Accessibility audit of a health care institute in India: Are people with disabilities being provided their rights?

Background: Poor accessibility of health care facilities is a major barrier for differently abled people when seeking health care. Yet, accessibility is rarely audited. This study reports findings from the first assessment of the accessibility in a health care institution of national importance. This study also assumes importance from various laws and legislation that assure equality and rights for people with disabilities (PWDs). Keeping the objectives in mind, this study was performed with an aim to study the situational analysis of the health institution of national importance for assessing the compliance of hospital premises for being disabled friendly, to find any lacunae, and to suggest remedial measures based on the study finding. The aim was to conduct a content and quality review of research into the hospital experiences of PWD and to identify gaps. Methods: This was a hospital-based cross sectional study done in a period of 30 days. The gap analysis was performed with validated checklist provided by Central Public Works Department, Government of India (CPWD). Results: Out of total 126 pointers, 45 pointers were found to be totally compliant, 30 pointers were found to be partially compliant, and remaining 51 pointers were found to be not applicable to the hospitals. Conclusion: This assessment of the accessibility of health care facilities showed that that it is feasible to undertake these audits on a large scale, and these audits should be repeated in other settings. It highlights important gaps in accessibility, increasing the risk of the violation of the right to health of PWDs.

Efficacy of Aloe Vera, Amlexanox (5%), and Triamcinolone Acetonide (0.1%) in the Management of Oral Lichen Planus.

Objective: This research assessed the efficiencies of aloe vera, 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide, and 5% amlexanox in the management of OLP. Materials and Methods: A total of 120 participants diagnosed with oral lichen planus (OLP) were equally divided into three groups and treated with: aloe vera, (Group A), 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide (Group B), and 5% amlexanox (Group C) topical medicaments. The patients were evaluated for pain, using the visual analogue scale (VAS). They were also evaluated for ulcerative lesion type and erosive area on days 1, 7, and 15 of the study. Results: There was a statistically considerable decrease in the VAS pain scale score, reduction in the erosive area on buccal mucosa, and healing of ulcer from day 1st to 15th day with all three tested drugs. Conclusion: All drugs used in this study; aloe vera, triamcinolone acetonide, and amlexanox were effective in treating OLP patients.

Assessment of Various Post Systems' Fracture Resistance after Endodontic Treatment.

Objectives: The study's objective is to evaluate the fracture resistance of a tooth that has had endodontic treatment and has been rebuilt using various post and core systems. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six extracted premolar teeth of similar sizes were picked, and at random, they were separated into three groups: group A received stainless-steel posts, group B received zirconia fiber posts, and group C received glass fiber posts. Dual-cured resin cement was used to cement each post. The acrylic resin blocks have samples imbedded in them. Additionally, fracture loads were measured while a compressive force was given to the tooth at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/minute. The one-way analysis of variance F-test and post hoc Tukey's test were then used to analyze the results. Results: When the mean values and standard deviation were compared, it was found that glass fiber posts had the highest fracture resistance, followed by posts made of zirconia fiber, while stainless-steel posts had the lowest fracture resistance. Conclusion: When compared to zirconia posts and stainless-steel posts, glass fiber posts had the highest level of fracture resistance.

A 12-Month Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Impact of Telemedicine on Patient Experience and Care Continuity.

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine is the use of electronic information to communicate technologies to provide and support healthcare when distance separates the participants. Satisfaction and engagement of patients are key resource indicators for any healthcare setup and healthcare provider for evolving the care continuum (a system that provides a comprehensive range of health services so that care can evolve with the patient over time) and ensuring continuous quality improvement in the systems. As the latest remarkable strategy to connect with patients for consultations and follow-up, telemedicine has been of pivotal importance, especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), where medicinal services utilize digital sound, video, and information interchanges to remotely access and provide care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was planned during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic from April 2021 to April 2022 to assess the impact of telemedicine in essential healthcare delivery by super specialty tertiary care healthcare setup, which is also a medical college, by three consultants and a physiotherapist. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in satisfaction scores and an improvement in the approach of patients towards telemedicine was observed. Various other parameters, like readmission compliance with medications and a reduction in ED times, were also observed. Finally, clinical endpoints were captured, and the correlation between readmission and medicine adherence was found to be strongly correlated (r = 0.9). A p-value of the reduction in utilization times of ED (emergency department), readmission, and medicine adherence was found to be highly significant Conclusions: Telemedicine is the need of the hour and is now an essential part of healthcare. Its acceptance post-COVID-19 pandemic and adaptability into existing healthcare setups would deliver fruitful results.

