ANTIMICROBIAL UTILIZATION PATTERN OF URINARY TRACT INFECTION IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Objective: To study and analyze the pattern of antimicrobial utilization in urinary tract infection (UTI).Methods: A descriptive retrospective study was conducted in tertiary care hospital for 6 months including both male and female patients of all agegroups. Case sheets diagnosed with UTI based on ICD-10 disease coding were collected from medical records department. The demographic dataand prescription pattern of each case sheet were evaluated in detail. Drug utilization pattern was compared among different age groups of patients.Results: A total of 108 patients were included in the study, out of which 44.4% were males, and 55.6% were females. Most of the patients were in40-60 years age group (40.7%). UTI confirmed by culture in 59.26% patients; in which Escherichia coli was isolated in 35.9% patients followedby Klebsiella species (14.06%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (7.8%). Cephalosporins (70.37%) were most commonly used antibiotic followed byfluoroquinolones (38.89%), penicillins (29.63%), azithromycin (17.59%), and aminoglycosides (15.74%). Among the cephalosporins, third generationparenteral was most commonly used. In penicillins, amoxicillin + clavulanic acid combination was used in 9 patients. Amikacin was most commonlyused aminoglycoside followed by gentamicin. Mean duration of treatment was 6.28±3.02 days.Conclusion: Third generation cephalosporins (ceftriaxone and cefixime) were used as first line drug in most of the cases irrespective of the causativeorganism. This group should be reserved for complicated UTIs.Keywords: Urinary tract infections, Escherichia coli, Cephalosporins, Fluoroquinolones

Perspectives of traditional health care system of Sikkim, North-East India – An ethno-pharmacological survey and analysis

965-981The Indo-Himalayan Mountain state of Sikkim has abundant reserves of bio-diversity of ancient ancestry. Many folklore healers are renowned in Sikkim for their valuable traditional knowledge, especially for the use of combination drug therapy to treat bone fracture. In the cross-cultural ethnopharmacological survey, a predesigned questionnaire was used for interviews at the residence of respective folklore healers. Their patient handling and preparations of formulations have been documented in written and audio-visual format. The standard statistical indices selected relevant for the present study. The record of traditional knowledge on 193 different formulations used for 49 various human ailments have been enumerated during this survey. A total of 121 plants belonging to 65 families were found to be used as a component for 193 formulations. Graphical representation of the frequency of citation, especially survey and reference data shown significant correlation indicating common and specific use of plants in the treatment of different diseases. The scientific research on medicinal plants used by traditional practitioners and the application of ethnobotanical products in the folklore healthcare system significantly help in the sustainable development of traditional healthcare practices of the region. For the research fraternity, the quantitative analysis of survey data is gaining wider acceptability due to relative importance

Perspectives of traditional health care system of Sikkim, North-East India – Anethno-pharmacological survey and analysis

The Indo-Himalayan mountain state of Sikkim has abundant reserves of bio-diversity of ancient ancestry. Many folklore healers renowned in Sikkim for their valuable traditional knowledge, especially for the use of combination drug therapy to treat bone fracture. In the cross-cultural ethnopharmacological survey, a predesigned questionnaire was used for interviews at the residence of respective folklore healers. Their patient handling and preparations of formulations have documented in written and audio-visual format. The standard statistical indices selected relevant for the present study. The record of traditional knowledge on 193 different formulations used for 49 various human ailments has enumerated during this survey. A total of 121 plants belonging to 65 families were found to be used as a component for 193 formulations. Graphical representation of the frequency of citation, especially survey and reference data shown significant correlation indicating common and specific use of plants in the treatment of different diseases. The scientific research on medicinal plants used by traditional practitioners and the application of ethnobotanical products in the folklore healthcare system significantly help in the sustainable development of traditional healthcare practices of the region. For the research fraternity, the quantitative analysis of survey data is gaining wider acceptability due to relative importance

Caste and credit: A woeful tale?

