Comparison of target concentration intervention strategy with conventional dosing of digoxin.

Digoxin is a widely used drug in patients with congestive heart failure. The present study compared the quality of life of congestive heart failure patients on one year follow-up period with two different dosing of digoxin (5/7 therapy and 7/7 therapy in whom the target serum digoxin concentration is maintained). Quality of life significantly improved in intervention group thus emphasizing the need for continuous dosing of digoxin based on target concentration.

Community leaders involvement in leprosy health education.

As an alternative approach, 310 community leaders consisting of village political leaders, school teachers, Govt. staff, members of socio-welfare and religious agencies, graduate students and traders from 21 villages of Chingleput district of Tamilnadu (India) were interviewed to explore the possibilities of their involvement in leprosy health education community. Though majority (76%) of respondents were not fully aware about various aspects of leprosy and showed negative reactions (51%) towards leprosy patients; almost all realised the importance of educating community about leprosy for its early control, for which a large majority (88%) of them had expressed their willingness to participate in leprosy health education and control programme by devoting an average of 4.4 +/- 5.4 hours per week. A good number (54%) of them had also been educating people about leprosy in one or the other way. The leaders who had been exposed to leprosy health education especially in recent past, were significantly better equipped with knowledge about leprosy and its control and were much more willing to participate in NLCP, than others. Study concluded that if the community leaders are approached, educate and motivated properly, they would certainly involve themselves to provide a valuable strength to our leprosy health education and control programme.