Addressing Drug Resistance in Cancer: A Team Medicine Approach.

Drug resistance remains one of the major impediments to treating cancer. Although many patients respond well initially, resistance to therapy typically ensues. Several confounding factors appear to contribute to this challenge. Here, we first discuss some of the challenges associated with drug resistance. We then discuss how a 'Team Medicine' approach, involving an interdisciplinary team of basic scientists working together with clinicians, has uncovered new therapeutic strategies. These strategies, referred to as intermittent or 'adaptive' therapy, which are based on eco-evolutionary principles, have met with remarkable success in potentially precluding or delaying the emergence of drug resistance in several cancers. Incorporating such treatment strategies into clinical protocols could potentially enhance the precision of delivering personalized medicine to patients. Furthermore, reaching out to patients in the network of hospitals affiliated with leading academic centers could help them benefit from such innovative treatment options. Finally, lowering the dose of the drug and its frequency (because of intermittent rather than continuous therapy) can also have a significant impact on lowering the toxicity and undesirable side effects of the drugs while lowering the financial burden carried by the patient and insurance providers.

Application of lean management after audit of Medical Records Department in a COVID19 dedicated center during the COVID pandemic.

Background: The Medical Record (MR) contains the information which is needed to plan, provide, and evaluate the care given to the individual. It also serves as a pivotal tool for communicating information to all the health personnel who manage the patient, and it contributes to the continuity of patient care. There is an unmet need of identifying and correcting the issues faced with MR and Medical Records Departments (MRDs) so that higher efficiency can be achieved. This study was conducted to study the deficiencies and discrepancies found in MRD files during COVID management and to correlate the deficiencies with the facilities available and the workflow. Later Lean Management (LM) was applied to ensure compliance and efficiency in the system. Methods: An observational study was done on the audit of COVID 19 patient files and facilities in the care centres. Process mapping was done. The data for LM were collected by brainstorming, observation, interview, and workflow review of several processes, values, number of wastes, and suggestions were documented the MRD staff. Results: Area available was 400 m2 which is adequate against the norm of 350 m2. The existing staff of 30 was adequate as per norms. Deficiencies were observed in physical examination, history, radiology, and laboratory reports. The findings showed that the MRD units had 13 current processes, 26 wastes, and 10 values were identified. In addition, they were offered a total of 25 comments on eliminating the waste. Conclusion: Staff and equipment were adequate. Recommendations include regular staff training and usage of electronic medical records, focus on deficiency check by specific MRD staff on regular basis monitored by the administration and supported by the medical audit committee. The study also recommends that suggestions applied after LM should be implemented in letter and spirit and a repeat study of LM is advisable after regular intervals to maintain the quality standards and to maintain or further improve the efficiency.

National guidelines for sanitation services: Addressing the unmet need of standardizing cleaning practices in tertiary care public health facilities of a developing country.

BACKGROUND: Cleanliness is one of the main reasons for poor satisfaction among the patients and their attendants visiting healthcare facilities. OBJECTIVE: To elevate and transform the sanitation in public sector facilities, a committee was constituted by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India to study the existing system of Housekeeping in Central Government Hospitals and draft the Guidelines for house-keeping services, since no such literature is available in context of the healthcare facilities in India. METHODS: The committee ascertained the housekeeping services in three tertiary care hospitals of Central Government and simultaneously conducted the literature review of the best practices in hospital sanitation and housekeeping. RESULTS: Formulated national guidelines focus on various aspects of sanitation services in health facilities, i.e., hospital infrastructure; organization of sanitation services; human resource requirements; qualification, experience and training needs of sanitation staff; roles and responsibilities of different personnel; risk categorization of hospital areas; mechanized cleaning; cleaning agents; cleaning standards and standard operating procedures; effective supervision and monitoring; procurement of these services, etc. CONCLUSION: Formulated guidelines can be adopted by developing countries aiming for standardizing cleaning practices in public health facilities.

