Use of the Bone Ninja Mobile Application as a Pre-operative Assessment and Simulation Tool in Patients Undergoing High Tibial Osteotomy.

Objective Our purpose was to facilitate the simulation of preoperative correction to enable shared doctor-patient decision-making in individuals undergoing high tibial osteotomy (HTO). Methods A total of 22 patients underwent high tibial osteotomy using internal or external fixation devices for medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee. Preoperatively, assessment of deformity parameters and simulation of the corrective osteotomy was done in the presence of the patient, using Bone Ninja. Postoperatively, the patient's satisfaction level with the quality of explanation provided by the use of this software was assessed using the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-short (PSQ-18). A comparison of the correction obtained using paper cuttings and the simulation software was performed. Results All patients were satisfied with their role in the decision-making process. They showed a good understanding and comprehension of the proposed surgery. There was no statistically significant difference between simulated preoperative Medial Proximal Tibial Angle (MPTA) obtained by paper cuttings and software-assisted correction. The PSQ-18 mean score for communication was 4.24 (0.88), for technical quality it was 4.11 (0.59) and for general satisfaction it was 3.11 (0.68). Conclusion Bone Ninja is an effective, convenient, user-friendly and cost-effective deformity planning tool that supersedes the arduous traditional method of paper tracings and scissors.

A study to monitor errors in use of inhalation devices in patients of mild-to-moderate bronchial asthma in a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India.

CONTEXT: Bronchial asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder which affects over 300 million people worldwide. Inhalation pharmacotherapy is the cornerstone in treatment of asthma, which is administered using inhaler devices. Studies show high prevalence of incorrect technique while inhaler usage, which renders to compromised disease control and increased healthcare cost. AIMS: This study was aimed to monitor errors in use of inhalers and explore their relationship with patient characteristics and training given by healthcare providers, in patients suffering from mild to moderate bronchial asthma. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted after approval of Institutional ethics committee in a tertiary care hospital. METHODS AND MATERIAL: A total of 207 patients were recruited after they met the inclusion criteria and their informed consent was taken. Data regarding the patients' socio-demographic information, education status and history of illness were logged on a case record form. Their inhalation techniques were assessed according to the checklist, errors were noted and patients were educated regarding correct technique using 'teach-back training' method. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Chi-square test, SPSS software. RESULTS: Among the inhalers used, pMDI was most commonly prescribed (58%), followed by DPI (37.7%) and pMDI with spacer (4.3%). Irrespective of the type of inhaler used, overall 75.36% patients included in the study, showed errors in use of inhaler. Prevalence of errors in DPI, pMDI and pMDI with spacers was 78.2 %,77.8% and 22.2% respectively. Our study showed that education status of patient, training by healthcare provider and duration of inhaler use have statistically significant association (p< 0.05) with the prevalence of errors in inhaler usage. CONCLUSION: It is emphasized that dedicated and trained staff should be available for instructing patients and reinforcing by follow up checks should be considered.

Concomitant Fracture Radial Head and Shaft With Dislocation of the Distal Radioulnar Joint: A Rare Variant of the Essex-Lopresti Lesion.

The Essex-Lopresti lesion is a challenging injury both for diagnosis and management. These often tend to be missed, resulting in incapacitating pain and joint stiffness despite treatment. In rare circumstances, they may occur in association with other injuries of the forearm or elbow. We describe an atypical Essex-Lopresti variant comprising a radial head and shaft fracture with an associated distal radioulnar joint dislocation in a 36-year-old man.

Post-traumatic cubitus varus: long-term follow-up of corrective osteotomy using the Ilizarov method of compression distraction osteogenesis.

The term cubitus varus describes the inward inclination of the supinated forearm on the extended elbow. The deformity manifests clinically as a decreased carrying angle, decreased range of motion (ROM) along with a cosmetically unsightly appearance. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the technique of compression-distraction osteogenesis using the Ilizarov apparatus in the management of patients with post-traumatic cubitus varus deformity. The objectives were to study the impact of this method on the ROM, the Humerus Elbow Wrist (HEW) angle as well as the Lateral Prominence Index. A total of 32 patients who presented with a cubitus varus deformity of ≥10° at the elbow were retrospectively analyzed using data retrieved from a computerized hospital database. All patients had undergone a mini-incision subperiosteal osteotomy followed by application of an Ilizarov frame. Cinico-radiological follow-up was carried out at regular intervals until union was achieved and yearly thereafter. The mean time to union was 11 weeks. The mean follow-up period ranged from 2 to 12 years (mean 4.0 years). Results were graded as excellent in 25 cases (78.1%), good in 2 (6.3%) and poor in 5 case (15.6%) using the grading system of Oppenheim. The mean HEW angle at final follow-up improved from 20° of varus to 6° of valgus. The mean flexion/extension improved from 121°/-3° preoperatively to 125°/-4° at final follow-up. The Mayo Elbow Performance scores at final follow-up were excellent in 23 cases, good in 7 and fair in 2. Complications encountered included superficial pintract infections in three cases, lateral condylar prominence in one case, loss of terminal flexion in three cases and valgus over-correction in one case.

