bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Study of pattern of foods given to the infants during weaning period in an urban field practice area in Vijayapura
Authors: Ganganahalli Praveen , Patil Santosh D. , Yankanchi Sandeep , Tellur Laxmi 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT

Background:
The first 2 years of life are a critical period for a child’s growth and development. Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and continued breastfeeding with safe, appropriate, and adequate feeding are recommended as a global health policy in both developing and developed countries.

Objective:
The objective was to study the pattern of foods given to the infants during the weaning period in an urban field practice area in Vijayapura.

Materials and methods:
The mothers of infants (aged 6–12 months) were interviewed by using predesigned and pretested questionnaires regarding different types of foods given to their infants and also about their immunization status, incidence of diarrhea and acute respiratory infection (ARI).

Results:
A total of 95 mothers with infants aged between 6 and 12 months were enrolled in the study during the period of 1 month. Majority of the infants were fed with milk (animal) as a type of complementary food.

Conclusion:
Poor complementary feeding practices were observed in urban areas, and urgent health education and demonstration of weaning foods in the community play a major role in preventing diseases.
Barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 screening at Jaipur International Airport, India
Authors: Mantri Neha , Joshi Nitin Kumar , Bhardwaj Pankaj , Goel Akhil Dhanesh , Gupta Manoj Kumar , Singh Kuldeep , Misra Sanjeev 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT

Background:
Airports pose a possible threat in facilitating global disease transmission within the community which may be prevented by rigorous systematic entry-exit screening. This study captures the perception of stakeholders on barriers and facilitators of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) screening. Further, key outcomes viz. total passengers screened, suspected cases, and confirmed cases were assessed.

Methods:
An inductive-deductive mix-method thematic analysis was conducted to capture qualitative data of key stakeholders on COVID-19 disease screening at Jaipur International Airport. Additionally, secondary data retrieved from Rajasthan Medical & Health Department team deployed for COVID-19 airport screening were analyzed.

Results:
Jaipur International Airport screened 4565 passengers (Males = 4073 and Females = 492) with 23 suspected cases during an outlined period of declaration of Pandemic to Lockdown in India (11 to 24 March 2020). Total 65 passengers had travel history from China (3 from Wuhan). The mean average age of passengers was 40.95 ± 7.8 years. The average screening time per passenger was 2-3 min with a load of 25-90 passengers per team per flight. Fishbone analysis of screening challenges revealed poor cooperation of passengers, masking symptoms, apprehension, and stigma related to quarantine. Moreover, inadequate human resources and changing guidelines overburdened healthcare providers. But, perception of risk, and social responsibility of travelers together with supportive organization behavior act as facilitators. Overall, groundwork on airport screening was insightful to propose key action areas for screening.

Conclusions:
Globally, COVID-19 has an impact on health infrastructure and international travel. International coordination with streamlined screening will go an extended way in virus containment.
Clinical and laboratory profile of patients with presumptive clinical diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis and its short-term complications
Authors: Garg Anubha , Fotedar Sanjay , Bharti  , Garg Dinesh , Sharma Anupama , Chawla Sumit 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT

Background:
Worldwide, one million cases of bacterial meningitis are estimated to occur and 200,000 of them die annually. Case fatality rates vary with age at the time of illness and the species of bacterium causing infection. In view of variable clinical features and complication rates in various studies, the present study was planned to assess the clinical and laboratory profile of patients with acute bacterial meningitis and analyze the therapeutic response and short-term sequelae.

Materials:
This study was conducted in the department of pediatrics at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak. A total of 50 pediatric patients with signs and symptoms of acute bacterial meningitis who satisfied the inclusion or selection criteria were enrolled in the study. Appropriate statistical tests were applied for analysis and trial registry was done with PGIMS.

