Strawberry Festival - Plant City, 2019

Strawberry Festiva

Future Engineer

Komal Patel is a recent mechanical engineer graduate. The photograph is of Juhi Patel at her graduation

Saturn V - Kennedy Space Center

Saturn V is the rocket that took the first men to the moon

Calculation of Swirl Angle Using CFD

CFD flow simulation methods have been used to model the flow through the proving facilities. It has been found that significant swirl is generated within the system pipe circuit. This errors can be resolved using two methodologies out of which is using tube bundles i.e. the tube bundles installed in the 10 inch lines effectively remove this swirl. However, flow conditions at the flowmeters? inlets are not ideal with skewed and flattened velocity profiles being predicted at the meters? inlets. This is particularly true of the 10 inch flowmeters

A study of morbidity and drug utilization pattern in indoor patients of high risk pregnancy at tertiary care hospital

Background: Pregnancy represents a special physiological state during which the use of drug is of growing concern due to risk of teratogenicity. High risk pregnancy is common threat to mother and foetus. Therefore, our aim was to study the drug utilization and morbidity pattern in high risk pregnancy in hospitalized pregnant women. Methods:An observational, prospective study was carried out in 250 patients for 6 months in the tertiary care hospital. Protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The data were collected in a pre-designed proforma. Data were analysed by using SPSS version 20.0 Software. Results: Among 250 patients, 19 (7.6%), 218 (87.2%) and 13 (5.2%) were of less than 20, 20 to 30 and more than 30 years of age respectively. About 68.8% women had complained of abdominal pain and 67.6% had weakness followed by headache / body ache (47.2%), oedema (26.4%) and vomiting (18.8%). Iron (91.2%) and calcium (84.5%) were the commonest drugs prescribed followed by folic acid (59.6%), protein powder (54.8%), vitamin C (46.8%) and isoxsuprine (26.6%). As per FDA Drug Risk Category, Category-A (82.21%) was most frequently prescribed followed by Category-B (15.64%) and Category-C (2.15%). Percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name and from essential drug list was 62.80% and 80.79%. Conclusion: Iron, Calcium and Folic acid were most commonly prescribed drugs. There is lesser number of drugs prescribed by generic name suggesting need for sincere efforts to improve situation

Newer approaches in the treatment of asthma

Asthma is a worldwide public health problem. The most effective anti-asthmatic drugs - inhaled β2-agonists and glucocorticoids controls asthma in about 90-95% of patients. However, severe glucocorticoid-dependent and resistant asthma presents a great clinical burden. Therefore, reducing glucocorticoids - related adverse effects using novel steroid-sparing agents is needed. Furthermore, the mechanisms involved in the persistence of inflammation are poorly understood and the reasons why some patients have severe life threatening asthma and others have very mild disease are still unknown. Although glucocorticoids effectively control the inflammatory process in asthma, they have little effect on the lower airway remodeling processes that appear to play a role in the pathophysiology of asthma. Several new drugs developed to target specific components of the inflammatory process in asthma [e.g. anti-IgE antibodies (omalizumab), cytokines and/or chemokines antagonists, immunomodulators, antagonists of adhesion molecules)], have not yet been proven to be particularly effective. Hence, considering the central role of T lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of asthma, drugs targeting disease-inducing Th2 cells are promising future therapeutic strategies. Some of these new anti-asthmatic treatment approaches may in the future not only control symptoms and modify the natural course of asthma, but also potentially prevent or cure the disease. Hence, the development of novel drugs may allow resolution of these changes

Study of drug utilization, morbidity pattern and cost of hypolipidemic agents in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Data on the extent of use and costs of lipid-lowering agents are not widely available. Our aim was to study the drug utilization and morbidity pattern, cost of different hypolipidemic drugs along with the risk assessment for coronary heart disease.Methods: After approval of protocol by the Institutional Review Board, an observational, prospective study was carried out in 300 patients using NCEP and ATP III Guidelines-2002 for evaluation of presence or absence of risk factors for coronary heart diseases. Data were analysed using SPSS software version 16.0and WHO Core Drug Prescribing Indicators.Results: Patient’s morbidity pattern revealed that 62%, 49.3%, 28% suffered from ischemic heart disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus respectively. On risk assessment, 48%, 13.3% patients had borderline and high level of total cholesterol respectively; 42%, 22.7% had borderline and high triglyceride levels respectively; 71.1% men and 62% women had low HDL cholesterol levels while 17.3%, 6% and 2.7% patients had borderline high, high and very high level of LDL cholesterol levels respectively. Frequency of prescriptions was atorvastatin (82%), rosuvastatin (9.3%) and simvastatin (4.7%) among the most frequently prescribed statins drug group. The mean number of drugs per prescription was 7.34. Drugs prescribed by generic name and from essential drugs list was 24.96% and 71.81% respectively. Mean cost of hypolipidemic agents/prescription/day was 10.74 (±1.96) Indian Rupees with rosuvastatin being the costliest.Conclusion: Rational use of hypolipidemic agents with an increasing trend of statins prescriptions will significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality from coronary heart diseases.

