Objective: To study association between the geographic location (latitude) of studies evaluating protective effect of BCG vaccine and it's efficacy / effectiveness against tuberculosis. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was carried out to identify relevant studies. Data extraction from these studies included place of study (geographic latitude), study design and reported point estimate of protective effect of BCG vaccine against tuberculosis. Information on latitude was obtained from Oxford School Atlas for World Geography. A spearman rank correlation coefficient was estimated to study the association between the latitude of studies and protective effect of BCG vaccine. Results: The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was significant for all studies grouped together & trials and marginally non-significant for other observational studies. However it was not statistically significant for case-control studies and cohort studies. Overall rho (for 80 studies) between latitude and protective effect of BCG was calculated to be 0.3853 (p = 0.0004). The results thus demonstrated that, in general BCG appeared to provide greater protection at higher latitudes. Thus a correlation coefficient of 0.3853 between latitude and protective effect would indicate that (0.3853)2 or 15 % of the variance in protective effect was accounted for by latitude. Conclusion: The study recognized an association between geographic locations of studies and reported protective effects of BCG vaccine against tuberculosis.

Objective: To assess the status of iodine deficiency in the population of Orissa and track progress of the elimination efforts. Methods: A community based field survey was conducted. Data was collected using quantitative and qualitative research methods. Standard internationally recommended protocol and methodology was followed. Thirty clusters were selected using population proportionate to size sampling technique. School children aged 6 to 12 years were selected as target group. Goiter prevalence, urinary iodine excretion in the target group and iodine content of the salt at household were used as outcome variables. Results: A total of 1200 children were studied. The total goiter rate was found to be 8.0%, of which 7.6% were grade I and 0.4% was grade-II goiter. The median urinary iodine excretion was found to be 85.4 μg/L and 32.2% of the subjects had urinary iodine levels less than 50 μg/L. Estimation of iodine content by titration method revealed that in only 45 % of households salt was found to be adequately iodised. (Salt with iodine level ΃ 15 ppm). Conclusion: Iodine deficiency continues to be a public health problem in Orissa and the need to accelerate efforts to iodine sufficiency cannot be overemphasized.

Cervical cancer is the commonest cancer among Indian women. The predominant risk factor is persistent infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) which is now well established. Despite being the commonest cancer, and the fact that it is a type of cancer, which can be detected early by sensitive screening methods there is no effective screening programme or preventive strategy for reducing its burden. This article reviewed the published studies that has been carried out in India during 1965-2005 on cervical cancer with emphasis on screening by Pap smear and other alternative methods. Conventionally, Pap smear cytology is the only method for screening; but recently various studies have been carried out to explore alternative methods like visual inspection methods. Due to the operational difficulties by Pap smear, these alternative screening methods could be more feasible for organized population based screening in a low resource country. There is therefore a need for initiating screening programmes within the existing health system in India.

Media influences behaviour, especially of the young children and adolescents in various ways. The present study examined the media coverage of a judicial hanging and its immediate social effect. In a qualitative study the media coverage of a case of a judicial hanging was thoroughly discussed and the media influence, for over a period of ten weeks of the incident, in terms of suicide and copying of hanging among children, was collected and analysed. Eighteen cases were reported as an aftermath of this hanging: 1 suicide and 17 imitative hanging in children with 5 deaths. This report calls for attention that media should be cautious and responsible in presenting the news items that have potential social impact.

Hypertension is becoming a public health emergency worldwide, especially in the developing countries. The job of bank employees is both sedentary in nature and accompanies high levels of mental stress, thereby at a higher risk of developing hypertension. The present cross-sectional study was conducted to find out the prevalence and the determinants of hypertension among bank employees of Meerut district. Prevalence of hypertension was found to be 69.5%. Hypertension was significantly associated with age ΃45 years, alcohol intake, waist circumference, body mass index and diabetes.

