Outcome of combination of methods of educational interventions in physiology for first-year MBBS students

Background: This comparative, before and after study (without controls) was conducted in a municipal medical college to compare the cognitive domain scores obtained by first-year MBBS students after didactic lectures with that obtained after an educational intervention that combined integrated teaching with clinical scenarios.Methods: After obtaining prior permissions, the purpose of the study was explained to first-year MBBS students and written informed consent was obtained. After attending curriculum-based didactic lectures on the alimentary system, the students (n=62, females: n=29, 46.77% and males: n=33, 53.23%) took a pre-test comprising ten questions (total 20 marks). After the pre-test, the participants attended an educational intervention that combined integrated teaching with clinical scenarios on the same topic. Subsequently, the post-test was administered using a questionnaire that was identical to that of the pre-test.Results: The mean overall marks obtained in the pre-test was 14.73±1.87 (95% CI: 14.26-15.19), while that obtained in the post-test was 17.16±1.73 (95% CI: 16.73-17.59), exhibiting highly significant (p <0.00001) difference. The gender difference in scores was significant (p=0.011) for only question no. 1 in the pre-test and there was no significant gender difference in the post-test.Conclusions: A combined method of educational intervention was found to enhance the cognitive domain scores of students. Though a larger study would be needed to generalize the findings, male students seem to need an additional educational intervention to improve their cognitive domain scores. Despite time limitations in the teaching schedule for the first-year MBBS course, integrated teaching with case scenarios can be implemented to impart early clinical exposure.

Morbidity Pattern Among Women And Children Living In An Urban Slum

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in an urban slum in Thane, Maharashtra, India. Women (n=64) with self-reported morbidity and symptomatic children (40 girls and 36 boys) were clinically examined and treated using the “camp approach”. The mean age of girls, boys, and women was 6.04 +/- 4.08 years, 4.49 +/- 2.88 years, and 34.52 +/- 10.01 years, respectively. The health problems in the examined children included upper respiratory infections, fever, loss of appetite, eye and ear-related problems and diarrhoea. out of the 51 under-five children examined, 72.55% were undernourished. Among women, reproductive health problems, anaemia, and musculoskeletal disorders predominated. Specific nutrition and health interventions for under-five children are necessary to combat under-nutrition, while community-based educational interventions for women would help overcome the social taboos attached to reproductive health problems.

2009H1N1 Infection in a 1-day-old neonate.

A full-term female neonate was delivered with meconium stained amniotic fluid by cesarean section by a 2009H1N1 positive 22-year-old second gravida mother, who developed symptoms 8 days prior to delivery. The neonate was completely and immediately isolated from the mother after delivery. Oseltamivir was started at birth to the neonate who had a potential possibility of 2009H1N1 infection. At 5 hours of life, the neonate developed respiratory distress. The neonate's throat swab sent for 2009H1N1 by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was positive. The neonate required oxygen by hood for 3 days and made an uneventful recovery. The mother developed acute respiratory distress syndrome after delivery, requiring ventilatory care for 14 days and was discharged after 25 days stay in hospital. 2009H1N1 infection, although rare, needs a high index of suspicion and prompt therapy in neonates. Clinicians should be alert about the possibility of perinatal transmission of 2009H1N1.

Epilepsy with myoclonic absences.

Epilepsy with myoclonic absences is a rare seizure disorder with intellectual impairment and resistance to conventional anti-convulsants. It is essential to diagnose epilepsy with myoclonic absences earlier for a better outcome. The authors present a case report to highlight this fact.