Effect of concomitant HIV infection on adverse drug reactions by first line antitubercular drugs - a case series analysis

The pattern and severity of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) due to first-line anti-tubercular drugs in solely tubercular and TB-HIV co-infected patients could be different due to drug-disease and drug-drug interactions in TB-HIV co-infected patients. Nevertheless, the studies regarding this aspect are very meager. Hence a retrospective appraisal of individual case safety reports (ICSR) due to first-line antitubercular drugs spontaneously submitted to the ADR monitoring center was done for solely tubercular and TB-HIV coinfected patients. Out of eight ICSRs, four had concomitant HIV infection, and two of them were on antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Co-infected patients showed rare and severe ADRs like optic neuritis, acute renal failure, and drug-induced liver injury (DILI). In contrast, four non-HIV co-infected tubercular patients suffered from comparatively less severe cutaneous reactions and vertigo. A high negative (-0.774) correlation coefficient between HIV co-infection and recovery status found that HIV co-infected patients had low chances of fully recovering. In conclusion, HIV co-infection and ARV drugs can affect the pattern, severity, and recovery status of adverse drug reactions due to first-line antitubercular drugs

A prospective observational study of prescription pattern of antihypertensive drugs in general medicine outpatient department of associated hospital RUHS CMS, Jaipur

Background: The increasing prevalence of hypertension is attributed to population growth, ageing and behavioural risk factors, such as unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, lack of physical activity, excess weight and exposure to persistent stress. The aim of study is the prescribing pattern and the consumption of antihypertensive drugs in isolated hypertensive patients and in hypertensive patients with different co-existing morbidities. Methods: The present study is a Prospective observational study. The study was conducted at Medicine Department of associated hospital of RUHS College of Medical Sciences, Jaipur. Results: A total of 965 patients having hypertension were analyzed, in that 556 patients were male and 409 patients were female. In hypertension patients, angiotensin receptor blockers ARB, diuretics and β- blockers (29.90%) were mostly used classes in three drug therapy. Whereas telmisartan, hydrochlorothiazide and metoprolol (35.05%) were mostly prescribed. Drugs. In hypertension patients, angiotensin receptor blockers ARB, diuretics, β- blockers and calcium channel blockers (56.67%) and calcium channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, β-blockers and diuretics (43.33%) were used classes in four drug therapy. Whereas Telmisartan, Hydrochlorothiazide, Nebivolol and Amlodipine (62.5%) were mostly prescribed drugs. Hypertensive Patients with Comorbidity were found in higher prevalence with 276 hypertensive patients (28.60%) along with Diabetes Mellitus most commonly found and 389 hypertensive patients (40.31%) were found to be with No Comorbidity. Conclusions: Present results reveal that antihypertensive medication adherence to JNC-8 recommendations is suboptimal. Therefore, physicians should follow JNC-8 guidelines to improve the patients care because suboptimal adherence leads to adverse clinical outcomes. The present study demonstrated that physicians are not completely adhering to standard guidelines while treating hypertension with co-morbid conditions

Examining mental health of medical students: a DASS21 scale assessment

Background: Stress is a global phenomenon that affects nearly everyone. The medical curriculum is often regarded as one of the most difficult professional degree courses in the world, and so the prevalence of stress is clear. Because of this trend, the pupils' mental health must be evaluated. The purpose of this study was to gather information about stress levels among undergraduate medical students. Methods: The research was carried out at the RUHS college of medical sciences. Data was acquired using Google Forms via a self-administered questionnaire that contained students' consent and semester information. The questionnaire consisted of 21 questions based on the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS21). Results: The response rate of this study was 91.02% (213/234). The study also revealed more active female participation than male respondents. Out of the total responses (n=234), 54.6% were females and 44.8% were male. The analysis showed that medical students had experienced higher levels of depression (55%), and anxiety (64%) relative to stress (34%). Female students were found more anxious and depressed. Conclusions: The study found a high prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression among medical students. Preventive approaches for improving student mental health are so required

