Background: Excessive use of mobile phones, including smart phones, is found to result in various health related, social and psychological problems. Nomophobia expands to ‘No Mobile Phobia’, i.e., fear of being out of mobile phone contact. Previous studies on nomophobia have focused on the student populations, since the younger generation is more technology savvy. This questionnaire-based study aimed to know the prevalence and factors leading to nomophobia in general population.Methods: This study was conducted in western Gujarat from September 2018 to October 2018. A prevalidated questionnaire, containing three parts, the demographic details, details about the characteristics of mobile phone use and the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), was sent through emails and WhatsApp to 1000 individuals. The responses were tabulated and analyzed.Results: Out of 331 respondents 192 (58%) were males and 139 (42%) females. There was no significant difference in average NMP scores with respect to gender (p = 0.401), age brackets (p = 0.135), marital status (p = 0.123) and profession (p = 0.055). However, NMP scores were significantly more in individuals who spent more time on mobile phones per day (p = 0.000), checked their mobile phones more frequently (p<0.000) and in whom phantom ringing syndrome was also present (p<0.000). 241 respondents (72.80%) felt that their mobile phone use was consuming time and affecting their other daily activities.Conclusions: Nomophobia is an emerging health related adverse effect of prolonged mobile phone use. Interventions are required to promote judicious use of mobile phones.

Objectives:The study aims to understand the process and factors influencing the implementation of structured oral examination (SOE) for undergraduate medical students; in comparison with conventional oral examination (COE) in pharmacology.Methods:In a randomized, parallel group study, 123 students of pharmacology were divided into two groups, SOE (n = 63) and COE (n = 60). Students of each group were subdivided into two, and four examiners took viva voce individually. Three sets of questionnaires from autonomic nervous system were prepared, each having 15 items with increasing difficulty levels and were validated by subject experts and pretested. Ten minutes were allotted for each student for each viva. Feedback of students and faculty about the novel method was obtained.Results:SOE yielded significantly lower marks as compared to COE. There were significant inter-examiner variations in marks awarded in SOE and COE. Other factors influencing implementation were difficulty in structuring viva, rigid time limits, lack of flexibility in knowledge content, monotony, and fatigue. The students perceived this format not different from COE but felt that it required in-depth preparation of topic. Faculty opined that SOE led to less drift from main topic and provided uniform coverage of topics in given time.Conclusion:Conducting SOE is a resource-intensive exercise. Despite structuring, inter-examiner variability was not completely eliminated. The students’ performance was depended on factors related to examiners such as teaching experience, vernacular language used, and lack of training. Orientation and training of examiners in assessment strategies is necessary. Standardization of questionnaire is necessary before the implementation of SOE for summative assessment.

Background: Childhood obesity itself is a predictor of adult obesity and of higher than expected adult morbidity and mortality. Due to difficulty in the treatment of obesity in adults and the many long-term adverse effects of childhood obesity, prevention of childhood obesity has now been recognized as a public health priority. The objective of the study was to know the prevalence and determinants of obesity in school children of Ahmedabad city. Methods: The present cross sectional study was undertaken during September 2015 to December 2015 in randomly selected 10 schools of Ahmedabad city,

Lipoid proteinosis is a very rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by deposition of hyaline material in the skin and the upper aerodigestive tract. Hoarseness of voice occurs very early in life and airway obstruction may occur. Characteristic skin lesions include multiple brown atrophic scars over face and distal extremities, beaded papules over the margins of the eyelids and verrucous nodules over the friction bearing areas (elbows, knees). The overall prognosis is good. There is no definitive treatment.

Background: This prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Kachchh, over a period of 6 months, to know the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of pathogens in children less than 18 years old with Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). Methods: Between December 2016 to June 2017, 186 children met the inclusion criterion. Urine samples were collected and processed for urine routine microscopy, culture and antibiotic sensitivity as per the standard laboratory guidelines. Urine culture was positive in 50 cases, which were further evaluated to find out any renal disease. All patients were given 10-14 days antibiotics course and follow-up urine reports were done. Patients were considered cured when the follow-up urine reports were normal. Results: E. coli was the commonest organism (34%) isolated, found mainly in 1-5 years age group (20%). Enterococci were isolated in 32% cases, most of which were less than 5 years of age (28%). Klebsiella (12%), Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) (10%), Coagulase negative staphylococci (6%), Pseudomonas (2%) and Budding yeast cell (4%) were the less frequent organisms isolated. E. coli were found to be less sensitive to different Aminoglycosides (11.7% -23.5%), Cephalosporins (11.7% -52.9%), Fluoroquinolones (5.8% -11.7%), Cotrimoxazole (17.6%) and Piperacillin (17.6%), but were more sensitive (70.6%) to Imipenems. Enterococci were also partially sensitive to Aminoglycosides (6.2-18.7%), Cephalosporins (25-37.5.7%), Fluoroquinolones (6.25-12.5%), Penicillin-G (50%), Piperacillin (31.25%) and Co-trimoxazole (43.75%), but had good sensitivity for Imipenems (68.7%), Linezolid (75%) and Vancomycin (81.2%). Similarly, MRSA was 100% sensitive to Linezolid and Imipenem but partially sensitive (20-60%) to other antibiotics. Klebsiella showed 16.65-33.3% sensitivity to all antibiotics except Imipenem (83.3%) and was 100% resistant to Co-trimoxazole. Coagulase negative Staphylococci (CONS) remained 100% sensitive to all antibiotics and Pseudomonas was resistant to all antibiotics. Conclusions: The study concludes that pathogens for UTI in children have developed resistance, even to the newer generation antibiotics, probably due to the irrational use of antibiotics. In view of emergence of multi drug resistant pathogens, which carry considerable morbidity and mortality, every effort must be taken to use antibiotics judiciously.