ABSTRACT
Background: Simulation-based learning (SBL) enhances problem-solving, improves skills in health care professionals. Authors assessed its use in teaching and learning pharmacology among medical undergraduates exposed to METIman, human patient simulator.Methods: Medical undergraduate students exposed to SBL for over a year (8 clinical pharmacology related scenarios) were asked to fill a validated questionnaire at the end of the academic year.Results: Of 145 students who underwent SBL, the data of 84 were analysed. The overall satisfaction score with SBL was highly significant in 79 (94%) with a score of 26-35. Participants opined that it increases the depth of experience (91.6%), provides a no risk learning and immediate feedback opportunity (93.4%), a good opportunity to come across rare scenarios (86.2%), enhances decision making, communication, teamwork and skill development (92%); opportunity of repeated learning and enhanced patient safety at hospitals (89.28%), reduces the dependency on patients (72.8%), good opportunity for crisis training (88.0%) were other factors favouring the use of SBL. Preference for an increase in the number of classes allotted to simulation (27.4%) and reducing the duration of class (9.6%) were the major suggestions. It is an excellent method to teach and make it interesting to learn pharmacology (80.0%)Total score varied between 23-35 with a mean盨D of 35�.64. None had a score of 7-15.Conclusions: SBL is an effective teaching and learning methodology with adequate participant satisfaction. It can be of immense utility as a learning tool with better outcome in learning, retention and recall.
ABSTRACT
Background: Antineoplastic drugs (AND) are known to cause collateral damage to normal cells by oxidative stress. This study was conducted to check for oxidative stress in occupational exposure to these drugs using advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP). Methods: Cross-sectional comparison of serum AOPP levels of 33 nurses occupationally exposed and serum AOPP levels of 30 nurses not exposed using modified AOPP method. Results: Serum AOPP levels were significantly increased (p<0.001) in the exposed group (16.66±3.31) compared to the unexposed group (12.87±2.62). Conclusion: This study highlights oxidative stress in the form of protein oxidation occurring in nurses exposed to AND.
ABSTRACT
Background: Comparison of the efficacy of atropine alone against atropine with pralidoxime in the treatment of organophosphorus (OP) poisoning. Methods: Forty two patients between the age group of 18 to 65 years, treated for OP poisoning and matched for baseline characteristics, were included in two groupsbased on treatment received as “Atropine only” or “Atropine plus pralidoxime(PAM)”.Main outcomes of the study were ICU stay, total hospital stay and mortality. ICU and hospital stay were compared using ‘t’ test while mortality was compared using Fisher’s exact test. Results: Total hospital stay was not significantly different between the treatment groups (95% CI of difference: -4.227, 0.784). Length of stay was also not significantly different between patients who received atropine plus PAM within 6 hours of consumption of poison and those who received 6 hours later (95% CI of difference: -4.154, 0.954; p value: 0.2). Conclusion: Our data supports the use of only atropine over atropine plus PAM in patients with OP poisoning on account of no significant difference /reduction of hospital/ICU stay and mortality in the latter group. However, a study with a larger sample needs to be conducted, to be able to draw a definitive conclusion.