Anterior tibial spine (ACL avulsion) fracture treated with open reduction and fixation with screw: surgical technique, functional and clinico-radiological outcomes

Background: The anterior tibial spine fracture occurs almost at a same frequency both in adolescents and in adults. These injuries are often overlooked at emergency room. Stable internal fixation requires to gain optimum function of ACL by securing its length and nascent tension. We treated anterior tibial spine (ACL avulsion) fracture patient with open reduction and screw fixation.Methods: Study of Ten patients of anterior tibial spine (ACL avulsion) fracture, with minimum of 06 months and maximum of 18 months follow up. Classification of anterior tibial spine (ACL avulsion) a fracture done by Meyer and Mckeever. All patients operated with open reduction and internal fixation with screw via medial parapatellar approach. Functional and clinical outcome measured with Lysholm knee score at final follow up.Results: We studied 10 patients with anterior tibial spine (ACL avulsion) fractrure where mean age of patient was 36.4 years. Mean radiological healing was 10.6 weeks in anterior tibial spine (ACL avulsion) fracture. We observed mean motion of knee 133 degree in anterior tibial spine (ACL avulsion) fracture. Mean Lysholm score at final follow up was 86.8.Conclusions: Open reduction for anterior tibial spine (ACL) fracture provides direct visualization with easy application of screws ultimately confers stable osteosynthesis enables to start early range of motion and further rehabilitation protocol. Open reduction internal fixation is comparative less technically demanding, less expansive and gives excellent to good results as compared to other techniques.

A case series on drug induced hyponatremia: uncommon adverse effect of commonly used drugs

Older patients suffering from depression and psychosis have markedly increased since last decade. So, has the use of antidepressants and antipsychotics. The prevalence of hyponatremia due to these drugs is common in general as well as psychiatric practice. It may also lead to life threatening morbidity and mortality. Loss of renal function, polypharmacy, dementia and other conditions of advanced age can either exacerbate the severity of hyponatremia or mask its onset. In this case series, total four cases were reported of hyponatremia and drugs causing it were escitalopram, quetiapine, tianeptine and oxcarbazepine. Due to polypharmacy, a chance of hyponatremia was more in these patients. Patients received infusion of hypertonic saline with salt added diet to treat hyponatremia. Symptoms of hyponatremia were improved after the treatment. In all four cases, WHO and Naranjo’s causality assessment revealed ‘possible’ causal relationship with the prescribed drug. Prescribers should be aware of such adverse effect due to these drugs

Morbidity and drug utilization pattern among admitted pregnant anemic women and to find out rationality of drug by using Indian guidelines

Background: Pregnancy represents a special physiological state during which the use of drug is of growing concern due to risk of teratogenicity. Anemia is common threat to mother. Therefore, our aim was to study the drug utilization, teratogenic risk among patients of anemia in pregnancy and check rationality of prescriptions.Methods: An observational, prospective study was carried out in 150 indoor patients in the tertiary care hospital. Protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board. The data were collected in a pre-designed proforma. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 Software.Results: Among 150 patients, 23, 111, and 16 were of <20, 20-30 and more than 30 years of age respectively. Among anemic patients Pregnancy induced hypertension (18.7%), antepartum hemorrhage (12.7%) were common. About 71% women have complaint of weakness, followed by headache. Iron (93.3%) and calcium (86.0%) were the most common drugs prescribed. Iron sucrose and packed cell volume given in severe anemia. Drug risk category, Category A (90.21%) was most frequently prescribed, which is followed by Category B (8.0%) and Category C (1.8%). Percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name and from essential drug list was 70.3 and 89.2. Overall prescribing habit was rational according to Indian guideline.Conclusion: Iron, calcium, and folic acid were most commonly prescribed drugs in anemic patients. No teratogenic risk was found out during drug use. Drug and dose of the drug was rational and appropriate. There is lesser number of drugs prescribed by generic name and hospital supply