Today is World Health Day

1. We must include noise history in our daily practice. Researchers from CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has shown that 58% of hearing difficulty, 14% cases of high BP and 9% cases of high cholesterol in the study could be attributed to noise at work. (March 14, 2018 in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine)
2. In the year 2014 the Ministry of Environment and Forests, framed guidelines under the provisions of Section 15 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1960) and issued guidelines to the University Grant Commission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Pharmacy Council of India and the Medical Council, stating to discontinue dissection and experiments with live animals in universities, colleges, research institutes, hospitals, laboratories and instead use alternatives like computer simulation. If this guidelines are permeant the time has come for the labs to get rid of all equipments like physiograph or kymograhs used in physiology department which are required in frog or animal experiments.
3. Twitter based medicine means without reading the original article you rely on the summary presented by the reviewers.
4. Should I use beta blockers in diabetes. Use of beta-blockers may be associated with an increased mortality risk in patients with diabetes, particularly among those who have coronary heart disease. The findings, from prospective cohort data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2010, are published in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Indian cardiologist may like to react on this.
5. Vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas) Campaign: The tumor account for 80 to 90 percent of CP angle tumors in adults. Never ignore unilateral sensorineural hearing loss especially in association with tinnitus. Rapid tumor growth means >2.5 mm/year growth.
6. Persons who complain of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation like symptoms after binge alcoholism should have their Holter test starting after intake of binge alcohol and done for next 24 hours. (Binge Holter test). If AF is seen this can be a good reason for them to stop alcohol.
7. Atrial fibrillation is a new epidemic of the society. Lest revisit some terms. Paroxysmal (self-terminating or intermittent) AF is that terminates spontaneously or with intervention within seven days of onset. Persistent AF: that fails to self-terminate within seven days. Long-standing persistent AF: that lasts more than 12 months. Permanent AF: persistent AF where a joint decision by the patient and clinician has been made to no longer pursue a rhythm control strategy.
8. Heat stroke prediction: Maximum temperatures were markedly above normal (5.1°C or more) at many parts of Jammu & Kashmir; appreciably above normal (3.1°C to 5.0°C) at most parts of Uttarakhand and West Madhya Pradesh; at many parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Rajasthan and East Madhya Pradesh. The highest maximum temperature of 43.2°C was recorded at Chandrapur (Vidharbha) over the plains of the country
9. Can you imagine: One middle aged Indian female was operated for large CP angle tumor in US. No antibiotics were used before, during or after surgery.
10. Prevention of surgical site infection: Shaving hair with razors at the planned operative site should be avoided; if hair removal is absolutely necessary, it may be performed with clippers or depilatory agents ( Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2014; 35:605).