Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital Research Articles

Association and Prevalence of Alcoholism in Epileptic Patients at Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Association and Prevalence of Alcoholism in Epileptic Patients at Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Assessment of Resistance and Susceptibility Pattern of Antibiotics in Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Eastern Gujarat

Assessment of Resistance and Susceptibility Pattern of Antibiotics in Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Eastern Gujarat

Prevalence of Hypertension among Class - III and Class - IV Employees at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Central India - A Cross Sectional Study

Prevalence of Hypertension among Class - III and Class - IV Employees at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Central India - A Cross Sectional Study

Platelet indices and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio as a predictive tool in acute sickle cell vaso-occlusive crisis: A study protocol

Platelet indices and the neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio are newly emerging indicators of systemic inflammation in chronic diseases, such as hemoglobinopathies. The objectives of this study include estimation of platelet indices and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients with and without vaso-occlusive crisis. This cross-sectional study will be conducted in the Department of Medicine at a tertiary care teaching hospital situated in the rural area of Wardha district. The participants will include patients of SCD older than 18 years of age attending the sickle cell clinic. We hypothesize the use of neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet indices as clinically significant predictive markers in acute sickle cell vaso-occlusive crisis.

Epidemiology of maxillofacial injuries during monsoon and non-monsoon season in India: a data-based retrospective study from a tertiary care dental teaching hospital.

Maxillofacial Injury (MFI) is a major public health concern that is multifactorial in etiology-road traffic accidents (RTAs), falls and violence. RTAs are the major cause of maxillofacial injuries (MFIs) in countries like India. Recent studies have shown that maxillofacial fractures (MFF) constitute a significant proportion of facial injuries seen in hospitals (56.5%). The incidence of maxillofacial fractures can vary depending on several factors, including age, gender, and environmental factors. Of particular concern is the impact of seasonal variations, such as the monsoon season, which lead to high incidence of maxillofacial fractures due to hazardous conditions. A retrospective review of medical records was done in a tertiary-care dental teaching hospital was done. Data of 200 subjects including 154 males (77%) and 46 females (23%) with a mean age of 35.38 ± 16.541 years; age range: 1 - 80 years was analyzed. A total of 200 MFI's were recorded between 2021 and 2022. Soft tissue injuries were reported in 37.5% of the cases in non-monsoon season and 42.3% of the cases during the monsoon season. Dentoalveolar fractures were reported in 6.2% of the cases during the non-monsoon seasons and 7.7% during the monsoon season. In this study, mandible was the most fractured bone (n=104,52%) followed by zygomatic complex (n=50, 25%). The frequently observed pattern among mandibular fracture was condyle 8.3% during the non-monsoon season and 2.9% during the monsoon season). The results of the study indicate that mandibular fractures are most commonly seen in maxillofacial fractures, followed by fractures of the zygomatic complex. The study also reveals a higher incidence of soft tissue injuries and dentoalveolar fractures during the monsoon season. Further research is warranted to explore the factors that contribute to the seasonal variation in maxillofacial fractures for effective interventions to reduce their occurrence.

Perceived Stress Among Nurses at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The stress level of nurses, especially frontline staff, directly impacts their physical and mental health as well as work efficiency. However, few studies have been conductedto understand the stress level of nurses related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of this study is to assess the level of perceived stress among nurses at a tertiary care teaching hospital (King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah) in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional survey-based descriptive study involved 1044 nurses working at a tertiary care/teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to assess nurses' stress levels. The study was conducted in July 2021 by selecting clinical nurses from different nursing units. Considering the current situation of social isolation, an online cross-sectional survey using Google Forms was used. Data analysis was performed using IBMSPSSStatistics for Windows, Version 21 (Released 2012; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Out of 1044 nursing professionals, 93 (8.9%) reported experiencing low levels of stress, 915 (87.6%) reported moderate levels of stress, and 36 (3.4%) reported high perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that gender (p=0.001) and nationality (p=0.016) had significant effects on stress levels. The three major causes of stress identified by the nurses were workload, lack of resources, and fear of contracting COVID-19. Job-related stress continues to be an issue in the nursing workforce. The effects of stress experienced by nurses impact job satisfaction and retention, which, in turn, can affect the quality of patient care. This study highlights that nurses in a tertiary care (COVID care) teaching hospital in our setting often experience stress and anxiety during the pandemic. It is worth noting that this is the first study conducted to understand the level of stress perceived by nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic in our current study setting. The findings indicate that a considerable number of nurses experienced moderate levels of stress during COVID-19, which can have implications for patient care. Recognizing and understanding the job-related stressors of nurses can help nurse leaders implement more effective strategies aimed at reducing nurses' stress and subsequently improving patient outcomes.

