health $wellness blog

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is taking significant steps to address the concerns surrounding healthcare services and infrastructure within its municipal hospitals. In response to recurring complaints about limited amenities and perceived rudeness among medical staff in civic-run hospitals, the BMC has embarked on an initiative for change. High-ranking authorities from municipal hospitals have been directed to conduct visits to private healthcare institutions, aiming to gain insights into their operational practices with the ultimate goal of enhancing the quality of services provided in municipal healthcare establishments.  The decision to adopt this approach follows surprise inspections of hospitals by Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr. Sudhakar Shinde, who identified several areas requiring improvement. A senior health official expressed optimism about the potential impact of this initiative, believing that it could lead to positive changes in the qu...

Rahway : Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for priority review a new Biologics License Application (BLA) for sotatercept, Merck’s novel investigational activin signaling inhibitor, for the treatment of adult patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (WHO Group 1). The FDA has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), or target action, date of March 26, 2024. PAH is a rare, progressive and ultimately life-threatening disease characterized by the narrowing of blood vessels in the lungs, causing significant strain on the heart. Approximately 40,000 people in the U.S. are living with PAH. The five-year mortality rate for patients with PAH is approximately 43%.  The application for sotatercept is based on data from the Phase 3 STELLAR trial, in which sotatercept on top of background therapy demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement...

Mumbai : Global pharma major Lupin Limited has announced that it has received the Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from the United States Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) for its Nagpur Unit-1 manufacturing facility that manufactures oral solid dosage forms. The EIR was issued post the last inspection of the facility conducted in July 2023. The U.S. FDA has determined that the inspection classification of the facility is Voluntary Action Indicated (VAI). Voluntary action indicated (VAI), means objectionable conditions or practices were found, but the agency is not prepared to take or recommend any administrative or regulatory action. Read also: USFDA issues two observations for Lupin Nagpur facility “We are pleased to receive the EIR with a VAI status from the U.S. FDA for the recent inspection of our Nagpur Unit-1 facility. This achievement underscores our commitment to quality and compliance and also mirrors our core values, reaffirming our commitment to providing hi...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted de novo marketing authorization to in vitro diagnostic test that can help detect hundreds of genetic variants associated with an elevated risk of developing certain cancers. The test can also help identify potentially cancer-associated hereditary variants in individuals with already-diagnosed cancer. The test, which is the first of its kind to be granted FDA marketing authorization, evaluates DNA extracted from a blood sample to identify variants in 47 genes known to be associated with an elevated risk of developing certain types of cancer. “This test can assess multiple genes in a single test by using next-generation sequencing, which has proven helpful in providing insight into genetic variants with sensitivity and speed,” said Jeff Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Today’s action can provide an important public health tool that offers individuals more information about their hea...

Monitoring salivary pH valuable for the assessment and management of tooth wear, especially in GERD suggests a new study published in the Journal of Dentistry. A protocol was developed a priori (PROSPERO CRD42022338590). Established systematic review methods were used for screening, data extraction, and synthesis. Risk of bias and the certainty of evidence were assessed using the JBI tools and GRADE, respectively. Direct and indirect association between tooth wear and salivary components and characteristics were assessed. Studies reporting salivary characteristics in patients with tooth wear or models thereof were included. Animal and in-vitro studies and case reports were excluded. Results One-hundred eleven studies were included. Qualitative analyses showed a negative association between tooth wear and salivary pH and flow rate in many studies. The higher the study size the higher the chances that an association with pH and flow rate was found. Xerostomia, buffer capacity and s...

Rising cases of pediatric keratitis largely associated with contact lens wear suggests a new study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology A study was done to report the incidence and clinical characteristics of paediatric keratitis diagnosed over a 10-year period in a well-defined population. It was a multicentre. Population: patients (<19 years) diagnosed with keratitis as residents of Olmsted County from 1 January 2000, through 31 December 2009. Main outcome measures: calculated annual age-specific and gender-specific incidence rates, demographic information and initial and final visual acuity. Results A total of 294 diagnoses of keratitis occurred in 285 children during the 10-year period, yielding an incidence of 78.0 per 100 000 younger than 19 years (95% CI 69.0 to 87.1) or approximately 1 in 1282 children. The incidence increased throughout the 10-year study period (p<0.001). The mean age at diagnosis was 15.3 years (range, 0.2–18.9) and 172 (60.4%) were w...

