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Background: Medical colleges had to adopt online teaching methods after the imposition of worldwide lockdown due to COVID related pandemic. It is important to understand satisfaction levels among medical students regarding online teaching, to improve online teaching methods in future. Aim and Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the satisfaction levels among medical students with regard to online teaching and assessment program and factors associated with low satisfaction levels. Materials and Methods: An observational cross-sectional survey was conducted on 600 MBBS students. Various online teaching methods were implemented April 2020 onward. This survey was sent to the students in July 2020. Satisfaction levels toward various online teaching and assessments were evaluated using a five point Likert scale. Results: A total of 446 MBBS students responded to our survey. We found 1st year of MBBS curriculum (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.55, P < 0.05), teachers’ inability to explain theory concepts (AOR = 2.47, P < 0.01), teachers not keeping the class interactive (AOR = 1.81, P < 0.01), student unable to hear the teacher adequately (AOR = 1.77, P < 0.01), student being inattentive in class (AOR = 2.06, P < 0.01), and non-availability of high speed internet connectivity (AOR = 1.85, P < 0.001) to be significantly associated with students not being overall satisfied with online teaching. Conclusion: Online platforms proved to be relevant for teaching theory but usefulness for clinical or practical education was not found to be adequate.
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Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global public health problem. The real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the gold standard test for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. However, the assay requires hours to get the final results. Therefore, antigen-based rapid assays are being used extensively to reduce the time. We have evaluated the performance of the antigen-based rapid test for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus in comparison with RT-PCR. Materials and methods: Nasopharyngeal and throat swabs were collected from 366 suspected patients of COVID-19 visiting our institute and subjected to qualitative RT-PCR and antigen-based rapid assays to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus. The sensitivity and specificity of the antigen-based assay were calculated in comparison with RT-PCR. Results: Compared with RT-PCR, sensitivity and specificity of the antigen-based rapid assay were observed to be 70.5% and 98.6%, respectively, in comparison with RT-PCR. However, the sensitivity of antigen-based rapid assay varied significantly with decreasing viral load. The sensitivity of the rapid antigen assay was equivalent to RT-PCR (23/23, 100%) at a higher viral load (Ct value 15�). In contrast, the antigen assay could only detect 3/21 (14.28%) samples with Ct value >30. Conclusion: The antigen-based assay could assist in the rapid screening of a large population. However, the rapid antigen assay might not detect early stages of infection represented by low viral load. Therefore, the antigen-based assay could not replace RT-PCR testing. The study reiterates that all antigen-based negative tests should be confirmed by RT-PCR.
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Background: The Medical Council of India has visualized the effective outcome based strategy of CompetencyBased Medical Education where the assessment is the essential component of competencies. Formative assessmentis a systematic approach designed for students during a particular period of study to provide motivation forlearning. It helps the student to set the desired but attainable goals and to follow the steps required to achievethose specified goals.Aim: To introduce the feedback to the students during substages and after the theory tests and to assess studentsand teacher’s perspective towards feedback.Material and Method: The project was done in the Department of Anatomy, Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences,Jalandhar involving 1st year batch students and faculty members of Anatomy.Results: A good percentage of students were satisfied with the formative assessment and wanted the process tobe continued in the subsequent years too. All the faculty members had positive response for formative assessment.Conclusion: Formative assessment is the strategy to encourage the students for self directed learning and selfassessment.
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Purpose: To study the trends in collection, storage and utilization of donor corneas in eye banks in India. Methods: The data was collected from 12 eye banks in India that collected more than 1000 corneas per year. The retrospective analysis of the parameters like characteristics of the donor and the host, storage media used, number of eyes collected, number of eyes utilized, causes of non-utilization of the tissue and the procedures performed was done. Results: A total of 20,564 eyes were collected by the 12 eye banks during the year 2013–2014. Voluntary eye donation (VED), and hospital cornea retrieval program (HCRP) contributed to 59.6% and 40.4% of tissue procurement respectively. Whole globe enucleation (52.3%) was more commonly performed as compared to in-situ excision of the donor corneas. The most commonly used storage media at all eye banks was McCarey-Kaufman (MK) media (83.3%). The utilization rate of the donor eyes was 50.5%. The most frequent indication for corneal transplantation was infection (active infection - 33.13%, healed infection - 10.78%) followed by Pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (PBK) (13.57%). Full thickness keratoplasty (optical penetrating keratoplasty - 47.23%, therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty - 31.74%) was performed most often followed by endothelial keratoplasty (12.41%) in the developing country. Conclusion: VED still contributes to majority of the donor tissue retrieval in India. The majority of the eye banks still utilize whole globe enucleation technique and store tissues in MK media. Trends from previous years showed a change towards HCRP, in-situ excision technique and preservation in the long-term storage media.
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Background: Many people are affected by color blindness but most of them remain undetected as they simply adapt to the environment to certain extent and some remain unaware of the disease. Objective: To find out the prevalence rate of color blindness in students of ages 6 years to 15 years, in various schools of Jalandhar. Methods: A prospective study was done on 3259 students to identify the prevalence of color blindness. Students were examined with Ishihara Pseudoisochromatic Color Plates 38 edition. If the student was color blind, then it was further classified into its types. The data collected was complied and analyzed to evaluate the prevalence of color blindness, gender wise prevalence and prevalence of types of color blindness. Results: Students of 12 schools were screened in the age group of 6 to 15 years. 3259 students were included in the study; 1683(40.44%) were males and 1584 (59.55%) females. Color blindness was seen in 61 students (1.89%) including 55 (1.69%) males and 6(0.184%) females. Among the color blind 56(91.8 %) were protanopes, 5(8.2 %) were deuteranopes and none were tritanope. Among the protanopes, 52(92.8%) were males and 4 (7.2%) were females and in deuteranopes, percentage of males affected was 4(66.7 %) and females was 2(33.3%). Conclusion: Color blindness affects males more than females in this study similar to previous studies done. Protonopia is more common than deutronopia. Early school screening for color vision defect is recommended.