Evaluation of Serum Levels of Anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG and IgA by ELISA Method in Patients with Gastric Ulcer in Chalous, Iran

Background: Considering the role of Helicobacter pylori in various diseases such as chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer and malignancies, this study was performed to evaluate the level of antiHelicobacter pylori antibodies in the serum of the population of Chalous and then its relationship with demographic characteristics.
 Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in the department of Microbiology in a tertiary care teaching hospital during December 2019 to May 2021. All hospitalized patients with diarrhea, who had a history of exposure to antibiotic drugs and all patients with IBD were included in the study. Stool samples were collected from all patients with diarrhea who have been on antibiotic or anticancer drug during last 6weeks or previously diagnosed case. Patient’s demographic features and clinical details were collected from medical records.
 Results: About 78% of people had IgA positive titer and about 48% had IgG positive titer. Serum IgA level in patients with bloating (P = 0.005) and in patients with nausea (P = 0.016) was statistically significant. Also, in patients studied there was a significant relationship between bloating (p = > 0.001), nausea (0.013) was seen with a serum IgG level .
 Conclusion: Due to the high percentage of positive titers of anti-Helicobacter pylori antibodies, especially IgA in the sample population, it seems that the follow-up of positive serological titers will help to prevent and control the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection.

Patterns of Physical Activity and its Association with Gender and Academic Year Among Undergraduate Medical Students

Aim This study aimed to determine the patterns of physical activity (PA) and its association with gender and academic year among undergraduate medical students of a tertiary care hospital in South India. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students from August to October 2022 at a tertiary care teaching hospital in South India. PA was determined using the self-administered long form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results A total of 223 students aged 18 to 25 years completed the questionnaire, with the majority being females (59.2%). Their median total PA (metabolic equivalent [MET] minutes/week) was 1320, with 2073 and 771 MET minutes/week among male and female students, respectively. Fourth-year students were the most physically active, with higher energy expenditure per week, followed by second-year, third-year, and first-year students ( p = 0.007). Out of the total 223 students, 141 (63.2%), 62 (27.8%), and 20 (9%) students belonged to low, moderate, and high PA levels, respectively. There was a greater proportion of students with low PA among females (70.5%) compared to male (52.7%) participants ( p < 0.001). Conclusion Most undergraduate medical students had a low level of PA, especially females and students in the first academic year. To increase the PA levels among medical students, curricular reforms by incorporating sports/exercise training, and ensuring the availability of adequate facilities and trainers for sports in every college/university is warranted. Future research focusing on the exploration of barriers to PA and designing innovative strategies to promote PA among medical students is the need of the hour.

Cardiovascular Risk Profiling Using the Globorisk Calculator among Noncommunicable Disease Patients Attending Primary Health Centers of a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in South India: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) account for over three-quarters of all deaths taking place in developing nations. The present study aims to stratify noncommunicable disease (NCD) patients using the Globorisk chart for predicting their 10-year risk of a major (fatal or nonfatal) CVD event and to estimate the level of agreement between this country-specific chart and the existing World Health Organization (WHO)/International Society of Hypertension (ISH) risk strata. A record-based cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in 2018 among adults attending the NCD clinic of one rural and one urban primary health center in Puducherry. Laboratory and office risk calculators of the Globorisk chart were used to calculate the risk. The median age (interquartile range (IQR)) of the 760 study participants was 58 (50-65) years. When calculated using the Globorisk prediction chart, 22.1% (n = 168) of the participants had a <10% risk for any CVD event in the next 10 years, whereas the same risk was found in 71.1% (n = 540) by using the WHO/ISH risk chart. There was no agreement found between the two risk charts (k = 0.0174; P-value = 0.26). The Globorisk chart was found to identify more patients as belonging to the higher risk category as compared to WHO/ISH charts.

KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE AND AWARENESS REGARDING CONSUMPTION OF SWEETS AND CAFFEINE UNDER STRESS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE DENTAL STUDENTS

Background: Undergraduate dental students are a high-stress population, and many turn to sweets and caffeine to cope. However, excessive consumption of these substances can have negative health consequences. This study aimed to assesstheknowledge,attitude,andawarenessregardingconsumptionofsweets and caffeine under stress among undergraduate dental students between 17 to 26 years of age in Khammam. A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate dental students at Mamata dental college. Aim: Knowledge Attitude and Awareness Regarding Consumption of Sweets and Caffeine Under Stress Among Undergraduate Dental Students. Objective: Analyzing and determining the Knowledge Attitude and Awareness Regarding Consumption of Sweets and Caffeine Under Stress Among Undergraduate Dental Students. Method: Across sectional study was conducted among the dental students(I,II, III, IV, interns) in tertiary care teaching hospital, Khammam, using a web-based tool called forms pro, a semi-structural online questionnaire was designed and distributed to the students in order to fill. Descriptive statistics were calculated using SPSS verson-29. A p- value &lt;0.05 was used to evaluate statistical significance. Result:Atotalof203studentstookpartwithfemales(70.9%) and males(29.1%). Age of participants ranges from 17-26 years. In this study female students have more knowledge and awareness regarding Consumption of Sweets and Caffeine Under Stress compared to males. Among all the students III-BDS have more knowledge, followed by Interns, II-BDS,IV-BDS and I-BDS. Conclusion:Thestudyresultsuggeststhatknowledgeandawarenesslevelof Consumption of Sweets and Caffeine Under Stress is adequate.

KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE AND AWARENESS REGARDING ZNO SUNSCREEN PROTECTION AMONG UNDERGRADUATE DENTAL STUDENTS

Background:Zincoxidenanorods were employed as the primary ultra- violet protection agent in the formulation of sunscreens. Examination of ZnO powder through FESEM and TEM micrographs revealed the predominant presence of rod-like structures with a width range between 61-70 nm. Notably, sunscreens containing 20-40% (by weight) of ZnOnanorods exhibited significantly improved UV absorbance across both UVA and UVB spectra (280-400 nm). This study mainly aims to assess the Knowledge Attitude and Awareness Regarding ZnOnanorodsinSunscreenProtectionAmongUndergraduateDentalStudents. Aim: Knowledge Attitude and Awareness Regarding ZnO Sunscreen Protection Among Undergraduate Dental Students. Objective: Analyzing and determining the Knowledge Attitude and Awareness Regarding ZnO Sunscreen Protection Among Undergraduate Dental Students. Method: A cross sectional study was conducted among the dental students (II,III, IV, interns) in a tertiary care teaching hospital,Khammam, using a web basedtool called forms pro, a semi-structural online questionnaire was designed and distributed to the students in order to fill.Descriptive statistics were calculated using SPSS verson-29..A p- value &lt;0.05 was used to evaluate statistical significance. Result: A total of 209 students took part with females (70.8%) and males (29.2%). Age of participants ranges from 19-25 years. In this study female students have more knowledge and awareness regarding ZnO Sunscreen Protection compared to males. Among all the students Interns have more knowledge, followed by IV-BDS, III-BDS and II-BDS. Conclusion: The study result suggests that knowledge and awareness level of ZnO Sunscreen Protection is adequate.

Impact of Smoking in Postoperative Outcomes after Elective Surgery

Abstract Introduction: The hazard of smoking is not only limited to the general health risks but also makes the smokers more vulnerable to various perioperative complications ranging from pulmonary complications to delayed wound healing to cardiovascular events. Methodology: This is an observational study in the department of general surgery of a tertiary care teaching hospital over a period of 24 months (May 2019–April 2021). Patients between 18- and 60-year age undergoing noncardiac elective surgical procedures were included in the study. Results: A total of 240 patients, meeting the inclusion criteria, posted for elective, noncardiac surgery were enrolled in this prospective observational study. In smoker patients’ group (n = 138) undergoing surgery, 42 (30.4%) patients developed postoperative complications as compared to 12 (11.8%) patients in nonsmoker group (n = 102). The risk of postoperative complications among smokers was 3.2 times (odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.62–6.63) (P ≤ 0.0009). Smokers with pack-years &gt; 11 had 3.8 times increased risk of postoperative complications as compared to nonsmokers (OR, 95% CI: 1.85–8.098) (P ≤ 0.0003). Conclusion: Our study aims to add to existing evidence and improve our understanding of delayed wound healing and major complications in smoker patients as surgical cases. Nonsmokers are at a lesser risk than smokers in postoperative complications. Awareness regarding the harmful effects of smoking and its influence on postoperative wound healing, motivation for quitting, and abstinence from smoking will help in reducing postoperative complications and better treatment outcomes.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of Materiovigilance among physicians in a rural tertiary care teaching hospital in Puducherry- a cross sectional study

