Potential Drug-drug Interactions among Hospital Discharge Prescriptions in a Tertiary Care Centre of Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: In our setup, potential drug-drug interactions are overlooked in routine clinical practice. In general, most of the discharges are handwritten in the developing world, and the discharge prescriptions are not checked with the database for potential drug-drug interactions checker. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions in the prescribed drugs in clinical practice in a tertiary care centre of Nepal. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care center from October 2019 to December 2019. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 394(6-11)E2/075/76). Through simple random sampling, the data about drug prescription was collected from the patient discharge records of the Department of Internal Medicine. The potential drug interactions were checked by using Lexicomp® drug interactions. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and mode. RESULTS: Among 382 discharge prescriptions, the prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions was 299 (78.3%) (74.1-82.4 at 95% Confidence Interval). A total of 1519 drug interactions with a mean of 5.08±3.89 drug interactions per prescription was identified. The major, moderate and minor drug-drug interactions according to the severity were found to be 163 (10.7%), 1162 (76.5%), and 178 (11.7%) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions is high among the patients on discharge compared to similar studies. Use of drug-drug interactions checker databases before discharge with computer-based discharge prescriptions is recommended.

Intentional pesticide poisoning and pesticide suicides in Nepal.

INTRODUCTION: Intentional pesticide poisoning is a major clinical and public health problem in agricultural communities in low and middle income countries like Nepal. Bans of highly hazardous pesticides (HHP) reduce the number of suicides. We aimed to identify these pesticides by reviewing data from major hospitals across the country and from forensic toxicology laboratories. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 10 hospitals for pesticide poisoned patients and two forensic laboratories of Nepal from April 2017 to February 2020. The poison was identified from the history, referral note, and clinical toxidrome in the hospitals and from gas chromatography analysis in the laboratories. Data on demographics, poison, and patient outcome were recorded on a data collection sheet. Simple descriptive analysis was performed. RESULTS: Among hospital cases (n = 4148), the commonest form of poisoning was self-poisoning (95.8%) while occupation poisoning was rare (0.03%). Case fatality was 5.3% (n = 62). Aluminum phosphide (n = 38/62, 61.3%) was the most commonly identified lethal pesticide for deaths. Forensic toxicology laboratories reported 2535 deaths positive for pesticides, with the compounds most commonly identified being organophosphorus (OP) insecticides (n = 1463/2535; 57.7%), phosphine gas (n = 653/2535; 25.7%; both aluminum [11.8%] and zinc [0.4%] phosphide) and organochlorine insecticides (n = 241/2535; 9.5%). The OP insecticide most commonly identified was dichlorvos (n = 273/450, 60.6%). CONCLUSION: The data held in the routine hospital medical records were incomplete but suggested that case fatality in hospitals was relatively low. The pesticides identified as causing most deaths were dichlorvos and aluminum phosphide. Since this study was completed, dichlorvos has been banned and the most toxic formulation of aluminum phosphide removed from sale. Improving the medical record system and working with forensic toxicology laboratories will allow problematic HHPs to be identified and the effects of the bans in reducing deaths monitored.

Mean Serum Creatine Kinase among Organophosphate Poisoning Cases in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: Major cases of poisoning are associated with organophosphates. Cholinergic effects and an intermediate phase seen with organophosphate poisoning may implicate myopathy. Creatine kinase is a marker of muscle tissue damage. This study aimed to find out the mean serum creatine kinase among organophosphate poisoning cases in a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among organophosphate poisoning cases in a tertiary care hospital from 13 October 2017 to 30 March 2018. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee [Reference number: 117(6-11-E) 2/074/075]. Blood samples were assayed for serum acetylcholinesterase in the pharmacology laboratory and for serum creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase in the biochemistry laboratory. Low serum acetylcholinesterase was taken as the basis for the establishment of organophosphate poisoning. A convenience sampling technique was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Among 103 organophosphate poisoning cases, the mean serum creatine kinase was 931.35±446.60 IU/l (845.10-1017.60, 95% Confidence Interval). Conclusions: The mean serum creatine kinase level among organophosphate poisoning cases was higher than in other studies done in similar settings. Keywords: acetylcholinesterase; creatine kinase; organophosphate poisoning; rhabdomyolysis.

Adherence of Drug Promotional Literatures Distributed by Pharmaceutical Companies to World Health Organization Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug Promotion.

