Knowledge, attitude towards human papillomavirus and HPV vaccine among medical students of a tertiary care teaching hospital in India

Background: The objective of the study was to assess the awareness of the human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and vaccination among the young students of a tertiary care teaching hospital.Methods: A cross sectional study was done among the students of a tertiary care teaching hospital. The students were assured of the confidentiality and were provided a questionnaire about HPV infection and HPV vaccine.Results: About 94.3% of students implicated that HPV is a causative agent of cervical cancer and 5.7% students didn’t know about the association. About 72.1% were aware of the availability of the vaccine to be immunized against HPV infection but 3.3% answered wrongly and 24.6% didn’t know about it. Thirty one percent students knew the correct age of initiation of the vaccination, 23% answered wrongly and about 45.9% of the students didn’t know the answer. Only 4.1 % of the students have been vaccinated with HPV vaccine. About 63.9% students didn’t agree to vaccinate themselves against HPV as they felt it would give a false sense of security and 68.8% of the students were against the routine vaccination of the young Indian population against HPV as the sexual exposure occurs at late age. 73% students referred the age of vaccination to be >25 years.Conclusions: Lack of knowledge among medical students can be detrimental to the health of the society. So there is a need to create awareness among the future health educators against various aspects of HPV, cervical cancers and its prevention

Prescribing pattern of antimicrobial agents in pediatrics department of a teaching hospital

Background: Antibiotics are commonly used in pediatric illness and irrational use of antibiotics can lead to bacterial resistance. Appropriate studies should be done to frame proper guidelines for the use of antibiotics in pediatric population. The objective of the study was to determine the prescribing pattern of antibiotics and to analyze the rational use of antibiotics in pediatric department.Methods: An observational prospective study was carried out for a period of 3 months in the Department of Pediatrics. The data were recorded in the specific format, and the result was analyzed by descriptive statistics.Results: In this study, 347 prescriptions containing antibiotics were analyzed, out of which 54.6% were of male child and 45.4% were of female child. About 40.6% of the patients were in the age group of 1-5 years. A single antibiotic was prescribed in 78% of patients. Respiratory tract infections were the most common disease (68.2%), followed by skin infections (12.3%), gastrointestinal diseases (9.5%), and fever without focus (6.5%). Cephalosporins were the most commonly prescribed antibiotic group (35%).Conclusion: Irrational use of antibiotics can lead to bacterial resistance and can worsen the existing disease conditions. So, antibiotics should be prescribed according to the WHO guidelines or other rational strategy, especially in the pediatric age group

Internalization of Staphylococcus aureus in Lymphocytes Induces Oxidative Stress and DNA Fragmentation: Possible Ameliorative Role of Nanoconjugated Vancomycin

Staphylococcus aureus is the most frequently isolated pathogen causing bloodstream infections, skin and soft tissue infections and pneumonia. Lymphocyte is an important immune cell. The aim of the present paper was to test the ameliorative role of nanoconjugated vancomycin against Vancomycin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (VSSA) and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) infection-induced oxidative stress in lymphocytes. VSSA and VRSA infections were developed in Swiss mice by intraperitoneal injection of 5 × 106 CFU/mL bacterial solutions. Nanoconjugated vancomycin was adminstrated to VSSA- and VRSA-infected mice at its effective dose for 10 days. Vancomycin was adminstrated to VSSA- and VRSA-infected mice at a similar dose, respectively, for 10 days. Vancomycin and nanoconjugated vancomycin were adminstrated to normal mice at their effective doses for 10 days. The result of this study reveals that in vivo VSSA and VRSA infection significantly increases the level of lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, oxidized glutathione level, nitrite generation, nitrite release, and DNA damage and decreases the level of reduced glutathione, antioxidant enzyme status, and glutathione-dependent enzymes as compared to control group, which were increased or decreased significantly near to normal in nanoconjugated vancomycin-treated group. These findings suggest the potential use and beneficial role of nanoconjugated vancomycin against VSSA and VRSA infection-induced oxidative stress in lymphocytes

Green synthesized silver nanoparticles destroy multidrug resistant bacteria via reactive oxygen species mediated membrane damage

AbstractThe growing need of antimicrobial agent for novel therapies against multi-drug resistant bacteria has drawn researchers to green nanotechnology. Especially, eco-friendly biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) has shown its interesting impact against bacterial infection in laboratory research. In this study, a simple method was developed to form Ag NPs at room temperature, bio-reduction of silver ions from silver nitrate salt by leaf extract from Ocimum gratissimum. The Ag NPs appear to be capped with plant proteins, but are otherwise highly crystalline and pure. The Ag NPs have a zeta potential of −15mV, a hydrodynamic diameter of 31nm with polydispersity index of 0.65, and dry sizes of 18±3nm and 16±2nm, based on scanning and transmission electron microscopy respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the Ag NPs against a multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli was 4μg/mL and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was 8μg/mL, while the MIC and MBC against a resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus were slightly higher at 8μg/mL and 16μg/mL respectively. Further, the Ag NPs inhibited biofilm formation by both Escherichia coli and S. aureus at concentrations similar to the MIC for each strain. Treatment of E. coli and S. aureus with Ag NPs resulted in damage to the surface of the cells and the production of reactive oxygen species. Both mechanisms likely contribute to bacterial cell death. In summary, this new method appears promising for green biosynthesis of pure Ag NPs with potent antimicrobial activity

