A prospective study of drug utilization pattern in cardiac intensive care unit at a tertiary care teaching hospital.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases remain the most common cause of sudden death. Appropriate drug therapy in cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) is crucial in managing cardiovascular emergencies and to decrease morbidity and mortality. The present study was conducted to observe the emergency cardiac diseases which are most frequently being treated and to study the prescribing prevalence among inpatients in CICU. Methods: A prospective, observational study was carried out among 102 patients admitted in CICU at a tertiary care teaching hospital, Karnataka, for a period of 3 months. Demographic data, clinical history, and complete drug therapy received during their stay in CICU was noted. Results: In our study, males (64.7%) had a higher incidence of cardiovascular emergencies than females (35.3%). Hypertension (32.4%) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (28.4%) were the frequently associated co-morbid conditions. Antiplatelet drugs 80 (78.4%) was most commonly prescribed, followed by hypolipidemic drugs 75 (73.5%) and anticoagulants 65 (63.7%). The mean duration of stay in the hospital was 4.79±1.9 days. The average number of drugs per prescription was 7.8±2.2. Percentage of drugs prescribed by generic names was 52.9%. The percentage of drugs prescribed from essential drug list was 75.1%. Conclusions: Antiplatelet drugs were the most frequently prescribed drug group. Mean number of drugs per prescription were high. The prescribing pattern could be improved by reducing the number of drugs per prescription and by prescribing generic drugs to reduce the economic burden of the patients.

Comparative Analysis of Electrophysiological Parameters of Median Nerve in Normal and Diabetic Subjects.

Peripheral neuropathy is a common complication in diabetic patients. Nerve conduction study is widely used for the assessment of diabetic polyneuropathy. This study was designed to characterize motor nerve conduction abnormalities in subjects having relatively shorter duration (2.28 ± 1.51 years) of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The median motor nerve conduction study was carried out on 40 male type 2 diabetic patients attending diabetic clinic in the department of medicine and 40 healthy male volunteers who served as control. Motor Distal latency (MDL), Amplitude (Amp) and Conduction Velocity (CV) were measured. On comparing the parameters of median nerves of both the groups, it was found that motor distal latency of (right and left) median nerves was higher in diabetics than in non diabetics with statistically significant difference. Results also showed decreased amplitude and conduction velocities of median nerve of both sides in diabetics (statistically significant). All the parameters were found correlated with blood sugar levels in diabetics.

Profile of School Going Children with Visual Impairment.

Eye is the most vital organ of human body; apart from serving the function of vision, it enables us to do our tasks with coordination. Any abnormality in the eye can impair vision and make the person handicapped for life. WHO estimates that 153 million people worldwide live with visual impairment due to uncorrected refractive errors, 8 million are blind and 12.8 million are in age group of 5-15 years1. In India prevalence of defective vision in age group of 6-15 years is around 13 %2,3. The school children form a special group because they are most vulnerable to the effects of reduced vision and its impact on learning capability and educational potential. In addition, the management of refractive errors is perhaps the simplest and the most effective eye care that can be provided by involving the community4. The school children are more prone to develop decreased visual acuity owing to increased near work due to stressful academic schedule, nutritional deficiencies and excessive viewing of television, playing videogames. Poor vision in childhood affects academic performance in school and has a negative influence on future of child. Considering these issues the present study was carried out to find out the factors affecting vision of school children and to suggest preventive and remedial measures for defective vision.