Precision Medicine: A New Paradigm in Therapeutics.

A key goal of clinical care is to treat patients as individuals and to approach therapeutics in such a way that it has optimal efficacy and minimal toxicity. With swift technological advances, such as genomic sequencing and molecular targeted drug exploitation, the concept of precision medicine has been robustly promoted in recent years. Precision medicine endeavors to demarcate diseases using multiple data sources from genomics to digital health metrics in order to facilitate an individualized yet "evidence-based" decision regarding diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. In this way, therapeutics can be centered toward patients based on their molecular presentation rather than grouping them into broad categories with a "one size fits all" approach. This review article is aimed to provide a broad overview of the advent and emergence of precision medicine in view of its current implications.

A retrospective, 5-year, clinicoepidemiological study of severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs).

BACKGROUND: A severe cutaneous adverse reaction (SCAR) is a rare, clinically heterogeneous, life-threatening phenomenon that results in serious skin damage, systemic complications, and significant morbidity or mortality comprising of Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), or SJS-TEN overlap, acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), exfoliative dermatitis, and drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on all cases of SCARs admitted in a tertiary care referral hospital from January 2015 to December 2019. Clinical and epidemiological details were retrieved from the records of patients as per predesigned proforma. The data collected were analyzed and statistically evaluated. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS: A total of 142 patients (67 males, 75 females) with SCARs, constituting 0.08% of total hospital admission and 0.027% of total dermatology outpatient department (OPD), were studied. Age group ranged from 2 to 61 years, with the mean age of 33.6 years (SD = 17.43). Most patients belonged to SJS-TEN complex (75 cases; SJS 48, SJS-TEN 18, TEN nine) followed by exfoliative dermatitis (27 cases/19%), AGEP (26 cases/18.3%), and DRESS (14 cases/9.8%). Anticonvulsants were most commonly implicated (22%) followed by antibiotics (20%), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (17%), and ayurvedic (7%). There was only single mortality in a DRESS patient. CONCLUSION: SCAR has considerable disease burden with marginal female preponderance in SJS/TEN and exfoliative dermatitis and can involve even the pediatric population. Anticonvulsants followed by antibiotics, NSAIDs, and ayurvedic medicines are common groups known to cause SCARs. To date, there are no definitive recommendations regarding their optimal treatment regimen, hence early diagnosis, prompt withdrawal of culprit drug, high standard of nursing care, and interdisciplinary consultations are vital steps to avoid disease progression and restore health.

A study of perceptions and exposure of drug promotional literature among clinicians in a teaching hospital.

BACKGROUND: Drug promotional literature (DPL) forms a major marketing technique of pharmaceutical companies for propagating information regarding a drug. Many a times, it is the only source on which treating physicians depend for updating their knowledge about the existing and novel drugs. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to understand the clinicians' perceptions about DPL and its critical appraisal so that relevant interventions can be made. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a cross-sectional questionnaire based study. A self-administered validated questionnaire was administered to 125 clinicians working in a medical college, which sought responses on their perception of various aspects including interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference and decision making based on the DPL which they encounter in their day-to-day practices. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: A total of 100 clinicians reciprocated with complete questionnaire. 99% of the clinicians were exposed to pharmaceutical promotional activities and around 79% clinicians accepted that drug promotion has a considerable bearing on their prescribing practices. Majority (79%) of the clinicians felt that the accuracy of the claims in the various forms of DPL was between 50-75%. Amongst the various forms of DPL, brochures were adjudged as the most useful followed by interactions with medical representatives, advertisements in medical journals and direct mailers. a majority of the clinicians (69%) felt that, though the claims in the DPL are balanced but are supported by poor evidence. Around 75% clinicians perceived the primary intention of drug promotional literature was to boost company sales. Around 84% clinicians felt that doctors' integrity can be compromised by accepting gifts from medical representatives. Over 75% of clinicians believed that training in interacting with medical representatives and assessing other forms of drug promotional literature should be imparted to undergraduates in medical colleges. CONCLUSION: Physicians need to be aware that the pharmaceutical industry may use drug advertisements to influence prescription patterns even when this results in distortion of scientific facts. The pharmaceutical industry should be more responsible and more meticulous in making sure that pharmaceutical claims referring to scientific studies are quoted accurately.