Molecular communication in fractional diffusive channel

The molecular communication system with anomalous/fractional diffusion inside a one-dimensional (1-D) environment is considered. The time-dependent diffusivity is incorporated in terms of the power-law diffusivity, and the expression of first passage time density (FPTD) is derived. Further, the peak pulse time and peak concentration corresponding to the derived FPTD function are obtained. Moreover, the analysis is extended in terms of the average probability of error and throughput for the anomalous diffusion channel. The analytical results are validated through simulations

An insight into risk factors profile of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer patients attending two tertiary care hospitals in Jaipur, India

Background: Oral cancer is the second most prevalent cancers among males in Jaipur city. Assessment of risk factors profile of patients will help the policy makers in initiating new ways to curb the usage of tobacco among masses. The present study aims to find out the risk factors profile of oral and oropharyngeal cancer patients at two hospitals of Jaipur city.Methods: It was a prospective and observational study. The patients with histologically confirmed diagnosis of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers and fulfilling the inclusion criteria were recruited. Data on the demographic profile and clinical information were obtained from hospital and clinical records. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 14 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Chi-square test was performed to analyse the data.Results: Out of 400 oral cancer patients included in this study majority of the patients were in the age range of 40-60years and with a significant male preponderance in all the age groups (P <0.05). The most common habit among males and females was chewing. Buccal mucosa was the most commonly affected site followed by tongue. Both males and females were more likely to be diagnosed in stage 3 (p <0.05).Conclusions: There is a need to reduce the burden of this disease by educating the people about various risk factors which play role in oral cancer development

Tunable Visible Emission of Ag-Doped CdZnS Alloy Quantum Dots

Highly luminescent Ag-ion-doped Cd1−xZnxS (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) alloy nanocrystals were successfully synthesized by a novel wet chemical precipitation method. Influence of dopant concentration and the Zn/Cd stoichiometric variations in doped alloy nanocrystals have been investigated. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) to investigate the size and structure of the as prepared nanocrystals. A shift in LO phonon modes from micro-Raman investigations and the elemental analysis from the energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) confirms the stoichiometry of the final product. The average crystallite size was found increasing from 1.0 to 1.4 nm with gradual increase in Ag doping. It was observed that photoluminescence (PL) intensity corresponding to Ag impurity (570 nm), relative to the other two bands 480 and 520 nm that originates due to native defects, enhanced and showed slight red shift with increasing silver doping. In addition, decrease in the band gap energy of the doped nanocrystals indicates that the introduction of dopant ion in the host material influence the particle size of the nanocrystals. The composition dependent bandgap engineering in CdZnS:Ag was achieved to attain the deliberate color tunability and demonstrated successfully, which are potentially important for white light generation

A cross-sectional study of socio-demographic and clinical profile of HIV patients at ART plus centre, Sawai Man Singh Hospital, Jaipur, India

Background: This study aimed to understand the regional variation in the socio-demographic and clinical profile of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients at antiretroviral therapy plus centre of Sawai Man Singh (SMS) hospital, Jaipur, India.&nbsp; Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on HIV patients from January to December 2019. The HIV-positive patients of all age groups and all categories were included in the study. The socio-economic status was assessed by BG Prasad classification-based consumer price index. However, the clinical staging was done according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of HIV/AIDS. Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Results: Among 525 HIV patients 59.16% were males, 40.26% females and 0.57% intersex. About half (51.0%) in the reproductive age group with mean age 36 ±13 years. The commonest mode of HIV transmission was heterosexual (89.77%). Maximum belonged to social class I (57.84%) and class II (26.05 %) of BG Prasad's socioeconomic status. Each of the non-agricultural laborers and semi-skilled workers constitutes 18.0%, and the housewives were 23.6%. At the time of presentation, baseline CD4+Tcell count was &lt;350 /mm3 in 55.0% of HIV patients. Pulmonary tuberculosis and skin involvement were the most predominant secondary opportunistic infections accounting for 24.8% and 7.8%, respectively. More than half (52.09%) of patients were in WHO clinical stage I of HIV disease. Conclusion: Socio-demographic and clinical profile of study participants reflect an impact of early case detection and timely institution of highly active antiretroviral therapy