Genomic characterization of Plasmodium falciparum genes associated with anti-folate drug resistance and treatment outcomes in eastern India: A molecular surveillance study from 2008 to 2017

IntroductionAfter being used vigorously for the previous two decades to treat P. falciparum, chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine were replaced in 2009 with an artemisinin-based combination therapy (artesunate-sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine) in an effort to combat multidrug-resistant parasites.MethodsWe set out to assess the genetic variants of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance and the effectiveness of its treatment in eastern India prior to, during, and 6 to 8 years following the introduction of the new pharmacological regime. In 2008-2009, 318 P. falciparum–positive patients got the recommended doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. We used 379 additional isolates from 2015 to 2017 in addition to the 106 isolates from 2010. All 803 isolates from two study sites underwent in vitro sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine sensitivity testing and genomic characterisation of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance (pfdhfr and pfdhps).ResultsIn Kolkata and Purulia, we observed early treatment failure in 30.7 and 14.4% of patients, respectively, whereas recrudescence was found in 8.1 and 13.4% of patients, respectively, in 2008–2009. In 2017, the proportion of in vitro pyrimethamine and sulfadoxine resistance steadily grew in Kolkata and Purulia despite a single use of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. Treatment failures with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine were linked to quintuple or quadruple pfdhfr- pfdhps mutations (AICII-AGKAT, AICII-AGKAA, AICII-SGKGT, AICII-AGKAA, AICNI-AGKAA) in 2008–2009 (p < 0.001). The subsequent spread of mutant-haplotypes with higher in vitro sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance (p < 0.001), such as the sextuple (dhfr-AIRNI+dhps-AGEAA, dhfr-ANRNL+dhps-AGEAA) and septuple (dhfr-AIRNI+dhps-AGEAT), mutations were observed in 2015-2017.DiscussionThis successive spread of mutations with high in vitro sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance confirmed the progressive increase in antifolate resistance even after an 8-year withdrawal of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine

ecord of the non-indigenous Seminole rams-horn, Planorbella duryi (Wetherby, 1879) from South Karo River, India (Mollusca: Heterobranchia: Planorbidae)

During the malacological survey in the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary and different regions of Saranda forests of Deccan peninsula in Jharkhand, an unusual Florida’s native freshwater mollusc Seminole Rams-Horn, Planorbella duryi from South Karo River was encountered. Earlier, this non-indigenous species was reported from the Godavari River in the Nasik district of Maharashtra state of India although there was confusion on the presence of Planorbella scalaries and Planorbella duryi. Occurrence of P. duryi, has been confirmed along with distribution, ecology, and probable dispersal hypothesis has been discussed

Angiographic enigma: A single coronary artery with the right coronary artery originating from the distal left circumflex artery

An isolated single coronary artery (SCA) is a rare anomaly. A SCA originating from the left sinus of Valsalva is even rarer than one arising from the right. Most patients with a congenital coronary artery anomaly are asymptomatic. Herein, we report an extremely uncommon variant, where the right coronary artery arose from the distal segment of the left circumflex artery with slow coronary flow leading to myocardial ischemia

The potential impact of COVID-19 on women’s reproductive and mental health: a questionnaire study

The pandemic has transformed the social and economic certainties of people’s lives imposing stay-at-home necessities which began in mid-March 2020. This cross-sectional observational study was performed to study the impact of COVID-19 on the reproductive and mental health of women before and after the pandemic. A digital survey form of 50 questions was developed using the Google platform andshared over 4 weeks in August 2021. Paired t-test was used to compare the variables before and after the COVID-19. Of the 450 respondents, 443(98.44%) completed the questionnaire. There was a significant difference in the average duration of menstruation and the proportion of women with a cycle length of 35–45 days increased from 5 to 8% of women after the pandemic. Painful periods (28.5 to 59.5%, p = .002) and weight increased (39.2%, p < .001) after the pandemic. Stress also increased after the pandemic (p < .001). The pandemic has significantly impacted the reproductive and mental health of women. The long-term health significances of this are yet to be determined.Impact Statement What is already known on this subject? The pandemic has transformed the social and economic certainties of people’s lives, mainly women. Women’s health significantly mental health is affected by the lack of adequate domestic and emotional support which may further consequences like the risk of anxiety and depression. What do the results of this study add? Our study shows the effect of COVID-19 on women’s reproductive and mental health before and after the pandemic. Inadvertent forfeits women’s health and well-being and instabilities in reproductive function as raised pressure causes irregularities in the menstrual cycle. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Women have suffered from significant mental and reproductive problems during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, the long-term effects of these are not unknown. Upcoming work should comprise study throughout the pandemic and the long-term impact on women’s health