Natl Med J India
-
Salmonella infection causes a wide range of intestinal and extraintestinal manifestations as well as a lifetime carrier state. Untreated patients may develop complications, which can be life-threatening. ⋯ Ventricular bigeminy in enteric fever is a rare phenomenon. We report its occurrence in a patient.
-
Observational Study
Slow parasite clearance, absent K13-propeller gene polymorphisms and adequate artesunate levels among patients with malaria: A pilot study from southern India.
Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is widely used in India and many generic preparations are available. Delayed response has been reported, suggesting inadequate response to artesunate (AS) or genotypic resistance. We designed a prospective observational study to assess the therapeutic response, elaborate pharmacokinetics of AS and identify Plasmodium falciparum kelch 13 (pfk13) propeller gene polymorphisms among hospitalized Indian patients with severe malaria. ⋯ Slow parasite CL was seen with a high parasite burden without genotypic evidence of AS resistance. There is a need to standardize definitions of therapeutic efficacy of AS in cases of severe malaria.
-
Knowledge of cognition and its regulation are important meta-cognitive activities, which are crucial for enhancement of learning. Their explicit teaching is meaningful and necessary yet seldom undertaken systematically in medical education programmes. ⋯ Incorporation of meta-cognitive learning practices in medical education offers a basis for enhancing classroom teaching, thereby making it learner-centric. The study helped students in identifying the way they process information and in identifying their preferred methods of assimilating knowledge. Identification of cognitive diversity is a primary pedagogic act for improving competence in learning. Meta-cognitive skills can be harnessed to bring about consonance of the left, right and middle brain cognitive styles to achieve better learning outcomes.
-
Medication errors have an adverse impact on the healthcare system by increasing patient morbidity and mortality. They are preventable, and educational or technology-based interventions are needed to reduce their prevalence and improve medication safety. We aimed to study the impact of a sensitization programme and a blame-free reporting tool for doctors and nurses on the prevalence and reporting of medication errors in the intensive care units (ICUs) of a tertiary care teaching hospital. ⋯ The sensitization programme on medication errors for doctors and nurses may be effective in improving medication safety. The impact was more pronounced in prescription errors. Reporting of medication errors did not improve in this study despite the introduction of a blame-free reporting tool.