New Delhi: Union Minister of State Krishna Pal Gurjar, the chief guest at the grand inauguration ceremony of Batra Hospital, emphasized the pivotal role the 110-bedded super-speciality hospital will play in providing crucial healthcare services to the underprivileged. The facility, located in Sector-31, Faridabad, marks a significant milestone in expanding healthcare accessibility in the region.  Under the auspices of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana by the Central Government, Batra Hospital extends a lifeline to patients in need, offering free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. Dr. Batra, the hospital's director, affirmed that financial constraints will no longer impede quality healthcare for the economically disadvantaged. Also Read:Batra Hospital signs MoU with BAPIO Training Academy to attain excellence in patient care The event witnessed the presence of Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi as a special guest, underscoring the importance of this healthcare endeavor. Union Minister Kris...

New Delhi : In response to the proposal presented by vaccine maker Bharath Biotech for a grant of permission to conduct a Phase III clinical trial for the Inactivated Japanese Encephalitis vaccine (JENVAC) at the age group of more than 1 year of age, the Subject Expert Committee(SEC) functional under the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has opined the firm to revise the Phase III clinical trial protocol. The expert panel recommended adding the seroprevalence study of the control group as a secondary goal and incorporating age stratification into Group II, dividing it into two categories: those aged more than 50 to 65 years and those aged 65 years and above. Additionally, the committee emphasized the need to perform a statistical calculation to determine the appropriate number of subjects in the test group and to revise it accordingly. They also recommended specifying in the exclusion criteria individuals who have received the Seasonal flu vaccine within the past y...

New Delhi: In view of the recent spike in dengue cases in several parts of the country, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting in the national capital and reviewed the dengue situation and preparedness of public health system for prevention, containment, and the management of the disease, an official statement said.   According to the official statement, the Union Health Minister directed the officials to be fully prepared against the rising cases of dengue and strengthen prevention, containment and management measures for the disease. Also Read:Surge in dengue patients witnessed in several Delhi hospitals Health Minister Mandaviya said that the central government has provided all necessary resources to the states in order to combat the spread of the disease and healthcare workers have also been trained. He also stated that adequate fund is provided by the Centre to the States under the Program Implementation Plan (PIP) for activitie...

A new study by Christoffer Kursawe Larsen and team found that contact allergy to rubber accelerators was linked to various forms of dermatitis, including hand dermatitis and leg/foot dermatitis. The findings of this study were published in Contact Dermatitis . In order to vulcanize rubber products, such as rubber gloves, rubber accelerators are applied. The well-known allergens that cause contact allergies include certain rubber accelerators. The rubber accelerators and mixes thiuram mix, mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), and mercapto mix are part of the European baseline series (EBS). This study's goals were to determine the incidence of contact allergies to rubber accelerators across a 30-year period, from 1990 to 2019, and to pinpoint pertinent historical patterns, high-risk professions, and exposures. Data from all individuals with contact dermatitis who underwent concomitant patch testing with rubber accelerators at the Skin and Allergy Gentofte Hospital from 1990 to 2019 were e...

Mumbai : Cipla Limited has announced the launch of drone-powered deliveries for its critical medicines (cardiac, respiratory and other essential chronic therapies) for hospitals and pharmacies in Himachal Pradesh, India, in partnership with Skye Air Mobility. The use of drones will support on-time delivery of Cipla’s medicines to chemists and clinics in remote areas, while minimizing risks such as delays, temperature excursions affecting cold chain products, and roadside accidents. "Cipla is the first among large Indian pharma companies to adopt drone-based deliveries to facilitate expedited supply to stockists in remote areas," the Company claimed . In its inaugural phase, the company has successfully completed several drone deliveries in Himachal Pradesh covering approximately 50 kilometres distance in under 25 minutes. This has been vital amidst adverse and prevailing weather conditions that have impacted conventional transportation routes in the state. Commenting on t...

