Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The Skin and Sensation Physiology

The Skin and Sensation Physiology The Skin and Sensation Physiology Introduction Skin is the largest organ of our body that protects us from microbes and helps to regulate our body temperature. It contains different kinds of sensory receptors that respond to variety of stimuli: mechanical, thermal and chemical. The general receptors of the body react to touch, pressure, temperature, pain and change of the environment. The encapsulated receptors which include free nerve endings may sense pain and temperature; Merkels discs, which sense light pressure and root hair plexuses that sense touch by the movement of the hairs. While the encapsulated receptors are enclosed in a capsule of connective tissue which are the Meisnner’s, Pacinian and Ruffini’s corpuscles. The density of skin receptors is greater in areas that are designed to sense our environment. These receptors convey the information to the CNS thus, any stimulus should be of threshold magnitude in order to detect. The sensory system have a limit of its sensitivity therefore, stimulus below minim um magnitude cannot elicit a response. The cutaneous receptors are scattered throughout the skin and the underlying fascia. These receptors are the mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors, nocireceptors and proprioreceptors that are sensitive to a certain stimuli. Sensation is defined as a state of awareness of the internal and external environment. There are four criteria to be considered in order for a sensation to occur. First is the stimulus, the change in the environment in which we should be aware of. Next, there should be a receptor- a cell or organ which is sensitive to the stimulus. There must also have an afferent nerve pathway that will carry the signal to the CNS and lastly, there should be sensory cortex where the signals was analyzed and interpreted. Hence, this activity aims to demonstrate the sensation acuity using various models in tactile localization and adaption, to determine relative sensitivity of selected areas of the skin and to be able to understand the different features of sensation in relation to various stimuli, adaptation and after image phenomenon. Methodology Tactile Distribution: Two-point Sensibility Begin the test by asking the subject to close his eye. Using a vernier caliper, test the ability of the subject to differentiate two distinct sensations by setting the vernier caliper at the distance with points close together and gradually increasing one or two points until the subject has reached the sensation when the skin is touch simultaneously at two points. Record the distance in which the subject first felt the two-point threshold and repeat two trials for each body area listed below. Back of the neck or nape area Fingertip Forearm (supine position) Tip of nose Palm of hand Tongue Upper arm Thigh area Leg area Tactile Localization Begin the test by asking the subject to close his eyes. Using a pencil tip, touch the skin of the test subject until it leaves an indentation. Then ask the subject to locate the exact spot using the pencil tips. Measure the error of localization using the vernier caliper and repeat twice for each body location listed below. Observe the localization of improvement. Palm Fingertips Forearm (dorsal side) Forearm (ventral side) Lips Thigh region Touch Receptor Adaptation Begin the test by asking the subject to sit and close its eyes. Place a coin on the forearm (antecubital fossa) of the subject. Record the time of how long it takes until the sensation cease. Once the sensation has ceased, add coins of the same size and record the time of pressure sensation. Repeat the same procedure on the other forearm and compare the observations. Ask the subject to close his eyes. Using a pencil tip, run the tip over the strand of hair and slowly pulling it up until the hair spring away from the tip. Ask the subject in which the sensation is greater when the hair is being bend or when it springs back. Weber’s Law: Sensation Intensity Difference Begin the test by asking the subject to sit on a bench and place his hand on the arm rest with eyes close. Put the 2-inch square cardboard on the distal phalanges of his index and middle finger. Gradually add 10 gram weight in the cardboard and ask the subject if he felt the weight. After the subjects feel the weight, remove the cardboard unto the finger and add additional weight from 1 to 5 grams, until he felt the weight increases and compared it with the initial weight. Record the weight increment that produced an added weight sensation. Test other initial weights at 50, 100 and 200 grams and get the Weber’s fraction. Temperature Adaptation and Negative After-Image Prepare three 1000 ml beakers with ice water, water at room temperature and waterbath at 50oC and assign each container into cold, room temperature and warm water. Ask the subject to immerse each of his hand on the cold and warm water for two minutes. Record which hands adapts faster in the said temperature. Then rapidly immerse both hands in the waterbath. Describe the sensation on each hand. Referred Pain Ask the subject to place his elbow in ice water for 2-3 minutes. Are there any changes in