Volume 2, Issue 4

The National Formulary of India 2010: Thorough and extensive revision of the preprint version needed

B. Gitanjali

pp. 219–20 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85928 · Published 2011

The National Formulary of India (NFI), 4th edition, 2010 (pre-print version) was published amidst a lot of advance publicity by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC). The book was released by Shri K. Chandramouli, Se…

Research publications: Should they be mandatory for promotions of medical teachers?

Anupama Sukhlecha

pp. 221–222 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85929 · Published 2011

As per new amendment rules of Medical Council of India (MCI), research publications in indexed/national journals are now mandatory for promotion to posts of professors and associate professors. This amendment has raged a…

The curious case of zinc for diarrhea: Unavailable, unprescribed, and unused

B. Gitanjali, K. Weerasuriya

pp. 225–226 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85933 · Published 2011

Diarrhea kills nearly 650 children below the age of 5 years each day in India. Oral rehydration solution (ORS) and oral zinc have been recommended for the treatment of acute diarrhea in children by the Indian Academy of …

Saxagliptin: A dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Darshan J. Dave

pp. 230–235 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85934 · Published 2011

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by insulin defi ciency or resistance. Management starts with single oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) but eventually switch over to combination therapy beca…

Sugar substitutes: Health controversy over perceived benefits

Kirtida R. Tandel

pp. 236–243 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85936 · Published 2011

Sugar is an inseparable part of the food we consume. But too much sugar is not ideal for our teeth and waistline. There have been some controversial suggestions that excessive sugar may play an important role in certain …

Impact of chronic disease assistance program on the retail pharmacy sector: A retrospective study

Sandeep Maharaj, Kreshma Roopnarine, Vashish Maharaj, Sushain Maraj, Eenest Sankar, Meera Singh, Otelesante George Tayopa, Sureshwar Pandey, Prasanna R. Deshpande

pp. 244–247 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85944 · Published 2011

Objective: To assess the impacts of chronic disease assistance program (CDAP) on economic parameters, human resource and pharmacy structure and pharmaceutical care on the retail industry in Trinidad and Tobago. Materials…

Evaluation of the appropriateness of prescribing in geriatric patients using Beers criteria and Phadke’s criteria and comparison thereof

Rima B. Shah, Bharat M. Gajjar, Sagun V. Desai

pp. 248–252 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85948 · Published 2011

Objectives: To evaluate appropriateness of prescribing medicines in geriatric patients using both Beers criteria and Phadke’s criteria and compare them for validation of Phadke’s criteria as a tool to evaluate rationalit…

Antitubercular effect of 8-[(4-Chloro phenyl) sulfonyl]-7-Hydroxy-4-Methyl-2H-chromen-2-One in guinea pigs

Parvati B. Patel, Tejas K. Patel, Seema N. Baxi, Hemangini R. Acharya, Chandrabhanu Tripathi

pp. 253–260 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85951 · Published 2011

Objective: To evaluate the antitubercular effi cacy and safety of New Chemical Entity (NCE): 8-[(4-Chloro phenyl) sulfonyl]-7-Hydroxy-4-Methyl-2H-chromen-2-One (CSHMC) in guinea pigs. Materials and Methods: This pilot stu…

Effects of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and lipid profile in obese type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Suyog Sindhu, Hemant Kumar Singh, Mohammad Tariq Salman, Jalees Fatima, Vinod Kumar Verma

pp. 261–265 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85954 · Published 2011

Objective: To evaluate and compare the effects on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels and lipid profi le of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin in obese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Materials and Me…

Effect of heparin and low-molecular weight heparin on serum potassium and sodium levels

Girish M. Bengalorkar, N. Sarala, P. N. Venkatrathnamma, T. N. Kumar

pp. 266–267 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85956 · Published 2011

Introduction: To study the effects of heparin and low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) on potassium and sodium levels in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and stroke. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients were …

Olopatadine hydrochloride and rupatadine fumarate in seasonal allergic rhinitis: A comparative study of efficacy and safety

Rituparna Maiti, Jyothirmai Jaida, Jalelur Rahman, Rajasri Gaddam, Anuradha Palani

pp. 270–276 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85958 · Published 2011

Objective: To compare the effi cacy and safety of olopatadine and rupatadine in seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). Materials and Methods: A 2-week, single-centered, randomized, open, parallel group comparative clinical stu…

A study of adverse drug reactions in pediatric patients

R. Priyadharsini, A. Surendiran, C. Adithan, S. Sreenivasan, Firoj Kumar Sahoo

pp. 277–280 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85957 · Published 2011

Aim: To study the adverse drug reaction (ADR) pattern in a pediatric population in a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: An observational study was done in the department of pediatrics in a tertiary care hospi…

Evaluation of role of noradrenergic system in the antidepressant activity of tramadol using tail suspension test in Albino mice

Mukta N. Chowta, Manjunath M., Gopalakrishna N., Gokul P.

pp. 281–282 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85947 · Published 2011

Opioid peptides and their receptors are potential candidates for the development of novel antidepressant treatment. Tramadol is a synthetic 4-phenyl-piperidine analogue of codeine. It is a central analgesic with a low af…

Effect of Erythrina variegata on experimental atherosclerosis in guinea pigs

Mangathayaru Kalachaveedu, Sarah Kuruvilla, K. Balakrishna

pp. 285–287 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85949 · Published 2011

Leaves of Erythrina variegata (Indian coral tree) (family: Fabaceae) eaten as a pot herb, are used as an antiobesity drug in Siddha medicine.[1] It has folkloric reputation as antiinflammatory in India, China and South E…

Effect of silymarin in diabetes mellitus patients with liver diseases

Manonmani Alvin Jose, Anjana Abraham, M. P. Narmadha

pp. 287–289 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85950 · Published 2011

The liver is involved in the maintenance of homeostasis within the body. Other functions of the liver include protein synthesis, storage and metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, detoxification and excretion of drug and …

Clinical trials registered in clinical trial registry of India: A survey

Manonmani Alvin Jose

pp. 289–290 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85952 · Published 2011

As this is just the initiation of accumulating data related to clinical trials taking place in India, exploration of this data may give some insight of the situation and some suggestions for improvement like in a survey …

Timely detected medication error: Prescribing or dispensing?

