Background: Epilepsy is "a condition characterized by recurrent (two or more) seizure, unprovoked by any immediate identifi ed cause." The desired outcome of antiseizure drug (ASD) therapy is to be seizure-free throughout the rest of life. The objective was to study the utilization pattern and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with the use of ASDs in pediatric outpatients in epilepsy clinic. Methods: This cross-sectional, observational and single center study was carried out over a period of 1 year in 430 pediatric patients. Analyzed data included demographic details and drugs prescribed in respective seizure types along with ADRs due to ASDs. Results: In a total 430 patients analyzed, seizure were most commonly observed in boys (69.8%) in 6-10 year of age (45.3%), with a positive family history in (16%), with no specifi c cause of seizure in (71.6%), with most common type was focal seizure in (62.3%), which was mainly treated with carbamazepine (73.8%). Most common ADR was irritability (32.2%) with Valproate being main drug. 87.3% ADRs were in " possible" as per World Health Organization causality assessment scale, 94.9% ADRs were "mild" as per Hartwig and Siegel severity assessment scale and 98.3% ADRs were "preventable" as per Schumock and Thornton preventability scale. Conclusion: Focal seizure was most common type of seizure observed mainly in boys of 6-10 year with carbamazepine as mainly prescribed drug. Use of appropriate ASDs in the majority of patients as per guidelines, has decreased number of ADRs in our study. Prescribing drugs were mainly from essential drug list and by generic names.

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Background: Vaccination is an essential component of the public health programs and among most cost effective medical intervention. Vaccines like other pharmaceutical product are not entirely risk free; while most known side effects are mild and non-serious. But some vaccines have been associated with very rare but serious side effect. So, there is a need of a surveillance program to monitor and record such events. Aims & Objective: To detect adverse events following immunizations (AEFI) in children and find vaccine responsible for them. Material and Methods: A one year, prospective, vaccine safety study was undertaken in 2011 covering a pediatric population who were administered vaccines. A two-phase telephone survey of all patients was conducted, comprising of an initial call at 1 week and a follow-up call at 30 days after the vaccine administration date. All AEFI were recorded in Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) form. Results: Of a total sample of 4320 children, ranging in age from 0 to 14 years, 10110 vaccine doses were given. Each child received 2.34 vaccines on an average. Out of 4320 children, 899 children (20.8%) suffered 1003 AEFI. The most frequent types of adverse reactions to vaccines were fever (34.33 per 1000 doses), excessive crying (30.95 per 1000 doses) and injection site swelling (18.57 per 1000 doses). AEFI rate per 1000 doses was 99.2%. Conclusion: Most of the adverse events reported were mild and non-serious. Establishment of national AEFI database can be a worthy long term goal in Indian context.

Background: Hypertension is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease. Though many clinical guidelines published recently for the treatment of hypertension, there is substantial variation in the treatment of hypertension in different countries. Aims and objectives: To evaluate the drug utilization pattern among hypertensive patients and their adverse effects attending medicine OPD in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Materials and Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted by Department of Pharmacology in a tertiary care teaching hospital over a period of six months. The diagnosis and line of treatment to be given was decided by the physician in charge of the Department of Medicine. All the information of ADR was recorded in CDSCO Suspected ADR reporting form. Results: Out of 600 patients, 43.83% were male and 56.17% were female. Maximum patients belonged to age group of 51-60 years (33.5%). Diabetes mellitus (40.33%) was the most common associated disease with hypertension. About half of the patients had received two antihypertensive drugs (49.50%), followed by one (33.16%) and three (15.5%) antihypertensive drugs. Enalapril was the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive drug (79.66%). 95 patients (15.83%) from the total of 600 patients developed ADR. Most common ADR was cough (18.94%) followed by headache (12.63%) and vomiting (10.52%). Enalapril was responsible for about half of the ADR (50.52%) followed by amlodipine (25.26%) and furosemide (25.26%). Conclusion: Rational utilization pattern of antihypertensive drugs was observed. However diuretics and calcium channel blockers prescribed less commonly. Most of the ADRs were probable (55.79%) and mild (30.53%).

Background: Tobacco use is a major preventable cause of morbidity and mortality. Tobacco usage among medical professionals should be reduced. It is important that they are aware regarding effects/ill effects of tobacco use, anti tobacco strategies, tobacco cessation technique to reduce tobacco usage among population. Authors undertook this study to understand tobacco use among medical students.Methods: Authors conducted cross sectional, descriptive study by collecting anonymous data of 414 undergraduate medical students of medical college, Jamnagar in predesigned forms. Data were analysed using MS-excel and graphpad prism. Authors used Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence to assess nicotine dependence.Results: Tobacco users were 19.57%, among them 83.95% were smokers. Prevalence was higher in male (34.35% in male and 1.09% in female subgroup) and students with positive family history (36.81% in positive and 6.03% in negative family history subgroup). Current users were 7.73%. They were 8.20% in hosteller and 2.78% day scholar subgroups. Authors didn’t find statistical significant association of medical education with habit. Leading causes of starting tobacco use were curiosity/recreational purpose (35.8%), peer group pressure (32.10%) and stress (25.93%). Most of current user had low nicotine dependence (73.33%).Conclusions: Tobacco use among medical students is a significant problem. Important factors affecting it are gender, family history, current living status, stress, peer group pressure, media influences. Authors recommend that special awareness programme and specific training regarding tobacco cessation should be given to medical students.

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Dogs are one of the most accepted pet animals in every household. Increasing urbanization and modernization of human life has created a space where people are living in nuclear family or alone. This has created peoples' perception and acceptance of having pet for companionship. Humandog interaction and close livelihood confinement emerge as crucial threat of outbreaks of zoonotic disease even a dog's diseases. To prevent and control diseases of dogs, it requires proper knowledge of vaccination, education of pet health management and pets' diseases. Therefore, the current review is on describing dog diseases like, Rabies, Canine Parvoviral gastroenteritis, Canine Distemper, Canine Coronaviral infection, Canine Rotavirus infection, Canine Herpesvirus infection, Canine Leptospirosis, Canine Brucellosis, Transmissible venereal tumors (TVT), Kennel cough, Pyoderma at glance which provides concise information regarding the causative agents and other relevant details.