Factors determining intention to vaccinate against Covid-19: A developing nation perspective.

India is more challenged than developed nations in reducing the Covid-19 cases and lowering death rates due to the huge population and unprepared health care system. As intention to vaccinate is contextual and its availability does not translate into their de facto adoption., this paper examines the factors that determine intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 in India. A research model was tested using 222 responses was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings suggested that credibility and awareness positively impacted whereas vaccine hesitancy and perceived risk negatively influenced intention to vaccinate. The fear of side effects did not impact the intention to vaccinate.

Sixteen year-old with leiomyosarcoma in a prior benign myomectomy site.

Uterine leiomyosarcoma in a prior myomectomy site is a rare phenomenon. We report an unusual case of a leiomyosarcoma arising six months post myomectomy in a 16-year old female.

Low reporting of violence against health-care workers in India in spite of high prevalence.

BACKGROUND: Violence against health-care workers has become a great issue in health-care organizations. This study was conceptualized with the aim to know the prevalence of violence and to identify gap between rate of reporting of an incident of violence at a tertiary care hospital in India. METHODS: The study was descriptive and cross-sectional; a validated questionnaire was used as a tool. Reported incidents of violence against workers were collected. P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant in the analysis. A Z test for proportion at 95% confidence interval was applied to analyze the level of difference between prevalence, rate of reporting, and their level of awareness. RESULTS: Of 394 respondents, 136(34.5%) workers had experienced workplace violence in the last 12 months. It was found that total 32 incidents of workplace violence were reported to the concerned authority. The reporting rate of violence is significantly low (23.5%), in spite of high prevalence (34.5%). Level of awareness regarding the reporting mechanism and regulations for the safeguard of health-care workers against workplace violence is only 24.6 %. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that the prevalence of violence among health-care workers is quite high, but the reporting rate is significantly low. The low rate of reporting is because of lack of awareness about the reporting mechanism of workplace violence. It is recommended that sensitizing workshops should be conducted to increase the level of awareness, which will result in reduction in the prevalence of violence and building a safe and secured workplace for health-care providers.

Small cell ovarian carcinoma: Long term survival in juvenile case with poor prognostic features.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian small cell carcinoma is a rare, aggressive neoplasm that occurs in young women and has a poor long-term prognosis. Treatment involves surgical resection and chemotherapy. The required radicality of surgery is uncertain, balancing cytoreduction with fertility preservation. Various chemotherapy regimens are utilized due to confusion regarding the neoplasm's lineage. Case We describe an adolescent with small cell carcinoma, hypercalcemic type, stage IA. Surgery included left salpingo-oopherectomy, left pelvic/paraaortic lymphadenectomy, omentectomy and peritoneal biopsies. She received four cycles of bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin, similar to high-risk germ cell cancers. She has received no further therapy and is eleven years from diagnosis without evidence of disease. CONCLUSION: This is the first long-term juvenile survivor managed with both fertility-sparing surgery and BEP (bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin).

Anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis: A neuropsychiatric syndrome associated with ovarian teratoma.

•Anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis is a paraneoplastic syndrome caused by teratomas.•The syndrome includes psychiatric symptoms followed by autonomic dysregulation.•Rapid diagnosis and removal of the tumor is essential for optimizing outcomes.•Following recovery, counsel on contraceptive options, particularly LARC methods.•If no tumor is identified initially, monitor for development of ovarian teratoma.

Polarization-based refractive index sensor using dual asymmetric long-period gratings in ridge waveguides.

We propose a sensor scheme operating in the wavelength band of 1460-1530 nm (S band) that utilizes two orthogonally polarized eigenmodes in a ridge-waveguide geometry by employing a pair of nonidentical asymmetric long-period gratings. Numerical simulations show a high sensitivity ~4900 nm/RIU (refractive index unit) over the refractive index range 1.33-1.34 exhibiting a relative resonance shift of 1 pm for an index change of ~10(-7). Such high resolution sensors enable detection of minute changes with potential applications to various biochemical industries.