A cross sectional study was done to ascertain the current knowledge among physicians and optometrists regarding diabetic retinopathy in a district of West Bengal. We obtained response from 242 physicians and 36 optometrists working in government health units. The questionnaire comprised of three sections covering magnitude of problem, risk factors and management. The responses were analysed and graded. In different sections, knowledge of 74 - 78% physicians and 83 - 86% optometrists was graded as not acceptable. Existing lack of knowledge among physicians and optometrists regarding diabetic retinopathy needs correction.

A retrospective data analysis of records from medical records department of Goa Medical College Hospital was done to analyse the trends of various bed utilisation indices from 1999 - 2006. Average length of stay, bed occupancy rate, turnover interval and bed turnover ratio were the indices calculated. During the eight year period from 1999 to 2006, the average length of stay for the entire hospital registered a small decline from 6.23 to 5.51 days, the overall bed occupancy rate increased from 72.13% to 83.12% and the bed turnover interval declined from 2.41 days to 1.12 days. The Orthopaedics ward had the highest increase in bed occupancy and also fastest decline in turnover interval in 2006. Bed utilization indices are an objective measure of the efficiency of the hospital management system.

A study was conducted on the 52 serologically positive cases of dengue, admitted to the Dept. of Paediatrics, R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, from an outbreak in Kolkata. The most unusual feature observed in this study was that the rash in some cases was urticarial and intensely pruritic. The shock appeared early in the course of the disease and it was less commonly associated with bleeding(22%). One out of three dengue cases was a severe disease. It was not possible to predict a severe disease from the early symptomatology.

A study was conducted to compare and quantify the treatment outcome in re-treatment cases as compared to the new smear positive cases of Tuberculosis under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program in District Tuberculosis Center, Yavatmal district, Maharastra in 2003. The cure rates were 68% and 84% in the new smear positive and the re-treatment group respectively. Favorable outcomes were significantly less in the re-treatment group (66.47%) as compared to the new smear positive cases (84.28%). Unfavorable outcome of default and failure was also more among different subgroups of re-treatment category.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the level of patients' satisfaction with hospital care in Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal among inpatients during the month of May 2007. Interview schedule was developed covering certain domains regarding patients care. Overall satisfaction level was determined by using a summated Likert score. Most of the patients (260, 74.1%) were satisfied with the overall care received. Patients were found to be unsatisfied in the domains pertaining to admission procedure (145, 41.3%), comfort and cleanliness (164, 46.7%), food service (194, 55.3%). Patient admitted in the Obstetrics and Gynecology ward showed a significantly higher level of dissatisfaction as compared to patients from other departments (p<0.03).

This health center based study was conducted to find out the proportion and distribution of clinico-social factors for sexually transmitted diseases among male OPD attanders of urban health centre, Subharti Medical College, Meerut. Out of the total 150 male cases of genital diseases from January to June 2005, 42 were found to be symptomatic for STDs according to syndromic approach. The most common symptom was urethral discharge (35.7%). Illiteracy, trucker's occupation, multiple sex partners, extra marital relationship and non-usage of condom were found to be important socio-clinical factors for STDs.

A study was conducted to evaluate the RNTCP in Habra TB, unit North 24 Parganas district, in February 2004. We collected both primary and secondary data, cross-checked registers and records. The TB unit was catering 23% more population; 54% of patients belonged to backward section. All patients received free drugs and free microscopy services; 90% received DOT during intensive phase and 67% during continuation phase; DOT time was inconvenient to 20% patients and 30% in attending DOT; 14% patients did not give three sputum samples at diagnosis; 28.3% centers lacked expected facilities; inconsistency in 27.8% drug boxes; records lacking in address verification (74.4%) and defaulter retrieval activity (47.2%). Delay in diagnosis and initiation of treatment was also prevailed.

A cross-sectional survey on the practice of self-medication was carried out in September 2005, among 1928 residents of urban resettlement colony in New Delhi. Prevalence of self-medication among those who had suffered some illness episode in the last one month was 31.3%. Head/joint/body ache were the most common symptoms for which self-medication was practiced. Chemists were the main source of prescription for self-medication. Time and money factor were identified as the major reasons for not seeking doctor's advice and taking self-medication instead. It was of concern that about 87% users were not aware of side effects of self-medication.