General population perceptions and attitudes toward COVID-19 booster vaccinations and the mask mandate as we approach the end of 2022: a pan India online survey

Background: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exploded into a global pandemic, killing over 6.5 million people and forever changing the world. While many developed countries are well into their vaccination campaigns, India outperformed global expectations by providing over 2 billion doses to its citizens and assisting other countries worldwide. Following the emergence of various covid variants, it is critical to comprehend the willingness of Indians to receive additional doses of the newer generation of covid vaccination, as well as the fatigue associated with maintaining the most essential covid appropriate behaviour, masking. This study aimed to determine general public attitudes and perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine in India. Method: A pan-India cross-sectional analysis was conducted at RUHS college of medical sciences, Jaipur, between October 20, 2022, and December 15, 2022. Through web-based links, a self-administered and semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Results: Of the total responses received (n=391), 55.6% were males, and 43.8% were females. 63.2% have received two doses of the vaccine, while 33.8% have received three doses. 50.9% of respondents were willing to take the fourth dose of the vaccine, 20.5% were utterly unwilling, and 28.6% were undecided. 10.7% of our respondents were utterly reluctant to wear masks, whereas 26.6% always did. Conclusions: Based on the findings, vaccination acceptance in India remains high with 50.9% of applicants willing to take the fourth dose. Furthermore, the pandemic has resulted in the incorporation of face masks into our lifestyles, with the majority of people using a face mask in at least one setting

Artificial intelligence (AI) integration in medical education: A pan-India cross-sectional observation of acceptance and understanding among students

Background/Aim: From accurate diagnostics to personalised treatment plans, artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionise healthcare. The abundance of medical data has led to AI being employed for accurate diagnoses, treatment protocols and patient care. Students' perception of AI integration in medical education is crucial for its successful implementation. This study aimed to assess the acceptance and understanding of AI integration among students in medical education across different regions of India through a cross-sectional observation. Methods: A pan-India survey was conducted among medical students between 1 August 2023 to 20 August 2023 with a pre-validated questionnaire covering AI awareness and understanding through Google Form, circulated via WhatsApp. Results: A total of 730 medical students completed the survey of which 58.6 % were males and 41.4 % were females. Most students (80.7 %) knew about AI, but 53.6 % had limited awareness of AI in medicine. Opinions on AI integration was diverse, with 46.8 % in favour. Workshops (45.2 %) and lectures (31.1 %) were preferred learning formats. Students were interested in various AI topics and expect AI to positively impact medicine (45.9 %). Radiology, surgery and general medicine were predicted to be most influenced by AI. Concerns about overreliance on AI (49.2 %) and lack of empathy (43.7 %) were highlighted. Conclusions: Medical students in India display a keen interest in AI and its integration into medical education. To fully harness AI's potential in healthcare, comprehensive AI curricula and faculty training are needed. Students are aware of the challenges and opportunities, emphasising the importance of balanced AI adoption in medical practice and education

Auditing of prescriptions in relation to diarrhea in children below 5 years of age: a multicenter study

Background: This study was planned to determine the prescribing pattern of drugs in children below 5 years of age suffering from diarrhea by different categories of doctors in the city of Jaipur (Rajasthan).Methods: This observational retrospective study was conducted in the Pediatric Outpatient Department of SMS Medical College and other hospitals in Jaipur (Rajasthan). In this study, 300 prescription (10% of total prescription) of the children aged below 5 years, suffering from acute diarrhea, were randomly selected.Results: As alone, norfloxacin was noted in 49.2% prescriptions followed by ofloxacin in 24.6% out of 61 prescriptions. In combination, the most common antimicrobial (77.78%) prescribed was norfloxacin with either metronidazole or tinidazole.Conclusions: Antimicrobials should be prescribed rationally for pediatric patients suffering from diarrhea to avoid potential adverse events and increased cost of the treatment . Regular prescription audits in hospitals should be undertaken to promote rational use of drugs