Influence of climate on semen quality: A retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: World over studies are being done by different group of workers to understand the time of deliveries conducted. Surprisingly majority of deliveries were following a pattern, seasonally. Today in this busy world, couples choose comparatively a free time for delivery and preparation for conception is done accordingly. Apart from these, it is clearly shown majority of deliveries are conducted during a particular season. We hypothesised that the change in semen quality during different seasons is responsible for this phenomenon. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Present study conducted on semen quality included 12,408 semen samples collected from different laboratories of Bangalore city during 8 years (2000-2007) period of time and were analysed season wise. RESULTS: Results showed sperm concentration was significantly lower in monsoon than in winter season. Humidity and pressure influenced sperm count. Forward moving sperms were influenced by temperature and pressure. SUMMARY: The study concludes the change in birth rates seen during different season in a year is due to the quality of semen responsible for conception.

Adverse drug reaction and concepts of drug safety in Ayurveda: An overview.

Drug safety is a very basic and fundamental concept in medical practice. ADRs play an important role in assessing patient safety in any system of medicine. Pharmacovigilance study is thus significant to understand treatment outcomes. Current raised issue with respect to complementary and alternative system medicine (CAM) like Ayurveda is increased in number of safety reports along with report misinterpretation; this generates the negative impact on system. Although, Ayurveda which is holistic system of medicine from India has elaborated the causes and methods of drug-induced consequences along with preventive measures the available data in classical texts is scattered. The compilation and analysis along with modern concept drug safety is need of the hour. Present literature review was conducted from various compendium of Ayurveda and electronic data base with search terms of 'Vyapad', 'Viruddha', 'Ahita', 'herb-herb interaction', 'idiosyncrasy', 'Prakritiviruddha' etc. The reported information was analysed for the possible correlation on concept of ADR and Pharmacovigilance of current science. Overall review demonstrated that drug interaction, iatrogenic, over dose, administration of unsuitable drugs, reprehensive drug administration with respect to disease, complication from five procedural therapies (Panchakarma) and reprehensible preparation of mineral drug are nearer to the modern causes of ADR. Thus, concept of drug safety and ADR is not new to the Ayurveda. The concept "Drug which is not appropriate to be used as medicine"(Abheshaja) of Ayurveda sounds similar as that of modern pharmacovigilance.