Serum antibody response following genital {alpha}9 human papillomavirus infection in young men.

Background. Although the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) genital infection is similarly high in males and females, seroprevalence is lower in males. This study assessed rates and determinants of seroconversion after detection of genital HPV infection in young men. Methods. We investigated HPV type-specific seroconversion in a cohort of heterosexual male university students who had an α9 HPV type (HPV-16, -31, -33, -35, -52, -58, or -67) detected in the genital tract (n = 156). HPV DNA and antibodies were detected and typed using liquid bead-based multiplex assays. We calculated seroconversion using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Cox proportional hazards models with generalized estimating equations were used to examine associations with seroconversion. Results. Within 24 months of detecting genital HPV infection, type-specific seroconversion ranged from 4% for HPV-52 to 36% for HPV-31. HPV-16 seroconversion at 24 months was 13% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7%-25%). Among incident HPV infections, ever cigarette smoking and infection site(s) (shaft/scrotum and glans/urine vs shaft/scrotum or glans/urine only) were positively associated with type-specific seroconversion. Conclusions. For each of the α9 HPV types, type-specific seroconversion within 24 months was observed in 36% or less of infected men. Seroconversion might be related to cigarette smoking and genital site(s) infected.

Non-destructive prediction of quality of intact apple using near infrared spectroscopy.

Potential of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in the wavelength range of 900-1700 nm for determination of sweetness (total soluble solids, TSS); sourness (acidity) and their ratio for 5 cultivars of apple was studied. Partial least square and multiple linear regression (MLR) employing pre-processing techniques were carried out. MLR models were found to be the best for prediction after treating the spectral data with multiple scatter correction technique. The multiple correlation coefficients for calibration and validation were found to be 0.887, 0.745 °Brix for TSS, 0.890, 0.752 % for acidity and 0.893, 0.751 for acidity/TSS ratio, respectively. The standard errors of calibration, prediction, biases and differences in them were low, which indicated that NIRS has potential to predict internal quality of apple non-destructively.

Common polymorphisms in TP53 and MDM2 and the relationship to TP53 mutations and clinical outcomes in women with ovarian and peritoneal carcinomas.

The importance of somatic TP53 mutations and germline TP53 codon 72 genotype in the survival of women with epithelial ovarian cancer is controversial. Recent data suggest that a promoter polymorphism in the MDM2 gene may influence age of cancer onset in a gender-specific fashion. We sought to determine the relationship between somatic TP53 mutations, germline genotypes at TP53 codon 72 and MDM2 SNP309, and overall survival and response to chemotherapy in a large series of patients with ovarian and peritoneal carcinomas. Of the 188 cancers, 103 (54.8%) had a TP53 mutation, of which 71% were missense mutations and 29% were null mutations. TP53 mutation status and mutation type (null vs. missense) did not influence response to therapy or overall survival. Women with the codon 72 Pro/Pro had a decreased overall survival (median, 29 months) compared with women with one or two arginine alleles (median, 49 months; P=0.04). Somatic mutation or deletion was equally common for either codon 72 allele. Age of diagnosis was not influenced by codon 72 but showed a trend for younger age in women with somatic TP53 mutations and the MDM2 G/G genotype.

Common polymorphism in interleukin 6 influences survival of women with ovarian and peritoneal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: The IL6 -174 promoter polymorphism impacts serum cytokine levels through transcriptional regulation. The objective of our study was to determine if -174 IL6 genotype influences survival in ovarian cancer. METHODS: The IL6 -174 polymorphism was assessed by direct DNA sequencing in lymphocyte DNA from 160 women with invasive ovarian, or peritoneal cancers. IL6 levels were measured in ascites and plasma in a subset of cases using colorimetric sandwich ELISA procedure. Overall survival was calculated according to the method of Kaplan and Meier. Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the significance of individual variables in multivariate analysis. Chi-square or Fishers Exact was used to assess the significance of contingency tables. RESULTS: The IL6 -174 genotype frequencies of CC (19%), CG (50%), and GG (31%) were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and were similar to published frequencies in Caucasian controls. There were no associations with IL6 -174 genotype and age, stage or optimal cytoreduction. Stage had a significant impact on survival (p=0.003). The IL6 -174 GG genotype was significantly associated with longer overall survival (median 131 months) compared to CC or CG (median 28 months, p=0.0007). In cox regression analysis using the covariates genotype (p=0.006) and stage (p=0.02), both were independently significant. Furthermore, there was no association found between IL6 levels in ascites or plasma, and genotype, stage, or overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: The IL6 -174 GG genotype has a strong, independent, and favorable impact on survival for women with ovarian, and peritoneal carcinoma.