Results:
In the present study, slightly more males (54%) were found than females (46%). The sequelae and mortality were 33.3%, 26.1% and 7.4%, 8.7% in males and females, respectively. There were higher chances of sequelae or mortality in males as compared to females (OR 1.289, 95% CI 0.073–6.11, P > 0.05). Predominant cells were polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells except in >120 months age group where both PMN (50%) and mononuclear (50%) cells were equally visualized. Mean CSF protein was slightly higher in 2–24 months age group.

Conclusion:
We compared the group with sequelae with the group with no sequelae and found neurological deficit (P < 0.01), and presence of complications (P < 0.01) were significantly associated with sequelae.
Effect of 0.5% povidone-iodine on the nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal viral loads in patients with COVID-19: A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial
Authors: Sharma Pranav , Singh Amit , Singh Naresh Pal , Takhelchangbam Nilima , Kumar Raj , Yadav Ramakant 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT

Background and Objective:
The povidone-iodine (PvP-I) nasal antiseptic has been shown to completely inactivate the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro at variable concentrations. This study was performed to investigate the effect of 0.5% PvP-I nasal drops and oral gargles on the nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal viral loads in SARS-CoV-2-positive patients.

Methods:
This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial among patients aged ≥18 years with reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction confirmed in the mild to moderate category of SARS-CoV-2 infection. A total of 32 patients were randomly assigned to receive either freshly prepared 0.5% PvP-I solution or distilled water in the form of supervised self-administered 4–5 nasal drops, followed by 20 ml for gargling for at least 30 seconds. The main outcome measure was the mean change in viral titer and Ct values in the nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal samples at baseline, 5 minutes, and 3 hours post intervention.

Results:
The mean change in viral titers across the time duration for the test group when compared with the control group was not statistically significant (P = 0.109). However, the mean change in Ct value was found to be borderline statistically significant (P = 0.042). Noticeable differences were noted among the mean viral titers and Ct values in the intervention group when plotted against the time of testing as compared to the control group. PvP-I solution at 0.5% dilution was well tolerated, and no evident side effects were reported.

Conclusions:
This study shows that 0.5% PvP-I has an effect on reducing nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal viral loads in COVID-19 patients. This can be of substantial aid for the primary care physicians, especially for the practitioners in remote and resource poor areas.
Household secondary attack rate in SARS-CoV-2 infection during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in South India
Authors: Areekal Binu , Joseph Navya C. , Rajan Maneesha P. , Ravindran Reshmy K. , Vijayan Anagha S. , Vanlalhriatpuii Emmanuelle 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT

Background:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major public health problem since its inception disrupting public life and crippling health systems. The mutated variant of the causative virus, Delta, has been notorious in causing rapid upsurge in cases compared to the Alpha variant. The current study tries to find out the household secondary attack rate (HSAR) of COVID-19 and factors associated with it during the second wave of cases in Kerala.

Methodology:
A retrospective cohort study was performed among 313 household contacts of 76 COVID-19 patients who had been admitted in Government Medical College, Thrissur, in the southern state of India, Kerala. Data from the participants were collected via phone using a semi-structured interview schedule, and analysis was performed with SPSS software.

Results:
The HSAR among household contacts was 59.1% (53.4–64.6%). The risk of acquiring COVID infection among household contacts was higher among contacts of symptomatic index cases with a P value of 0.001 and an odds ratio of 11 (3.7–32.4). index cases were having a home isolation P value of 0.001 and an odds ratio of 3.2 (2–5.1), with delay in COVID-19 testing for index cases with a P value of 0.006. Regarding characteristics of household contacts, higher age groups (p = 0.048), groups living in the same room with an index case P value of 0.021 and an odds ratio of [1.71 (1-2.8)], groups having physical contact with an index case P value of 0.001 and an odds ratio of [3.7 (2.1-7)], groups with touched or cleaned linen/articles with an index case P value of 0.02 and an odds ratio of [1.8 (1-3.1)], and groups having co-morbidities, especially diabetes mellitus (p = 0.0020), were significantly associated with chances of acquiring infection. However, the history of previous COVID positivity in household contacts was a protective factor against the infection P value of 0.009 with an odds ratio of [0.09 (0.01-0.78)].