Divya Goel, Sanjay Gupta

pp. 292–293 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85953 · Published 2011

Medication error is failure in the treatment process that leads to or has the potential to harm the patient.[1] The treatment process encompasses all spectrum of medical care, i.e., diagnosis, treatment as well as preven…

Starting a pharmacovigilance center: Actions for implementation

Mrinmoy Chakrabarty, Vijay Thawani

pp. 295–299 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85945 · Published 2011

With burgeoning reports of adverse drug reactions due to pharmacotherapy, pharmacovigilance (PV) is the buzz word in health care circles. While there are experts in this rapidly expanding fi eld, there are many health car…

Sick sinus syndrome associated with topical timolol maleate instillation

Harpreet S. Walia, Sandeep S. Walia, Matthew E. Emanuel

pp. 300–302 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85946 · Published 2011

A 70-year-old black woman presented with intermittent palpitations and dyspnea was found to be bradycardic with a normal sinus rhythm. She had instilled her topical timolol maleate approximately 30 minutes prior to each …

Zotero: A bibliographic assistant to researcher

K. K. Mueen Ahmed, Bandar E. Al Dhubaib

pp. 303–305 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85940 · Published 2011

Common mistakes such as ‘references are outdated’, ‘references not in the prescribed format’, ‘incomplete references’ and ‘volume and year are missing’ pointed out by reviewers of many journals are not diffi cult to avoi…

Clinician and researcher – Can the twain ever meet? A young clinician’s perspective

Vaishnavi Batmanabane Prakash, Prakash Muthusami

pp. 305–307 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85941 · Published 2011

While research is increasingly being recognized as a necessary and indispensible part of patient care and physician education in the western world, there still exist pockets in the Indian medical community where its acce…

Benfluorex withdrawal in France: Still be hiding somewhere in the world?

Irène Frachon, Grégoire Gal, Catherine Hill, Christophe Leroyer

pp. 307–308 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85942 · Published 2011

Bhattacharyya et al. have recently reviewed the evidences demonstrating the association between the development of valvular heart disease and the use of appetite suppressants, including fenfl uramine.[1] Among numerous e…

World Health Organization bids adieu to Hans Hogerzeil – The dynamic Director of Essential Medicines and Pharmaceutical Policies

B. Gitanjali

pp. 308–309 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85943 · Published 2011

On May 31, 2011, Hans Hogerzeil, Director of Essential Medicines and Pharmaceutical Policies, World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, received a touching sendoff from the staff and colleagues of WHO, an agency which he …

An oil to strike stroke

G. Sivagnanam

pp. 310–310 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85935 · Published 2011

Traditional Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) emphasizes abundance of food from plant sources (fresh vegetables, fruits, breads, potatoes, cereals and whole grains, nuts, beans and seeds, minimally processed foods) with olive…

ACE inhibitor and angiotensin-receptor blocker – A deadly combination

G. Sivagnanam

pp. 311–312 · DOI: · Published 2011

It is particular to note that ACE inhibitor/ARB combination therapy has been shown to offer no signifi cant clinical benefi ts over monotherapy, instead was associated with a worse safety and tolerability profi le. No mo…

Peels to peel bad cholesterol

pp. 311–311 · DOI: · Published 2011

Polymethoxylated fl avones (PMFs) are plant pigments found in the peels of citrus fruits which have been related to protect against cancer, heart disease and infl ammation. The most common citrus PMFs, tangeretin and nob…

iPhone + iCard – A death preventing combination

G. Sivagnanam

pp. 312–312 · DOI: · Published 2011

A company has developed an iPhone 4 case with a built-in ECG. Called the iCard ECG, it is smaller than a business card and sticks to the back of an iPhone or iPad using Velcro and immediately integrates with a companion …

Rat guide: A guide to health, medication use, breeding, and care of rats

S. Parasuraman

pp. 313–4 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85932 · Published 2011

The breeding section describes in detail the anatomy of the rat, breeding area, breeding methods, and mating details. Along with this, one can also fi nd details about determination of pregnancy, pregnancy weight chart, …

Measures of dispersion

S. Manikandan

pp. 315–316 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85931 · Published 2011

The measures of central tendency are not adequate to describe data. Two data sets can have the same mean but they can be entirely different. Thus to describe data, one needs to know the extent of variability. This is giv…

Belimumab: First targeted biological treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus

Ashok K. Dubey, Shailendra S. Handu, Suparna Dubey, Prashant Sharma, K. K. Sharma, Qazi M. Ahmed

pp. 317–319 · DOI: 10.4103/0976-500X.85930 · Published 2011

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disorder involving multiple organs and having diverse clinical manifestations. Among the rheumatic diseases, it has one of the highest mortality rates. Its preva…