Comparison of attitudes toward psychiatry among undergraduate and postgraduate medical students

Introduction: Attitudes toward psychiatry among medical students will have a great impact on future of expanding psychiatry and breaking barriers at multiple levels. Aims: To assess and compare the attitudes of undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) medical students toward psychiatry and assess association between sociodemographic variables and attitudes toward mental illness. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary health care centre, total of 100 (50 UG and 50 PG) medical students were recruited in the study. A standardised questionnaire, Attitudes Toward Psychiatry-30 items (ATP-30) and semi-structured proforma for sociodemographic details were given to study subjects to fill up. Statistical analysis: Both quantitative and qualitative measures of data were calculated. Statistical significance was kept at p-value of <0.05, using Fisher’s exact test and Chi-square test. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Results: The overall ATP-30 score responses were positive (>90) in both males (88%) and females (62%). More number of positive responses were seen in both UG (68%) and PG (84%) medical students compared to only some negative responses in UG (22%) and PG (16%). This difference is significant at p-value <0.05. There is a significant difference (p-value <0.05) in attitudes among UG and PG students in item number four revealing 32% PGs wish was to be psychiatrist. Majority of the UGs and PGs agreed that UG psychiatric training is valuable. Conclusion: We have found overall good attitudes toward psychiatry in the study population but conflicting interest in taking psychiatry as career choice.

A comparative study of oral manifestations of HIV among pediatric patients

Introduction: The HIV pandemic has become a human, social as well as economic disaster, with far reaching inferences for individuals, communities and countries. The distribution of some of the specific oral manifestations is reported to differ between adults and children. Thus, the present study was carried to compare the oral manifestations in HIV positive children and HIV negative children. Materials and methods: The present study comprised a total of 90 subjects, divided into 3 groups, 30 HIV positive pediatric patients with HAART, 30 HIV positive pediatric patients without HAART and 30 healthy controls (HIV negative patients). The present study was conducted in the ART centre in Ranchi, Chattisgarh, India. The details to be taken from these children for subsequent analysis include age, CD4+ T cell count and oral lesions. Chi- square test was used to compare the lesions with Pvalue of 0.05 or less was considered for statistical significance and a P-value of 0.02 or less was considered for statistical highly significance. Results: Statistical analysis showed that patients with low CD4+ T cell counts (Group IA) had more number of lesions when compared to the patients with higher CD4 T cell count (Group IB). Dutta N, Gupta VK, Shetty R, Roy A, Dani G, Pandey V. A comparative study of oral manifestations of HIV among pediatric patients. IAIM, 2016; 3(5): 46-52. Page 47 According to individual lesion percentage distribution, it was observed that except hyperpigmentation most of the other lesions where more prevalent in group II than in group I. Mucocele was seen in group III and was not seen in group I and II. Dental caries was prevalent in all the three groups. Conclusion: HIV infected patients receiving HAART, had a significantly lower prevalence of oral lesion as compared to patients without HAART therapy

Cytomorphometric analysis of oral squames Tobacco Smokers using oral brush biopsy: An exfoliative cytological study

Background: Tobacco is mostly regarded as one of the primary etiologic factor in causing oral cancer. Literature quotes studies have depicted the alteration of nuclear (NA) and cytoplasmic area (CA) induced by tobacco smoking and chewing. Also some authors have stressed on quantifying the role of cytomorphometric analysis in analysing these cellular alterations. Therefore, we evaluated the cytological and cytomorphometric changes in the oral squames using brush biopsy from buccal mucosa of tobacco users. Materials and methods: 200 patients of age group of 40-65 years attending the hospital OPD with history of smoking were included in the study. The patients were broadly divided into two groups; Shetty R, Mukherjee S, Dutta N, Bhagat DK, Sushma K N, Pandey V. Cytomorphometric analysis of oral squames Tobacco Smoker’s using oral brush biopsy: An exfoliative cytological study. IAIM, 2016; 3(5): 14-19. Page 15 smokers (n=150) and Non-smokers (n=50). The cytological samples were taken from clinically normal appearing oral mucosa, stained and analysed using Image analysing software. IndependentSamples T Test and One-Way ANOVA were used to assess the level of significance. Results: significant increase in Mean NA was observed in smokers as compared to non-smokers. Also, Mean CA decreased in smoker’s group as compared to non-smokers. Likewise, N/C ratio was found to be significantly elevated in smokers group. Cytomorphometric parameter changes showed significant alteration with increasing duration of smoking. Conclusion: Cytomorhometric analysis can be used to analyse the alterations occurring in cellular and nuclear level.