Conclusion:
The study concludes that the second wave of COVID-19 in Kerala was primarily caused by a high SAR, especially among household contacts, and this could have been the reason for the difficulty in control measures during the wave.
Prescribing pattern of anti-diabetic drugs and adherence to the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) 2021 treatment guidelines among patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Tiwari Kalpana , Bisht Manisha , Kant Ravi , Handu Shailendra S. 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT

Background:
Glycemic control is the major therapeutic objective in diabetes. Poor glycemic control in diabetes mellitus can be prevented by using rational use of anti-diabetic medication, which needs to be evaluated for effectiveness by prescription pattern studies. The objective of this study was to assess the prescribing pattern and adherence to the American Diabetic Association’s (ADA) treatment guidelines in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Uttarakhand, India.

Methodology:
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 206 type 2 diabetic patients who were prescribed anti-diabetic therapy. Patient’s demographic details and drugs prescribed, with their dosage, were recorded to study the prescription pattern.

Results:
Oral anti-diabetic drugs were most commonly prescribed in 149 (72.33%) type 2 diabetic mellitus patients. Five of these patients (3.35%) were on metformin monotherapy, whereas majority of patients (81, 54.36%) were on a fixed dose combination of Glimepiride (SU) + Metformin (MET). Forty-five patients (30.20%) were on MET + Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP4I) combination; 5 (3.35%) were on MET + SU + alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (AGI) combination; 7 (4.69%) were on MET + SU + Pioglitazone (PIO) (Thiazolidinediones) combination; 6 (4.02%) were on sodium/glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2I) and 57 (27.66%) were on insulin therapy. Out of 206 patients, the prescriptions of 185 patients (89.8%) were adherent and of 21 patients (10.19%) were not adhering to ADA 2021 treatment guidelines.

Conclusion:
Oral anti-diabetic agents predominate the prescribing pattern practices for type 2 DM but there was a shift in trend towards the use of fixed-dose combinations (FDC) in the management of type 2 DM, and majority of prescriptions were adherent to ADA treatment guidelines.
Study of platelet indices and their role in evaluation of thrombocytopenia
Authors: Saran Khushboo , Vidya K , Seema Kumari , Prasad Anupa , Prakash Jay 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT

Background:
Thrombocytopenia may result from mechanisms such as marrow hypoplasia, increased destruction of platelets, and splenic sequestration. The gold standard method for discriminating the causes of thrombocytopenia is bone marrow examination, but it is invasive and expensive. Therefore, an alternative method should be introduced as a first-line diagnostic procedure. Of late, the automated blood cell analyzer has made it possible to assess the cause of thrombocytopenia through various machine-derived parameters, known as platelet indices, which include the mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and plateletcrit (PCT), which are provided as a part of routine complete blood count.

Objectives:
The objectives of the present study are to study the variation and effectiveness of platelet indices in establishing the etiology of thrombocytopenia.

Method:
An observational, prospective, and comparative study was conducted on 134 patients with thrombocytopenia, and 67 cases were taken as the normal group. The study group was classified into two groups: hypo-productive and hyper-destructive. Platelet indices were recorded and compared in the two groups along with the normal group.

Results:
The mean platelet count (10^3 μL) in the normal, hypo-productive, and hyper-destructive groups was 232.03 ± 74.84, 73.00 ± 36.52, and 68.28 ± 38.24, respectively. The MPV and mean PCT in the normal, hypo-productive, and hyper-destructive groups were 9.46 ± 1.68fL, 8.99 ± 1.49fL, and 11.35 ± 1.35fL and 0.22 ± 0.06%, 0.07 ± 0.04%, and 0.08 ± 0.05%, respectively. The mean PDW in the normal, hypo-productive, and hyper-destructive groups was 15.66 ± 1.76fL, 17.63 ± 1.01fL, and 18.32 ± 1.10fL, respectively.