sensation localization? Record your observation. Results Various models in tactile localization and adaptation were used on selected areas of the skin for the demonstration of sensation acuity and relative sensitivity of the skin. Also, various stimuli, adaptation and afterimage phenomenon were also applied to understand different features of sensation. The following tables show the results on each exercises performed in this activity. Table 1. Two-Point Sensibility. The table above displays the results taken from the tactile distribution procedure for the two point sensitivity of different areas of the skin. Each area was applied with tactile stimuli from the caliper tips and the distance was recorded once the person had made a distinction of two-points. For the head portion or medial part of the body, the nape area or the back of the neck, the tip of the nose and the tongue got a threshold of 10mm, 8mm and 4mm, respectively. For the upper extremities, the fingertip, the palm of hand, the forearm in supine position and the upper arm got a threshold of 2mm, 8mm, 31mm, and 34mm, respectively. Lastly, for the lower extremities, the thigh area and the leg area got a threshold of 32mm and 36mm, respectively. Out of the nine different areas of the body where the stimuli was applied, the fingertip is noted to be having the most sensitive area while the leg area is the least among them all. Table 2. Tactile Localization. The table above displays the results taken from the tactile localization procedure of different areas of the skin. Two trials were performed and their difference measures the error of localization on each area. The fingertips and the lips received no error of localization since the subject had pointed the exact location of the indentation twice. This amount of error was followed by the palm having an error of localization of 1mm since the subject had pointed the indentation from a distance of 6mm on the 1st trial and 5mm on the 2nd trial. This was then followed by the thigh area, the dorsal part of the forearm and finally the ventral part of the forearm having an error of localization of 5mm, 6mm and 16mm, respectively. Noticeably, the fingertips and the lips had the least error since it received no error at all as compared to the ventral portion of the forearm that had the most error of them all. Table 3.a. Adaptation of Touch Receptors. The table above displays the results taken from the touch receptors adaptation procedure applied on the right and left forearm. The subject had a coin placed on its forearm with the time recorded once it can’t feel the weight of the coin anymore. The right forearm’s distinction is 5.1 seconds for one coin and 9.3 seconds for doubled while the left forearm’s distinction is 4.5 seconds for one coin and 8.8 seconds for doubled. This shows that the subject’s left forearm adapts faster than its right forearm. The difference of time in distinction was measured through subtracting the seconds felt by the right forearm to the left forearm. Having doubled coin received a less difference of time in distinction than having a single coin since the recorded seconds are 0.5 seconds and 0.6, respectively. It is also noticeable that the sense of pressure is shorter when there is only one coin then, returned but got longer after the addition of coins. Table 3.b. Adaptation of Touch Receptors. (++) = felt most; (+) = slightly felt; (-) = not felt Another adaptation procedure was performed using the subject’s hair and the results are being shown on the table above. Its hair strand was bent and sprung back using a pencil tip. The subject responded that the sensation felt greater when the hair was sprang back and least when it was bent. Table 4. Sensation Intensity Difference. The table above displays the results taken from the sensation intensity difference procedure of the fingers using Weber’s Law. Different initial weights were given to the subject’s two fingers which response was recorded after adding additional weights for the intensity difference. The Weber’s fraction came from the quotient of the two weights as how the formula displays on the table above. It is noticeable that the 10g weight got the most Weber’s fraction of 0.3 as compare to the other three weights – 50g, 100g and 200g – that got the same 0.1 Weber’s fraction. Table 5. Temperature Adaptation and Negative After-Image. (+) = adapts faster; (-) = adapts slowly/not adapting The table above displays the results taken from the temperature adaptation and negative afterimage procedure of the two hands exposed on different temperatures. With hands in each beaker, the hand that is placed on warm water adapts faster than the ones in the cold water. When both hands were transferred onto the third beaker containing room temperature water, the ones exposed on cold water earlier adapts too slow – â€Å"like it had gone numb† as compare to the ones exposed on warm water earlier. Table 6. Referred Pain. (+) = present sensation felt; (-) = no sensation felt The table above displays the results taken from the referred pain procedure applied at the elbow and had affected the sensation of the arm. After the elbow was dipped on an ice water for 2 minutes, the subject responded that the sensation had a change in location. It