Background: In India, medical devices are considered as drugs. A medical device may lead to problems either due to a defect during manufacture or transport, improper handling by health care professionals or patients, or failure to comply with recommendations. Aim &amp; Objective: To evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of Materiovigilance among health professionals at the Tertiary Care Hospital. Methods: This was a Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Based study. The questionnaires were circulated among 100 medical professionals. The structured survey tool comprised of two parts. The first part contains demographic data, and the second part consists of 15 questions, with 5 each pertaining to the awareness, attitude, and practice domains. All the data were entered into a Microsoft Excel sheet and analyzed using GraphPad Instat software version 5.0. Results: Medical professionals with above-average knowledge scores were 57 %, and the practice percentage of Materiovigilance was 60%, but there is a positive attitude (72%) towards Materiovigilance. A significant difference was noted Between the knowledge scores of professors and residents (p-value - 0.0491). There was no significant difference in knowledge scores between medical, surgical, and pre/para specialties. However, there was a positive correlation between the knowledge and attitude scores of the medical professionals. Conclusion: We conclude that the Knowledge aspect and also the practice of Materiovigilance among Physicians in our tertiary care hospital is lacking. However, their positive attitude to reporting adverse events is reassuring.

Regional Anaesthesia Techniques for Orthopaedic Surgery at Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Background: Regional anaesthesia has found its uses in many aspects of orthopaedic surgery including more recently, spine surgery. Neuraxial or regional anaesthesia are often the preferred techniques for surgical anaesthesia in patients with multiple comorbidities. For instance, osteoporosis-related complications such as hip fractures are common in the growing geriatric population. Orthopaedic surgery aims to recover functional capacity in patients but it carries a specific morbidity and mortality. Orthopaedic surgery conveys several challenges for the anaesthesiologist, including prevention of thromboembolic complications, reduction of peri- and postoperative bleeding and management of autologus blood transfusion and postoperative pain. Material and Methods: This is a prospective study was conducted in the Department of orthopaedic and Anaesthesia at Shadan Institute of Medical Sciences, Teaching Hospital and Research Center. Three hundred and ten consecutive cases posted for orthopaedic surgeries were taken up for study. Anaesthesia technique was decided based on the nature of surgery, willingness and medical status of the patient and experience of the anaesthesiologists. RA was planned whenever possible. In the morning of operation the RA technique was explained to the patients and intravenous (IV) access established. Preoperative medication was given using IV fentanyl and midazolam in titrated doses. Ketamine was used in children and appropriate block given using standard technique. Nerve stimulator was used wherever applicable Results: Age of the patients ranged from three months to 92 years. Maximum number of patients belonged to the age group of 21- 50 years (63.2%). As per the demographic data. In our study, Knee arthroscopy and repair was 28.38%, Femoral was 17.41%, Radius and ulna was 15.16% and least were Ankle and foot, Wrist and hand surgery was 1.93%. In our study Subarachnoid block was 40.96% followed by Combined spinalepidural 17.09%, General anaesthesia 12.90%. Conclusion: In a conclusion, the use of regional anesthesia techniques for postoperative outcomes in orthopedic surgeries has been investigated in lots of clinical studies and case reports. Most of the authors proposed that regional anesthesia in orthopedic patients may be associated with better postoperative pain control and a reduction in intraoperative blood loss when compared with general anesthesia. In the future regional anesthesia techniques will be more preferable anesthetic technique in orthopedic surgeries

