Medical Humanities.

Medical humanities (MH) have been described as using subjects traditionally known as the humanities for specific purposes in medical education. Learning MH provides a number of advantages to medical students. I have been involved in facilitating MH sessions for over seven years. MH modules are still not com-mon in South Asia. There are various challenges in initiating a MH module in a medical school in south Asia. MH modules should be driven by the energy and creativity of facilitators in each medical school, should use small group learning strategies and be fun.

Understanding the essentials of drug interactions: a potential need for safe and effective use of drugs.

Drug interactions (DIs) represent an important and widely under recognized source of medication errors. An interaction is said to occur when the effects of one drug are changed by the presence of another drug(s), food, drink or an environmental chemical. When a therapeutic combination could lead to an unexpected change in the condition of the patient, this would be described as an interaction of potential clinical significance. DIs can arise in numerous ways; such as pharmacodynamic interaction, in which receptor effects of different agents interacts to produce synergy or antagonism of drug effects. In pharmacokinetic interaction, the blood levels of given agents may be raised or lowered based on the type of interaction. Special attention and thorough monitoring is needed for the patients who are predisposed to develop DIs and those on drugs with narrow therapeutic index. DIs can be a very important contributory factor for the occurrence of adverse drug reactions and adverse drug events. DIs monitoring programs should be initiated and strengthened in order to minimize their occurrence. Herbal drug interactions and DIs comprising over the counter medicines should also be considered seriously.

Knowledge about heart attack and hypertension among individuals attending a cardiac camp in Pokhara city.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies in other countries had shown lacunae in patients' and general publics' understanding of cardiovascular diseases. Such studies are lacking in Nepal. Hence the present study was carried out to: a) note the respondent's knowledge regarding myocardial infarction and hypertension and b) note the association, if any, of the knowledge with demographic and personal characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Respondents attending a cardiac camp organized in the Manipal Teaching hospital during September 2002 were interviewed by previously briefed seventh semester students using a structured questionnaire. Basic demographic information and knowledge about myocardial infarction and hypertension was collected. The median score was calculated. Differences in scores among different subgroups of respondents were noted using appropriate statistical tests (p<0.05). RESULTS: Sixty-six respondents were interviewed; 44 were male. The knowledge scores for heart attack and hypertension were 6 (maximum score 8) and 11 (maximum score 14) respectively. The scores were significantly lower among respondents with a monthly family income below 2000 rupees and was higher among respondents/family members suffering from cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSION: The respondents were aware of the basic facts regarding myocardial infarction and hypertension. However, lacunae in knowledge were noted. Further studies are required.

Drug induced hepatitis with anti-tubercular chemotherapy: challenges and difficulties in treatment.

Tuberculosis is a major health burden worldwide. In Nepal, it is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Although better drugs are available for managing tuberculosis, treatment failure is one of the common problems encountered. Among the various causes which can cause treatment interruption, drug induced hepatotoxicity is a common cause. Isoniazid and Pyrazinamide are the common drugs causing hepatotoxicity. Upon occurrence of hepatotoxicity, the hepatotoxic drugs should be stopped and reintroduced as per the available guidelines. The healthcare professional should also counsel the patients for recognizing the early symptoms due to hepatotoxicity which could prevent morbidity.

Prescribing patterns in the orthopaedics outpatient department in a teaching hospital in Pokhara, western Nepal.

OBJECTIVES: Information on the utilization patterns of drugs in the orthopaedics outpatient department (OPD) are lacking in hospitals in western Nepal. The present study was carried out to obtain demographic information about the respondents selected for analysis, information on the average number of drugs prescribed and the average cost of drugs per prescription. The prescriptions were critically analyzed using predetermined criteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out over a four-month period (01.09.2002 to 31.12.2002) at the Manipal Teaching hospital, Pokhara, Nepal. The percentage of encounters with an injection or an antibiotic prescribed was noted. The percentage of drugs prescribed from the Essential drug list of Nepal and the mean cost of drugs per prescription was calculated. RESULTS: 1238 patients attended the orthopaedics OPD during the study period. 186 prescriptions were randomly selected for analysis. The mean number of drugs per prescription was 1.9. Low backache was the most common reason for attending the OPD. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were the most commonly prescribed drug group. Diclofenac and meloxicam were the most commonly prescribed drugs. Mean cost of drugs was 166.2 Nepalese rupees. Injections and antibiotics were prescribed in 16 (8.6%) and 7 (3.8%) encounters respectively. 51 prescriptions (27.4%) had various problems. Absence of diagnosis on the prescriptions and the duration of treatment were most commonly observed. CONCLUSIONS: Percentage of prescribing by generic name was low. Educational sessions for the doctors at different levels to encourage prescribing by generic names and on correct writing of prescriptions may be considered. Studies covering a larger number of patients and for a longer time period are required. A greater number of patients can be studied, seasonal variations can be overcome and drug utilization can be measured quantitatively.