was then recorded that the location of the sensation is now felt on the upper arm. Discussion Conclusion The skin, the largest organ of the body and its somatosensory system or touch system, allows the human body to perceive the physical sensations of pressure, temperature, pain, experience texture and temperature and perceive the position and movement of the bodys muscles and joints. Using various models and procedures, several accounts were recorded including the lips and fingertips as the most sensitive and the more intense weights and temperature as the slowest to be adapted. These are all due to the receptor cells found in the skin that can be broken down into three functional categories: mechanoreceptors that sense different ranges of pressure and texture, thermoreceptors that sense and detect changes in temperature, and nociceptors that sense pain ranging from acute and easy to tolerate to chronic and intolerable. Literature Cited Boundless. â€Å"Skin and Body Senses: Pressure, Temperature, and Pain.† Boundless Psychology. Boundless, 06 Oct. 2014. Retrieved 16 Jan. 2015 from https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-textbook/sensation-and-perception-5/sensory-processes-38/skin-and-body-senses-pressure-temperature-and-pain-165-12700/ Experiencing Sensation and Perception. Chapter 12: Skin Senses. Retrieved from January 17, 2015. Available at: http://psych.hanover.edu/classes/sensation/chapters/Chapter 12.pdf. Touch. Retrieved from January 17, 2015. Available at: http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/634/Touch.html

Monday, January 20, 2020

Orhan Seyfi Ari :: History

Orhan Seyfi Ari An Idealist and Visionary (1918-1992) â€Å"A luminary to so many teachers†(Editorial in ‘Halkin Sesi’ of 27 December 1992) A School Teacher's Mark on Educational History, Teaching, Social Culture Of those who wrote about him in English/American, in Turkish, in Greek –book-magazine-newspaper articles and officially and privately (in England, Cyprus, Australia).. to a poet he was a star –in his poem, to a columnist an eminent school, to an author a remarkable man, to an editor a defender of liberties, to a writer an honour to have known, and to a researcher ‘Such nice things I have heard about him!’... To the Secretary of State for Education he was ‘the teacher of teachers’ –inscribed on his tomb, a university professor’s condolences from Turkey were to his nation –who in his honour named a street after him. Orhan Ari was born in Lapithiou -Paphos, in the, at the time, British colony of Cyprus.. after completing his secondary and high-school education in Nicosia, and upon qualifying through Morphou Teachers Training College, he also studied agriculture†¦ With a keen interest in his continuing professional development through courses and seminars, and as to the rest mostly self-educated, he has left his unmistakeable mark in the educational, cultural, ethical, social, progress and development of Cyprus. He had been a secondary school teacher, a head teacher, a lecturer; an occasional columnist, in his personal circle of friends also a debater, mystic, poet.. in retirement he was invited overseas to inspect schools, and to give talks to cultural organisations†¦ He was a true and courageous leader of both pupils and peoples ~his extraordinary motivating skills had made him a choice of the British for the pioneering educational and socio-cultural development of many of the country’s peoples, and popular in both the Turkish and Greek communities –having taught at also British schools pupils varying from Armenian to English etc., also after political independence, while later in the course of his community’s adapting to the Turkish system of education (as may be suggested by some of his symbolic poems) he appears to have been officially perhaps less appreciated, upon his peacefully passing away –as a cleric of a couple of years in his retirement to make ends meet, the press having praised also his patriotism, the Leader of the Parliament of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus described him as having made both the state and the nation proud as â€Å"A successful modern educator.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Drug Utilization Study Of Antidepressants Health And Social Care Essay

There is a demand for prospective drug use surveies to adequately measure patient attention and installation indexs. Ordering wonts among head-shrinkers can be improved by making consciousness about taking drugs from the Essential Medicines List. Inclusion of a drug in the infirmary formulary requires consideration of both prescribers ‘ pick of a drug and its presence in the Essential Medicines List. Prescriber instruction can besides concentrate on decrease in prescription of attendant ataractic soporifics. Prescribers should besides be encouraged to look into for patients ‘ conformity with the prescribed medicines and to enter them in the instance sheets. Such steps will advance the rational usage of medical specialties and finally, the quality of health care. The World Health Organisation ( WHO ) defines Drug use as the selling, distribution, prescription and usage of drugs in a society, with particular accent on the ensuing medical, societal and economic consequences.1 