Skin Grafting in Post burn contractures of Groin and perineum in patients

Background: Groin and perineal burn contracture is a rare postburn sequel. Such postburn contractures causes distressing symptoms to the patients and in the management of these contractures, both functional and cosmetic appearance should be the primary concern. Material and Methods: This is prospective and descriptive study conducted in the Department of Plastic Surgery at Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital over a period of 1 Year. First dressing was seen on third or fourth postoperative day and percentage of graft take/loss was noted. Complications, if any, were recorded. Indwelling urinary catheter drainage was instituted for 3 to 4 days postoperatively. Once the graft stabilized, patients were discharged and advised to wear compression garments. Results: In our study, 77.1% of the patients, post burn contractures of the groin and perineum were because of Open chulla. Other less common causes were hot water (14.3%) and flame burn (8.6%). Majority of the patients were brought with complaints of difficulty in squatting (80.0%) followed by limitation of movements of hip joints (71.4%) and (44.3%) impairment of walking. In our series of 70 patients two types of operative procedures were performed: (1) release of contracture with split thickness skin grafting; (2) release of contracture and closure by multiple Zplasties. Moreover, 30 (42.9%) patients having bilateral groin contractures underwent release of contracture with split thickness skin grafting. 29 (41.4%) patients underwent release of unilateral groin contracture with split thickness skin grafting and 4 (5.7%) patients underwent release of unilateral groin contracture and closure by multiple Zplasties.Conclusion: To conclude, recuperation from perineal burns, both in acute period and chronic phase in case contracture occurs, is a difficult challenge physically and mentally. The agony that a burn patientendures during treatment is evident even to an onlooker.

A comparative study of morphological and Immunohistochemical expression of P40 and P63 immunomarkers in squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma lung

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related death worldwide and accounts for 28% of all cancer mortality and around 1.8 million new cases were diagnosed in 2012. The morphological distinction between pulmonary adenocarcinoma (ADC) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) is sometimes difficult, mainly in cases of poorly differentiated tumors or when degenerative changes, necrosis and crushing may obscure the cell characteristics. p63 is a homologue of the p53 tumour suppressor gene that is responsible for proliferation and differentiation of epithelial progenitor cells. p40 is consistently the predominant isoform expressed in squamous cell carcinoma; thus, it offers improved specificity for diagnosing squamous cell carcinoma. Material and Methods: This is a prospective and observational study conducted in the Department of Pathology, Tertiary care Teaching Hospital over a period of 1 year. Primary lung carcinoma cases included with unequivocal morphological diagnosis irrespective of age, gender and nature of biopsy material (endoscopic biopsy/ needle core biopsy / resected specimen). Cases diagnosed as Small cell carcinoma of lung, as metastatic lung cancers, poorly differentiated NSCLC-NOS and with inadequate material for IHC study were excluded from present study. Results: In the present study, a total of 150 patients were included out of which 112 (74.6%) were males and 38 (25.4%) were females. In our study, most of the patients were &gt;61 years i.e., 63 out of 150 (42%), followed by 51-60 years, i.e., 40 out of 150 (26.7%). All 8 cases of well differentiated Adenocarcinoma were positive for P40 and 5 cases showed P63 expression. Out of 13 cases of moderately differentiated Adenocarcinoma, 3 cases were positive for P40 and 10 cases were positive for p63 marker. Out of 30 cases of well differentiated Squamous cell carcinoma 15 cases were P40 positive and 15 cases were P63 positive. All 53 cases of moderately differentiated Squamous cell carcinoma showed positive P40 and P63 expression.

A study to Monitor Adverse drug reactions in a patients of Chronic Obstructive pulmonary Disease

Background: Inappropriate drug usage may preclude ideal benefit due to increased medical cost, adverse effects and mortality. Therefore drug utilization studies have become a plausible means in evaluating the healthcare systems. COPD management usually involves more than one drug which may escalate the risk of ADEs (adverse drug events). The present study aimed at assessing the current drug practice and ADEs in COPD management in ICU. Material and Methods: A prospective, single centered, observational and open labeled study was carried out in Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Pharmacology, Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital. The patient population was broadly divided into four categories based on diagnosis ‑ chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Infections, Asthma and Others. Suspected ADRs were reported, analyzed, and causality assessment was carried out using Naranjo’s algorithm scal0065. Results: In our study, most important causative drug was Budesonide (11.1%). Causality assessment of ADR by Naranjo’s algorithm showed 11.9% probable and 88.1% possible reactions. According to WHO-UMC scale, 85.9% reactions are possible, 11.1% are probable, and 3% are unlikely. Among the 270 ADR reported, the most common ADR was oral thrush which accounted for 11.1% (n = 30) of the reported cases, followed by palpitation 11.1% (n = 30), sore throat 20 (7.4%), dizziness 17 (6.3%) cases, and headache 20 (7.4%) of reported ADR cases. Conclusion: Many research have been conducted separately on various respiratory diseases such as COPD, tuberculosis, asthma, respiratory tract infections (upper/lower), and so on. However, this study included some of the most common diseases in this field, such as COPD, tuberculosis, and respiratory tract infections. A routine patient follow-up is needed for the early detection and prevention of ADRs in order to improve patient adherence to drug therapy and provide improved drug therapy by avoiding associated morbidity and mortality.

