Natl Med J India
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Brain death is the irreversible cessation of all brain functions. Brainstem death is the 'physiological core' of brain death. The Indian Parliament has given legal recognition to brain death though it applies only in the context of performance of organ transplantation. ⋯ These should always be frank and sympathetic. It has been suggested that those whose interests lie in transplantation must bear the responsibility of educating the general public. This will help intensivists who expose themselves knowingly to the unpleasant aspects of organ donation.
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Comparative Study
In vitro activity of netilmicin against clinical isolates of methicillin resistant and susceptible Staphylococcus aureus.
The emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and its multidrug-resistant property has led to the search for an effective antibiotic to combat staphylococcal sepsis. At present, vancomycin remains the most effective antibiotic. This study evaluated the in vitro efficacy of netilmicin (an aminoglycoside) and compared its activity with 4 other antibiotics, viz. vancomycin, amikacin, tobramycin and ofloxacin. ⋯ All the methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains tested showed 100% susceptibility to netilmicin, suggesting its use in patients with such infections as an alternative to vancomycin. However, this finding needs to be verified in the clinical setting.
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Emergency medicine has been recognized as a specialty in western countries. However, in India, most hospitals and medical colleges have no provision for teaching this specialty. This study was done to assess the feasibility of incorporating emergency medicine in the undergraduate medical curriculum. ⋯ As a specialty that emphasizes basic clinical skills, emergency medicine should be incorporated in the undergraduate medical curriculum.
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Osteoporosis, a silently progressing metabolic bone disease that leads to loss of bone mass, is widely prevalent in India and osteoporotic fractures are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in adult Indian men and women. This review of the international patterns of osteoporosis reveals two distinctive clinical features of this disease in Indians. Firstly, hip fractures occur at a relatively earlier age in Indian males and females, compared to their western counterparts; and secondly, a higher male-to-female ratio suggests that Indian males are at a higher risk for hip fractures. ⋯ With the increase in life expectancy, osteoporosis has become a formidable public health problem in India and a multidisciplinary approach is needed to identify its aetiological factors and devise strategies for mass prevention of calcium and vitamin D deficiency (possibly by fortification of food with these nutrients). Another issue that needs to be addressed is the social dogma against hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women. These measures, coupled with health education of the masses, should help promote bone health and control osteoporosis in India.