Risk of epithelial ovarian cancer recurrence in patients with rising serum CA-125 levels within the normal range.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) recurrence in patients with rising serum cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) levels that remain below the upper limit of normal (< 35 U/mL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients treated for EOC between September 1997 and March 2003 were identified and screened retrospectively for the following: (1) elevated serum CA-125 at time of diagnosis, (2) complete clinical and radiographic response (CR) to initial treatment with normalization of serum CA-125, (3) at least three serial serum CA-125 determinations that remained within the normal range, and (4) clinical and/or radiographic determination of disease status at the time of last follow-up or recurrence. For statistical analyses, univariate regression models were used to compare absolute and relative changes in CA-125 levels among patients with recurrent disease and those without EOC recurrence. RESULTS: A total of 39 patients satisfied study inclusion criteria; 22 patients manifested EOC recurrence at a median interval from complete response of 11 months. The median follow-up time from complete response to last contact was 32 months for the 17 patients in the no recurrence group. A relative increase in CA-125 of 100% (odds ratio [OR] = 23.7; 95% CI, 2.9 to 192.5; P = .003) was significantly predictive of recurrence. From baseline CA-125 nadir levels, an absolute increase in CA-125 of 5 U/mL (OR = 8.4; 95% CI, 2.2 to 32.6; P = .002) and 10 U/mL (OR = 71.2; 95% CI, 4.8 to > 999.9; P = .002) were also significantly associated with the likelihood of concurrent disease recurrence. CONCLUSION: Among patients with EOC in complete clinical remission, a progressive low-level increase in serum CA-125 levels is strongly predictive of disease recurrence.

Abdominal carcinomatosis in women with a history of breast cancer.

OBJECTIVES: The goals of this study were to: (1) characterize the etiology of abdominal carcinomatosis, (2) identify clinical features predictive of primary ovarian/peritoneal cancer, and (3) evaluate the survival impact of cytoreductive surgery among patients with advanced ovarian/peritoneal cancer and a history of breast cancer. METHODS: Patients with a history of prior breast cancer undergoing surgical exploration for abdominal carcinomatosis between 1/1/88 and 12/31/02 were retrospectively identified from tumor registry databases. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore clinical characteristics predictive of primary ovarian/peritoneal cancer versus recurrent breast cancer. Survival analyses and comparisons were performed using the Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients underwent surgery for abdominal carcinomatosis a median of 5.39 years after initial breast cancer diagnosis. Abdominal carcinomatosis was due to primary ovarian/primary peritoneal cancer in 74.7% of cases. A history of Stage I breast cancer [OR = 10.73, 95%CI = 2.6-43.7, P < 0.001] and the lack of a prior breast cancer recurrence [OR = 10.60, 95%CI = 2.5-45.2, P < 0.001] were independently predictive of primary ovarian/peritoneal cancer. Among patients with primary ovarian/peritoneal cancer, optimal (< or =1 cm) cytoreductive surgery was associated with a median survival of 44.0 months compared to 18.0 months for patients with suboptimal residual disease [HR = 6.81, 95%CI = 3.37-13.77, P < 0.0001]. Recurrent breast cancer was associated with a median survival time of 6.4 months. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with prior breast cancer presenting with abdominal carcinomatosis, early-stage disease and the absence of a prior recurrence were predictive of primary ovarian/peritoneal cancer. Optimal cytoreductive surgery was associated with a significant survival advantage for patients with primary ovarian/peritoneal cancer.