Attitudes of first-year medical students towards the doctor patient relationship.

In recent years, medical schools all over the world have instituted a variety of curricula to teach communication skills, professional values and ethics to medical students. Studies on the student attitudes towards doctor-patient relationships are lacking in Nepal. The present study was carried out to obtain information on the sharing and caring dimensions of the doctor-patient relationship and note any association of the dimensions with the demographic characteristics of the respondents. The study was carried out among first year students of the Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal in August 2003 using the patient-practitioner orientation scale. One hundred and sixty-five students participated. The mean +/- SD total, caring and sharing scores were 3.71 +/- 0.48, 3.51 +/- 0.55 and 3.91 +/- 0.62 respectively. Students whose first degree relative was a doctor had higher sharing score compared to those without doctor relatives. Female students had higher scores. Students had a positive attitude towards the doctor-patient relationship. Our scores were lower than those reported previously. Further studies are required and the results obtained will be helpful in designing a doctor-patient relationship course for Nepal.

Contribution of the regional drug information center towards drug safety.

Drug related complications may lead to huge economic impact and cause significant morbidity and mortality. The present study analyzed the services provided by our Drug Information Center (DIC) in relation to drug safety. Over a period of one year, the DIC received 336 drug related queries. Among these 127 queries were related to drug safety. Medical doctors asked 78% of queries and patient care was the purpose behind 64.6% of them. Half (50%) of the enquirers submitted their queries to the center personally or contacted the DIC staff. Forty one percentage of the queries were related to the causality of particular drug towards adverse drug reactions and 10 % regarding drug use in pregnancy and lactation. Centrally acting drugs accounted for 21% of the queries. Twenty two percentage of the enquirers required an immediate answer. DICs by providing unbiased and objective information can reduce the occurrences of drug related complications.

A study on rational drug prescribing and dispensing in outpatients in a tertiary care teaching hospital of Western Nepal.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the prescriptions of out-patients for rational prescribing and dispensing and to evaluate the patient's knowledge regarding use of drugs, using INRUD indicators. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted at the Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal during the time period from June 10th to August 19th 2004. RESULTS: Totally 247 prescriptions were randomly selected for analysis, wherein 720 drugs were prescribed. Only 15% of drugs were prescribed by generic name, 21.67% of the total drugs consisted of fixed-dose combinations, only 40% of drugs were from the Essential drug list of Nepal and 29.44% (n=212) were from the WHO Essential drug list. It was found that more than half (54.17%) of the drugs were from Nepalese National Formulary and 35.69% were from WHO model formulary. Dermatological products were most commonly prescribed followed by drugs acting on central nervous system, antimicrobials and drugs acting on cardiovascular system. Among the drugs dispensed, 79.16% were oral followed by topical (18.19%) and parenteral forms (2.98%). Diagnosis was mentioned only in 3.23% (n=8) of the prescriptions and the average cost per prescription was found to be 241.11 Nepalese rupees (US$ 3.26). It was found out that pharmacist labelled only 0.4% of the medication envelopes with the name of the patient. However, 82.6% of the medication envelopes were labelled with name of the drug and 87.0% with drug strength. Only 53.8% (n=133) of the patient knew both the duration of the therapy and administration time of drugs. CONCLUSION: There is a need for educational intervention for prescribers and both managerial and educational intervention for the hospital pharmacists to improve prescribing and dispensing.

Anomalous branching of the axillary artery: a case report.

We present a case regarding the anomalous branching in the third part of the axillary artery on the left side in a 35-year-old male Nepalese cadaver. In the third part the axillary artery divided into superficial brachial and deep brachial arteries. The superficial brachial artery continued in the arm without giving any branches and ended in the cubital fossa dividing into radial and ulnar arteries. The deep brachial artery gave rise to subscapular, profunda brachii, articular branch to the shoulder joint, anterior circumflex humeral artery and posterior circumflex humeral artery. This variation is very rare and incidence is around 0.12-3.2% in the available literature. The normal and abnormal anatomy of the axillary region is having practical importance for the vascular radiologist and surgeon and it should be known for accurate diagnostic interpretation.

Learning styles of preclinical students in a medical college in western Nepal.