New Delhi: The Ministry of Ayush has been adopting and propagating eco-friendly methods to reduce carbon emissions and environmental pollution, aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The recently concluded WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat hosted by WHO and co-hosted by the Ministry of Ayush clearly demonstrated it. This effort led to reduction of approximately 72,960 Kg of CO2 equivalent emission. It is estimated that more than 50 thousand plastic bottles & 30,000 single-use plastic cutleries were avoided. Also Read:Gujarat Declaration: WHO releases document of Traditional Medicine Global Summit 2023 Summit was completely paperless and had strong online presence, thereby reducing transport emission as much as possible. Instead of plastic; badges were made of biodegradable material and in exhibition zone only reusable materials were used. The summit witnessed a unique initiative, where delegates and participants' badges wer...

New Delhi: In reaction to the request for a waiver of bioequivalence (BE) and Phase III clinical trials for the inhalation suspension of the pulmonary drug combination Glycopyrrolate, Formoterol Fumarate Dihydrate, and Budesonide (25mcg+20mcg+500mcg), the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) functional under the Central Drug Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has opined the drug major Glenmark Pharmaceuticals to provide both in-vivo study data and global data concerning the Fixed-Dose Combination (FDC) in Inhalation Suspension dosage form. Furthermore, the expert panel suggested the drug major Glenmark provide published scientific literature in peer-reviewed journals in support of the proposed FDC (fixed dose combination) in the Inhalation suspension dosage form. This came after the firm presented the proposal along with the request for BE and Phase III clinical trial waiver before the committee. Glycopyrrolate, also known as glycopyrronium, is an anticholinergic drug. It is a synt...

Delhi: The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has announced the Result of the stray vacancy round of NEET UG 2023 Counselling. The result includes Rank, Allotted Quota, Allotted Institute, Course, Allotted Category, Candidate Category, and Remarks. To view the result, click on the link below – RESULT OF STRAY VACANCY ROUND UG 2023:- https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/2023092765-221252.pdf The following courses are included in the result – 1. MBBS 2. BDS 3. BSc Nursing In its recent notice, the MCC had informed that 2 MBBS seats had been withdrawn from the stray vacancy round of NEET counselling. Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) had received information from following Institutes to remove the following seats from the seat matrix before seat processing of Stray Vacancy Round of UG Counselling 2023. S.No Institute Course Category Reason 1 AIIMS Bathinda MBBS OBC Email received from college dated 27.09.2023 2 Vinayaka Mission Med...

Madurai: The   much-anticipated project to build the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Madurai has seen a recent development. The institute is finally expected to be completed soon by 2028, with its construction set to begin by December this year.   The announcement regarding the update came from the Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian on Tuesday. He also said that the tender for the construction has been floated.  In December 2018, the Union Cabinet approved for the establishment of AIIMS facility in Thoppur under the Thirupparankundram Assembly constituency in the Madurai district. The project was approved under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) at a cost of Rs 1,900 crore as reported by the Medical Dialogues team. Also read- Madurai AIIMS President: TN Doctors Association Urges Health Ministry To Appoint Senior Doctor From The State The foundation stone for the AIIMS in Madurai was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Mo...

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu health department will hold 1,000 medical camps to screen dengue from October 1, state Health Minister Ma Subramanian announced on Tuesday.  In his announcement, the Minister said that the camps are being held so that the disease can be diagnosed at the earliest and treated. He said that a medical team will visit the fever-affected areas every day and conduct medical camps, adding that a total of 476 mobile medical teams will be pressed into service for creating awareness among the public. Also Read:Spike in Dengue Cases: Bihar Health Dept sets up separate wards for patients Subramanian said that about 805 Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) Mobile School Teams will establish fever screening camps in schools to check the students and treat the ones who are unwell. He said that teachers have also been instructed to provide the details of the students with fever to medical officers and health personnel. The Minister added that school authorities ha...

Increased consumption of carbohydrate from refined grains, starchy vegetables, and sugary drinks is associated with greater weight gain throughout midlife, while increased fibre and carbohydrate from whole grains, fruit, and non-starchy vegetables is linked to less weight gain, finds a large US study published by The BMJ today. Most of these associations were stronger for people with excessive body weight, highlighting the potential importance of carbohydrate quality and source for long term weight management, say the researchers. The role of carbohydrates in weight gain and obesity remains controversial, and few studies have evaluated the link between changes in carbohydrate intake over time and long term changes in body weight. To address this, a team of US researchers set out to examine these associations at four year intervals, over a total follow-up period of 24 years. Their findings are based on data from 136,432 men and women aged 65 years or younger enrolled in the Nurses...