Chromatographic and spectrophotometric analysis of panchronium bromide.

The present investigation is centered on drug pancuronium bromide, which is a muscle relaxant basically used in clinical practice for an aesthetic purposes. Few rape cases have been reported where in this drug was used to incapacitate the rape victim. All this highlights the abuse potential of Pancuronium bromide in crime related to rape. Testing/analyzing Pancuronium bromide by making use of body material and other traces present in the surrounding of victim/crime scene will be of great importance for medico legal purpose and forensic view point. In the present study an attempt has been made to analysis Pancuronium bromide by chromatographic (TLC and HPLC) and UV-SPECTROPHOTOMETRY. In spite of the limitation the conclusions reached in the present study are of considerable forensic significance.

In vitro and in vivo antimycobacterial activity of antiinflammatory drug, diclofenac sodium.

The non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug diclofenac sodium exhibited remarkable inhibitory action against both drug sensitive and drug resistant clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as well as other mycobacteria. This agent was tested in vitro against 45 different strains of mycobacteria, most of which were inhibited by the drug at 10-25 microg/ml concentration. When tested in vivo, diclofenac, injected at 10 mg/kg body weight of a Swiss strain of white mice, could significantly protect them when challenged with a 50 median lethal dose of M. tuberculosis H37 Rv102. According to Chi-square test, the in vivo data were highly significant (P<0.01).

Evaluation of in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity of dobutamine hydrochloride.

PURPOSE: To determine the in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity of a cardiovascular drug dobutamine hydrochloride. METHODS: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of dobutamine was determined both by agar and broth dilution methods against 331 strains of bacteria from three gram positive and 13 gram negative genera. The antibacterial action of dobutamine was further tested in animal models. RESULTS: Dobutamine was seen to possess powerful inhibitory action (5-200mg/mL) against most test bacteria in in vitro studies. It was bacteriostatic in nature. In vivo studies showed that the drug offered significant protection (p< 0.001) to mice challenged with a virulent bacterium. CONCLUSION: Dobutamine showed remarkable antibacterial property against several pathogenic bacteria. Its potential as an antibacterial agent may be confirmed after further pharmacological studies.

Potentiality of a new compound for in vitro differentiation between halophilic and non-halophilic vibrios.

Sensitivity of 21 halophilic vibrios and 16 clinical isolates of non-halophilic vibrios was determined against a new possible antivibrio agent, a pyrimidine analogue, 4, 6-dimethylpyrimidine -2-thiol (4,6-DMPT). It appeared to be a vibriocidal agent, having a mean MIC and MBC of 32 microg/ml for halophilic strains and 64 microg/ml for non-halophilic strains and an LD50 of 300 mg/Kg body weight of mice. Thus, 4,6-DMPT may help an in vitro distinction between halophilic and non-halophilic vibrios. Sensitivity of these strains was also studied with respect to pteridine, crystal violet and Tween 80 hydrolysis as further markers distinguishing between these 2 groups which could also be differentiated by their growth on TCBS or/and CLED media.

Coordinate production of cephamycin c and clavulanic acid by Streptomyces clavuligerus.

Production of cephamycin c and clavulanic acid by Streptomyces clavuligerus was investigated using different media in shake flask condition. Highest cell growth (3.8 g/L) was observed in glycerol, sucrose, proline and glutamic acid (GSPG) medium. Although, GSPG medium supported maximum growth, it was least effective for the synthesis of both cephamycin and clavulanic acid. Yield of cephamycin and clavulanic acid was maximum in dextrin and K medium, respectively. High and low level of constituents of dextrin medium, affected production of both cephamycin and clavulanic acid. Biosynthesis of clavulanic acid was associated with production of cephamycin c.