Effect of platelet storage duration on platelet increment and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients - A randomised controlled trial.

Background And Objectives: Platelet storage duration may influence transfusion effectiveness and patient outcomes.The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of platelet storage duration on platelet increment and clinical outcomes in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Material And Methods: This prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial, conducted at a single centre, enrolled ICU patients requiring platelet transfusion.

Capacity and crisis: examining the state-level policy response to COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu, India.

The capacity of government agencies to develop effective policy responses to external shocks is an important area of focus for health policy processes, as illustrated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few empirical studies exploring sub-national capacity of governments and the influence of institutional, organizational and political factors in shaping the policy response to complex emergencies have been conducted. The purpose of this study is to examine the governance capacity to develop and implement a policy response to a major health emergency-COVID-19-in Tamil Nadu, India, and to understand the factors shaping governance capacity during the first and second waves (2020-2021).

Kerala's progress towards universal health coverage: the road travelled and beyond.

Background: Kerala has initiated many Universal Health Coverage (UHC) reforms in the last decade. The Aardram Mission launched in 2017 stands out owing to its scope, objectives, and commitments for strengthening Primary Health Care (PHC) in the State. The current study proposes to explore access and financial protection through the lens of equity in Kerala especially in the context of major UHC reforms carried out during the last decade.

Wealth and education-related inequalities in the utilisation of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health interventions within scheduled tribes in India: an analysis of Odisha and Jharkhand.

Background: The utilisation of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) services remains lower among the Scheduled Tribes (ST) in India than among the rest of the country's population. The tribal population's poorest and least-educated households are further denied access to RMNCH care due to the intersection of their social status, wealth, and education levels. The study analyses the wealth- and education-related inequalities in the utilisation of RMNCH services within the ST population in Odisha and Jharkhand.

Does Public Spending Reflect the Need for Health: A Cross-sectional Analysis at District Level in India.

Background: There is mixed evidence on the extent of association between the allocation of public revenue for healthcare and its indicators of need.

Objective: In this study, we examined the relationship between allocations through state health financing (SHF) and the Central Government with infant mortality.

Materials And Methods: District-wise infant mortality rate (IMR) was computed using National Family Health Survey-4 data.

Wealth inequalities in nutritional status among the tribal under-5 children in India: A temporal trend analysis using NFHS data of Jharkhand and Odisha states - 2006-21.

Background: Undernutrition remains a major public health concern in India, especially among children belonging to the Scheduled Tribes (ST). In this study, we analyse wealth inequalities in nutritional outcomes within ST communities in two tribal-dominated states of India, namely, Odisha and Jharkhand. The study also compares the trends in nutrition outcomes between ST and Non-ST children in these states.

Monitoring thyroid function during amiodarone use.

Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic drug used to treat cardiac tachyarrhythmias. It has many adverse effects, with thyroid dysfunction one of the most notable. Through various mechanisms, both thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism can occur secondary to amiodarone therapy.

Geometric entropy of plant leaves: A measure of morphological complexity.

Shape is an objective characteristic of an object. A boundary separates a physical object from its surroundings. It defines the shape and regulates energy flux into and from an object.

Development and validation of a gel wax phantom to evaluate geometric accuracy and measurement of a hyperechoic target diameter in diagnostic ultrasound imaging.

Diagnostic ultrasound (US) scanners are generally evaluated using proprietary quality assurance (QA) phantoms, but their prohibitively high cost may prevent organizations to perform the necessary tests. This study aimed to develop a low-cost gel wax phantom with targets to determine the lateral and axial resolution and diameter of a hyperechoic target in an US scanner. The acoustic property (AP) of gel wax, which includes the speed of sound (c), acoustic impedance (Z), and attenuation coefficient (µ), were determined for multiple transducers operating at 2.

Patient perspectives on home-spirometry in interstitial lung disease: a qualitative co-designed study.

Background: Opportunities for home-monitoring are increasing exponentially. Home- spirometry is reproducible and reliable in interstitial lung disease (ILD), yet patients' experiences are not reported. Given the morbidity and mortality associated with ILDs, maintaining health-related quality-of-life is vital.

Variations in the prevalence of caesarean section deliveries in India between 2016 and 2021 - an analysis of Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh.

Background: The prevalence of C-sections in India increased from 17.2% to 2006 to 21.5% in 2021.

Association of blood donor characteristics with hemoglobin content in leukoreduced packed red blood cells.

Background And Objectives: A complex relationship exists between donor characteristics and red blood cell quality which remains partly explored. The present study aimed to determine the correlation of donor characteristics with the hemoglobin (Hb) content of leukoreduced packed red blood cells (PRBC).

