Treatment of vaginal atrophy with vaginal estrogen cream in menopausal Indian women

Objectives: To measure the effect of vaginal estrogen cream in the treatment of vaginal atrophy in menopausal Indian women

Methods: A total of 50 menopausal women aged between 40 and 80 years old with symptoms of vaginal atrophy were selected and treated with 0.5 g vaginal estrogen cream, twice weekly for 12 weeks. The women were followed up monthly where symptom score, Genital Health Clinical Evaluation [GHCE] score, vaginal pH, and vaginal maturation index [VMI] were assessed and compared to baseline data. Any adverse events were recorded

Results: There was a significant improvement [p < 0.010] in complaints such as vaginal dryness, itching, burning, and dyspareunia at the end of the study period. The clinical improvement of these patients was reflected in a decrease in GHCE score on every visit. Vaginal pH and VMI score also showed statistically significant improvements [p < 0.010]. No side effects with the drugs used were recorded during the study period

Conclusions: Vaginal estrogen cream causes symptomatic relief in women of menopausal age in India suffering from vaginal atrophy

Treatment outcome among cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis [MDR TB] in Western India: a prospective study

Multidrug-resistant TB has become a significant public health problem in a number of countries and an obstacle to effective TB control. Therefore, the present study sought to determine the treatment outcome in patients with MDR TB in seven districts and to examine the factors affecting the treatment outcome. A prospective cohort study was carried out by enrolling all the registered patients in DOTs Plus center of Vadodara district from February 2010 to December 2010. A total of 142 patients were interviewed using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire at the DOTS centers of seven districts of Gujarat or at their homes in cases of defaulters/death. After 24 months, of those 145 patients, 48 [33.10%] were declared cured, 8 [5.50%] had completed their treatment, 43 [29.70%] patients died during the treatment, and 32 [21.10%] patients defaulted during treatment. Factors associated with a significant difference in the outcomes were income, marital status, and education. Only education significantly affected treatment outcome upon applying logistic regression. Therefore, proper counseling on drug adherence should be applied at the programmatic level