This paper examines caste-based differences in farmers’ access to bank loans in rural India. We investigate whether banks practice taste-based discrimination on the basis of caste. In order to identify potential discrimination, we consider loan applications and approval decisions separately. We find significant inter-caste differences in application rates, and evidence of discrimination against Scheduled Tribe borrowers at the approval stage. To rule out the role of statistical discrimination, we simulate unobserved credit histories with various distributions. Evidence for taste-based discrimination persists despite accounting for unobservables. However, we find that this discrimination does not affect small farmers

Geographic and behavioral differences associated with sexually transmitted infection prevalence among Indian men who have sex with men in Chennai and Mumbai

BACKGROUND: India has one of the largest numbers of men who have sex with men (MSM) globally, however, geographic data on sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence and associations with sexual behavior are limited. METHODS: Six-hundred-eight MSM in Chennai and Mumbai screening in for a behavioral trial and assessed bacterial STI (syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea), HIV, and past-month self-reported condomless anal sex (CAS). RESULTS: Mumbai (37.8%) had a greater prevalence of any STIs than Chennai (27.6%) (est=1.37, 95% CI:1.09,1.73). This pattern also emerged for gonorrhea and chlamydia separately but not syphilis. Conversely, Mumbai had lower CAS (M=2.2) compared to Chennai (M=14.0) (est=−11.8, 95% CI:−14.6,−9.1). The interaction of city by CAS on any STI prevalence (PR=2.09, 95% CI:1.45,3.01, p<.0001) revealed that in Chennai, higher CAS was not associated with STI prevalence, but in Mumbai it was (PR=2.49, 95% CI:1.65,3.76, p<.0001). DISCUSSION: Higher bacterial STIs but lower CAS in Mumbai versus Chennai, and the significant interaction of CAS with city on STIs suggests that either differences in disease burden or differences by city with respect to self-reported assessment of CAS. Regardless, the high prevalence rates of untreated STI and condomless sex among MSM suggests the need for additional prevention intervention efforts for MSM in urban India

Interaction of amarogentin with COX-1 based on its position at 0ns and 40ns.

<p>(A) Interaction of amarogentin with channel gate forming residues, at 0ns (red) and 40ns (yellow). The movement in the position and angle of the residue, at 0ns (green) and 40ns (cyan), can differentiate their deviations and suggest a movement of amarogentin outside the channel breaching the channel gate. (B) Position of amarogentin at 0ns (red) and at 40ns (yellow) clearly indicates a complete shift in its orientation, in the course of the simulation. The figure was generated using the PyMol molecular visualisation tool.</p

Antinociceptive Effect of Ondansetron in Albino Mice Using Acetic Acid Induced Writhing Model

Background: Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. Pain is a protective mechanism. Pain occurs whenever any tissues are being damaged, and it causes the individual to react and to remove the pain stimulus. Aim and Objectives: To evaluate the antinociceptive effect of ondansetron in comparison with the standard diclofenac. Material and Methods: The antinociceptive effect was tested by using the acetic acid induced writhing model in Swiss Albino mice. Animals were divided into 4 groups of 6 animals each. Animals were received distilled water (control), diclofenac (standard), ondansetron 0.5mg/kg (test I) and ondansetron 1mg/kg (test II). After 30 minutes of drug administration, 0.1 ml of 1% acetic acid was injected. Mice were placed individually into glass beakers and five minutes were allowed to elapse. They were then observed for a period of ten minutes and the numbers of writhes were recorded in each animal. The results were expressed as mean ± SEM. One way ANOVA with post-test was used for statistical calculation. Results: The numbers of writhes were 1.33±0.494 for diclofenac; 6.33±1.872 and 9.33±1.706 for ondansetron 0.5 and 1mg/kg respectively. Conclusion: Ondansetron demonstrated statistical significant antinociceptive activity at both doses (0.5mg/kg and 1mg/kg) and statistically similar effect as diclofena

AutoDock binding energy values and H-bond forming residues of the lead molecules.

<p>Docking prediction of high scoring poses of different COX inhibitors and their corresponding binding energy values was compared with the binding free energy of amarogentin. Subsequently, the H-bonding residues were also analysed for the stability of the docking poses.</p

Movement of amarogentin inside the COX-1 binding cavity.

<p>Amarogentin after 40ns (green) simulation shows a clear movement outside the binding channel (grey) with respect to its initial 0ns frame (purple), indicating that the complex may not be stable in nature. The figure was generated using the PyMol molecular visualisation tool.</p

Structure of Amarogentin, a secoiridoid glycoside from <i>Swertia chirayita</i>.

<p>Amarogentin consists of three essential subgroups, the iridoid group, the glucose moiety and the biphenyl-triol rings.</p