Often, drugs are non used maintaining in head their safety and efficacy.2 Rational drug prescribing is the usage of the least figure of drugs to obtain the best possible consequence in the shortest period and at a sensible cost.3 Irrational prescribing and disparity between prescription and ingestion of medical specialties may countervail the benefits demonstrated by randomized controlled tests on drug efficacy.4-7 Furthermore, optimistic outlooks of a drug, based on consequences of clinical tests may non happen when used outdoors controlled settings.8 The recent proliferation of new drugs, increasing acknowledgment of delayed inauspicious effects and concentrate on pharmacoeconomic considerations has stimulated involvement in ordering forms of physicians.5 Antidepressant prescribing forms have changed globally over the last few old ages, with conventional drugs like tricyclics and MAO inhibitors being bit by bit replaced by selective 5-hydroxytryptamines reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIS ) and fresh antidepressants. Prevalence of antidepressant use in the community is lifting in Western populations, with Iceland, Australia and Sweden holding the highest consumption.9 Therefore, our purpose was to analyze the drug use of antidepressant drugs in the psychiatric unit of a third attention infirmary in Pondicherry. Our aims were: To detect the prescribing form of antidepressants among head-shrinkers in our infirmary To measure the reason of the prescriptions To measure the prevalence of antidepressant use in the community MATERIALS AND METHODS Type of survey: Retrospective and experimental. Time period of survey: 1st January 2006 to 31st December 2006 Topographic point of survey: Psychiatric unit of a third attention infirmary in Pondicherry.Inclusion standards:1. All patients who attended the Psychiatry outpatient ( OP ) clinic of the infirmary from 1st January 2006 to 31st December 2006. 2. All patients diagnosed with depressive or adjustment upset ( diagnosed as per International Classification of Diseases – ICD 10 standards ) 10 or any status where antidepressants are indicated.Exclusion standards:Patients who did non have antidepressant drugs. Patients go oning merely those antidepressant drugs prescribed outside the infirmary. Data aggregation: Case records of Psychiatry outpatient clinic were taken from the medical records subdivision of the infirmary. Datas were entered in a pre-designed proforma ( Fig1 ) . From the multiple prescriptions in the instance record with follow-up visits, we took all prescriptions incorporating at least one antidepressant as one prescription. Therefore, if the initial prescription was continued, it was regarded as the same prescription for the given continuance. Any dose alteration in that prescription was noted for ciphering drug ingestion. Addition of another antidepressant to or alteration of antidepressant from the bing regimen was regarded as a separate prescription. In both instances, the figure of drugs in the prescription included the added or changed antidepressant ( s ) , along with attendant medicines from the earlier prescription. However, prescriptions incorporating drugs for co-morbid conditions ( non-psychiatric ) which were non prescribed in the section of Psychiatry were excluded. Sampling frame: All patients run intoing eligibility standards as given above. Datas analysis: Datas were subjected to analysis for: Demographic inside informations ( Age and gender ) Psychiatric diagnosing Antidepressant drugs prescribed 4. Completeness of prescription, rightness of drug, dosage, frequence and continuance. 5. Rationality of prescription harmonizing to WHO ordering indexs. 6. Defined daily dose ( DDD ) of the antidepressants per 1000 dwellers per twenty-four hours ( DID ) 7. Prescribed day-to-day dosage ( PDD ) of the antidepressants 8. PDD to DDD ratio of the antidepressants Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical ( ATC ) categorization and Defined Daily Dose ( DDD ) per 1000 dwellers per twenty-four hours ( DID ) computations were used for gauging antidepressant usage in the community. Following the methodological analysis outlined by WHO,11 we calculated DID as follows: DID =Amount of antidepressant prescribed in 1 twelvemonth ( milligram ) Ten 1000 dwellers DDD ( milligram ) X 365 yearss X Population of Pondicherry and Cuddalore All patients belonged to either Pondicherry or Cuddalore territory of Tamil Nadu. So, for computation of DID, we used the population of Pondicherry every bit good as Cuddalore territory as per available statistics. Entire figure of DIDs is calculated by adding up the DIDs for single antidepressants. PDD was calculated as follows: For each prescription, there were multiple doses of the antidepressants, due to dose titrations and we took the norm of the day-to-day doses for the antidepressant as the PDD. This procedure was repeated for all the indicants of each antidepressant and the concluding value was the norm of the PDDs therefore obtained. PDD to DDD ratio was so calculated. Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistical tools were used. Ethical clearance: As it was a non-interventional survey, the institutional research commission granted waiver on the confidence that capable confidentiality would be maintained. We took the undermentioned stairss in this respect: Designation of patients by the infirmary figure merely and non by name. Case records to be accessed by research workers in the Medical records subdivision merely. Patient inside informations non to be divulged to any party other than co-authors. Proformas to be destroyed after decision of survey. Consequence Demographic inside informations: Out of 222 patients having psychoactive medical specialties during the survey period, 169 ( 76.58 % ) received one or more antidepressants. Among these 169 patients, 82 ( 48.52 % ) were males and 87 ( 51.48 % ) were females. Age distribution of patients having antidepressants is shown in Fig 2. Psychiatric diagnosings: Distribution of primary psychiatric diagnosings of patients having antidepressants is shown in Table 1. Antidepressant drugs prescribed: Entire figure of prescriptions given was 192 and a sum of 446 drugs were prescribed. Of them, 192 were antidepressant medicines of 8 types, as per ATC category. Table 2 and Fig 3 show different antidepressants prescribed. Number of antidepressant prescriptions along with their indicants is shown in Table 3. Substitutions and Adjunctive antidepressants: Change of antidepressant was required on 18 occasions. Duloxetine was substituted on 10 occasions, escitalopram on 4, mirtazapine on 3 and imipramine on 1 juncture. Addition of a 2nd antidepressant was seen on 3 occasions because of hapless response with a individual drug. Of them, duloxetine was the first antidepressant on 2 occasions and mirtazapine on 1. Attendant medicines prescribed in the section of Psychiatry: Table 4 shows attendant medicines prescribed in the section of Psychiatry. Completeness of prescription, rightness of drug, dosage, frequence and continuance: Besides patient inside informations and outpatient designation figure, prescriptions contained the patient ‘s primary diagnosing, drug ( s ) prescribed, dose signifier, dosage, frequence of disposal and continuance of intervention along with the day of the months of followup. There was no incorrect dosage, frequence and continuance of intervention ; in some instances, inappropriate drug was prescribed for a incorrect diagnosing which was corrected when primary diagnosing was revised on follow up. Table 5 shows the figure of drugs per prescription among the 192 prescriptions. More than 5 drugs were non prescribed to any patient. Rationality of prescription harmonizing to WHO ordering indexs: As per WHO Prescribing indexs, we observed: Average figure of drugs per prescription: 2.32 ( 446/192 ) Percentage of antidepressant drugs prescribed by generic name: 88.54 % ( 170/192 X 100 ) Percentage of Fixed dose combinations ( FDCs ) of antidepressants: Nothing Percentage of brushs for ordering injections of antidepressants: Nothing Percentage of antidepressant drugs prescribed from Essential Medicines List ( 16th EML of WHO ) : 1.56 % ( 3/192 X 100 ) Percentage of drugs prescribed from the National List of Essential Medicines ( NLEM, endorsed 2002 ) was 2.60 % ( 5/192 X 100 ) . Percentage of drugs prescribed from the infirmary pharmacopeia was 96.35 % ( 185/192 X 100 ) . Defined daily dose ( DDD ) of the antidepressants per 1000 dwellers per twenty-four hours ( DID ) : ATC cryptography, DDD and computation of DID are summarized in Table 6. Entire figure of DIDs of antidepressants was 0.02. Prescribed day-to-day dosage ( PDD ) of the antidepressants and PDD to DDD ratio of the antidepressants: PDD and PDD to DDD ratios are besides summarized in Table 6. Discussion Demographic inside informations: Antidepressants were prescribed more in females ( 51.48 % ) than in males ( 48.52 % ) . This is consistent with findings in other studies.12,13 This female preponderance might reflect the higher prevalence rate of psychiatric morbidity in adult females, peculiarly, depressive and anxiousness upsets and may besides be due to gender functions played by adult females in society, with more voicing of psychological jobs and seeking of professional help.13 The age distribution shows the bulk of patients, having antidepressants belonging to 21-30 old ages age group ( 36.69 % ) . In fact, 66.27 % were aged between 21 and 40 old ages. This is in contrast to the consequences of a survey of antidepressant usage in East Asia, wherein the average age of patients having antidepressant prescriptions was more than 40 years.14 In another survey in Europe, where antidepressants were the 2nd most normally prescribed psychotropic drugs, bulk of the users were between 35 and 49 old ages, with a average age greater than 40 years.13 Psychiatric diagnosings: Depressive upset was the most common psychiatric diagnosing among the population ( n=222 ) , with a prevalence of 47.75 % . It was besides the most common indicant for utilizing antidepressants ( 62.72 % ) , followed by Mixed Anxiety and Depressive upset and Schizophrenia with station schizophrenic depression among the top three diagnosings. Antidepressant drugs prescribed: Antidepressants were the most common psychotropic drugs prescribed ( 76.58 % ) . Choice of antidepressant was based on ICD diagnosing, badness of disease/disorder, co-morbidity, drug efficaciousness and considerations for