Background: Systemic antibiotics account for more than one?third of all prescriptions in children; hence, antibiotic prescriptions in children are a major public health concern. Moreover, data regarding rational antibiotic use in children is very limited. Hence, it is essential that the antibiotic prescribing pattern be evaluated periodically for its rationality of use and cost. The aim of our study is to identify the prescribing pattern and to carry out direct cost analysis of antibiotic use in the patients admitted in pediatrics department of a tertiary care hospital of North India. Methods: The study was conducted for two months (June, July, 2012) in pediatric ward and ICU. The data regarding patient demographics and antibiotic use was collected daily in a structured proforma. A descriptive analysis of the data was done. Results: A total of one hundred and ninety one patients were enrolled, most of them belonging to the age group 2?14 years. Majority of them were male pediatric patients (75.9%) with mean age of 4.6 years. On an average 1.9 AMAs were prescribed per patient. The most common AMAs prescribed were cephalosporins followed by aminoglycosides. The preferred route of administration was injectable (92%). The average direct cost of treatment per patient was estimated to be Rs. 3338. The percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name was 58%. Conclusions: Male pediatric patients have better access to tertiary medical care as compared to female pediatric patients. The average number of anti?microbials prescribed is 1.9 which is not too high. Newer generation of antibiotics are more commonly prescribed leading to increased cost of therapy. This baseline study will help in formulating an antibiotic policy and standard treatment guidelines for appropriate use of antibiotics. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v5i4.10213 Asian Journal of Medical Sciences 2014 Vol.5(4); 69-72
Objectives The use of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) prophylaxis has been recommended by the National task force constituted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for the prevention of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among healthcare workers (HCWs). However, this recommendation was based essentially on the preclinical data and limited clinical experience. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HCQ as a pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19 infection among Indian HCWs. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs of a tertiary care hospital in north India. The HCQ prophylaxis was initiated among 996 HCWs and they were followed up to 8 weeks for conversion to COVID-19 positive status and any adverse drug reaction (ADR). Results About 10.3% of the study participants were tested positive for COVID-19 which was comparable to the positivity rate among HCWs not taking HCQ prophylaxis (9.7%). Conclusions HCQ was well tolerated at a weekly dose of 400 mg for 8 weeks but provided no additional benefit in prevention of COVID-19 among HCWs.
Background:Stroke affects large number of people worldwide resulting in disability. The people in the northern region of India follow some domiciliary practices, which include administration of opioids at the onset of stroke to retard its progression.Aim:To study the effect of opioids on the outcome and severity of stroke when used as domiciliary treatment in peri-stroke period.Materials and Methods:A prospective, observational study on stroke patients was carried out in Department of Neurology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India from March 2012 to March 2013. Data were collected in a semi-structured proforma. The variables which were studied included socio-demographic characteristics such as age, gender, religion, socio-economic status, and place of inhabitation. The time of opioid administration, approximate amount administered, frequency of administration, duration of hospital stay, risk factors and co-morbid conditions were also studied. The stroke severity was analyzed by comparing National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and outcome by comparing Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) score in both the groups at the time of admission and at the time of discharge.Results:Out of n = 100 recruited patients, n = 44 (Group A) reported opioid intake in the peri-stroke period and n = 56 (Group B) did not. Proportions of patients from rural areas were 61.4% in Group A and 37.5% in Group B. Mean age in groups A and B was 63 ± 9.15 and 59.8 ± 13.87 years, respectively; in these groups male proportions were 70.5% and 60.7%, respectively. At admission, mean NIHSS scores in Groups A and B were 10.0 ± 4.48 and 10.8 ± 4.51, respectively; on discharge, these scores were 6.3 ± 3.83 and 7.7 ± 3.79, respectively. At admission, mean MRS scores in Groups A and B were 3.7 ± 1.14 and 3.8 ± 1.32, respectively; upon discharge, these scores were 2.8 ± 1.18, 3.1 ± 1.23 respectively.Conclusion:In this cohort, we found that the domiciliary practice of opioids administration in the peri-stroke period is more common among the elderly and in the rural areas. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean NIHSS and MRS scores at admission as well as discharge implying that the opioid administration did not improve outcome or decrease the severity of the stroke. Our findings are robust enough to propose a larger sample size and follow-up in future studies to definitively ascertain the effect of opioids as pretreatment in stroke patients.
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