OBJECTIVES: Information on the learning styles of medical students are lacking in medical colleges in Nepal. Learning styles may be associated with student understanding and may predict success in examination. The present study was carried out to obtain information on learning styles and preferences for teaching of fourth semester medical students and note the association, if any, between respondents' personal characteristics and preferences for learning styles and types of teaching. The correlation between preferences for learning styles and types of teaching and performance in the second year university examination was also explored. METHODS: The study was carried out during October 2003 at the Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal using the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory (ASSIST) instrument. Information on the respondents' personal characteristics was collected. Respondents had to indicate their degree of agreement with a set of statements using a modified Likert-type scale. The statements were grouped into three main learning styles and two types of teaching. The median scores among different subgroups of respondents were compared using appropriate non-parametric tests (p<0.05). RESULTS: Ninety-two students (92%) participated; fifty-six were male. Thirty-one respondents were Nepalese, 48 were Indians. Majority were educated in English medium schools. The median scores for deep and surface learning styles were 64 and 49 respectively (maximum score=80). The scores for strategic learning was 75.5 (maximum score=100). There was no clear preference for any particular type of teaching. Indian students used more surface apathetic learning strategies compared to others. There was a negative correlation between surface learning and marks obtained in the final examination. CONCLUSIONS: The students mainly used deep and strategic learning styles. Differences in preference for learning styles and types of teaching were noted according the respondents' personal characteristics. This was a preliminary study and further studies are required.

Cerebellar control of visceral responses-possible mechanisms involved.

It seems reasonable to assume that cerebellar autonomic control operates according to similar principles as those utilized in the somatomotor coordination. The unique and very uniform neuronal architecture throughout the cerebellum speaks in favour of such a view.

Safety monitoring of drugs--where do we stand?

Drug related complications, a major cause of hospitalizations, lead to huge economic burden and significant human suffering. New chemical entities enter the market without sufficient safety data on patient population making rare (Adverse Drug Reactions) ADRs undetected in the clinical trials. ADR monitoring helps in detecting the occurrence of rare and unknown ADRs and helps in prevention of further occurrence. Several methods are adopted for effective monitoring of ADRs. An effective ADR monitoring program requires adequate infrastructure and trained manpower. In developed countries, the ADR monitoring system is well established. In Nepal, the concept of ADR monitoring is in the infant stage. A simple approach for ADR monitoring may be helpful in starting an ADR monitoring program in hospital setups in Nepal. Though it is difficult to prevent ADRs, a systematic approach will definitely helps in minimizing the further occurrence of similar ADRs.

Initiating and strengthening medical student research: time to take up the gauntlet.

Self-directed learning and evidence-based medicine are becoming increasingly important in medical education. Medical student research projects can enable students to learn research methodologies and critical analysis skills. Medical schools in developed countries have introduced research programmes for medical students. A few medical colleges in developing countries have initiated student research programmes. South Asia has a huge population and massive health problems and research may be helpful in finding solutions. Student research can contribute to the published output of institutions. Research projects can help students to develop critical analysis skills, teach them to write for peer-reviewed publications and can foster student-faculty interaction. In Nepal, opportunities and funding for research are limited. Principles of scientific research should be taught to students. A community research project should be made compulsory. Funding for research should be boosted and infrastructure strengthened. Faculty members actively involved in research can serve as powerful 'role models'. Marks should be allotted for research projects and students must be encouraged to publish their findings. Publications and projects should be considered during admission to postgraduate courses. Student research should be initiated, actively pursued and strengthened.

Our experience with epidural steroid injections in management of low backpain and sciatica.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain and sciatica is a common clinical condition. It is a most common orthopaedic complaint in the Kaski region of Nepal. The reason for its increased incidence may be hilly terrain, difficult working and living environment of the region. The initial treatment of Low back pain is conservative. Epidural steroid injection is being slowly established as are liable mode of conservative management in many orthopaedic centres of the world. This is a preliminary report of on-going study of the use of epidural steroid in the management of low back pain cases coming to the orthopaedic department of Manipal Teaching Hospital. METHODS: Prospective clinical trial was carried out on the patients reporting with low back pain and sciatica not responding to other modes of conservative treatment. Pre and post injection evaluation was done clinically. The level of pain, improvement in physical signs and ability to do activities of daily living were noted. RESULTS: Fifty two patients were observed for the average duration of 2.87 months. Average duration of symptoms was for 10 months. After first epidural steroid injection 83% of patients reported relief on day one. In some cases the onset of analgesia was delayed. Four patients reported no relief after first injection. Fifteen patients were given two injections and four received three injections. The average duration between two injections was three weeks.Average duration of pain relief was 20 days. At the end of 3 months, good results were seen in 39%, fair in 33% and bad results in 27%. Overall 59% of patients were able to do activities of daily living. Three patients (5.76%)required operation for disc prolapse. Postoperatively two patients reported back with back pain. Most common complaint of patients after injection was pain at the injection site. No major complications were encountered. CONCLUSION: Epidural Steroid Injection is a safe and effective mode of treatment of Low Back Pain. It provides painfree period to enable the patient for physiotherapy which helps in early recovery.