patients ‘ tolerability. Most common antidepressant prescribed was the Selective Noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor ( SNRI ) duloxetine ( 50 % ) . The newer antidepressants – duloxetine, escitalopram, Zoloft and mirtazapine accounted for the majority of prescriptions. ( 96.36 % ) , which follows the planetary tendency towards antidepressant prescribing.14-18 In many surveies, Selective 5-hydroxytryptamine re-uptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) accounted for the majority of the prescribed antidepressants, with high ordering rates.14-17 In our survey, SSRIs – escitalopram, Zoloft and Prozac were prescribed on 57 out of 192 occasions ( 29.69 % ) . Among the SSRIs, escitalopram was the preferable drug. Again, this is in contra st to findings in the East Asian survey on antidepressant usage, wherein Prozac and Zoloft were prescribed more often than escitalopram and its usage was lower than Desyrel, mirtazapine, impramine hydrochloride and amitryptiline. However, ordering rates of tricyclic antidepressants impramine hydrochloride and amitryptiline were lower than the prevalent norms.14 Doses of antidepressants were prescribed harmonizing to badness of disease/disorder, get downing with low doses and titrated upward or downward harmonizing to clinical response and patients were kept on regular followup. Duloxetine was the most common antidepressant prescribed in Depressive upset ( 56.56 % ) , Mixed Anxiety and Depressive Disorder ( 41.38 % ) and in BPAD ( 62.50 % ) . Most common antidepressant prescribed in Schizophrenia with post-schizophrenic depression was escitalopram ( 44.44 % ) , and in OCD, Zoloft ( 80 % ) . Substitutions and Adjunctive antidepressants: Prescription of a individual antidepressant was common and occurred in 98.44 % of instances. Reasons for altering an antidepressant were hapless curative response or unbearable inauspicious effects. Duloxetine was the most normally substituted antidepressant. It was besides the most common antidepressant to which adjunctive antidepressant drug was prescribed. Attendant medicines prescribed in the section of Psychiatry: Ataractic soporifics were the most common group of drugs prescribed ( 65.10 % ) concomitantly with antidepressants, followed by major tranquilizers, temper stabilizers, trihexiphenidyl, acamprosate, propranolol and vitamin B1. Except for Vitamin B1, which was prescribed in Alcohol Dependence, and propranolol, which was prescribed for intervention of shudders, all others were psychoactive medicines. Trihexiphenidyl was prescribed to counter the extrapyramidal inauspicious effects of attendant major tranquilizers. Completeness of prescription, rightness of drug, dosage, frequence and continuance: Rational prescribing was followed as per the rules of prescription order writing.19 Sing the definitions of polypharmacy which are most normally cited, there was no polypharmacy because there was no prescribing of antidepressant medicine which did non fit diagnosing and there was no prescription with more than 5 drugs.20 68.23 % of the prescriptions ( 131 out of 192 ) had 2 drugs or less, which is recommended. However, there were instances where wrong diagnosing led to ordering of inappropriate drug ab initio ; it was rectified when primary diagnosing was revised on follow up. Clinicians ‘ pick of drug was non based chiefly on affordability for the patient, so the cheapest drug was non ever prescribed. Rationality of prescription harmonizing to WHO ordering indexs: The mean figure of drugs per prescription was more than 2, which is high. But, we had excluded all prescriptions where antidepressants were non prescribed. So, prescriptions where merely guidance was provided were non considered, in which instance the figure of prescriptions with less than 2 drugs would hold risen, thereby conveying down the mean figure of drugs per brush. Ordering by generic names was high ( 88.54 % ) and close to 100 % . There were no fixed dosage combinations ( FDCs ) or injectible readyings prescribed, which indicate rational prescribing patterns. The per centum of drugs prescribed from the 16th WHO Essential Medicines List and the National Essential Medicines List ( endorsed 2002 ) was low. However, per centum of drugs prescribed from the infirmary pharmacopeia was really high ( 96.35 % ) . This indicates the demand to convey about a balance between clinicians ‘ petitions for maintaining a dru g in the infirmary pharmacopeia and the recommendations of WHO and National Essential Medicines Lists. ATC Classification, Defined daily dose ( DDD ) and DDD of the antidepressants per 1000 dwellers per twenty-four hours ( DID ) : The anatomical curative chemical ( ATC ) categorization system divides drugs into different groups harmonizing to the organ or system on which they act and their chemical, pharmacological and curative properties.21,22 Each drug is assigned a peculiar combination of letters and Numberss. The defined day-to-day dosage ( DDD ) is the false mean care dose per twenty-four hours for a drug used for its chief indicant in adults.21 DDD was developed to get the better of expostulations against traditional units of measuring of drug ingestion and to guarantee comparison between drug use surveies carried out at