1. Taking blood pressure in both arms may reveal a higher heart attack risk. A difference of 10 points or more means a 38% greater chance of having a heart attack.
2. If you’re taking daily aspirin for your heart, don’t use coated aspirin. It won’t protect your stomach AND not all the aspirin will get into your blood stream. You’re better off with chewable “baby aspirin.”
3. Not all dietary fat wreaks havoc on your heart and memory. Saturated fat (in butter and red meat) can harm both memory and artery health while monosaturated fats (in olive oil and fish) actually improve both memory and heart health.
4. Consumer protection act: This Act has provided machinery whereby consumers can file their complaints which will be heard by the consumer forums with special powers so that action can be taken against erring suppliers and the possible compensation may be awarded to consumer for the hardships he has undergone. The provisions of the Act are compensatory in nature.
5. Clinical establishment act redressal does not take away the right of a person to approach the consumer court also at the same time.
6. CDSO Drug and cosmetic rules: In case of clinical trial related injury or death, the Sponsor or his representative shall pay the compensation as per the order of the DCG(I) within thirty days of the receipt of such order. Its compulsory payment. The affected person can still can go to consumer court after getting a redressal from CDSO. The equivalent answer is incorporating compensation liability at the time of admission and paying at the earliest with an internal mechanism. Fixed 2 lac for serious patients (life expectancy < 1 month), fixed 4 lac (life expectancy < 6 months) and up to 48 lac based on the formula as formulated in drug and cosmetic act. The drug and cosmetic rule formula is a part of the clinical trial consent.
7. Penal provisions for clerical errors must be out of all acts and not only PC PNDT act.
8. FDA: Glucometers using capillary samples produce an accurate result, defined as within plus or minus 12 mg/dL, for glucose concentrations below 75 mg/dL in 85% to 91% of the samples. For glucose concentrations above 75 mg/dL, the device readings were accurate in from 85% to 86% of the samples.
9. March 22 in JAMA: Not p = < 0.05 but consider P = 0.005 as the new value in statistics
10. Hospitalization rates but not mortality for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) are on the rise, according to CDC.
11. The Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI)s new rule of registration of clinical trials only prospectively has come into effect from April 1, 2018. The new rule practically means that registration of clinical trials/studies will be done before the enrolment of the first patient. Till now, CTRI accepts and registers trials which are ongoing and completed.
12. Up to 30 people were exposed to a used needle during blood sugar tests conducted at a community camp in Toronto. Needles were “not consistently changed between clients” during the free tests. Toronto Public Health has called and written to everyone who had their glucose levels checked at the fair, recommending they get blood tests as a precaution to reduce chances of hepatitis B and C. (In India lancet should be given at registration so that there is no mix up)
13. A comprehensive duplex ultrasound protocol from thigh to ankle with Doppler at selected sites rather than a limited or complete compression-only examination should be the protocol of choice for DVT protocol.
14. A 53-year-old husband has approached the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), Delhi, demanding Rs2.6 crore compensation from a Dhantoli-based hospital accusing its doctors of negligence that led to tragic death of his wife. TOI
15. According to a paper published in August in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), gabapentin was the 10th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States in 2016.
16. Temperatures more than 40.0°C are recorded at some parts of West Rajasthan and Vidarbha; and one or two pockets of Punjab, East Rajasthan, Gujarat region, West Madhya Pradesh and Marathwada
17. Cocoa is a rich source of minerals including magnesium (helps to maintain healthy bones and promote muscle relaxation), iron (helps to maintain healthy red blood cell production) and zinc (helps to make new cells in the body).
18. BENGALURU: The family of two-year-old Niranjan Manoj and about 40 members of Native Empowering & Equipping Team for Hope and Interaction (NETHI) on Tuesday staged a protest in front of People Tree Hospital in Goreguntepalya over a case of alleged gross medical negligence that rendered a seven-month-old healthy baby disabled in November 2016. (the new Indian express)
19. Zimbabwe.com: MUTARE: Medical personnel in the country will be jailed for 2 years or pay a fine of up to $5 000 for negligence on duty if the proposed 2017 Health Bill is passed into law
20. New Indian Express: A Primary Health Centre (PHC) at the seaside Batighar village in Mahakalapada block is running without a doctor for the last two years.
21. Economic Times: Policybazar.com, Indias largest insurance website and comparison portal, is planning to foray into the healthcare technology and services space.
22. The Times of India: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday assured doctors of stepping up security to protect them from attacks by patients’ families that have become an almost everyday ordeal at hospitals.
23. Deccan Chronicle: Chennai-based healthcare provider — Medibazaar — launched its unique portal with a view to help people access affordable medical treatment with the click of a mouse or a swipe on the touch screen of the smartphone. The portal — www.medibazaar.com — primarily aims at integrating patients, hospitals, laboratories, scan centers, pharmacies and other peripheral medical services into a single unit at minimal cost.

Dr KK Aggarwal

Padma Shri Awardee

Vice President CMAAO

President HCFI

emedinews@gmail.com