ABSTRACT
The elderly people are more prone to develop psychiatric disorders due to a number of factors like changes in the brain, other illnesses etc. They represent the most vulnerable group as they are most sensitive to the effects of drugs and are at increased risk of developing adverse drug reactions. This warrants the need to make the prescribers cautious about rational prescribing of antipsychotics to the Elderly. The study included elderly inpatients and outpatients visiting psychiatry ward with psychiatric disorders. Descriptive weighed analysis was performed to determine the prescribing practices of atypical antipsychotics. Among the 70 patients who were involved in the study, 36 patients were diagnosed with neurotic disorders and 30 patients were diagnosed with psychotic disorders and 4 were diagnosed with degenerative disorders (dementia). In our study neurotic disorders (51%) were the major diagnosis. 6 different atypical antipsychotic drugs were prescribed to the patients suffering from different psychiatric disorders. Among them olanzapine (43%) was the most commonly prescribed drug, followed by quetiapine (30%), risperidone (21%), clozapine (3.2%), lurasidone (1%), and aripiprazole (1%). This study has concluded that atypical antipsychotics are preferred over typical antipsychotics and Olanzapine is the most commonly prescribed drug for the elderly patients suffering from psychiatric disorders. On comparison of the prescribed daily doses with the maximum daily dose we have observed that the prescribed daily doses for the elderly patients were well within the maximum daily dose of the drugs and in our study no adverse drug reactions were reported in the study subjects that were involved.
ABSTRACT
Aims: The aim of this study is to verify the disinfection of diode laser, following chemo-mechanical procedures against Enterococcus fecalis. Materials and Methods: Crowns of 30 extracted premolar teeth were sectioned at the cemento- enamel junction. The canals were shaped using step-back technique to K-file #40. The teeth were randomly assigned to three groups and placed into nutrient broth containing bacterial suspension of Enterococcus fecalis. Group A received no laser radiation. Specimens of group B and C were treated with diode laser (Sirona) with energy set at 1.5 and 3 W, respectively. After laser irradiation, the teeth were placed in vials, which contained 2 mL of the nutrient broth. The vials were incubated at 37°C for 24 h. Grown colonies were identified by standard methods. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis used was the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test, with comparison using the Bonferroni methods of means. Results: Higher mean CFU/mL is recorded in Group A (without laser disinfection) followed by Group B (with 1.5 W laser disinfection) and Group C (with 3 W laser disinfection), respectively. The difference in CFU/mL between the three groups is found to be statistically significant ( P < 0.001). Conclusions: The results of this research show that the 980 nm diode laser can eliminate bacteria that has immigrated into dentin, thus being able to increase the success rate in endodontic therapy.