%0 Journal Article %J Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine %D 2022 %T Differentiation of the β-thalassemia Trait from Iron Deficiency Anaemia by Red Cell Indices among Pregnant Women in Southern Haryana %A Divya Mangla %A Sundar Pal Singh %A Nikhil Bansal %A Sheetal Gole %A Ravinder Kharolia %A Abhishek Singh %K Beta thalassemia trait %K Iron deficiency anaemia %K Pregnant women %K Red cell morphology. %X

Background: Due to similar red cell morphology, patients of beta thalassemia trait ( -TT) are often misdiagnosed as Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) and given unnecessary iron medication. Facilities for diagnosing them are usually not available in underserved areas where health system and laboratory facilities are not strengthened. Aim: We planned this study to discriminate -TT from IDA by red cell indices among pregnant women in southern Haryana. Methods: One hundred and forty eight antenatal women were screened for presence of anaemia with help of haemoglobin value at the time of admission. Typing of anaemia was done. After staining, it was examined for red cell morphology and various red cell indices were also noted. Results: Of total 148 pregnant women, 104 were found to be anaemic thus the overall prevalence of anaemia was found to be 70.27% (104/148) in our study. Microcytic hypochromic picture (38.4%), followed by normocytic hypochromic to microcytic hypochromic (20.1%) was predominant on peripheral blood film (PBF) examination followed by dimorphic anaemia. RBC count was found to be normal in 85.5% cases followed by decreased count in 14.4% cases. None of the case had increased RBC count. MCV was normal in 58.6% of cases followed by decreased below 80 femtolitre in 28.8% of cases. Conclusion: Higher prevalence of anaemia in pregnant women indicates that anaemia still continues to be a major health problem in India. In resource constrained settings, where definitive diagnostic facilities do not exist; red cell indices may be used to discriminate -TT from IDA among pregnant women.

%B Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine %V 8 %P 14-17 %8 May 2022 %G eng %N 1 %9 Original Article %& 14 %R 10.5530/jppcm.2022.1.4 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine %D 2021 %T COVID-19 in India: Weighing Schools Reopening Amid Black Clouds of Third Wave Hovering Around %A Vikas Gupta %A Abhishek Singh %X

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) wreaked havoc across the globe with the onset of year 2020, which posed an extra ordinary situation in front of mankind. The black clouds of third wave are still hovering around us. We all have seen a lot of ups and downs with respect to every front of this disease including restriction of movements and closure of schools. In the current scenario, many voices are being heard to reopen the school with a justification that if we don’t open the schools then we going to witness a generation that has missed months or years of schooling. In this regard, we must weigh the decision or consideration of reopening of schools against amid third wave predictions in near future. Read more...

%B Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine %V 7 %P 41-43 %8 December 2021 %G eng %N 3 %9 Editorial article %& 41 %R 10.5530/jppcm.2021.3.10 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine %D 2021 %T COVID-19 Pandemic and Bio-Ethical Challenges %A Abhishek Singh %A Sunny Ohlan %A Deepika Agrawal %K Nil %X

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) wreaked havoc across the globe with the onset of year 2020, which posed an extra ordinary situation in front of humankind. As the pandemic continues to progress, everyday challenges are faced by health worker in the history of mankind, because medical profession is bound by ethics our health workers are facing unprecedented ethical dilemmas and challenges in the era of COVID-19 pandemic.

Beauchamp TL and Childress JF articulated following four tenets of Biomedical ethics with which all the healthcare workers must abide Autonomy, Justice, Nonmaleficence and Beneficence.[1] India reported a record high of 352 991 daily confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2812 deaths on 25 April, according to the Johns Hopkins University database.[2] Hospitals in India have been pleading publicly for help as they run out of oxygen. At least 20 COVID-19 patients died at the private Jaipur Golden Hospital in North West Delhi following a dip in oxygen pressure.[3]

Scarcity of Resources in India in COVID-19 Pandemic forced country to take help from other countries in this pathetic condition. The UK announced it is sending nine airline container loads of supplies to India, including 495 oxygen concentrator devices, 120 non-invasive ventilators, and 20 manual ventilators. The first shipment is to arrive in New Delhi on 27 April with further shipments to follow later in the week.[4] Read more...

%B Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine %V 7 %P 20-23 %8 August 2021 %G eng %N 2 %9 Editorial %& 20 %R 10.5530/jppcm.2021.2.5