Dilemmas and Perceptions regarding Medical Education in Hindi medium among Medical Community of Northern India: A Cross Sectional study

Introduction: The medical curriculum, the medium of instruction and evaluation in India, is primarily English. While it has the advantage of preparing Indian medical graduates to represent and interact globally, it also translates into learning difficulties for a substantial population of Indian medical students. Hindi is the common language of communication among majority of the population in Uttar Pradesh.Madhya Pradesh Government in India has already started the option of pursuing the allopathic graduate medical course in Hindi. There is paucity of data regarding opinion of medical professionals about implementation of Medical Education in Hindi in Uttar Pradesh and nearby states. Objective: To assess the attitude and opinion of medical students and medical professionals towards using Hindi in Medical Education. Method: A cross-st stsectional web-based online survey was conducted between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2023. Undergraduate medical students, interns, residents and faculty from medical colleges, hospitals of Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states (Uttarakhand and Bihar) were contacted to participate in this survey using pretested structured questionnaire. Results: A total of 1606 participants responded and answered the questionnaire and 1575 responses were found complete and used in analysis.Most participants (52.8%) believed that Medical Education in Hindi would attract more students from Hindi backgrounds to join the medical field. Similarly, 58.9% of participants were of the opinion that Medical Education in Hindi would improve communication with patients. However, about half of the participants (49.5%) perceived teaching in Hindi as a hurdle in acquiring higher education. Conclusion: More than half of the participants thought that medical education in Hindi will attract more students from Hindi backgrounds to join the medical field. Similarly, Medical Education in Hindi was perceived to improve communication skills with patients, at least where Hindi is a vernacular language by majority of the participants.

Retained soft contact lens masquerading as a chalazion: A case report.

A misplaced contact lens is a common ocular emergency presenting to the eye casualty. We report a case of lost soft contact lens which migrated in the lid and presented 13 years later with symptomatic eye lid swelling. Authors in the past have reported migration and subsequent retention of lost hard lenses in locations such as the superior fornix and eyelid. To the best of our knowledge, misplaced soft contact lens masquerading as a chalazion has not been reported in the literature. Consideration should be given to the possibility of a retained contact lens in a patient with a history of a lost or misplaced lens, and examination of the ocular surface with double eversion of the upper lid should be performed.

Radiotherapy complications and their possible management in the head and neck region.

Oral complications from radiation to the head and neck or chemotherapy for any malignancy can compromise patients' health and quality of life and affect their ability to complete planned cancer treatment. For some patients the complications can be so debilitating that they may tolerate only lower doses of therapy, postpone scheduled treatments, or discontinue treatment entirely. Oral complications can also lead to serious systemic infections. Medically necessary oral care before, during, and after cancer treatment can prevent or reduce the incidence and severity of oral complications, enhancing both patient survival and quality of life. In the present article we present an overview of oral complications, and their possible management, after radiation therapy in the head-and-neck region.

Bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaws.

Bisphosphonates constitute a group of drugs capable of modulating bone turnover and reduce its remodeling when an excessive resorption occurs. This is why they are indicated in a large group of bone diseases like postmenopausal osteoporosis or osteolysis associated with breast cancer or multiple myeloma. Over the last few years and due to their extensive use, many cases of complications associated with their use have been published. Among the most important possible adverse effects are the oral ones, with the appearance of ulcerations and, especially, osteonecrosis of the jaws associated with this therapy. In this paper, we have analyzed the general characteristics of these drugs and their mechanisms of action as well as the described adverse effects, especially oral and maxillofacial, have been made special reference, regarding the prevention of osteonecrosis of the jaws, heightened by cases described in the medical and odontological literature. The preventive protocol backs up the fundamental role of the odontologist in the effective prevention of this process before, during and after the treatment.

Twenty-two year follow-up of an Indian family with dysferlinopathy-clinical, immunocytochemical, western blotting and genetic features.

Long-term observations over a period of 22 years in an Indian family with primary dysferlinopathy are recorded, defining phenotypic variability. In the propositus, the dystrophy began distally in the tibialis anterior muscles, before involving the gastrocnemius. Transient painful calf hypertrophy, followed by calf wasting was observed. The proximal lower and upper limbs weakened after three to four years. The younger sibling presented with the proximo-distal phenotype. Both patients showed very high creatine kinase values early into the illness. Disease progression was slow. The younger sibling lost ambulation 14 years after onset, while the elder one remains ambulatory 22 years into the illness. Muscle biopsy showed dystrophic features and absence of dysferlin. Monocyte western blotting confirmed absence of dysferlin. Genetic analysis detected a heterozygous mutation in Exon 54 [c.6124C>T] in the DYSF gene. This is the first family with a diagnosis of dysferlinopathy supported by genetic data, reported from India.

Endogenous endophthalmitis in a rheumatoid patient on tumor necrosis factor alpha blocker.

The development of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapies is a milestone in the therapy of rheumatic diseases. It is of concern whether all potential undesired complications of therapy have been evaluated within clinical trials which have led to treatment approval. Specialists prescribing TNF blockers should be aware of the unusual and severe complications that can occur. We describe a case of endogenous endophthalmitis in a rheumatoid patient on TNF alpha blocker.

Evaluation of visual outcome following cataract surgery in a tertiary eye care hospital.

A retrospective study was conducted at the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (RIO), Kolkata to assess the visual outcome in senile cataract after surgery in the age group of 45-65 years. A total number of 1837 operated eyes (1826 patients) were included in the study during the period of January, 2000 to December, 2000. Patients with low vision unrelated to cataract surgery were excluded. The mean age at cataract extraction was 56 +/- 9 years. Patients were followed for 6 months. Of 1837 operated eyes, 26 (1.4%) were blind (visual acuity < 3/60), 122 (6.6%) had low visual acuity (3/60-6/18) and 1689 eyes (92.2%) gained good vision (visual acuity > 6/18). Of 148 visually compromised eyes posterior capsular opacity (41.2%) was the commonest complication followed by corneal oedema (36.5%) and glaucoma (12.8%). Other posterior segment causes accounted for the remaining cases. The study emphasises the need for proper selection, good pre-operative check-up, skilled surgery and regular follow-up to improve the qualitative aspect of cataract surgery.

Nosocomial ocular infection--a prospective study.

Nosocomial infection of the eye is an uncommon complication, acquired during the course of hospital management. It may prolong the disease process or even destroy the eye. The overall incidence varies considerably by hospital services. To ascertain the various types of ocular infections and its responsible pathogens, a laboratory-based, nosocomial ocular infection control study was performed in a large referral hospital during a period of January 1997 to June 1999. The study revealed 29 cases (0.08%) of culture proven ocular infections, out of 35,758 total admission during the period of one calendar year. Fifty-one eyes of 29 cases (22 bilateral) had nosocomial infection. Staphylococcus aureus (9), Staphylococcus epidermidis (8) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5), were the most frequent bacteria. Laboratory investigations helped in initiation and modification of specific antimicrobial therapy and also prognosis. Proper surveillance with the help of laboratory investigations has effective role in the management of nosocomial ocular infection.

Late spontaneous extrusion of a wooden intraorbital foreign body.

Wooden intraorbital foreign body is characteristic for delayed manifestation, silent progression and unpredictable outcome. A silent wooden intraorbital foreign body is difficult to diagnose clinically. Spontaneous expulsion of entire foreign body is rare.