Knowledge Among Junior Doctors About the Collection and Transport of Samples for Tuberculosis Diagnosis in a Medical College Hospital in Coastal Karnataka, India.

Background The accuracy of the TB diagnosis depends on the quality of the collected and transported samples. Inadequate knowledge and practices regarding the collection and transport of sputum samples can lead to false-negative results and delay the diagnosis and treatment of TB. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge of residents and interns about the collection and transport of sputum and other samples for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in a medical college hospital. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 120 medical interns and postgraduate residents of a medical college hospital in coastal Karnataka, India. Participants were interviewed using a pre-designed and structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using IBM Corp. Released 2015. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. Descriptive statistics like the mean, standard deviation, and chi-square test were used. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Most of the study participants (76, 63.3%) belonged to the age group of 22 to 25 years and were interns. Nearly three-quarters of the participants (85, 70.8%) were female. Based on the mean score, 69.2% of the participants exhibited good knowledge. Among the socio-demographic characteristics, being a postgraduate resident was associated with good knowledge about the collection and transport of samples (p-value < 0.05). Conclusion Seven out of ten participants had good knowledge about the collection and transport of sputum and other samples for the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Strengthening the training of this category of health workers needs to be prioritized.

Adverse Events among Beneficiaries who Received a Dose of Sputnik V Vaccine at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Coastal Karnataka, India.

Introduction: Vaccination has played a vital role in containing the COVID-19 pandemic. Sputnik V was the third vaccine approved for emergency use in India. The objectives of the present study were to document the adverse events following Sputnik V vaccination and the factors associated with adverse events. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted during September and October 2021 in a teaching hospital of Karnataka. Ethics approval and CTRI registration were obtained before collecting the data. All persons receiving at least one dose of vaccine were invited to participate and baseline information was collected after written informed consent. They were contacted telephonically to enquire about the adverse events. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using SPSS Version 23 to describe percentages and proportions. Results: The median age of 2532 participants was 31 (IQR 25-39) years and 60.4% were males. Minor adverse events were seen among 29.4% participants. Most common symptoms with first dose were fever, vaccination site tenderness, myalgia and headache, and with second dose were fever, myalgia, headache, and vaccination site tenderness. No severe adverse events were reported in our study. The adverse events were seen more among females (P < 0.05) and with the first dose (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Most common adverse events were similar to symptoms suggested by the vaccine manufacturers with fever being the most common one. A follow-up after a longer lag time may be recommended to enquire whether the vaccinees developed serious adverse events.