New Delhi : The drug major Sanofi has got a go-ahead from the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) functional under the Central Drug Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) to conduct the Phase II clinical trial of Amlitelimab, a fully human monoclonal antibody, being developed by Sanofi for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. However, this approval is subject to the condition that the firm should provide clear written direction/training on Amlitelimab to the principal investigator and sites that they should be liberal to the subjects who want rescue treatment and should not unnecessarily withhold it. This came after the drug major Sanofi presented the Phase II clinical trial protocol No. LTS17789 Version 1 dated 31 Oct 2022 before the committee. Amlitelimab provided statistically significant improvements in signs and symptoms of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in adults whose disease could not be adequately controlled with topical medications or where topical medications are not a r...

Delhi: The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has released the list of eligible NRI candidates for Round 3 NEET PG admissions this year. The list includes Roll Number and Candidate Name. 700 candidates have been found eligible for NEET PG admission. The detailed list is enclosed in the below Attachment. NRI LIST OF ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES FOR NEET PG ROUND 3 2023-24-  https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/2023092624-221097.pdf NEET PG counselling schedule - Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that fresh schedule for Round-3 & Stray Vacancy Round was released after the lowering of NEET PG cutoff percentile: Sl. No. Fresh Registration/Payment Choice Filling & Choice Locking Processing of Seat Allotment Publication of Result Reporting at allotted College 1. 22nd September, 2023 to 25th September, 2023 (up to 12:00 NOON of 25.09.2023 as per the server timing) *Payment facility will be available till 03:00 PM of 25th Sept., 2023 (as per S...

The treatment of Legionella pneumonia, particularly in cases of respiratory failure, has been a subject of debate within the medical community. A recent systematic review conducted between 2012 and 2022 found quinolones and macrolides equally effective in managing this severe respiratory infection. The findings were published in Journal of Internal Medicine. The comprehensive review involved a thorough search of databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, resulting in the identification of ten observational studies meeting the inclusion criteria. These studies encompassed a substantial cohort of 4,271 patients, with 67% being male. A significant portion of the subjects, 42%, required admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), and 52% needed mechanical ventilation to support their compromised respiratory function. In terms of the antibiotics used, 33% of patients received fluoroquinolones, 35% were treated with macrolides, and 4.8% received a combination therap...

Chennai: The Heart and Lung Transplant Team of Kauvery Hospital Chennai has been bestowed with a prestigious award by the Tamil Nadu State Transplant Authority (TRANSTAN).  This distinguished recognition is a testament to the team's unparalleled dedication, expertise, and remarkable success in heart and lung transplantation, ultimately saving and improving the lives of countless recipients.  Over the years, the team has consistently achieved outstanding outcomes in transplantation procedures, contributing to a higher quality of life for organ recipients. Their unwavering commitment to delivering the best possible results has made them a beacon of hope for patients in need of heart and lung transplants. Also Read:Doctors at Kauvery Hospital perform Anterior Corpus Callosotomy on 36-Year-Old Bahraini Resident to treat uncontrolled Epilepsy Comprising expert surgeons, proficient anaesthetists, dedicated consultants, and transplant coordinators, Kauvery Hospital's Heart and...

New Delhi: In its latest drug alert, the apex drug regulatory body, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), has flagged 48 medicine batches for failing to qualify for a random drug sample test for the month of August. These drug samples which are declared not of standard quality include Misoprostol Tablets I.P. 200 mcg manufactured by Synokem Pharmaceuticals, Cefotaxime for Injection IP 500 mg manufactured by Maan Pharmaceuticals, Telmisartan, and Chlorthalidone Tablets manufactured by Pure & Cure Healthcare, Paracetamol 120 mg plus Chlorpheniramine Maleate 2 mg/ 5 ml syrup (COLD OUT) manufactured by Fourrts (India) Laboratories and others. Apart from this, the list further includes popular diabetes drug combination Metformin Hydrochloride Prolonged Release and Glimepiride Tablets IP (GLIMESTAR M2 FORTE) manufactured by Mankind Pharma and AMTAS PRP (Amlodipine and Perindopril Tablets) manufactured by Intas Pharmaceuticals. This came after analysis and tests c...