Pattern of computer and internet use among medical students in Coastal South India.

Background: The use of computers is increasing among medical students, therefore we carried out a cross sectional study in Mangalore, India, with the objective of assessing the pattern of computer and Internet use among both undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. Methods: A total of 500 medical students from 4 different medical colleges in Mangalore participated in the study. 400 were undergraduates and 100 were postgraduates / interns. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data and data analysis was done using SPSS Version 11. Results: The majority of students who participated in the study were from the age group 19-21years constituting 34.6%. The computer was used for entertainment mainly by the 1st and 2nd year medical students (69.5%) whereas 40% PG / Interns use it for general information and 31% for research activities. Majority of the PG/Interns (77%) were satisfied with computer assisted teaching while 20% 1st and 2nd year students were not. Majority of 1st and 2nd year medical students (50.5%) use Internet most often to communicate socially while 21% Pre final and final year students use Internet most often to engage in work for classes. The use of E-mail was the most popular of Internet services used by 87% PG/Interns. Conclusion: A significant relationship was demonstrated between the year of study and the purpose of computer/Internet use. As the students progress through their curriculum the use of computer for entertainment is declining and use for general information and thesis / research work is rising.

Prevention of oculocardiac reflex (O.C.R) during extraocular muscle surgery.

In the present study the effectiveness of intravenous atropine sulphate which blocks the peripheral muscarinic receptors at the heart and retrobulbar xylocaine hydrochloride which blocks the conduction at ciliary ganglion on the afferent limb of OCR was studied during strabismus surgery. The study was conducted on fifty three patients of either sex having squint of more than ten years duration. The patients were randomly allocated into four groups. No preanaesthetic medication with atropine or retrobulbar block with xylocaine was given in control group of patients. In the second group, only preanaesthetic medication with atropine was given; while in the third group only retrobulbar injection of xylocaine was given five minutes before operation. In the last group both atropine as preanaesthetic medication and xylocaine as retrobulbar block were given. The electrocardiographic recordings were taken before and throughout the operative procedure. It was interesting to note that in the group where atropine and xylocaine were used none of the patients exhibited activation of OCR. Results have been discussed.

Evidence for the presence of osmoreceptors in medulla of the dog.

Hypertonic solutions of different substances were injected into the vertebral artery of dogs anesthetized with chloralose, preventing their access to the hypothalamic osmoreceptors by ligating the basilar artery and both the external carotid arteries. The hypertonic solution of sodium chloride produced graded inhibition of water diuresis and a concomitant rise in plasma antidiuretic hormone (ADH) level; hypertonic solution of glucose produced lesser effect. Hypertonic urea solution, on the other hand, did not alter the course of water diuresis. It was concluded that osmoreceptors are also present in the medulla which sense the changes in blood osmolarity and accordingly modify the ADH release.

Effect of garlic pretreatment on isoprenaline-induced myocardial necrosis in albino rats.

Albino rats were pretreated orally for seven days with different doses of the essential oil and juice of garlic. These animals were challenged with isoprenaline (85 mg/kg, s.c.) on day six and seven to induce myocardial necrosis. The same rats were also subjected to swimming test before and after forty eight hr of first injection of isoprenaline. Pretreatment with essential oil (2.0 and 4.0 mg/kg) and juice (2.0 and 4.0 ml/kg) significantly protected the myocardium from isoprenaline-induced necrosis. These animals also exhibited better swimming performance. In separate group of animals, pretreatment with garlic juice (4.0 ml/kg) or essential oil (4.0 mg/kg) improved the chances of survival in isoprenaline-challenged animals.

A simple gravimetric method for estimation of plasma fibrinogen.

The study was undertaken to evaluate a new method of estimating plasma fibrinogen levels, gravimetrically using calcium chloride in albino rats. The results were compared with the standard method in which thrombin was used as clotting agent and were found to be statistically not significant. Advantages of using calcium chloride instead of thrombin have been discussed.