available in 83.7% and 88.7% pharmacies respectively. The proportion of clients without prescription was 39.04%. Only 11.58% of staff had formal pharmacist qualifications. Power outages were a significant challenge.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the first mapping of pharmacies & their characteristics in India. It provides evidence of the urban dominance and close relationship between healthcare provider location and pharmacy location. The implications of this relationship are discussed. The study reports a lack of qualified staff in the presence of a high proportion of clients attending without a prescription. The study highlights the need for the better implementation of regulation. Besides facilitating regulation & partnerships, the data also provides a sampling frame for future interventional studies on these pharmacies.</p

Effect of Fuel Injection Timing, Injection Pressure and Combustion Chamber Shapes on the Performance of Diesel Engine Run on Biodiesel

The compression ignition (CI) engine is knownfor robustnessand itsbetter performance when powered with diesel orbiodiesel. In this work Rubber seed oil biodiesel (BRO) was used as CI engine fuel. Experimental tests were conducted on diesel engine to study the effect of fuel injection timing (IT),fuel injector opening pressure (IOP)and combustion chamber shapes (CCS) on the performance, emission and combustion characteristicswhen run on BRO. In the first phase the IT and IOP were optimized. In the second phase, the effect of combustion chamber shapes was studied. The test fuel yielded better resultswith 27° bTDC (before top dead center)IT,240 bar injector opening pressure (IOP)and reentrant toroidal combustion chamber (RCC). At the best operating conditions BTE 28.8%, smoke 47 HSU, HC38ppm, CO0.135vol.%, NOx 1182ppm at 80% load. Lower ignition delay (ID) and combustion duration (CD) with higher peak pressure (PP) and heat release rate (HRR). Overall,the diesel engine yieldedhigher BTE and lower emissions except NOx withIT of 27obTDC,240 bar IOPand RC

ПОПЕРЕЧНЕ ДОСІЛДЖЕННЯ ПОКАЗНИКІВ ЛІПІДНОГО ПРОФІЛЮ У ПАЦІЄНТІВ-НЕДІАБЕТИКІВ, КОТРІ ПЕРЕНЕСЛИ ІНСУЛЬТ, МІСТА ЧИТРАДУРГА

Background. The amount of evidence regarding the relation between serum lipids, lipoproteins and cerebrovascular accident is not adequate. The atherogenecity of diabetics and non-diabetics are different. Therefore, non-diabetic patients were included in the study. Objective. To study lipid abnormalities in non-diabetic stroke patients in our setup. Methods. The study was carried out at the Department of General Medicine, BMCH, Chitradurga, during the period from June 2020 to December 2020. The lipid profile and the fasting blood sugar rates of 50 stroke patients without diabetes were studied. Their serum samples were assessed for fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) by using standard biochemical methods. Results. The age distribution of the subjects was from 19 to 72 years with a mean age of patients 54.8±15.75 years. Among patients 31 (62%) were males and 19 (38%) were females. Among the study subjects 58% were hypertensive, 76% were smokers, 32% were alcoholics and 34% had family history of cerebrovascular accident. Among ischemic stroke group, the most common deranged value in the ischemic group was decreased HDL deranged in 54.1% of patients; the second most common deranged value – increased VLDL deranged in 40.5%. Among the hemorrhagic group the most common deranged value was also decreased HDL, which was deranged in 46.1% of patients and the second most common deranged value – increased total cholesterol, which was deranged in 53.8% patients. Conclusion. Lipid profile should be considered while predicting the risk of stroke.Вступ. Зв’язок між рівнем сироваткових ліпідів, ліпопротеїнів та частотою розвитку порушень  мозкового кровообігу не є достатньо доведеним. Оскільки рівень атерогеності діабетиків та недіабетиків є різним, тому в дослідження були включені пацієнти без діабету. Мета. Вивчення порушень ліпідного обміну у пацієнтів з недіабетичним інсультом у місцевій лікарні. Методи. Дослідження проводилося у General Medicine Department, BMCH, Chitradurga протягом періоду з червня 2020 року по грудень 2020 року. Вивчався ліпідний профіль та показники глікемії натще у 50 пацієнтів з інсультом без діабету. Визначалися вміст глюкози крові натще (FBG), загального холестерину (TC), тригліцеридів (TG), ліпопротеїдів низької щільності (LDL) та ліпопротеїдів високої щільності (HDL) за допомогою стандартних біохімічних методів. Результати. Віковий розподіл пацієнтів складав від 19 до 72 років із середнім віком 54,8±15,75 років. Чоловіки становили 62% (31), жінки – 38% (19). Серед досліджуваних 58% мали гіпертонічну хворобу, 76% були курцями, 32% – алкоголіки, а 34% мали сімейний анамнез із порушенням мозкового кровообігу. Серед групи ішемічного інсульту найчастіше спостерігалося зниження ліпопротеїдів високої щільності (54,1%), другим найпоширенішим відхиленням було збільшення ліпопротеїдів дуже низької щільності – у 40,5%. Серед групи з геморагічним інсультом найчастіше спостерігалося також зниження ліпопротеїдів високої щільності, яке виявлялося у 46,1% пацієнтів, другим найпоширенішим відхиленням було збільшення загального холестерину, яке спостерігалося у 53,8% пацієнтів. Висновки. Під час прогнозування ризику інсульту слід враховувати ліпідний профіль