Impact of recurrent pregnancy loss on depression, anxiety and fertility related stress in Omani women: A cross sectional survey.

Pregnancy is a state of happiness and hope not only for a woman but for her family as well as near and dear ones. However, this phase of happiness comes shattering down for some couple who are not able to successfully complete pregnancy and end up losing a baby in the early stages of pregnancy. Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is prevalent among Omani women and the psychosocial impact of RPL is heavy upon these young women devastating their overall quality of life. Researchers conducted a cross sectional survey among 184 Omani women who had a history of recurrent pregnancy loss in a pioneering teaching tertiary care hospital. Data collection done from using a self-reported questionnaire to assess the depression, anxiety and RPL associated stress of women with history of RPL The mean age of women with RPL was 34.05 and 81% reported 2-3 pregnancy loss. Participants reported higher mean scores of depression (9.94), Anxiety (10.32) and fertility related stress (30.28). Women with multiple pregnancy losses (above 3) reported higher level of anxiety which was significant at (p<0.05%) The findings from current study also indicated that women with RPL experience higher levels of depression, anxiety, and fertility related stress.

Microbial Spectrum of Keratitis at a Rural Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital.

Microbial keratitis poses a significant threat to vision and is a common ocular infection. Its causative agents encompass a wide spectrum, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. The microbiological profile of microbial keratitis is influenced by factors such as patient demographics, geographical location, climate, and occupational hazardsand evolves over time. Corneal scrapings were collected from 75 patients with a provisional diagnosis of microbial keratitis.The samples were processed in the microbiology laboratory, and the bacterial and fungal growth isolated in the study were identified according to standard procedures. Among the 75 patients, 48 (64%) were maleand 27 (36%) were female.Corneal ulceration was found in individuals of all age groups, with the highest prevalence of 77.33% (58/75) observed in the 21-60 age range. Farmers exhibited a higher susceptibility, constituting 66.67% (50/75) of the cases.The study noted a higher occurrence of keratitis from November to February, accounting for 69.33% (52/75). Microbial etiology was identified in 25.33% (19/75) of scrapings, with fungi accounting for 68.42% (13/19) and bacteria for 31.57% (6/19). The prevalent fungal species included Fusarium (7/13, 53.84%),Aspergillus(3/13, 23.07%),Colletotrichum(2/13, 15.38%), andCurvularia​​​​​​​(1/13, 7.69%). Bacterial isolates featuredStreptococcus pneumoniae(5/6, 83.33%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (1/6, 16.66%). This study underscores the importance of regularly updating local microbial profiles and understanding antimicrobial resistance patterns. Such updates are critical for informed decision-making in selecting optimal topical treatments for microbial keratitis.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of pharmacovigilance among medical students

Background: Spontaneous voluntary adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting is the backbone for the successful functioning of the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India. The aim of pharmacovigilance is to ensure safe and rational use of medicines, once they are released for general use in the society. Targeting the younger doctor for sensitization toward pharmacovigilance is the key to ensure practice of adverse drug reactions (ADR) reporting in clinical practice. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of pharmacovigilance among medical students at LLRM Medical College, Meerut, a tertiary care teaching hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a pretested questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to assess the KAP regarding pharmacovigilance. The medical students (2nd year, final year, and interns) were included in the study. Only the participants who gave their consent were included in the study. Results were calculated by proper statistical analysis. Results: The current study was conducted in a LLRM Medical College, Meerut, which included a total of 250 medical students of which 40% 2nd year, 40% final year students, and 20% interns. Most of them (83%) accepted that reporting ADR is necessary, and pharmacovigilance should be taught in detail to health-care professionals. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that knowledge of pharmacovigilance among medical students is improving gradually and pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting needs to be made compulsory, have better, interesting ways to learn and understand it, so that the students can practice it with confidence in their clinical practice.