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Background: The magnitude of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and the amputation rates due to DFUs are high in India. Proper diabetic foot care can minimize these rates. Although numerous such studies have been done, reinforcement of awareness to practice diabetic foot care is necessary to reduce the incidents of DFUs.Methods: 134 voluntary participants from SSMC, Tumkur and Karnataka Institute of Endocrinology and Research, Bangalore were included following ethical clearance. The patients were requested to fill the validated knowledge and practice questionnaire which were presented to them in their own language. Demographic details of the participants were also collected. The responses were recorded and statistically analyzed. A score of >70% was gauged as good, 50 to 70% as satisfactory and <50% as poor.Results: Of the 134 participants, 73.13% had good knowledge on foot care, 22.8% had good foot care practice and 73.13% had a satisfactory practice score. Patients with history of foot ulcer had a mean score (±SD) of 12.75 (±1.91) knowledge score and 47.75 (±6.05) practice score which is lower compared to those without history of ulcers, 13.86 (±2.37) and 55.40 (±6.88) respectively. Patients from urban and rural areas had about the same mean scores, 13.51 (±2.50), 54.98 (±6.83) and 13.30 (±2.60), 54.73 (±7.49) (knowledge, practice score) respectively.Conclusions: Foot care among diabetics is only satisfactory and has to be improved. Knowledge is the key to better practice so early diagnosis, repeated counselling, regular follow ups and good sugar control is necessary to reduce incidents of DFUs.

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BackgroundDepression is one of the most predominant mental health issues that are prevalent now. Therefore, many clinical trials were being conducted to find the safest, most effective, and tolerable anti-depressant. This study aims to compare desvenlafaxine and sertraline regarding their safety and efficacy in treating depression. MethodologyThe patients who were diagnosed with depressive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria were included in the study and were divided into two groups. The severity of depression in these patients was evaluated using Beck Depression Inventory and Hamilton depression scale (HAM-D) before and after the treatment (four weeks). ResultsAbout 64% of the study sample were males, and 36% were females, with 77% of the patients in the desvenlafaxine group taking 100 mg dosage and about 74% patients taking 50 mg dosage in the sertraline group. The patients in both groups showed statistically significant (p < 0.00001) improvement after using these drugs. ConclusionBoth desvenlafaxine and sertraline showed their efficacy in treating depression by improving the clinical outcome in patients. Sertraline was marginally better in clinical results. Finally, it is advisable to carry out more randomized trials to improve the patient's quality of life.