Evaluating the cost effectiveness of national program for control of blindness in Jorhat district, India.

Background: We evaluated the cost of different components of the national program for control of blindness (NPCB) and assess the cost effectiveness of this program.

Materials And Methods: An observational study was conducted in Jorhat District of Assam, India from July 2009 to June 2010 for assessing the cost effectiveness of the NPCB. Four broad categories of cost inputs, that is, capital costs, recurrent costs, prime/variable costs, and fixed costs were considered.

Fast foods and physical inactivity are risk factors for obesity and hypertension among adolescent school children in east district of Sikkim, India.

Background: Obesity and hypertension among school children have a huge impact on public health. Hence, we estimated the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of childhood obesity and elevated blood pressure (BP) among adolescent schoolchildren (11-19 years) in urban areas of Gangtok, Sikkim, India.

Materials And Methods: A population based cross-sectional study was conducted on 979 school children, during November 1, 2009 - April 30, 2010 in Gangtok, East Sikkim India.

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus amongst rural hilly population of North Eastern India and its relationship with associated risk factors and related co-morbidities.

Context: Diabetes has emerged as pandemic health problem and its prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate.

Aims: The aim of the following study was carried out to understand the prevalence of diabetes mellitus, its associated risk factors and related co-morbidities amongst persons residing in rural hilly terrain of Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Settings And Design: Population based cross-sectional study on 1370 participants in the field practice area of a private Nursing School in Yingkion in Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India was conducted during April 2009-March, 2010.

Phytobezoar leading to gastric outlet obstruction in a patient with diabetes.

Gastroparesis is a condition which results in delayed gastric emptying without gastric outflow tract obstruction. Gastrointestinal involvement in diabetes can present in various forms such as oesophageal dysmotility, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, gastroparesis, enteropathy, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and glycogenic hepatopathy. Gastroparesis is the most common gastric motility disorder complicating long-standing diabetes.

Spectrum of visual impairment among urban female school students of Surat.

Aim: Eye morbidities with or without symptoms delineate a significant morbidity among adolescent schoolgirls in India. The study was undertaken to assess the extent of visual impairment and ocular morbidity to identify influencing factors and the impact on scholastic performance.

Materials And Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was undertaken among 3002 urban girl students of Surat in Gujarat, India.

Licit and illicit substance use by adolescent students in eastern India: Prevalence and associated risk factors.

Background: Use of tobacco, alcohol, and other substances is a worldwide problem and affects many adolescents.

Objective: (1) To find out the magnitude of licit and illicit substance use among students; and (2) to find out the association between socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the students and habits of use.

Materials And Methods: This was a population-based cross-sectional study conducted during June 2003 to May 2004.

Glucose indices, frank and undetected diabetes in relation to hypertension and anthropometry in a South Indian rural population.

Diabetes has emerged as one of the world's biggest health problems and its prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate. This study was conducted to find out the magnitude of frank and undetected diabetes mellitus, including impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) among persons in rural Karnataka, and its relationship with associated risk factors like hypertension and anthropometry. This was a population-based, cross-sectional study on 1370 participants in the field practice area of KBN Medical College, conducted from April 2009 to March, 2010.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: prevalence and current susceptibility pattern in sikkim.

Background: Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) strains is reported to be increasing globally.

Objectives: The study was conducted to find the magnitude and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of MRSA infection in a referral tertiary care teaching hospital of Sikkim, India.

Materials And Methods: In this cross sectional study, 827 clinical specimens were collected from different departments of Central Referral Hospital.

Serum malondialdehyde level: Surrogate stress marker in the Sikkimese diabetics.

Background: The pbreakdown of phospholipids lead to accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) that is preferred as a surrogate marker of oxidative stress in diabetics.

Objective: To compare serum MDA levels along with other biochemical parameters between type 2 diabetic patients with and without complications.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Biochemistry of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Sikkim on 60 type 2 diabetics and compared with 100 non-diabetic participants.

Health education intervention on diabetes in Sikkim.

Introduction: In the present study, we have sought to determine the existing Knowledge, attitude & practice and impact of a structured health education intervention regarding diabetes in adults in Sikkim.

Materials And Methods: This was an experimental study of non-randomised trial done at the Central Referral Hospital of SMIMS, Sikkim, India on 189 adult individuals attending the 'Diabetes Awareness Camp'. A pre-tested closed ended questionnaire was used to assess the impact of health education intervention.

Clinicopathological correlates of pediatric head and neck cancer.

Background: The spectrum of head and neck tumors in children continues to be the cause of diverse, diagnostically challenging issues.

Aims: To demonstrate and compare the unique clinicopathological features in our study population and their correlations with the final histopathological diagnosis.

Methods: Fifty-three children with head and neck cancer were examined thoroughly at the Otorhinolaryngology department in a tertiary care teaching hospital followed by histopathological studies.

Clinico-etiologic correlates of onychomycosis in Sikkim.

Aims And Objectives: The etiological spectrum of any superficial mycosis is largely dependent on the flora in the immediate environment of the individual. It is influenced by the geographic, climatic and occupational factors. The study is basically to formulate baseline data for the species prevalence of various dermatophytes in patients with onychomycosis attending the Central Referral Hospital, Gangtok, Sikkim.

Epithelioid sarcoma: a diagnostic challenge.

Epithelioid sarcoma is an uncommon slow-growing soft tissue malignancy, associated with a high incidence of local recurrence and metastasis. We report a 26-year-old male with epithelioid sarcoma on the right palm with a long history of over seven years, which was initially misdiagnosed as cutaneous tuberculosis and epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, as a result of which the treatment was delayed. No metastasis was found in our patient.