Conclusion:
In the present study, platelet indices such as MPV, PCT, and PDW are higher in the hyper-destructive group and may discriminate hyper-destructive from hypo-productive causes of thrombocytopenia.
Compliance to post-exposure prophylaxis among animal bite patients – A hospital-based epidemiological study
Authors: Panda Manasi , Kapoor Richa 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT

Background and Objectives:
Although rabies is a 100% fatal disease, it is preventable with appropriate and timely post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). A hospital-based study was conducted among 360 animal bite patients in the Anti-Rabies Clinic (ARC) of Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi (VMMC and SJH).

Materials and Methods:
A predesigned, pretested, structured questionnaire was administered by the interview technique to assess the compliance to PEP among the animal bite patients attending the ARC, which comprised assessment of wound washing practices adopted by the animal bite patients, administration of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), and compliance to full course of anti-rabies vaccination (ARV).

Results:
Out of 360 study participants, 131 (54.4%) had washed the wound using soap and water and 216 (89.6%) had washed the wound for less than 5 min. The compliance to the full course of ARV was seen among 172 (47.8%) study participants, whereas 164 (45.5%) were found to be non-compliant and 24 (6.7%) were found to be delayed compliant.

Conclusions:
It was observed that a considerable segment of the study population did not practice the correct wound washing practices, and only about half of the total study participants (172; 47.8%) were found to be compliant to the full course of ARV. As rabies is a 100% preventable disease, increasing awareness pertaining to appropriate PEP may prove to be beneficial in improving the compliance to PEP and reducing the burden of mortality.
Effects of social networking services on academic performance and self-esteem: A cross-sectional study among medical students
Authors: Takieddin Siba Ziad , Alghamdi Faris Saeed , Fida Hamza Loai , Alghamdi Maha Khider , Kamfar Renad Ahmed , Alsaidlani Rawan Hamed , Khojah Imad Mohammed 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT

Background:
Social networking services (SNS) are a subcategory of social media that provide a useful tool for an individual’s practical life and social relations. Since the impact of SNS on students’ lives is a relatively neglected topic, we aimed to investigate the effect of social media on academic performance and self-esteem.

Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 373 medical students distributed across different academic years. Data was collected and analyzed using measures of central tendency to describe numerical variables, while frequencies and percentages were used for categorical variables. Pearson’s chisquared test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, independent sample t-test, and the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to identify relationships between the variables. All P values < 0.05 were considered significant using a 95% confidence interval and a 5% margin of error.

Results:
The majority of our sample believed that SNSs were useful, and 37.5% believed that social media positively affected their academic performance. However, no significant relationship was found between the time spent on social media and the students’ grade point average (GPA). Conversely, there was a significant relationship between students’ perceived addiction to social media and their self-worth, along with a positive correlation between GPA and self-esteem.

Conclusion:
Almost half of our participants agreed that social media is a helpful method for finding useful information. Nevertheless, excessive usage has been found to have a harmful effect on the students’ health and self-esteem.
Patient satisfaction with hospital services in COVID-19 era: A cross-sectional study from outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Jammu, UT of J&K, India
Authors: Sultan Nida , Mahajan Richa , Kumari Rashmi , Langer Bhavna , Gupta Rajiv K. , Mir Mehak T. , Chowdhary Nahida , Sultan Asheeb 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT

Background:
In the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) era, healthcare delivery toward patient-centered orientation has gone a paradigm shift. High levels of adherence to treatment and recommended prevention are usually the outcome of perceived patient satisfaction.

Aims:
The present study aimed to assess patient satisfaction levels in the COVID-19 era and explore its determinants.

Settings and Design:
A cross-sectional study from outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Jammu, UT of J&K, India.

Materials and Methods:
The present cross-sectional study was carried out in outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in the Jammu district. A total of 220 patients were interviewed using consecutive sampling. The tool used to assess patient satisfaction was the patient satisfaction questionnaire-18 (PSQ-18).

