ABSTRACT
Background: The risk of hospital insulin prescription errors in the UK has remained unchanged despite the adoption of several national initiatives. This audit was conducted to evaluate whether the prescription errors were related to the information source used. Aims: To determine what sources of information are used at the time of hospital admission of patients with diabetes to obtain details of their insulin regimen and how different sources relate to prescription errors. Method: We examined the clinical notes of 85 patients with diabetes and confirmed the insulin doses with the patient or the carer administering insulin. Results: Only 44 out of 85 (52%) patients or carers administering insulin recalled being asked about insulin; prescription errors were slightly lower in these patients but overall insulin prescription error remains at one in four. Conclusion: The persisting inpatient insulin error rate calls for a review of how the information on insulin regimen is collected and used by the healthcare services.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of induced hypothyroidism and thyroxin replacement on bone growth. DESIGN: An animal study carried out on experimental Albino rats. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The study was carried out in the Department of Anatomy, Basic Medical Sciences Institute (BMSI), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, from June 1999 to May 2002. METHOD: Pregnant female Albino rats obtained from the animal house of Basic Medical Sciences Institute, JPMC, Karachi were treated with carbimazole and carbimazole plus thyroxin from 10th day of gestation till parturition. Another group of pregnant rats did not receive any treatment and acted as controls. Pups born to the treated as well as control animals were sacrificed on 10th postnatal day and fixed in formal saline. They were then processed through 95% ethanol and acetone, bulk stained with alizarin red and cleared in 4% KOH to reveal their bony and cartilaginous elements. The ulna and tibia of both sides were disarticulated from the treated and control animals and measured for intact bone length and diameter. The measurements of the three groups were then compared statistically. RESULTS: The retardation in length observed at the end of experimental period in ulna was by 13.67% and in tibia by 27.84% in carbimazole treated group while in carbimazole plus thyroxin treated group the reduction in length of ulna was 5.08% and of tibia 3.91% when compared with their age matched controls. CONCLUSION: Prenatal hypothyroidism has an adverse effect on bone growth and results in reduction of long bone length.