Materials And Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 blood donors.

Cost of delivering primary healthcare services through public sector in India.

Background & Objectives: Public health spending on primary healthcare has increased by four times (in real terms) over the last decade and continues to constitute more than half of the total public health expenditure. The present study estimated the cost of providing healthcare services at sub centre (SC) and primary health centre (PHC) level in four selected States of India.

Methods: A total of 51 SCs and 33 PHCs were selected across the four States (Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Kerala and Tamil Nadu) of India.

Stakeholders' Perspective on Working Towards a Healthy Ageing Society: Evidence from a Rapidly Ageing Context.

The combined demographic and epidemiologic transition may significantly challenge the ageing population, especially with a weak health and non-health supporting system. The study aims to elicit the supply side stakeholders' view on healthy ageing and the readiness for a healthy ageing society in the Kerala context, which is one of India's most advanced states in terms of demographic and epidemiologic transition. Data from various stakeholders in the field of Gerontology was collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews.

Development of a Health Technology Assessment Quality Appraisal Checklist (HTA-QAC) for India.

Objective: We aim to develop a comprehensive checklist for evaluating Health Technology Assessment (HTA) studies commissioned in India. The primary objective of this work is to capture all vital aspects of an HTA study in terms of conduct, reporting and quality.

Methodology: The development of a quality appraisal checklist included 3 steps.

Wealth related inequality in women and children malnutrition in the state of Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu.

Background: Child and maternal malnutrition are the most serious health risks in India, accounting for 15% of the country's total disease burden. Malnutrition in children can manifest as 'stunting' (low height in relation to age) or 'wasting' (low weight in relation to height) or both and underweight or obesity among women. Other nutritional indicators show that India lags behind, with high levels of anaemia in women of reproductive age.

Pandemic resilience and health systems preparedness: lessons from COVID-19 for the twenty-first century.

The pandemic of COVID-19 disease has acted like a stress test on every aspect of life, but particularly exposed weaknesses of health systems design and capacity. There have been similar pandemics in the past, and the threat of more frequent future pandemics in the twenty-first century is real. It is therefore important to learn the right lessons with regard to health systems preparedness and resilience.

Safety of 0.5% hydrogen peroxide mist used in the disinfection gateway for COVID-19.

Hydrogen peroxide (HO) is a reactive chemical used in a wide range of applications. Most importantly, it is used for sterilization process in health care environment. In the present study, safety assessment of 0.

Insights from national survey on household expenditure for primary healthcare services availed through informal healthcare providers.

Introduction: Ensuring accessible and affordable primary healthcare services of optimal quality is a core component of universal health coverage (UHC). Though a substantial percentage of population avail healthcare services from informal healthcare providers (IHPs) in rural India, the information regarding the extent of out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure during such encounters is limited.

Method: The study analyzed publicly available data of 75 National Sample Survey (NSS) to understand the household expenditure pattern on availing service from IHPs.

National Methodological Guidelines to Conduct Budget Impact Analysis for Health Technology Assessment in India.

Objective: Our paper aims to present Budget Impact Analysis (BIA) guidelines for health technology assessment (HTA) in India.

Methodology: A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted to retrieve information on existing BIA guidelines internationally. The initial set of principles for India were put together based on an interactive process between authors, taking into consideration the existing evidence on BIA and features of Indian healthcare system.

Efficacy and safety data for the Ab interno XEN45 gel stent implant at 3 Years: A retrospective analysis.

Purpose: To report efficacy and safety measures of the XEN45 gel stent at 36 months in the UK National Health Service setting.

Methods: Retrospective non-comparative audit of the records of patients who underwent XEN45 implantation between June 2015 and May 2017 was performed. Main outcome measures were intraocular pressure and number of antihypertensive medications used.

Rising Catastrophic Expenditure on Households Due to Tuberculosis: Is India Moving Away From the END-TB Goal?

One of the targets of the END-TB strategy is to ensure zero catastrophic expenditure on households due to TB. The information about household catastrophic expenditure is limited in India and, therefore difficult to monitor. The objective is to estimate household and catastrophic expenditure for Tuberculosis using national sample survey data.

Equity and elderly health in India: reflections from 75th round National Sample Survey, 2017-18, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak, called coronavirus disease - 2019 (COVID-19), has affected more than 200 countries across the globe with a higher fatality rate among the elderly population. Aim of the study is to highlight the vulnerability of the aged amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic, and in the light of the recent international evidence, suggests what government could do to mitigate their vulnerability.

Methods: Data from the recently released (November 2019) 75th Round National Sample Survey (NSS), which was conducted from July 2017 to June 2018, across 8077 rural villages and 6181 urban wards was used for this study.