B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad

About: B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad is a healthcare organization based out in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Medicine. The organization has 1082 authors who have published 722 publications receiving 5975 citations.

Antidiabetic and adaptogenic properties of Momordica charantia extract: An experimental and clinical evaluation

Abstract: The hypoglycaemic properties of Mormodica charantia (bitter gourd) water extract was tested on alloxan diabetic rats experimentally. A fall of blood sugar after 3 week's treatment with aqueous extract of fruits of the herb was found to be significant (p < 0.01). The aqueous extract of fruit was more effective in diabetes (fall of blood sugar 54% after 3 week's therapy) than the powder of the dried fruit (fall 25% nonsignificant). Hypoglycaemic effects in diabetic patients were found to be highly significant (p < 0.01) at the end of the trial but were cumulative and gradual, unlike that produced by insulin. Adaptogenic properties are indicated by the delay in the appearance of cataracts, the secondary complications of diabetes and relief in neurological and other common symptoms even before the hypoglycaemia occurred

An evaluation of knowledge, attitude, and practice of adverse drug reaction reporting among prescribers at a tertiary care hospital

Abstract: Objectives: Spontaneous reporting is an important tool in pharmacovigilance. However, its success depends on cooperative and motivated prescribers. Under-reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) by prescribers is a common problem. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) regarding ADR reporting among prescribers at the Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, to get an insight into the causes of under-reporting of ADRs. Materials and Methods: A pretested KAP questionnaire comprising of 15 questions (knowledge 6, attitude 5, and practice 4) was administered to 436 prescribers. The questionnaires were assessed for their completeness (maximum score 20) and the type of responses regarding ADR reporting. Microsoft Excel worksheet (Microsoft Office 2007) and Chi-Square test were used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 260 (61%) prescribers completed the questionnaire (mean score of completion 18.04). The response rate of resident doctors (70.7%) was better than consultants (34.5%) (P < 0.001). ADR reporting was considered important by 97.3% of the respondents; primarily for improving patient safety (28.8%) and identifying new ADRs (24.6%). A majority of the respondents opined that they would like to report serious ADRs (56%). However, only 15% of the prescribers had reported ADRs previously. The reasons cited for this were lack of information on where (70%) and how (68%) to report and the lack of access to reporting forms (49.2%). Preferred methods for reporting were e-mail (56%) and personal communication (42%). Conclusion: The prescribers are aware of the ADRs and the importance of their reporting. However, under reporting and lack of knowledge about the reporting system are clearly evident. Creating awareness about ADR reporting and devising means to make it easy and convenient may aid in improving spontaneous reporting.

Rise of the phoenix: Mucormycosis in COVID-19 times.

Abstract: Purpose: Rhino-orbital mucormycosis in times of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Aims: The aim of the study was to document cases of rhino-orbital mucormycosis seen at our Regional Institute of Ophthalmology during COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) times. Methods: The study is a retrospective, institutional cohort, interventional study. It was carried out at our Regional Institute of Ophthalmology from September 2020 to mid-March 2021. All patients of biopsy-proven mucormycosis were enrolled in the study. The patients were subjected to complete history taking, ophthalmological examination, and imaging studies. The patients were treated via a multidisciplinary approach with intravenous liposomal amphotericin B and debridement of local necrotic tissue. Exenteration was done when indicated. A minimum 75-day follow-up period was accorded to all study patients. Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square test. A P value ≤0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Thirty-one patients were seen, with a mean age of 56.3 years. The major risk factors included uncontrolled diabetes (96.7%) and COVID-19 positivity (61.2%), with concomitant steroid use in 61.2% patients. The most common presentation was diminution of vision (<6/60 in 80.64% patients) and ophthalmoplegia (77.4%). The most common imaging findings were orbital cellulitis (61.29%) and pansinusitis (77.4%). Intravenous liposomal amphotericin B was given to all patients for an average 18.93 days. Exenteration was required in (n = 4) 12.9% of cases. Twenty-eight patients recovered and were alive on follow-up. Mortality was seen in three patients. The presence of cerebral involvement and a HbA1c value of ≥8 were found to be significant in the prediction of survival of patients with mucormycosis. Conclusion: We present the largest institutional cohort of rhino-orbital mucormycosis patients during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic era from our unique perspective.

Management of bio-medical waste: awareness and practices in a district of Gujarat.

Abstract: With the objective of assessing the level of awareness about the various aspects of biomedical waste and disposal practices by the medical practitioners this study was conducted. It was a cross sectional study. 30 hospitals with more than 30 beds minimum were randomly selected from Sabarkantha district, Gujarat. The doctors and auxiliary staff of those 30 hospitals were the study population. While all the doctors knew about the existence of the law related to biomedical waste but details were not known. Doctors were aware of risk of HIV and Hepatitis B and C, whereas auxiliary staff (ward boys, ayabens, sweepers) had very poor knowledge about it. There was no effective waste segregation, collection, transportation and disposal system at any hospital in the district. There is an immediate and urgent need to train and educate all doctors and the staff to adopt an effective waste management practices.