different locations and different clip periods. Entire DID of the antidepressants show low ingestion, in crisp contrast to the tendency of Western European states and the USA, particularly during the last decennary, with high rates of antidepressant prescribing and consumption.9,22,23 DID for duloxetine can be interpreted as 0.0025 out of 1000 patients or 0.025 % would hold used a dosage of 60mg. Similarly, DIDs of escitalopram, mirtazapine, Zoloft, impramine hydrochloride, Desyrel, amitryptiline and Prozac can be interpreted as ingestion of their several DDDs by a population of 0.019 % , 0.004 % , 1.007 % , 0.003 % , 0.019 % , 0.12 % and 0.00007 % . Prescribed day-to-day dosage ( PDD ) of the antidepressants: The prescribed day-to-day dosage ( PDD ) is defined as the norm dosage prescribed harmonizing to a representative sample of prescriptions. It is of import to associate the PDD to the diagnosing on which the dose is based. The PDD will give the mean day-to-day sum of a drug that is really prescribed. PDD is particularly of import for drugs where the recommended dose differs from one indicant to another ( e.g. psychotropic drugs ) . When there is a significant disagreement between the PDD and the DDD, it is of import to take this into consideration when evaluating and construing drug use figures, peculiarly in footings of morbidity.24 PDD to DDD ratio of the antidepressants: Ratio of PDD to DDD is frequently used as an indicant of the adequateness of dosing. A ratio less than 1 as seen in instance of duloxetine and mirtazapine indicates under-dosing. A ratio greater than 1 was seen for Zoloft and amitryptiline. All other antidepressants showed a PDD to DDD ratio equal to 1, reflecting the adequateness of dosing in these cases.25 Restrictions of the survey: Our consequences should, nevertheless, be seen in the visible radiation of the little sample size, compared to the surveies with which they have been compared. Restrictions of the survey were the deficiency of patient attention indexs and some of the installation indexs like handiness of drugs and impact of cost on drug intervention, which increase the public-service corporation of the survey, but which can be derived prospectively merely. As with any drug use survey, existent usage or conformity with prescribed antidepressant was non possible to supervise, more so with a retrospective survey of instance records, where notes on conformity are missing. Furthermore, we could non quantify informations on comparative clinical effectivity of the antidepressants. Strengths of the survey: Strengths of the survey are the usage of a structured proforma for informations aggregation with inside informations of drug prescriptions on follow up visits, and a comprehensive application of drug use tools like ATC/DDD categorization and computation of DID and PDD/DDD ratios to measure prevalence of antidepressant usage in the community of the survey population. Documentation of longitudinal follow-up informations gives a better thought of drug ingestion than transverse sectional informations. Data on drug permutations and augmentations every bit good as attendant psychotropic medicines are besides provided. Decision: Our survey shows that depressive upset was the most common psychiatric diagnosing in the population and antidepressants were the most normally prescribed psychotropic medical specialties. There was a higher prevalence of antidepressant prescribing for adult females. Majority of antidepressants were prescribed to immature and older grownups between 21and 40 old ages. The SNRI Duloxetine, the SSRIs escitalopram and Zoloft and the untypical antidepressant mirtazapine were the most normally prescribed antidepressants, with or without other attendant psychotropic medical specialties. Most patients were treated by a individual antidepressant. However, hapless response and/or tolerability considerations made the prescribers change the antidepressant or add a 2nd antidepressant. Antidepressants were prescribed for many indicants other than depressive upset and head-shrinkers ‘ pick of drug was influenced by diagnosing, badness of disease/disorder, co-morbidity, drug efficacio usness, and considerations for patients ‘ tolerability, but non chiefly on the cost of medicine. Prescriptions were complete and polypharmacy was non seen. Favorable and unfavorable results were seen for 3 and 2 WHO ordering indexs severally. Consumption of antidepressants in the community was low. Adequate dosing was seen for all antidepressants, except for duloxetine and mirtazapine, for which under-dosing was prevailing. Recommendations: There is a demand for prospective drug use surveies to get the better of some of the restrictions of our survey. Ordering wonts among head-shrinkers can be improved farther by making consciousness about taking drugs from the Essential Medicines List and cut down prescription of ataractic soporifics. Such steps can diminish the figure of drugs per prescription and besides the cost of therapy. Prescribers should besides be encouraged to look into for patients ‘ conformity with the prescribed medicines and to enter them in the instance sheets. Such steps will advance the rational usage of medical specialties and finally, the quality of health care.

