Background: Musculoskeletal disorders consequent to demanding working conditions are not uncommon nowadays. A number of risk factors contribute to these problems thereby affecting occupational productivity. Most commonly affected are the transport sector workers, who are subjected to harsh conditions of the environment, traffic noise, pollution, difficult shifts, lack of sleep, prolonged abnormal posture, and so on. This study was undertaken to assess the social and work factors of transport sector workers, mainly drivers and conductors, in Dakshina Kannada district and to make an association between these and the morbidity status of the individuals. Objectives:The study was undertaken to assess the type and degree of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in transport sector workers. The effect of duration in the occupation on co-morbidities present among these drivers and conductors was also analyzed. The study was also aimed at evaluating ocular symptoms in these workers. Materials and Methods:The present study was a cross-sectional, community-based descriptive study. A total of 522 transport sector workers were included as part of the study. A prestructured, pretested, and validated questionnaire for sociodemographic details and occupational-related morbidity were used for data collection.Results: All study subjects were male and in the age range of 21-55 years. The stressors responsible for morbidities were identified. A positive correlation was found between long working hours and ill-health. Drivers were found to have additional issues in terms of ocular symptoms. Individuals working for more than 5 years in the transport sector were found to have the most number of medical complaints.Conclusion: Long working hours, postural strain, and exposure to noise, environmental pollution, sunlight, and dust are all factors contributing to transport sector morbidities. Drivers were found to face the maximum brunt of all these factors compared to conductors. Mental strain and stress were found to be present in all of these individuals.

Marriage is an institution, the foundation of family life which in turn is the basic unit of a society. In India, arranged marriages stay put as the most favored option for most sections of society owing to cultural and religious beliefs. 1,2 Even then, in the recent changing times, a few cases of liberal mindedness are also seen. Marriage being the union of two people and more so, two families, requires a lot of adjustment from both sides.

Background: Occupational stress is becoming a universal concern. It is no longer taken as a private problem that should be managed alone. Since it affects all categories of workers, it is currently considered an issue that needs to be tackled by the employer, industry and nation as a whole in order to not face a compromise in manpower and occupational productivity. Methods: The present study was a cross sectional, community based descriptive study. A total of 248 KSRTC employees of Dakshina Kannada district were included as part of the study. A Pre structured and pre tested and validated questionnaire for socio-demographic details, the Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS) questionnaire and the AIS (The American Institute of Stress) Workplace Stress Survey questionnaire were used for data collection. Results: Majority of the employees were male and in the age range of 23-59 years. Using the Indian Diabetes Risk score, screening was done for diabetes and 19 cases were identified among the population. 55 cases of Hypertension were also identified and were referred to higher centers and started on treatment for the same. Almost all the study have stress of varying levels subjects had irregular eating habits, lack of exercise and lack of sleep. All the workers were found to have stress, with a majority of them using alcohol and tobacco as a means of coping with stress. Conclusions: Very few studies have been conducted to assess stress levels in organized sectors in India and Karnataka. Hence the present study was undertaken to assess the stress levels and associated health disorders amongst the KSRTC workers of Dakshina Kannada district and to suggest suitable measures to improve occupational health, if necessary.

Context: Gastric ultrasound is an emerging point-of-care diagnostic tool to examine stomach contents and determine pulmonary aspiration risk at the bedside. This is helpful in guiding airway and/or anesthetic management in the acute care setting, when nil per oral (NPO) status is doubtful or unknown or patient has conditions or comorbidities that affect gastric emptying. Aims: The objectives of the study were to evaluate and quantify the gastric contents and grade the fullness of the stomach in fasting patients. Settings and Design: This was an observational, analytical study conducted on patients who presented for elective surgeries who were fasted for 8 hours for solids and 6 hours for clear liquids. Materials and Methods: Adult patients aged between 18 and 70 years of American Society of Anesthesiology physical status 1–3 were included in the study. Gastric ultrasonography was performed and gastric volume was calculated. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel 2007 and analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Results: Our study included a total of eighty subjects. The mean age in the diabetic group was 49.3 ± 16.4 years and in the nondiabetic group 49.4 ± 16.8 years. Despite fasting status, 75% of the subjects were found to have Grade 1 (up to 100 ml) gastric contents on ultrasonography. The data were found to be statistically significant with P < 0.05. There was no significant correlation of age and ultrasonography findings. However, body mass index of the patient was found to have a strong correlation with gastric content and its volume (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: In the current practice, NPO status, especially for emergency cases, is elicited via history which is unreliable, and in individuals at higher risk for delayed gastric emptying, this may pose a greater threat for aspiration. Using gastric ultrasonography as a screening tool prior to planning the anesthetic induction and technique can help avoid unnecessary perioperative complications.