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Itraconazole (ITZ) has been the mainstay of oral antifungal treatment for the current epidemic of recalcitrant dermatophytosis (RD) in India. Recently, a newer formulation of ITZ, super bioavailable itraconazole (SUBA-ITZ), is made available in the market by many pharmaceutical companies. It is important for dermatologists to understand the pharmacokinetic properties of SUBA-ITZ vis-a-vis conventional pellet formulation to use it effectively and safely. Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists (IADVL) has established a special interest group for recalcitrant dermatophytosis (SIG-RD) to strengthen research, continuing medical education, and industry collaboration on the subject. This position statement on SUBA-ITZ by SIG-RD is an attempt to address current pieces of evidence and the position of this new formulation in the management of RD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Almost 70% of women residing in urban areas and 48% of women in rural areas use sanitary napkins in India. According to menstrual health alliance India (MHAI), single sanitary pad will take about 500-800 years to decompose as the plastic used in manufacturing is nonbiodegradable and causes severe noxious effects contributing to global warming through the production of planet warming fuels which eventually have severe impact on environment sustainability. Hence, the study was undertaken to contribute the evidence for the "Clean and Green India". Aim: To know the perception and practice of disposal of sanitary napkins among young college-going females in India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted throughout the country employing a self-administered questionnaire using a survey link sent through social media. Data collected were analyzed and interpreted using SPSS version 20.0. Result: The study population comprised 484 young college girls with a mean age of 20.92 ± 1.86 years and 96.9% of them are using sanitary napkins as menstrual absorbent aids. The most common method employed for the disposal of sanitary napkins was dumping them in the bin (87.4%). About 63.2% of them had no knowledge about sanitary napkin-burning machines. Around 92% think that improper disposal of sanitary napkins can cause health problems. Conclusion: The findings from the study revealed that a significant number of women were practicing noneco-friendly disposal methods and menstrual hygiene aids which are a bane to the ecosystem. Study warrants the education and training of females to achieve a green and clean sustainable India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is a major public health concern among Indian adolescents. Pre- and post-natal depression can often alter fetal development and have negative consequences on the physical and mental health of the mother. This paper aims to draw attention to the prevalence of depression and its correlates among currently married, ever-pregnant adolescents from two Indian States, i.e. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Methods: This study utilizes data from a subsample (n = 3116) of the prospective cohort study Understanding the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults (UDAYA) among 10 to 19 year-old adolescents. Bivariate analysis was performed to assess the prevalence of depression by sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics. To further access the predictors associated with depression a logistic regression model was applied. Results: Around one-tenth (9%) of pregnant adolescents had depression. Regression analysis indicated that substance use, religion, autonomy, considering attempting suicide, premarital relationship, violence, dowry, adverse pregnancy outcome, menstrual problem, and parental pressure for the child immediately after marriage were significantly associated with depression. Conclusions: This study confirms the pre-existing annotation that teen pregnancy is linked with depression. Findings indicate that Adolescent mothers experiencing violence, and a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes are at increased risk of developing depression. These study findings call for an urgent need to address depression among adolescent mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to describe the clinical presentation and demographic distribution of keratoconus (KCN) in India by analyzing the electronic medical records (EMR) of patients presenting at a multitier ophthalmology hospital network. Methods: This cross-sectional hospital-based study included the data of 2,384,523 patients presenting between January 2012 and March 2020. Data were collected from an EMR system. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of KCN in at least one eye were included in this study. Univariate analysis was performed to identify the prevalence of KCN. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed using R software (version 3.5.1), and the odds ratios are reported. Results: Data were obtained for 14,749 (0.62%) patients with 27,703 eyes diagnosed with KCN and used for the analysis. The median age of the patients was 22 (inter-quartile range (IQR): 17–27). In total, 76.64% of adults (odds ratio = 8.77; P = <0.001) were affected the most. The majority of patients were male (61.25%), and bilateral (87.83%) affliction was the most common presentation. A significant proportion of the patients were students (63.98%). Most eyes had mild or no visual impairment (<20/70; 61.42%). Corneal signs included ectasia (41.35%), Fleischer ring (44.52%), prominent corneal nerves (45.75%), corneal scarring (13.60%), Vogts striae (18.97%), and hydrops (0.71%). Only 7.85% showed an association with allergic conjunctivitis. A contact lens clinic assessment was administered to 47.87% of patients. Overall, 10.23% of the eyes affected with KCN underwent a surgical procedure. the most common surgery was collagen cross-linking (8.05%), followed by deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (1.13%) and penetrating keratoplasty (0.88%). Conclusion: KCN is usually bilateral and predominantly affects males. It commonly presents in the second and third decade of life, and only a tenth of the affected eyes require surgical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the requirement of human resource for health (HRH) stands at 44.5 skilled health workers per 10,000 population. WHO recognizes India as one of the countries which has HRH crisis. Karnataka, a southern state in India, has the highest number of medical colleges yet faces the shortage of specialists in the public hospitals. We conducted desk review to understand the HRH crisis, particularly the medical specialists in India. Simultaneously, we conducted secondary research to explore the initiatives taken by the Government of Karnataka (GoK) to mitigate the shortage of medical specialists in the rural areas. GoK scaled up the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) postgraduate and super-speciality courses such as Diplomate of National Board (DNB), Diploma, and Doctorate of National Board (DrNB) in district hospitals (minimum 250--500 bedded) and taluk hospitals (minimum 100 bedded) by utilizing the existing resources. Karnataka is the first state in India to expand the NBEMS (DNB and Diploma) courses in taluk hospitals and to begin DrNB courses in district hospitals. The paper documents the process of implementation of the NBEMS courses at district and taluk hospitals of Karnataka, which has supported in strengthening these hospitals in the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to impose a significant burden on tribal populations in India, a high-risk group for the disease. Despite its preventable and curable nature, TB remains a formidable health challenge for these communities. However, a critical knowledge gap exists regarding the population-based prevalence of TB among tribal populations in India. The current systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out to provide a single, population-based estimate. A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases using the keywords 'tuberculosis', 'TB', and 'tribal' or 'tribes'. This search encompassed articles published between 1 January 2000 and 1 March 2023. The included articles underwent a quality assessment screening to ensure their reliability and relevance. Subsequently, a pooled estimate of TB prevalence among tribal populations was quantified using a random-effects model. To investigate potential sources of heterogeneity in the prevalence estimates, subgroup analyses were performed. We identified 14 studies that encompassed a substantial population of 267,377 individuals from various regions in India belonging to tribal communities. The application of a random-effects model yielded a pooled prevalence estimate of 894.4 per 100,000 population, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 523.5 to 1361.9. The assessment of heterogeneity using the Cochrane Q test indicated significant variability among the included studies (I2 = 99.17%; P < 0.001). Notably, the prevalence of TB among tribal populations was found to be higher than the national prevalence. The scientific evidence available for the prevalence of TB among tribal populations is restricted to a few tribes only. Conducting further research to estimate the prevalence among other tribes all over the country is the need of the hour and should be addressed accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The amount and frequency of internet use are often used to forecast its pros and cons, with mixed findings. After COVID-19, technological advances and sociological upheavals have shown the internet's ability to support numerous activities, necessitating a change in internet use. Beyond internet use frequency, it has been advised to examine why people use it and how it affects their well-being. Hence, we aimed to investigate the various mediators and moderators in the relationship between the quality of internet use (type of activity) and well-being. Further, we investigated whether user attributes such as initial age and frequency of internet use moderate the influence of internet use quality on problematic internet use, loneliness, and well-being. Methods: 131 students in Manipur who were 18 years old were included in this cross-sectional study. Self-rated measures of the Adult Internet Usage questionnaire, Internet Addiction Test, and Mental Health Continuum-Short Form assessed internet use, dependence, and well-being. Results: Loneliness mediates the association between well-being and internet behaviors related to personal use-self-actualization (BootSE = .53, BootLLCI = .10, BootULCI = 2.18), cultural use-belonging (BootSE =.57, BootLLCI = -2.23, BootULCI = -.02). Average online hours moderate economic use-education, loneliness, and well-being (BootSE =.13, BootLLCI = -.55, BootULCI = -.04). Conclusion: To conclude, the effectiveness of internet use affects well-being differently depending on the type of activity. After a certain point, even seemingly good internet activities may have diminishing returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on expressing gratitude for the special supplement of the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, which showcases the abstracts accepted for presentation at the 75th Annual National Conference of Indian Psychiatric Society (ANCIPS).