Friday, January 3, 2020

African-American History Timeline 1970 to 1979

The decade of the 1970s is known as the beginning of the Post-Civil Rights Movement Era. With several federal acts of legislation established to protect the rights of all Americans, the 1970s marked the start of a new era. During this decade, African-Americans made great strides in politics, academe as well as business.   1970 January: Dr. Clifton Wharton Jr. is appointed as president of Michigan State University. Dr. Wharton is the first African-American to head a predominately white university in the 20th century. February 18: The Chicago Seven, which included Bobby Seale, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner were acquitted of charges to incite a riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. May: The first issue of the women’s magazine Essence is published. June 16: Kenneth Gibson (1932–2019) is elected the first African-American mayor of Newark, NJ, ousting a two-term white incumbent. August: Businessman Earl Graves Sr. publishes the first issue of Black Enterprise. Playwright Charles Gordone (1925–1995) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for the play, â€Å"No Place to Be Somebody.† He is the first African-American to hold such a distinction. 1971 March 30: The Congressional Black Caucus  is established in Washington D.C. December: The People United to Save Humanity (later renamed the People United to Serve Humanity or Operation PUSH) is founded by the Reverend Jesse Jackson. George Ellis Johnsons Johnson Products becomes the first African-American owned company to be listed on a major U.S. stock exchange. February 9: Leroy â€Å"Satchel† Paige is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. He is the first former Negro Baseball League player to be inducted. March: Beverly Johnson is the first African-American woman to grace the cover of a major fashion publication when she is featured on the cover of Glamour. 1972 January 25: New York Congresswoman  Shirley Chisholm (1924–2005) is the first African-American person to campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Chisholm’s bid is unsuccessful. February 16: Basketball player Wilt Chamberlain becomes the first National Basketball Association (NBA) player to score more than 30,000 points during his career. March 10–12: The first National Black Political Convention takes place in Gary, Indiana, and about 10,000 African-Americans attend. November 17: Barbara Jordan and Andrew Young become the first African-American Congressional representatives from the South since 1898. 1973 The Children’s Defense Fund is established by civil rights activist Marian Wright Edelman. May 20: Thomas Bradley (1917–1998) is elected mayor Los Angeles. Bradley is the first African-American to hold this position and is reelected four times, holding his position for 20 years. August 15: The National Black Feminist Organization is formed by Floyrnce Flo Kennedy and Margaret Sloan-Hunter and supported by Eleanor Holmes Norton, then head and attorney of New Yorks Human Rights Commission. October 16: Maynard H. Jackson Jr. (1938–2003) is elected as the first African-American mayor of Atlanta with nearly 60 percent of the vote, and the first to be elected in any major southern city. 1974 January: Coleman Young (1918–1997) is inaugurated as the first African-American mayor of Detroit, after a hotly-contested battle. He would be re-elected four times and serve as mayor for 20 years. April 8: Henry â€Å"Hank† Aaron hits his 715th home run for the Atlanta Braves. Aaron’s breaking Babe Ruths legendary record makes him the all-time leader in home runs in major league baseball. October 3: Frank Robinson (1935–2019) is named the player-manager of the Cleveland Indians and the next spring becomes the first African-American manager of any Major League Baseball team. He would go on to manage the Giants, Orioles, Expos. and Nationals. The Links, Inc. makes the most significant single monetary donation from any African-American organization to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). They had supported the UNCF since the 1960s, and since that time they have donated more than $1 million. 1975   February 26: The day after Elijah Muhammad (1897–1975), founder of the Nation of Islam dies, and his son Wallace D. Muhammad (1933–2008) succeeds him as leader. The younger Muhammad (also known as Warith Deen Mohammed) would define a new direction for the Nation of Islam, ending the separatist philosophy of his father that had banned whites as white devils and changing its name to the World Community of Islam in the West. July 5: Arthur Ashe  (1943–1993) becomes the first African-American to win the British Men’s Singles at Wimbledon, defeating the overwhelming favorite Jimmy Connors. Historian John Hope Franklin (1915–2009) is elected president of the Organization of American Historians (OAH) for the term 1974–1975. In 1979, Franklin would be elected as the president of the American Historical Association (AHA). These appointments made Franklin the first African-American to hold such a position. 1976 July 12: Barbara Jordan (1936–1996), a congresswoman representing Texas is the first African-American woman to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. 1977 January: Patricia Roberts Harris (1924–1985) is the first African-American woman to hold a cabinet position when Jimmy Carter appoints her to oversee Housing and Urban Development. January 23–30: For eight consecutive nights, the miniseries Roots is aired on national television. Not only is the miniseries the first to show viewers the impact of enslavement on American society, but it also achieved the highest ratings for a television program. January 30: Andrew Young is sworn in as the first African-American to become a U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under President Jimmy Carter.   September: Minister Louis Farrakhan distances himself from Warith Deen Mohammeds movement World Community of Islam and begins to revives the Nation of Islam. 1978 Faye Wattleton is the first African-American woman, and at 35 the youngest individual at the time, to preside over Planned Parenthood Federation of America. June 26: The U.S. Supreme Court rules  in the case the University of California Regents v. Bakke that affirmative action can be used as a legal strategy to deal with past discrimination. September 15: Muhammad Ali (1942–2016) is the first heavyweight champion to win the title three times by defeating Leon Spinks in New Orleans. 1979 August 2: The Sugarhill Gang  records the 15-minute-long pioneering hip-hop classic â€Å"Rapper’s Delight.†