Background: Antimicrobial drugs are life-saving drugs but they come with their own share of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Institutional drug policy helps in the rational use of the antimicrobial for the given clinical condition. This helps in controlling the development of resistance as well as minimizing adverse events. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to share the pattern of adverse reactions seen to the commonly prescribed antimicrobials. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective, observational study. The data of patients, admitted to a tertiary care center in North Kerala who reported adverse effects related to antimicrobial treatment, were obtained from the case files from the medical record library. ADRs with antimicrobials reported during the period from November 2018 to November 2019 were obtained and the data were expressed as percentages in Microsoft excel. Causality assessment was done using the world health organization casualty scale. Results: 92 case reports were analyzed. Among the different antimicrobials used, Ciprofloxacin was the most commonly prescribed antimicrobial (18.5%) followed by ceftriaxone (12%). 13 different patterns of ADRs were obtained following the use of these drugs, among which allergic reactions to drugs were the most common (71.7%) with a causality assessment showing it to be the probable cause. Conclusion: The monitoring of ADRs to antimicrobials is the need of the hour. This study helped in determining the different patterns of ADRs with antimicrobials. Active surveillance and complete reporting help in identifying these and reporting and managing them to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Introduction: The disorders of the thyroid gland are on the rise. It involves the dysregulation of hormone synthesis and release and carcinoma of the thyroid gland among others. Radioactive iodine (RAI – I-131) is now used for the treatment of hyperthyroidism and thyroid carcinoma. This helps in the destruction of the follicular cells, and the radiation helps in annulling the cancer cells. RAI has many adverse effects including short term and long term; the short-term effects include gastrointestinal disorder, salivary dysfunction, and thyroiditis, while the long-term adverse effects include secondary carcinomas. The facilities for giving RAI therapy (RAIT) are fewer in the state of Kerala and even less in the government sector; further, the adverse effects of RAIT are less studied in our population. Thus, this study aims at finding the pattern of short-term adverse effects of low doses of RAI. Objectives: To evaluate the pattern of short-term adverse effects following low doses of RAIT in patients with hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer. Materials and Methods: This study was designed as a prospective, observational study conducted in patients attending the department of nuclear medicine for low-dose radioiodine therapy in a tertiary care center. Patients were followed up for any occurrences of adverse effects at 1, 3, and 6 months. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 18, and Chi-square test was done to find the association between dose and adverse drug reactions. Results: The study comprised 53 participants, of which 38 (72%) were female. The adverse reactions were reported by 39 participants (74%). Loss of taste and smell in 19 participants (39%), xerostomia in 17 patients (32%), and hair loss in 14 patients (26%) were reported. After 1 month of RAIT, these subsided. The association between gender, age, dose, and adverse effects due to RAIT was tested but was found to have no association (P = 0.979, 0.504, and 0.494, respectively). The complaint of hair loss was higher in female participants, showing a statistically significant association with a P = 0.04. The complete blood counts done pre- and post-RAIT showed a statistically significant decrease in platelet count (P = 0.00) and lymphocytes (P = 0.003), with no clinically significant symptoms or signs. Conclusion: RAI produces short-term adverse effects such as loss of taste and smell, xerostomia, and hair loss which are self-limiting. However, there is a need to identify and manage it for better treatment and patient compliance.

The disorders of the thyroid gland are on the rise. Radioactive iodine (RAI- I-131) is now used for the treatment of hyperthyroidism and thyroid carcinoma. This helps in the destruction of the follicular cells and radiation help in annulling the cancer cells. RAI has many adverse effects; the short-term effects include – gastrointestinal, salivary dysfunction, and thyroiditis, and long-term adverse effects - secondary carcinomas. The facilities for giving radioactive iodine therapy (RAIT) are less in the state of Kerala; also the adverse effects of RAIT are less studied in our population.To evaluate the pattern of short-term adverse effects following high doses of radioactive iodine therapy in patients with thyroid carcinomaThis study was designed as a prospective observational study conducted on patients attending the Department of Nuclear Medicine for high-dose radioiodine therapy in a tertiary care center. Patients were followed up for any occurrences of adverse effects for six months. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 18 and an independent t-test was done to find the association between dose and adverse drug reactions (ADR).The study comprised 75 participants, of which, 59(79%) were females. The adverse reactions were reported by 59 participants (79%). Loss of taste and smell in 48 participants (64%), xerostomia in 30 patients (40%) were reported. After one month of RAIT, these subsided. The association of dose vs ADR was found to be significant (p=0.008). The complete blood counts (CBC) were done pre-and post- RAIT showed a statistically significant decrease in all parameters (p=0.00 each).Radioactive iodine produces short-term adverse effects which are self-limiting. However, there is a need to identify and manage it for better treatment and patient compliance.