Groundwater exploration

Groundwater exploratio

Prescribing patterns in the management of arthritis in a rural tertiary care teaching hospital

Background: Based on 2003 National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) data, a projected 67 million (25%) adults aged 18 years or older will have arthritis and 25 million (37%) of those will have arthritis-attributable activity limitations by the year 2030. Objective of this study is to know the prevalence of different types of arthritis, current trends of drug prescribing patterns in its management and to create awareness about rational use of drugs in a rural tertiary care hospital.Methods: This was an observational study of drug prescriptions among 100 arthritis patients in a tertiary care teaching hospital, India. Patients diagnosed with arthritis with or without co-morbidities were enrolled in the study considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria with a verbal informed consent.Results: Out of 100 arthritis cases, prevalence of Osteoarthritis (OA) was seen more than Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Osteoarthritis was more commonly seen in males and RA in females. Arthritis was more prevalent in the age group of 36-65 years. Oral route was the most preferred route of administration of drugs and Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were the first choice. Vitamin D3+ calcium was the most commonly prescribed drug in arthritis. Diclofenac was the most commonly used drug for monotherapy in OA and methotrexate in RA.Conclusions: In this study, some patients diagnosed with RA were treated with NSAIDs as first line and no Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARD) were given. This irrational prescribing trend should be changed. Non-pharmacological treatment has a qualitative role in treating arthritis and should be advised instead of multiple drug therapy

All-sky signals from recombination to reionization with the SKA

Cosmic evolution in the hydrogen content of the Universe through recombination and up to the end of reionization is expected to be revealed as subtle spectral features in the uniform extragalactic cosmic radio background. The redshift evolution in the excitation temperature of the 21-cm spin flip transition of neutral hydrogen appears as redshifted emission and absorption against the cosmic microwave background. The precise signature of the spectral trace from cosmic dawn and the epoch of reionization are dependent on the spectral radiance, abundance and distribution of the first bound systems of stars and early galaxies, which govern the evolution in the spin-flip level populations. Redshifted 21 cm from these epochs when the spin temperature deviates from the temperature of the ambient relic cosmic microwave background results in an all-sky spectral structure in the 40-200 MHz range, almost wholly within the band of SKA-Low. Another spectral structure from gas evolution is redshifted recombination lines from epoch of recombination of hydrogen and helium; the weak all-sky spectral structure arising from this event is best detected at the upper end of the 350-3050 MHz band of SKA-mid. Total power spectra of SKA interferometer elements form the measurement set for these faint signals from recombination and reionization; the inter-element interferometer visibilities form a calibration set. The challenge is in precision polarimetric calibration of the element spectral response and solving for additives and unwanted confusing leakages of sky angular structure modes into spectral modes. Herein we discuss observing methods and design requirements that make possible these all-sky SKA measurements of the cosmic evolution of hydrogen.Comment: Accepted for publication in the SKA Science Book 'Advancing Astrophysics with the Square Kilometre Array', to appear in 201

Drug utilization pattern of antimicrobials in OPD of ENT in teaching hospital

Background: A drug utilization study may be helpful to identify the problems, suggest the remedial measures and promote rational use. Antimicrobials are commonly used to treat infections caused by bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi, evidently require huge prescriptions in India.Methods: A prospective, observational study was carried out for a period of four months from February to May 2019 in the Department of ENT (OPD) at NRI Medical College and General Hospital. Prescriptions were collected randomly from around 300 patients attending the ENT outpatient department after obtaining informed consent. The data were collected in the predesigned proforma for analysis.Results: 300 ENT patients were selected for the study, 62% were male and 38% were female. Out of 300 patients 190 ear disorders, 50 nasal, and 60 throat infections. Antimicrobial therapy were most commonly instituted in ear diseases (67.66%), nose (16.95%) and throat (15.37%) respectively. The most commonly used agents were amoxicillin with clavulanic acid- n=295, cefixime- n=1260, gentamicin- n=200, ciprofloxacin- n=157, azithromycin- n=199, nitroimidazoles (metronidazole- n=111).Conclusions: Cefixime and amoxicillin+clavulanic acid combination was the most commonly prescribed antibiotic in our study. Interventions to rectify the use of brand names are necessary to promote rational drug use. An antibiotic policy has to be developed for the doctors in treating infections so that rationality in using the antibiotics will be developed and the occurrence of antibiotic resistance can be reduced

Study of awareness of insulin usage in diabetics attending NRI Medical College and General Hospital

Background: India had 69.2 million diabetic patients. Insulin is an important part of diabetes treatment, but one-third of patients fail to take their insulin as prescribed, and many adults intentionally skip their doses. Since, diabetes treatment continues for lifetime, there is a need to assess the knowledge and understanding of patients in relation to their disease process and its management.Methods: A cross sectional, observational, knowledge and attitude survey were carried on patients with type II diabetes mellitus who are taking insulin therapy and attended medicine diabetes OPD in tertiary care Hospital during the period of April 2017 to Dec 2017. 200 diabetic patients’ ≥18 years of age who were willing to respond to the study questionnaire were interviewed.Results: Total of 200 study participants were interviewed using structured questionnaires, almost 75 (37.5%) of the respondents were age group of 41 - 50 years. 109 (54.5 %) male, 67 (33.5%)Hindus, 121 (60.5 %) married,79 (39.5%) were primary school, 120 (73.8%) were family history of diabetes, duration of treatment1-3 years 72 (31.5 %), 160 (63%) of the study subjects know about diabetes is high blood glucose, 119(59.5%)of subjects know complications of diabetes, 165(82.5%) were know about insulin used for diabetes, 115 (57.5%) of patients know other substitute for insulin, 94 (47%) of the study subjects have knowledge of complications of insulin therapy, 85 (42.5) were know different types of insulin preparations, 141 (70.5%) were know insulin is mandatory in some patients,159 (79.5%) were understood the route of administration of insulin.Conclusions: The finding of present study showed that, diabetes patients had average knowledge and less favourable attitude among diabetic patients toward insulin therapy