Use of the Bone Ninja Mobile Application as a Pre-operative Assessment and Simulation Tool in Patients Undergoing High Tibial Osteotomy / Uso do aplicativo móvel Bone Ninja como ferramenta de avaliação e simulação pré-operatória em pacientes submetidos a osteotomia tibial alta

Abstract Objective Our purpose was to facilitate the simulation of preoperative correction to enable shared doctor-patient decision-making in individuals undergoing high tibial osteotomy (HTO). Methods A total of 22 patients underwent high tibial osteotomy using internal or external fixation devices for medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee. Preoperatively, assessment of deformity parameters and simulation of the corrective osteotomy was done in the presence of the patient, using Bone Ninja. Postoperatively, the patient's satisfaction level with the quality of explanation provided by the use of this software was assessed using the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-short (PSQ-18). A comparison of the correction obtained using paper cuttings and the simulation software was performed. Results All patients were satisfied with their role in the decision-making process. They showed a good understanding and comprehension of the proposed surgery. There was no statistically significant difference between simulated preoperative Medial Proximal Tibial Angle (MPTA) obtained by paper cuttings and software-assisted correction. The PSQ-18 mean score for communication was 4.24 (0.88), for technical quality it was 4.11 (0.59) and for general satisfaction it was 3.11 (0.68). Conclusion Bone Ninja is an effective, convenient, user-friendly and cost-effective deformity planning tool that supersedes the arduous traditional method of paper tracings and scissors.

Resumo Objetivo Nosso objetivo foi facilitar a simulação da correção no pré-operatório para permitir a tomada de decisão médico-paciente compartilhada em indivíduos submetidos a osteotomia tibial alta (OTA). Método22 pacientes foram submetidos a osteotomia tibial alta usando dispositivos de fixação internos ou externos para osteoartrite do compartimento medial do joelho. No pré-operatório, a avaliação dos parâmetros de deformidade e a simulação da osteotomia corretiva foram realizadas na presença do paciente, utilizando Bone Ninja. No pós-operatório, o nível de satisfação do paciente com a qualidade da explicação fornecida pelo uso deste software foi avaliado usando o Questionário de Satisfação do Paciente (Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-short, PSQ-18, na sigla em inglês). Foi realizada uma comparação da correção obtida com recortes de papel e com o software de simulação. Resultados Todos os pacientes ficaram satisfeitos com seu papel no processo de tomada de decisão. Eles mostraram uma boa compreensão e entendimento da cirurgia proposta. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativamente entre o ângulo tibial proximal medial (ATPM) pré-operatório simulado obtido por recortes de papel e correção assistida por software. O escore médio do PSQ-18 para comunicação foi de 4,24 (0,88), para a qualidade técnica foi de 4,11 (0,59) e para a satisfação geral foi de 3,11 (0,68). Conclusão Bone Ninja é uma ferramenta de planejamento de deformidade eficaz, conveniente, fácil de usar e econômica que substitui o método tradicional árduo de traçar no papel e com tesoura.

Are therapeutic vaccines an answer to the global problem of drug and alcohol abuse?

Drug Abuse has become a major challenging problem for the society. It effects people of all countries economical strata's and all ages. According. Monetary loss all over the world regarding drug abuse is in million dollars, it not only has an impact on human productivity and healthcare cost but also on cost of crimes conducted by these drugs and alcohol abuse. Therapeutic vaccine has come as new approach to deal with this problem, after failures in search for a pharmaceutical agent to deal with drug of abuse and alcohol. Research in field of nicotine abuse has gone a way ahead with number of vaccines being tried clinically followed by cocaine, opioids, methamphetamine, phencyclidine and alcohol. All of them have a common mechanism of action by antibody production whereas alcohol acts by genetic intervention. None have being approved yet due to poor results in phase II trials, possibly due to not able to trigger an adequate immunological response. But still quest is on for cracking the ice by developing first successful vaccine against drug of abuse, that would follow for other drugs too. It would be great step in field of therapeutic vaccines for drug abuse after similar successful vaccines being approved for other diseases like cancer.