BACKGROUND: Drug Promotional Literatures are usually relied upon for drug promotion, however studies have shown them to contain several pitfalls. World Health Organization has time and often revised the guideline to address the issue and World Health Organization Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug Promotion was established. Based on this guideline, several regional as well as national guidelines have been formulated. Though laws to regulate drug promotion is existent, studies have shown problems with drug promotional literatures in Nepal also. This study was carried out to analyse the drug promotional literatures distributed by pharmaceutical companies in Nepal as per World Health Organization Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug Promotion. METHODS: A cross-sectional study over a period of one year was conducted at our department. Pharmaceutical companies registered in Department of Drug Administration, Kathmandu and consenting for the study were requested to provide ten unique drug promotional literatures of their products. Collected drug promotional literatures were analysed for inclusion of essential information as per World Health Organization Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug Promotion, level of biasness. Different drug promotional literatures were also classified and compared for these aspects. RESULTS: A total of 48 pharmaceutical companies were included in the study. Drug promotional literatures (n = 372) were analysed during the study. Adherence to criteria concerned with positive attributes of the promoted medicine was found to be higher, most of the drug promotional literatures adhered to 5-8 criteria of World Health Organization Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug Promotion and were categorised into grade B. Difference in adherence as well as number of biased drug promotional literatures was also seen when drug promotional literatures were compared on different basis. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to World Health Organization Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug Promotion was found to vary when drug promotional literatures were classified as per pharmaceutical company, type of formulation being promoted, type of drug promotional literatures.

Simulation-based education workshop: perceptions of participants.

BACKGROUND: Simulation-based education (SBE) is increasingly endorsed as an educational strategy. It allows health-care professionals to practice clinical skills within a safe learning environment, and requires devices for simulation or simulated patients, trained teachers, and an appropriate environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate perceptions of participants on SBE and an SBE workshop. METHODS: A 1-day SBE workshop was conducted on September 4, 2018, in collaboration with Laerdal Global Health Nepal and the National Centre for Health Professions Education (NCHPE), Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal. Semistructured pretest and posttest questionnaires were used to evaluate the perceptions of participants regarding SBE and the effectiveness of the workshop. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21. RESULTS: The mean difference in participant perceptions of SBE before and after participation in the workshop was significant (P<0.05) on seven statements: enhances communication skills (pretest 4.53±0.72, posttest 4.84±0.75; P=0.03), helps in seeing and managing even rarest of cases (pretest 3.59±1.00, posttest 4.21±0.92; P=0.02), overcomes the problem of uncooperative patients (pretest 3.12±0.93, posttest 3.95±1.22; P=0.004), increases confidence of students in dealing with real patients (pretest 4.29±0.77, posttest 4.79±0.42; P=0.041), enables preparation of rating scales for skills and attitude evaluation (pretest 3.76±0.83, posttest 4.11±0.76; P=0.049), provides immediate feedback during simulation (pretest 4.06±0.9, posttest 4.58±0.51; P=0.016), and keeps materials/equipment ready before simulation (pretest 4.29±0.68, posttest 4.79±0.53; P=0.007). Mean scores for participant feedback on the workshop using a Likert scale of 1-5 (5= strongly agree, 1= strongly disagree) were notable: objective of workshop fulfilled (4.16±0.688), session very interesting (4.37±0.597), session useful for future job (4.47±0.513), scenario relevant to subject (4.21±0.787), what I learnt will be useful in practice (4.05±0.78), resource persons/facilitators were helpful and effective (4.37±0.597), professional (4.42±0.507), and answered all questions (4.32±0.478), and course content was presented clearly (4.26±0.452). Almost all participants found the workshop useful and well presented, and suggested conducting such workshops frequently. CONCLUSION: The SBE workshop produced substantial differences in perceptions of participants. Participants found the workshop effective in improving knowledge and understanding of SBE.

Insulin autoimmune syndrome as a cause of recurrent hypoglycemia in a carbimazole user: a case report from Nepal.

Insulin autoimmune syndrome (IAS) is a rare cause of nondiabetic hypoglycemia characterized by hyperinsulinemia and autoantibodies to endogenous insulin without prior exposure to exogenous insulin. We report a drug-induced case of IAS in a 59-year-old Nepalese female. She had been taking carbimazole for Graves' disease and later presented with recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia, with laboratory findings of low blood glucose, increased molar ratio of insulin to C-peptide, and elevated autoantibodies to insulin. IAS should be considered while evaluating hypoglycemia to prevent unwarranted invasive procedures and surgical interventions.