ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the impact and effectiveness of 24-hour helpline service in providing information and educating patients about self-management of diabetes
Method: The study was conducted at Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology [BIDE], a tertiary diabetes care center, Karachi, Pakistan. People with diabetes attending the outpatient department from November 2012 to October 2014 were included in this study. After providing diabetes education, a helpline number was provided for emergency situations. Calls of registered patients were received by diabetes educators stationed at the BIDE around the clock. Data was collected through specially designed interface of HMS [health management system] in which the current complaint of caller and the advice of educator was recorded
Result: A total of 4842 calls were received. Out of those, 4268 [88%] were made by Type-2 diabetics and 526 calls [10%] were made by Type-1 diabetics. The average age of patients was 47.6 years. Three seventy four calls [7.7%] were received with complaint of Hypoglycemia [72-80mg/dl]. Six hundred and ninety eight calls [14.4%] were received with complaint of hyperglycemia [>200mg/dl]. Insulin dose was adjusted on 935 calls [19.3%]. Calls regarding other special situations such as [insulin handling, technique, medicine information] 2014 [41.6%] were received
Conclusion: Station based 24-hour telephonic helpline service is an effective tool for providing continuous support to people with diabetes and their families, for the self-management of diabetes. It can help in the management of various acute complication of diabetes, thereby preventing unnecessary hospital visits and admission
ABSTRACT
A high-pressure liquid chromatography [HPLC-UV] based simple and specific method for simultaneous quantitative determination of aspirin, amlodipine besylate and simvastatin in a capsule formulation has been developed and validated according to ICH guidelines
Chromatographic separation of the three drugs was carried out by aSpherisorbODS2 reverse phase column [4.6 x 250 mm; 5 microm] using amobile phase, which consisted of 70: 30 [v/v] mixture of acetonitrile and triethylamine phosphate buffer [pH 3; 0.015 M] with final pH adjusted to 2.5 using dilute ortho-phosphoric acid, at a flow rate of ImL/min. The eluents were detected at UV wavelength of 237 nm and the retention times for aspirin, amlodipine besylate and simvastatin were -2.7 mins, -6.1 mins and 10.5mins, respectively. This method is suitable and specific for the three drugs and was found to be linear [R[2]>0.995], accurate, specific, reproducible and robust in the concentration range of 375 to 1125mcg/ml for aspirin, 25 to 75mcg/ml for amlodipine besylate and 50 to 150mcg/ml for simvastatin. This simple and convenient method could be easily utilized for the characterization and quantitation of the three drugs in a single formulation for combination therapy of cardiovascular diseases