Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccination Among Health Care Workers in India

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 has been spread almost all over the world in the last two years, including in India. Vaccines are a critical tool in the battle against COVID-19, and India has flagged the largest vaccination drive on 16 January 2021. Although public acceptance was varying, which can lead to non-acceptance. Aim & Objective: To estimate an acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine and its associated factors. Settings and Design: An analytical cross-sectional study among health care workers in India Methods & Material: It was conducted using a validated, self-administrated online survey questionnaire, and data were analyzed using SPSS 23 version. The outcome variable was healthcare workers’ acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine. Results: A total of 450 HCWs participated, including 205(45.6%) women and 245(54.4%) men. A total of 270 (60%) subjects will accept vaccines, while 33.3% were unwilling to accept and wait for vaccines. Male gender (OR=3.14), being married and experienced (OR=11.49), vaccine effectiveness (OR=6.4), vaccine safety (OR=3.4), and past history (OR=2.28) were significantly associated. On applying logistic regression for associated factors, gender (B= -1.145, S.E.= 0.200, Wald 32.748), being married (B= -1.482, S.E.= 0.216, Wald 46.937), for experienced (B= -0.865, S.E.= 0.200, effectiveness (B= -1.856, S.E.= 0.245, wald 57.431), Safety (B= -1.224, S.E.= 0.202, Wald 36.633) and past history (B= -0.357, S.E.= 0.248, Wald 2.071) found significant. Recommendation: Proper information is crucial and healthcare workers’ attitudes about vaccines are an important factor for acceptance and recommendation of the vaccine to the public for population-wide coverage.

Kite String Injures During Makar Sankranti Festival

Introduction: Kite flying is a colourful festival; it is unfortunately associated with a significant number of in-cising injuries of neck and face caused by the kite string (Manja). The emergency departments report a large number of patients with such injuries during this festival. Materials And Methods: Patients presented to the Emergency Department at Civil Hospital, Gandhinagar on 14th and 15th January with neck and face injury caused by contact with kite string were included in study. Af-ter careful assessment (primary and secondary survey) patients were classified as Superficial (Laceration lim-ited to the skin and subcutaneous tissue) or Deep injury (breach of the platysma, and damage to muscles, thy-roid gland, neurovascular or airway involvement). Results: 20 patients were included in study. Out of which 18 were males and 2 were females. Amongst 18 males 2 were children. Two patients wearing a helmet suffered an injury to the nose. The neck zones involved in the injury, 5 cases involved zone I injury, 9 cases in zone II, 4 cases were in zone III and the remaining 2 had the nasal injury. Conclusion: From this study we conclude that kite string injury lead to serious damage to local tissues. Using protective measures can reduce the incidence and severity of injuries

Prediction of severe adverse maternal outcome in women admitted in obstetric ward using physiological and biochemical parameters

Background: To study physiological and biochemical parameters to predict serious adverse maternal outcomes and to develop risk score using above parameters.Methods: This prospective study was conducted in 500 high risk pregnant women attending tertiary care teaching hospital. We noted physiological and biochemical parameters as soon as they were available .The primary outcome measures was “severe adverse maternal outcome(SAMO)” in form of one or more among  mortality, near miss morbidity and ICU admissions.Results: Out-off 500 women, severe adverse maternal outcomes were seen in 158 (31.6%) women. Most common cause of near miss maternal morbidity was hypertensive disease of pregnancy (62.7%) followed by major obstetric hemorrhage (18.9%). There were 33(6.6%) ICU admission, 23 (4.6%) maternal death and 153 (30.6%) near miss maternal morbidity. The most common cause of maternal death in our study was obstetric hemorrhage. The significant variables after multivariate analysis [temp, pulse, urine protein] were used  to devise a Maternal early warning score (MEWS) based on physiological parameters at score value of  ≥1/6 was found to have  sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 82% in predicting SAMO with AUROC of 0.76. The significant laboratory parameters after multivariate analysis were blood urea, serum creatinine, serum bilirubin and liver enzymes. The obstetric risk score (Maternal risk prediction score MRPS) which incorporated of these laboratory parameters in addition to physiological parameters has sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 75% with AUROC 0.79 value ≥ 2/18.Conclusions: The addition of laboratotory parameters to physiological variables improves performance of risk score to predict SAMO.

Propoxur-induced acetylcholine esterase inhibition and impairment of cognitive function: Attenuation by Withania somnifera.

Propoxur (2-isopropoxyphenyl N-methylcarbamate) is widely used as an acaricide in agriculture and public health programs. Studies have shown that sub-chronic exposure to propoxur can cause oxidative stress and immuno-suppression in rats. Carbamates are also known to exhibit inhibitory effect on cholinesterase activity, which is directly related to their cholinergic effects. In the present study, the effect of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), a widely used herbal drug possessing anti-stress and immuno-modulatory properties was studied on propoxur-induced acetylcholine esterase inhibition and impairment of cognitive function in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups. Group I was treated with olive oil and served as control. Group II was administered orally with propoxur (10 mg/kg b.wt.) in olive oil, group III received a combination of propoxur (10 mg/kg b.wt.) and W. somnifera (100 mg/kg b.wt.) suspension and group IV W. somnifera (100 mg/kg b.wt.) only. All animals were treated for 30 days. Cognitive behaviour was assessed by transfer latency using elevated plus maze. Blood and brain acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity was also assessed. Oral administration of propoxur (10 mg/kg b.wt.) resulted in a significant reduction of brain and blood AChE activity. A significant prolongation of the acquisition as well as retention transfer latency was observed in propoxur-treated rats. Oral treatment of W. somnifera exerts protective effect and attenuates AChE inhibition and cognitive impairment caused by sub-chronic exposure to propoxur.

Effect of exercise stress on the bronchospastic response of asthmatics in remission.

Twenty asthmatics in remission phase were subjected to exercise stress by running on level ground for 6 minutes and the degree of airway obstruction was measured by a peak flowmeter. The response was compared to 20 normal healthy volunteers. The prevalence of exercise induced asthma (EIA) was observed to be 75% among the asthmatics with male preponderance. A 100% response was seen in asthmatics of more than 25 years age. EIA was more, and so was the degree of response, as the duration of illness increased. The maximal fall in PEFR from its basal value was seen in the 6th minute after stopping the exercise in majority of the cases. No positive response was observed among the healthy controls.