Identification of mistakes and their correction by a small group discussion as a revision exercise at the end of a teaching module in biochemistry.

Background. Graduate medical students often get less opportunity for clarifying their doubts and to reinforce their concepts after lecture classes. The Medical Council of India (MCI) encourages group discussions among students. We evaluated the effect of identifying mistakes in a given set of wrong statements and their correction by a small group discussion by graduate medical students as a revision exercise. Methods. At the end of a module, a pre-test consisting of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) was conducted. Later, a set of incorrect statements related to the topic was given to the students and they were asked to identify the mistakes and correct them in a small group discussion. The effects on low, medium and high achievers were evaluated by a post-test and delayed post-tests with the same set of MCQs. Results. The mean post-test marks were significantly higher among all the three groups compared to the pre-test marks. The gain from the small group discussion was equal among low, medium and high achievers. The gain from the exercise was retained among low, medium and high achievers after 15 days. Conclusion. Identification of mistakes in statements and their correction by a small group discussion is an effective, but unconventional revision exercise in biochemistry.

Diagnostic value of biochemical predictive index in ovarian malignancy.

The aim of the study was to determine if diagnostic performance of CA-125 in ovarian malignancy can be improved by considering age of the patient. The study was a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 306 patients who underwent a CA-125 measurement in our Institute. Of the 306 patients, 31% had malignant ovarian diseases, 45% had benign ovarian diseases, 6% had non-ovarian gynaecological diseases and 18% had non-gynaecological diseases. A positive association was found between age and CA-125 levels in patients with ovarian diseases. Patients were divided into three age groups of 18–37 yrs, 38–56 yrs and 57–74 yrs and were given age scores as 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Biochemical predictive index (BPI) was calculated by multiplying age score and CA-125 value. Among the age groups ranging 38–56 yrs and 57–74 yrs, the CA-125 and BPI values were significantly higher in malignant ovarian diseases compared to benign ovarian diseases. ROC curve analysis revealed a cut-off of 86 for the BPI with the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value as 58%, 78%, 56% and 80% respectively. BPI had better specificity and negative predictive value compared to CA-125, can be used in the screening of ovarian pathology.

Acute intermittent porphyria: diagnosis per chance.

OBJECTIVES: To report a case of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) diagnosed by chance during routine investigations. CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND INTERVENTION: A 21-year-old female presented with vague gastrointestinal symptoms. Upon admission, she was disoriented. Later she developed generalized seizures and was treated with phenytoin, but the condition worsened. Upon investigation, her liver function, renal function, blood sugar level and electrolytes were within normal limits. When kept for routine laboratory testing, the color change in urine prompted us to investigate for porphyria. It was positive for phorphobilinogen (PBG) and urophorphyrin. Since AIP had been diagnosed, the initial treatment with phenytoin was discontinued with a favorable outcome. A screening test for PBG in urine by Ehrlich's reagent was performed on the patient's mother and was positive. CONCLUSION: A high degree of suspicion at the laboratory can also determine the diagnosis of AIP, which is often missed by the clinician.