Always start Allopurinol with 100 mg dose

Public Health

The US Centers for Disease Control has launched its latest round of ads designed to discourage smoking. The "Tips from Former Smokers" campaign features real-life people who have suffered real health effects of smoking. One of the new ads includes a woman named Christine who had to have half of her jaw removed because of oral cancer. Others feature a man who suffered heart disease and lung cancer. Another profiles a woman compelled to quit smoking after her mother died of lung cancer. The Centers for Disease Control estimates the ads have prompted more than five-million smokers to try to quit since the campaign began in 2012.

In a bid to achieve 100 percent institutional deliveries in the state, Haryana Government has launched “zero home delivery campaign” in the state. During this campaign every home delivery is being tracked, reviewed with root cause analysis and corrective and preventive action were taken.

Scientists at Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC) of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Pondicherry University have successfully used fly ash as a carrier for Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis (Bti), a bio-pesticide used for killing larvae of many insects. The results of the study have been published in Indian Journal of Medical Research.

Microhospitals are changing healthcare options. These small, typically low-trauma facilities often cater to the needs of a particular community. They have this short-stay recovery, where about 92% of patients stay 90 minutes or less and only 8% are kept overnight.

Medico Legal

Korea is considering “sorry law,” or the apology law. The law refers to the prohibition of using a physician’s apology at the court. This is already established in 35 states of America. With this law, there’s no legal fear of saying, “I’m sorry, I made a mistake.”

WHO publishes 7 voices in global fight of malaria. Bill Gates is also one of them. Behind the microscope: advances in malaria research: Dr Neena Valecha is Director of Indias National Institute of Malaria Research. In this interview, she underscores the importance of research in providing the foundation of evidence that is needed to make headway in tackling malaria, and shares her thoughts on the progress achieved in this dynamic field. http://www.who.int/malaria/news/2018/world-malaria-day-interviews/en/

Financial

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Clinical

Preliminary findings from the ARRIVE trial [NCT01990612] that suggest that induction of labor at an earlier gestational age may actually reduce the risk of caesarean.

A German study has shown no evidence that electric cars exhibit electromagnetic interference with cardiac implantable electronic devices. These cars were not associated with pacing inhibition, inappropriate shocks, or device reprogramming when tested under three conditions, according to a group led by Carsten Lennerz, MD, of Deutsches Herzzentrum München in Germany:

Allopurinol associated cutaneous adverse reactions severe enough to require hospitalization occurs 3-6 times as often in Asians, blacks, and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders than in whites or Hispanics, and up to 12 times as often in members of the high-risk groups who were also female and older than 60 years, researchers report in April 13 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

The elevated risk parallels the frequency of the HLA-B*5801 allele in each ethnic/racial group, and higher risk is associated with initial allopurinol dosing of more than 100 mg/day. The findings support current recommendations that allopurinol be initiated at a dose of 100 mg/day or lower.

Tourism

4th Meeting of the National Medical and Wellness Tourism Board 12th April, 2018: Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, while making his intervention, mentioned that there are institutional issues regarding Centre-State coordination the State Governments may be encouraged to create State Medical and Wellness Tourism Board. It was also suggested that, in order to solve the difficulties being faced by patients from African countries with no Indian Missions, the facility of e-Visa may be extended to those countries. It was mentioned that Ministry of Commerce would like to introduce Medical Tourism hubs utilising the unused capacity in the Special Economic Zones. Requirement for skilled personnel be addressed. The Board was also informed that issues like flight connectivity and those regarding ease of payments have been taken up by the Ministry of Commerce.