Intensive care unit drug utilization in a teaching hospital in Nepal.

OBJECTIVES: The intensive care unit (ICU) is a setting where a large number of drugs are administered to patients and the costs of hospitalization and drug treatment are high. Information on drug utilization in intensive care units (ICUs) are lacking in western Nepal. The present study was carried out to obtain information on the basic demographic pattern of the respondents, drug utilization during the study period, the antibiotic sensitivity patterns of isolated microorganisms and measure drug consumption in defined daily dose (DDD)/ 100 bed-days. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients admitted to the ICU of the Manipal Teaching hospital, Pokhara, Nepal during the time period from 01/02/2002 to 31/05/2002 was carried out. The ICU mortality rate, length of stay greater than 7 days and median length of stay were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 259 individuals were admitted. The ICU mortality rate was 15.4%; median length of stay was 4 days. E.coli, H.influenzae, K.pneumoniae, S.aureus and P.aeruginosa were the common organisms isolated and were found to be resistant to some of the commonly used antibiotics. Mean +/- SD number of drugs and cost of drugs were 5.1 +/- 2.7 and 1958.5 +/- 1267.8 Nepalese rupees (25.1 +/- 16.2 US dollars). Total drug consumption was 356.4 DDD/100 bed-days. Consumption of intravenous fluids was 25.8 litres/100 bed-days. CONCLUSIONS: An antibiotic use policy should be framed. Formation of a multidisciplinary team to oversee drug use and periodically review microbial sensitivity patterns will be helpful. Longitudinal surveillance of ICU drug use should be carried out.

Emotional impact of cadaver dissection: a survey in a medical college in western Nepal.

OBJECTIVES: Adverse physical and psychological effects to human dissection have been reported in many studies. In Nepal, the basic science subjects are taught in an integrated manner in the first four semesters of the MBBS course. Studies on the attitudes of medical students towards anatomy dissection are lacking in Nepal. The present study was carried out to obtain information on the present and initial perception of medical students on exposure to anatomy dissection and the association, if any, of the perception with demographic factors. METHODS: The study was carried out among the first, second and third semester students at the Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara using the appraisal of life events (ALE) scale in February 2005. Sixty-three first semester, 57 second and 65 third semester students successfully completed the questionnaire and their responses were taken up for analysis. Information on sex, age, nationality, religion, food habits, occupation of parents and selection procedures of respondents was collected. The parameters loss, challenge and threat were measured on first exposure to dissection and at the time of the study. The scores were compared among different categories of students (p< 0.05). RESULTS: 185 of the 225 students (82.2%) successfully completed the questionnaire. The median initial loss, challenge and threat scores were 2, 19 and 4 respectively. The median present loss, challenge and threat scores were 1, 20 and 0 respectively. The present threat score was higher among second semester students. The initial loss was higher among Indians and the present challenge score was higher among vegetarians. CONCLUSIONS: The loss and threat score were low compared to that reported in a previous study. The challenge scores were higher than those reported previously. Majority of students considered anatomy dissection as a significant life experience and one which was largely positive. Further studies with a larger student population and in other medical colleges are required.

Ginkgo biloba--an appraisal.

Ginkgo biloba has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for about 5000 years. A standardized preparation, EGb 761 has been recently prepared. The pharmacologically active constituents, flavonol glycosides and the terpene lactones are standardized. The terpene lactones comprise of ginkgolides A, B, C and bilobalides. The extract scavenges excess free radicals and pretreatment with EGb 761 reduces damage by free radicals in patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery. The action of platelet activating factor is antagonized and platelet aggregation is reduced. Blood flow is increased. Release of prostacyclines and nitric oxide was shown to be stimulated. Ginkgo biloba has been found to be useful in the treatment of Alzheimers disease and cognitive impairment. EGB 761 has shown beneficial effect in aging and mild cognitive impairment. Bilobalide has been shown to be protective against glutamate-induced excitotoxic neuronal death. Early studies indicate a potential role in age-related macular degeneration and some types of glaucoma. Anticancer action is related to antioxidant, anti-angiogenic and gene regulatory actions. Ginkgo biloba has shown overall improvement in about 65% of patients with cerebral impairment and a similar percentage suffering from peripheral vascular diseases. A recent study suggested that phytoestrogens in Ginkgo biloba may have a role as alternative hormone replacement therapy. Recent trials have not shown a beneficial effect of Ginkgo biloba in tinnitus and acute mountain sickness. Ginkgo biloba increased the bioavailability of diltiazem. The extract has been shown to protect against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in animals. Ginkgo biloba inhibits microsomal enzymes and has a potential for drug interactions. Further studies to establish the efficacy of Ginkgo biloba are required.