ABSTRACT
Aims: High prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in TB patients demands that TB health care providers are sensitized and updated on risk factors, screening, diagnosis and management of DM. This study was designed to assess the impact of one day training programme on screening, detection and management of DM. Study Design: One group – pre and post test design. Place and Duration of Study: The one day training session with an inbuilt awareness programme was conducted for TB health care providers and TB patients with diabetes, over a period of 3 years, from since November 2010 involving 22 tuberculosis units of 3 districts in Tamil Nadu, India. Methodology: The impact was assessed using a pretested questionnaire pre and post training, based on the improvement in knowledge among physicians and other health care providers and awareness among patients. Similarly, using a separate questionnaire before and six months after the training programme, improvement in practice was assessed based on an increase in the proportion of staff involved in screening, educating and referring TB patients with diabetes. Appropriate statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 16. Results: There was a significant increase in the knowledge of physicians and other health care providers and in patient’s awareness on all components covered under the training and awareness session respectively. No significant improvement was noted in the knowledge of other TB health care providers, in diet category on the questionnaire. There was a significant improvement in practice based on the substantial increase in the proportion of tuberculosis unit staff conducting DM screening for TB patients using appropriate methods and in referrals for proper management of DM. Conclusion: The training session on DM with an inbuilt awareness campaign for TB patients had a significant impact on the knowledge and practice of TB health care providers.
ABSTRACT
Studies on natural and anthropogenic radioactivity assume greater importance in the context of human health and development. Hence two species of seaweeds viz: Gracilaria edulis and Ulva lactuca, from three high background radiation areas (Arockiapuram, Kadiapattinam and Kurumpanai) on the southwest coast of Tamil Nadu, and Mandapam as low background radiation area of the southeast coast of Tamil Nadu were studied for variations in activity concentration of 228 Ra, 40 K, 238 U and 228 Th. Among these radionuclides, 40K recorded significant inter-species variation while 238 U and 228 Th showed significant association. The overall mean concentration of radionuclides was found high in G.edulis (5.31, 57.49, 36.05, 356.55 Bq kg-1 for 228 Ra, 40K, 238U, 228 Th respectively), while the mean concentrations for U.lactuca were 4.88, 42.35, 34.40, 347.70 Bqkg-1 for 228 Ra, 40K, 238U, 228 Th respectively. The mean concentration of radionuclides was uniformly found low during northeast monsoon season in both the seaweed species.