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Background: Choice between LABAs and LTRAs as add on drugs to low dose ICS in persistent asthma remains unclear due to limited data on the comparative efficacy of these two groups of drugs. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of formoterol and montelukast on lung function, when added to low dose Budesonide in persistent asthma.Methods: This was an institution based randomized open label study. 72 asthmatics satisfying selection criteria of the study were randomized to receive either inhaled budesonide and formoterol (FB group) or inhaled budesonide and oral montelukast (MB group) for 12 weeks. PEF value at end point was primary efficacy measure. Secondary efficacy measures were PEF values measured at the end of 1, 4 and 8 weeks and the end point value of FEV1.Results: Both the groups showed significant improvement in the lung function tests. However inter-group comparison showed that PEF value at end point of FB group was significantly greater than that of MB group (81.94%vs 63.82%, p<0.05). Notable observation was that the superiority of the FB group with respect to PEF values was maintained from the first week itself. FB group also had significantly better results than MB group for FEV1 (67.88% vs 64.88%, p<0.05).Conclusions: In the present study, formoterol was found to be superior to montelukast in improving lung function when added to low dose budesonide in persistent asthma.

Introduction: Diabetes affects 88 million people in south-east Asia with a regional prevalence of8.8%, and of them, 77 million live in India. Diabetic Foot Disease is an important complication thataccounts for significant morbidity and mortality in a diabetic individual. Aim: This study wasconducted to study the presentation stage of diabetic foot disease during the pandemic period asseen at a tertiary care hospital in North Kerala. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort studycarried out on patients diagnosed with diabetic foot and admitted to the Department of Surgery of atertiary care hospital in North Kerala during the study period of 6months from July 2020 toDecember 2020. A sample size of 63 was calculated. Data were collected from the case records ofthe patients, and the stages of presentation, relevant blood investigations, culture reports,radiological imaging and arterial doppler ultrasound findings were noted. Results: In this study, atotal of 63 patients were included. Of the 63 patients, 51(80.9%) were males, and 12 (19.0%) werefemales with a male to female ratio of 4.25:1. The mean age of the patients was 57.74 years. In thisstudy, as per the Wagner-Meggitt Classification of diabetic foot, the most common stage ofpresentation of diabetic foot encountered was Grade III (42.9%) followed by Grade IV (28.6%),Grade II (19.0%) and Grade V (9.5%).Conclusion: This is in part may be due to financialconstraints of the patient's families due to lack of job, transportation difficulties, shortage ofmedicines, shutting down of small scale health care facilities and pharmacies, prolonged neglect ofwounds, discontinuing of regular medications and poor home wound care which in turn are due tothe frequent regional lockdowns as a result of the covid pandemic.