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Background: Diabetes is an important public health problem and leading cause of cardiovascular problems its early detection and good glycemic control can reduce the complications associated with the disease. Objective: This was a prospective study planned to evaluate the relationship of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and lipid profile in type II diabetic Punjabi male population. Material and methods: A total of 200 diabetes type II patient ranging from age group of 30 to 70 years were included in the study after taking a preinformed written consent. The glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) & lipid profile were performed on fully automated analyzers. The statistical analysis was done by using SPSS statistics and correlation among HbA1c and lipid profile of type II Diabetic patients was established. Results: The mean HbA1c was in the range of 7.54 ± 1.24%. There were 61% subjects with high total cholesterol (TC) levels and 96% were with raised LDL levels. The 68% of the subjects were having lower HDL level. HbA1c demonstrated significant positive relationship with total cholesterol, TC (r=0.995), triglyceride, TG (r=0.997), high density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL-C (r=-0.940) and with low density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C (r=0.993). Conclusion: The study concluded that HbA1c apart from acting as important diagnostic marker for glycemic control can also be used as a positive predictor of dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetics
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BACKGROUND: Assessing nutritional status and delivering optimal nutritional care is a part of modern day treatment of children with cancer. The nutritional practices in India for these children have not been previously described. AIMS: To describe the existing nutrition assessment and management practices for children with cancer in India. METHODS: Attendees of the First International Society of Pediatric Oncology‑Pediatric Oncology in Developing Countries workshop on nutrition in children with cancer organized in September 2014 at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India were invited to complete a self‑administered questionnaire related to three domains: nutritional assessment, intervention, and education. RESULTS: Hundred and eight respondents from 42 health institutions and background in the health sector participated in the survey. There was variability in nutritional assessment, practice and education. Lack of resources and time are contributory. CONCLUSIONS: This assessment of nutritional services in India provided useful information to plan development of national guidelines, policy, and delivery of services.
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Objective: To assess the safety and immunogenicity of a quadrivalent meningococcal (groups A,C,Y,W) polysaccharide diphtheria toxoid conjugate vaccine (MenACYW-DT) in India. Design: Open-label, descriptive, non-randomized study. Setting: Three medical college hospitals, one each in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, India. Participants: 300 healthy, vaccine-naïve participants (100 children aged 2-11 years, 100 adolescents aged 12-17 years, and 100 adults aged 18-55 years). Intervention: One dose (0.5 mL) of MenACYW-DT administered intramuscularly. Main outcome measures: Serum bactericidal antibody titers against A, C, Y, and W were measured before and after MenACWY-DT vaccination. Safety data were also collected Results: Thirty days post-vaccination, geometric mean titers rose across all serogroups. Most participants had protective titers ≥8 (1/dil) across the four serogroups. The percentage (95% CI) achieving ≥8 (1/dil) in the Adolescent Group was typical – A: 96.9% (91.2%; 99.4%); C: 96.9% (91.2%; 99.4%); Y:100% (96.3%; 100%); W:100% (96.3%; 100%). In general, solicited reactions were mild and short-lived. Unsolicited events were uncommon and unrelated to vaccination. Conclusions: MenACYW-DT was well tolerated and elicited a robust and protective immune response 30 days post-vaccination against meningococcal serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135 in the Indian study participants aged 2-55 years.
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Eitel first described omental torsion in 1899. Omental torsion is rarely diagnosed preoperatively, knowledge of this pathology is important to the surgeon as it mimics common acute surgical abdomen. For this reason in the absence of diagnosed preexisting abdominal pathology including cyst, tumors, foci of intra-abdominal inflammation, postsurgical wounds or scarring and hernia sacs, omental torsion can present a surprise. Exploratory laparotomy represents the diagnostic and definitive therapeutic procedure, presently laparoscopy is the first choice procedure.
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Context: With rotavirus vaccines now available globally, it will be useful to assemble the available evidence on the epidemiology and burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis in India, in order to weigh the urgency of introducing a vaccine to help control rotavirus disease. Evidence Acquisition: We reviewed published studies on rotavirus infection and genotype distribution in India, as well as safety and immunogenicity studies of currently available vaccines. PubMed was searched for papers published after 1990, and several authors who are experts in the field recommended papers of known significance. Results: Rotavirus accounts for close to 40% of hospitalizations for diarrhea in India, with more recent studies showing an increased proportion compared with older studies. There is substantial serotype diversity in India, although there is less intra-country variation than previously thought. Two genotypes, G1P[8] and G2P[4], account for roughly 50% of symptomatic infections in non-neonates. Currently licensed vaccines are safe, and although the efficacy appears lower in developing countries, given the extremely high incidence of diarrhea these could still be cost-effective interventions. Conclusions: The epidemiology and burden of rotavirus diarrhea is fairly well characterized in India. Introducing rotavirus vaccine into the UIP, along with adequate surveillance, should be an important part of efforts to reduce diarrhea mortality, the third leading cause of death among Indian children, and achieve the country’s MDG goals.