Background: Induction of labour is a common procedure in obstetrics, occurring in upto 30% of pregnancies. Objective of present study was to compare the efficacy of double balloon transcervical catheter to that of a PG vaginal insert among women undergoing labour induction in terms of singleton pregnancies of both nulliparous and multiparous women with an unfavorable cervix.Methods: Patient admitted for induction of labour were randomized to receive intravaginal dinoprostone or intracervical Foley’s catheter. Patient not entering active labour and having rupture membranes or arrest of dilatation received IV oxytocin.Results: 150 patients received dinoprostone gel (group A) and 150 patients received Foleys catheter no.18 (group B). The mean time until cervix ripening was less in group A group (0.0001-p value). The mean time until vaginal delivery was less in the Group A group (p value-0.010) among vaginal deliveries more patients in the Group A group delivered within 24 hours (0.0001-P value.). There was significant differences in cesarean delivery rates (8% vs 20.66%, P value-0.0001, sig). Oxytocins is required in both groups (73.33% vs. 78.66%).Conclusions: Group A was associated with more rapid cervical ripening, shorten induction to vaginal delivery interval and greater no. of vaginal deliveries within 24 hours.

Background: Antimicrobial agents (AMAs) are the most frequently used drugs in the intensive care units (ICU) and regular auditing can prevent the development of resistance to AMAs, reduce the cost and incidence of adverse drug reactions. The present study was conducted to assess the drug utilisation pattern by measuring the defined daily dose (DDD) per 100 bed days for the AMAs used and their correlation with the APACHE score II.Methods: This was a prospective observational study, conducted in the Central ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, Odisha for 4 months. Data regarding demographic profile, diagnosis, APACHE II score, microbiologic investigation, length of stay, outcome and utilisation pattern of AMAs assessing anatomic therapeutic chemical (ATC) classification and measuring the antimicrobial consumption index (ACI) equal to DDD per 100 bed days were collected and subjected to descriptive analysis. Multinomial logistic regression model was used to predict probabilities of different possible outcomes of categorically distributed variables and independent variables.Results: Mean age of study population was 44.70±14.814 with male and female ratio of 1.63:1. Septicaemia was the most common cause of admission. AMAs were prescribed to 92.66% of patients during their stay which constitutes 37.32% of the total drugs used. The DDD per 100 bed days for the AMAs were 118.59 and ceftriaxone was found to be most frequently used. Patients having higher APACHE II score received more no of AMAs (4.20±1.30). Patients having low APACHE II Scores received less number of antibiotics as compared to patients having higher score.Conclusions: AMAs were prescribed to 92.66% patients in the central ICU and there is significant relation between the APACHE II score and number of AMAs prescribed.

HELLP is an acronym that refers to a syndrome characterized by Haemolysis with a microangiopathic blood smear, Elevated Liver enzymes, and a Low Platelet count.  Recent studies suggested that some women will develop HELLP without the manifestations of classical symptoms. Authors present the case of a 22-year-old normotensive primigravida who went into severe thrombocytopenia and haemolysis leading to DIC, finally the diagnosis of normotensive HELLP syndrome was made. Present case report attempts to illustrate the diagnostic dilemma that a clinician faces in diagnosing an atypical presentation of HELLP syndrome. Management of jaundice during pregnancy especially in third trimester remains a dilemma for the obstetrician because of its varied aetiology, unpredictable prognosis and guarded perinatal outcome. Authors therefore recommend a rational stepwise approach toward the diagnosis of HELLP syndrome and its atypical presentation.

Background: Although menopause is a universal phenomenon, there is a considerable variation among women regarding the manifestation of menopausal signs and symptoms. Symptoms experienced with the menopausal transition and early post menopause are varied and span both physical and psychological domains. Therefore, a need is felt to evaluate menopausal symptoms on a pretested scale to provide a subjective and clinically reproducible picture of menopausal symptoms.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in MYH ,Indore Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, from July 2016 to December 2016.A pretested,  semi structured, interview based, oral questionnaire was used to assess the menopausal symptoms and their severity in women of age group 35 to 65 years attending MYH, Indore OPD, using MRS scale and to evaluate these symptoms in perimenopausal as compared to postmenopausal women.Results: The results were evaluated for psychological (P), somatic (S), and urogenital (U) symptoms. A significantly higher percentage of perimenopausal women  showed a P score of ≥7; while a higher percentage of postmenopausal showed S score and U score ≥7 ;p ≤ (0.001).Working women seem to suffer more from psychological symptoms whereas nonworking women showed a greater incidence of somatic symptoms.Conclusions: The present study revealed that proportion of menopausal symptoms was significantly high and there was variation of severity of menopausal symptoms with any of the socio demographic variables, menopausal status or duration of menopause.