Statistical Analysis:
Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. Tests of significance used were ANOVA and t-test.

Results:
The overall mean satisfaction score was found to be 2.91 ± 0.17 and it was highest in the communication domain (3.12 ± 1.50), whereas it was lowest in the accessibility and convenience domain (2.73 ± 1.17). Except for religion, which was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05) with overall mean satisfaction score, other sociodemographic variables (occupation, marital status, and monthly family income) were found to be statistically insignificant (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:
Out of the seven subscales of patient satisfaction, results revealed high scores for communication and financial aspects. Only religion as a demographic variable was found to be significantly associated with patient satisfaction scores. There is a need to improvise the healthcare services in this COVID-19 era in such a manner so that we can contribute to better patient trust leading to a positive influence on health outcomes.
Preparedness of Primary Care Centers for COVID-19 epidemic in Aseer region, KSA
Authors: Al-Khaldi Yahia M. , AlAsmari Bandar Abdullah , Al-Mosa Khalid Mohammed , Falqi Tariq A. , Aldawood Kasim Mohammed , AlAseeri Khaled Abdulatef Zayed , Asiri Mohammed Yahya 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT

Objective:
The objective of this study is to assesses the preparedness of primary care centers (PHCs) in Aseer region, KSA, for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods:
This survey was conducted during April 2020 in PHCs. The questionnaire was developed by the investigators and sent via e-mail to health care providers of primary health care centers (PHCCs). The questionnaire consisted of five parts to assesses readiness of PHCs, knowledge, attitude, and practice of health care providers (HCPs) concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Data entry and analysis were managed by SPSS version 20.

Results:
Three hundred and seventy-one HCPs participated in this study. Most of them were males (58%), doctors or nurses (81%). Almost all PHCCs have adequate infection control resources, with some shortage in sterilization rooms. Most of participants received on-job training (85%) and had good knowledge about COVID-19. Attitudes of participants showed variation toward COVID-19; 74% were afraid to be infected, 54% were afraid to care for infected patients, 58% were ready for vaccination, and 80% thought that COVID-19 has a huge negative impact on the health care system. Compliance with preventive measures ranged from 66% for keeping social distance to 90% for using personal protective equipment. Most of the participants had positive contributions regarding health education of individuals and communities using different methods including the new social media (80%).

Conclusion:
This study revealed that PHCCs in Aseer region were well equipped and HCPs were well prepared to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. There are some shortage in a few items of infection control at PHCCs and gaps in knowledge and practice among HCPs which need continuous assessment and monitoring to overcome such barriers.
Assessment of knowledge of obstetric danger signs and its associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic of rural health training centre of a medical college: A cross-sectional study from Rajasthan
Authors: Kumar Abhishek , Raj Dilip , Gupta Ajay , Kumar Amit 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT

Background and Objectives:
Women and newborns are most vulnerable during and immediately after childbirth. The majority of maternal and newborn deaths occurring in developing countries can be attributed to inabilities to access health services, illiteracy, social stigmas, and gender inequalities. Women should be made aware of the danger signs so that health care services can be assessed on time, thus reducing maternal mortality. The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge about obstetric danger signs and to find out various factors associated with them among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) clinic at the Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC) attached to a Medical College.

Methodology:
This cross-sectional study was conducted at the ANC clinic of the RHTC attached to a medical college of Rajasthan for a period of 4 months and included 353 pregnant women. A pre-designed and pre-tested schedule was used. Mean knowledge scores were computed and knowledge was classified into adequate and inadequate. Descriptive statistics were used and the Pearson Chi-square test was used as a test of significance, taking a P value of < 0.05 as statistically significant.

Results:
Educational status of pregnant women, antenatal check-up status and gravid status had significant associations with the knowledge of obstetric danger signs.

Conclusions:
About half of the respondents had adequate knowledge about the obstetrics danger signs. Therefore, there is a strong need of creating awareness in the community by improving access to health care.