Background: The flower bud of Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & Perry. (clove) has been used in Unani medicine since ancient times for the treatment of male sexual disorders. The present study is aimed to investigate the effect of 50% ethanolic extract of clove on general mating behaviour, libido, potency along with its likely gastric ulceration and adverse effects on sexually normal male albino rats.

BackgroundSpices are considered as sexual invigorators in the Unani System of Medicine. In order to explore the sexual function improving effect of Myristica fragrans Houtt. (nutmeg) and Syzygium aromaticum (L) Merr. & Perry. (clove) an experimental study was conducted in normal male mice.MethodsThe extracts (50% ethanolic) of nutmeg and clove were administered (500 mg/kg; p.o.) to different groups of male Swiss mice. Mounting behaviour, mating performance, and general short term toxicity of the test drugs were determined and compared with the standard drug Penegra (Sildenafil citrate).ResultsThe extracts of the nutmeg and clove were found to stimulate the mounting behaviour of male mice, and also to significantly increase their mating performance. The drugs were devoid of any conspicuous general short term toxicity.ConclusionThe extracts (50% ethanolic) of nutmeg and clove enhanced the sexual behaviour of male mice.

BackgroundMyristica fragrans Houtt. (nutmeg) has been mentioned in Unani medicine to be of value in the management of male sexual disorders. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the aphrodisiac effect of 50% ethanolic extract of nutmeg along with its likely adverse effects and acute toxicity using various animal models.MethodsThe suspension of the extract was administered (100, 250 and 500 mg/kg, p.o.) to different groups of male rats daily for seven days. The female rats involved in mating were made receptive by hormonal treatment. The general mating behaviour, libido and potency were studied and compared with the standard reference drug sildenafil citrate. Likely adverse effects and acute toxicity of the extract were also evaluated.ResultsOral administration of the extract at the dose of 500 mg/kg, produced significant augmentation of sexual activity in male rats. It significantly increased the Mounting Frequency, Intromission Frequency, Intromission Latency and caused significant reduction in the Mounting Latency and Post Ejaculatory Interval. It also significantly increased Mounting Frequency with penile anaesthetisation as well as Erections, Quick Flips, Long Flips and the aggregate of penile reflexes with penile stimulation. The extract was also observed to be devoid of any adverse effects and acute toxicity.ConclusionThe resultant significant and sustained increase in the sexual activity of normal male rats without any conspicuous adverse effects indicates that the 50% ethanolic extract of nutmeg possesses aphrodisiac activity, increasing both libido and potency, which might be attributed to its nervous stimulating property. The present study thus provides a scientific rationale for the traditional use of nutmeg in the management of male sexual disorders.

Background: Self-medication is quite a prevalent public health problem in every part of the world. It can cause serious harms to the recipients through various implications like adverse drug reactions, incomplete cure, drug dependence etc. Medical students are in a unique position for wide practice of self-medication. The current study aimed to estimate the prevalence and to find out the existing knowledge, attitude and pattern of practice regarding self-medication among the undergraduate medical students of ESIC Medical College, Joka, Kolkata. Methods: A cross-sectional study had been conducted among 300 undergraduate medical students through an online survey with the help of a predesigned pretested digital questionnaire. The participants fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included by complete enumeration method after taking informed consent. Results: The overall prevalence of ever-use of self-medication was 65%. Majority had some knowledge about actual definition of self-medication (74%), hazards due to change of time schedule of antibiotics (59.7%), hazards due to increase in dose of antibiotics (64%), adverse drug reactions of different antibiotics (65%) and importance of completing the dosage schedule of antibiotics (56.7%); the most common source of their information being textbooks or teachers (74%). Most common indications for self-medication were fever (79.6%), followed by cough and cold (74.8%), pain (61.4%), indigestion (51.3) and diarrhoea (43.3%). The most common drugs used were antacids (81.2%), analgesics (72.1%), antipyretics (53.2%) and antibiotics (43.3%). The major reason for practice of selfmedication was minor illness (74.3%). Conclusions: Self-medication was widely prevalent among the medical students of ESIC Medical College, Joka, Kolkata. Continuous counselling activities with proper information through inclusion of this topic to academic course are the need of the hour to halt this malpractice.

No abstract

The low-and-middle-income country (LMIC) context is volatile, uncertain and resource-constrained. India, an LMIC, has put up a complex response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using an analytic approach, we have described India’s response to combat the pandemic during the initial months (from 17 January to 20 April 2020). India issued travel advisories and implemented graded international border controls between January and March 2020. By early March, cases started to surge. States scaled up movement restrictions. On 25 March, India went into a nationwide lockdown to ramp up preparedness. The lockdown uncovered contextual vulnerabilities and stimulated countermeasures. India leveraged existing legal frameworks, institutional mechanisms and administrative provisions to respond to the pandemic. Nevertheless, the cross-sectoral impact of the initial combat was intense and is potentially long-lasting. The country could have further benefited from evidence-based policy and planning attuned to local needs and vulnerabilities. Experience from India offers insights to nations, especially LMICs, on the need to have contextualised pandemic response plans.

Introduction COVID-19 pandemic still poses a serious challenge to health system worldwide. This study was planned to determine exposure characteristics, in-hospital mortality, and predictors of in hospital mortality among COVID-19 patients. Material and methods We retrospectively investigated epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory profile of confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted from 25th March to 31st August 2020. COVID-19 patient profiles were collected from Medical Record Section of the hospital. Results In hospital mortality occurred in 159 (11%) cases. Increasing respiratory rate, higher temperature, higher total leukocyte count, and high blood urea levels were found to be independent risk factors for in hospital mortality whereas higher hemoglobin and higher oxygen saturation at the time of hospital admission were found to be protective against in hospital mortality. Conclusion In hospital mortality among COVID-19 patients is almost 1 in 10 in tertiary care hospital. Patients with advancing age (AOR: 1.048; 95% CI: 1.021-1.076), higher respiratory rate (AOR: 1.248; 95% CI: 1.047-1.489), higher temperature (AOR: 1.758; 95% CI: 1.025-3.016), higher leukocyte count (AOR: 1.147; 95% CI: 1.035-1.270), and higher urea levels (AOR: 1.034; 95% CI: 1.005-1.064) at the time of admission are important predictors of COVID-19 in-hospital mortality.

Background The world is facing the most challenging pandemic in the 21st century. The developed and developing countries are facing the burden equally and no proven treatment options available. Recent studies suggest the plausibility of vitamin D therapy and prophylaxis for COVID-19, in the setting where the deficiency is more prevalent. Though evaluation of vitamin D status is not a routine in India, the present study focuses on the level of Vitamin d among COVID-19 patients. Methods The study was a hospital-based cross-sectional to find the status of vitamin D among COVID-19 patients in a tertiary care hospital, Patna, Bihar, India. The demographic, comorbidity data were taken, and the level of vitamin D was measured by a chemiluminescence-based immunoassay analyzer. The analysis compared the level of deficiency and insufficiency among different groups of COVID-19 patients. The role of DM and HTN as risk factors for mortality was compared. Results Among the total study participants (156), 42.31% were obese and 17.31% were severe as per clinical severity. The total prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 58.97% and insufficiency was 89.1%. The prevalence was found high among male (61.02%), overweight (65.52%), and severe (62.96%) patients. The severity increases with advanced age (p<0.05) and important risk factors for mortality are DM, HTN, and advanced age. Conclusion The level of vitamin D can be assessed for the prognosis of COIVD-19 patients and help to modify the treatment protocol. Appropriate therapeutic/preventive intervention of vitamin D can alter the course and severity of COVID-19.