Background: Tuberculosis remains a worldwide public health problem despite the fact that highly effective drugs are available making TB a curable disease. DOTS chemotherapy remains central to the public health approach to tuberculosis control under RNTCP. The present study is conducted to know the clinical profile and treatment outcome of TB patients registered under RNTCP in Mukkam CHC, Calicut. The study was conducted with the following objectives: 1) to study the treatment outcome of TB patients receiving DOTS, 2) to find the occurrence of pulmonary, extra-pulmonary and MDR TB and 3) to find out factors responsible for poor treatment outcome.Methods: This record based study was conducted in Mukkam CHC. Details of patients who were enrolled under RNTCP in the year 2013 were collected from RNTCP records. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 16. Results are expressed in percentage. Statistical analysis used was Chi square test.Results: Out of 289 patients studied, 66.78% were males and 33.22% were females. 69.5% of the patients were having pulmonary TB and 30.5% extrapulmonary TB. There were two cases of MDR TB. 58% of the patients with pulmonary TB were sputum positive and 42% were sputum negative. 87.8% were given Cat I treatment and 11.7% were given Cat II treatment. Only one patient was on Non DOTS regimen. 96.6% of the patients had completed DOTS. When treatment outcome was analyzed, the patients with treatment completed was 54%, cured 35%, defaults 4%, treatment failure 2% and transfer out 2% and 3% of patients died during the course of the treatment. 7.61% of patients had diabetes mellitus and only one case was reported HIV positive. Treatment outcome was significantly associated with type of patient and pulmonary TB sputum positivity.Conclusions:The treatment success rate was 100% in 0-5 years and least in > 65years of age group. Further studies are required to find out the reasons for comparatively high proportion of sputum smear negative cases.

Background: College students are vulnerable for developing dependence on the Internet, more than most other segments of the society. Studies on pathological internet use in India especially Kerala are scanty. So this study was conducted to find out internet addiction among college students. Objectives: 1) To find out the prevalence of internet addiction among the college students 2) To study the pattern of internet usage among these students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in students of four different colleges under KMCT Group of Institutions in Kozhikode, Kerala 2016-17. The data was collected by self-administering questionnaire consisting of socio demographic information, internet usage and Young's Internet Addiction Test (YIAT). Data collected was entered in Microsoft excel and analyzed using SPSS. Prevalence of internet addiction was determined based on total score of YIAT. Result: The mean age of the study participants was 20.25±1.3SD. About 48.3% were males and 51.7% females. The mean age of computer use and internet use was 10.01 ± 3.55 years and 6.61 ± 3.13 years respectively. Prevalence of internet addiction was 77.6% in mild users and 18.4% in moderate users. 49.24% accessed internet during night time. 94.86% had internet connection in their smart phones and it was the most common device used for accessing internet. 93.1% said that internet helps in improving their academics. 43.5% visited various sites for more than ten times a month for academic purposes. 14.5% visited various sites on internet when they get time in between lecture classes and 7.1% visited different sites during an ongoing lecture. Conclusion: The results highlight the vulnerability of professional college students to internet addiction.

Background: Alcoholism is a major public health problem in Kerala. It leads to serious social, mental and physical consequences. Method: A deaddiction centre based cross sectional study was done on 370 individuals using a predesigned questionnaire during the period of 2012-2013. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 17. Chi-Square test was used to find association between the study variables. Results: The study was done on 370 alcohol dependent subjects. The mean age of the study subjects was 38.08±8.46 years. 64.3% of the study subjects were from rural areas. The mean age of starting alcohol consumption was 25.46±6.6 years. Family history of alcohol consumption was present in 99 (26.8%) patients. The age at initiation of alcohol intake was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with family history. The mean duration of drinking was 12.62±7.47 years. 42.4% of the study subjects consumed brandy. 37.6% of them consumed < 200ml of alcohol per day. Peer pressure was the most common reason cited by 44.1% individuals for starting alcohol consumption. The most common reason cited by 30.5% individuals for continuing alcohol consumption was because they liked its effect. Family problems and financial problems were the most common reasons cited wanting to stop alcohol consumption. Conclusion: Alcohol use is a serious public health problem. Awareness programs regarding its harmful use should be given to the people in the community.

BACKGROUND:Resistance by disease causing organisms to antimicrobial drugs is a worldwide issue. Infections caused by resistant microorganisms fail to respond to conventional treatment, resulting in prolonged illness and hospitalization, and greater risk of death. Novel resistance mechanisms have emerged, making the most recent generation of antibiotics almost ineffective. OBJECTIVE: To study the antimicrobial sensitivity pattern in Kannur medical college hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is a retrospective hospital-record based study, conducted in Kannur medical college hospital from 1.08.2013 to 30.09.2013. During the period of study all the blood, urine, pus, and sputum culture reports were studied, from the register of central microbiology laboratory. Among the positive culture reports, antibiotic sensitivity of the common bacteria isolated were also noted to determine the antibiotic sensitivity pattern. RESULTS:The most common bacteria isolated in urine sample was enterobactericae sensitive to nitrofurantoin, amikacin and gentamycin; that in pus sample was Staph. aureus sensitive to linezolid and vancomycin; that in sputum sample was klebsiella sensitive to cefaperazone and sulbactum and that in blood sample was Staph. aureus sensitive to linezolid, vancomycin and gentamycin. CONCLUSION: The study gives one time information about the antibiotic sensitivity pattern, the intermittent review of the sensitivity pattern is very essential.

Background: Pharmaceutical industries worldwide are heavily involved in aggressive drug promotions. WHO has framed guidelines for ethical drug promotion in 1988. The transparency of pharmaceutical advertisements is important because decision of the physician is likely to be influenced by the claims made by the pharmaceutical companies in the promotional drug brochures and pharmaceutical industries treat their marketing material as “educational material” for doctors. Authors did this study to analyze the information given on drug promotional brochures by the drug companies using ethical criteria of drug promotion by WHO 1988 and to verify the authenticity of the claims given by the pharmaceutical companies in drug promotional brochures.Methods: Cross sectional study extending from 1/8/2012 to 31/7/2013. 612 drug promotional brochures satisfied our inclusion criteria. Drug brochures were analyzed with WHO ethical criteria 1988 and further categorizing the data into type of claims, number and source of references. Validity of journal articles were checked by using a validity measure developed by Cardarelli.Results: Total 612 brochures satisfied inclusion criteria. INN was mentioned in 93.8% of collected brochures. Brand name was mentioned in 100% brochures. Content of active ingredients was mentioned in 92% of brochures. Name of the other ingredients known to cause problem 28.4% of brochures. Dosage form or regimen was mentioned in 23.2% of brochures. Approved therapeutic use mentioned in 65.7% brochures. Side effects and major adverse drug reactions were mentioned in 31.4% brochures. Precautions and contraindications and warnings were mentioned in 30.4% drug promotional brochures. Drug interactions were mentioned in 26.5% brochures. Name and address was mentioned by 69.1% brochures. There were 1144 claims and 739 references. Efficacy claims were 84.88% of the total claims. Main source of reference was from journal articles (74.1%) and among them 49.65% were randomized control trials. Only 47.94 % of the journal references were valid.Conclusions: Brochures were lacking in vital information which included contraindication, warning, precaution, name of the other ingredients known to cause problem hence companies were found violating WHO ethical criteria. Claims were not well supported with references. Less than half of the given journal references were only valid. This study highlights the need of healthcare professionals to remain cautious about promotional material presented by pharmaceutical representatives.