Background: Normal ageing changes, acute illness and worsening chronic illness can lead to a decline in the ability to perform day to day tasks necessary to live independently. This research aims to study about the disability in activities of daily living among rural elderly in an union territory of south India.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted for three months among 245 randomly selected rural elderly aged ≥60 years. Everyday abilities scale for India was used to assess disability in activities of daily living. Results were expressed in frequencies and percentages. Appropriate univariate and multivariate analyses were done.Results: The prevalence of disability in activities of daily living was found to be 13.9%. Univariate analysis found out that illiteracy, economic dependency, marital status, living arrangement and presence of sleep problems were significantly associated with disability in activities of daily living. Multivariate analysis observed that predictors of disability were economic dependency (aOR, 95% CI=9.15, 2.94–28.47) and living arrangement (aOR, 95% CI =8.00, 2.46–26.01).Conclusions: Disability in activities of daily living is a neglected serious issue and needs a community-based primary health care approach.

Background: Depression among elderly has been a neglected health issue. Various factors hinder its early diagnosis. The objectives of this study are to screen for depression among elderly using geriatric depression scale-15 and to determine its influencing factors.Methods: A community based cross sectional study on geriatric depression was done in villages catered by a primary health centre in Puducherry. Permanent residents of the study setting, aged ≥60 years consenting for the study were included. Line listing of elderly individuals in the study setting was done and subjects were selected by simple random sampling. A pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and clinic-psychological variables. Hindi mental state examination scale was used to screen for cognitive impairment (score <23). Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) was used to screen for depression (score >5) among geriatric individuals. Appropriate statistical tests of significance were done.Results: Among the 360 elderly individuals screened using GDS-15 tool, 41.4% of them were found to be at a higher risk of developing depression. Significant factors for risk of depression in univariate analysis include being female, illiterate, unemployed, widow/single, having sleep problems, dependency in activities of daily living and cognitive impairment. Predictors for risk of depression evident by multivariate analysis include presence of unemployment, sleep problems and cognitive impairment.Conclusions: A higher proportion of elderly was observed to be at risk of depression.  Primary care physicians may consider screening for depression in elderly with identified risk factors and act accordingly.

Rabies is an acute, highly fatal viral zoonotic disease, caused by infection with the Lyssavirus type I. 1 It has been recognized for many millennia in India, long before Aristotle recognized the disease in the Greco-Roman era. 2 The ancient Vedic text ""Sushruta Samhita"" contains graphic descriptions of rabies in animals and in humans: "If the patient becomes exceedingly frightened at the sight or mention of the very name of water, he should be understood to have been afflicted with Jala-trsisa (hydrophobia) and be deemed to have been doomed". 3 According to WHO-APCRI National Multicentric Rabies Survey, there are an estimated 17.4 million animal bite cases annually in India. 4 The annual number of human rabies deaths globally is estimated in 2010 to be from 26,400 to 61,000 of which 16,450 occurred in India. 5 Hence, compliance to post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) needs emphasis as human rabies may occur due to poor wound care, incorrect administration of anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) and/or rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), incomplete regimens, delayed treatment or poor wound care. 6 The present study was conducted in rural areas catered by Anaji PHC, Davangere to study the compliance to anti rabies vaccination and the wound management practices among animal bite victims, ABSTRACT Background: In India 20,000 deaths and 17.4 million animal bite cases occur annually. Rabies is not a notifiable disease in India and most deaths occur in rural areas where surveillance is poor. Objectives of the study were (i) to study the compliance of animal bite victims to anti rabies vaccination (ARV) and (ii) to study the wound management practices of animal bite victims. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in April-May 2014 in areas catered by Anaji primary health centre (PHC), Davangere, Karnataka, India. Category 2 and 3 animal bite victims registered in the past 3 years at Anaji PHC were visited at their residence and data was collected using a semi structured questionnaire. Results: About 23.4% reported 24 hours post bite to the health facility. Correct wound management was observed only in 12.5% of victims while 33.3% sorted to indigenous practices and 27.1% did not receive any wound care. 82.6% completed the ARV schedule while 17.4% did not complete the schedule. Lack of time (50%) was the most common reason for non-compliance. Conclusions: Compliance to ARV was good yet declined after the third dose. Correct wound management practices were not done for majority of animal bite victims.

Background : A multi provider health system comprising of modern as well traditional systems of medicine in the form of AYUSH is of paramount importance. Objectives: 1. To study the utilization of services by patients attending District AYUSH Hospital, Davangere. 2. To find out the client satisfaction among patients towards AYUSH services offered. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted among 335 patients attending in District AYUSH Hospital, Davangere in February-March 2014. Data was gathered by direct patient interviews as well as hospital records. Descriptive statistics was done using percentages and proportions. Results: Among the services offered, ayurvedic treatment was mostly sought by the patients (45%). Neurological ailments were the commonest reasons for seeking treatment in ayurveda (48%), whereas it was musculoskeletal disorders in unani (20%); gastrointestinal disorders in homeopathy (22%) and non communicable diseases in yoga (30%). Only 3% of the patients were cross referred from allopathic practitioners to AYUSH. Overall, 41.8% of the patients were satisfied and 50.7% were very much satisfied with the AYUSH services provided in the District AYUSH Hospital. Conclusion: Majority of the patients were satisfied with the services offered by the District AYUSH hospital.

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