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Background: Fishermen have a high burden of alcohol-related morbidity. The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) is used to classify individual to have harmful use of alcohol and probable alcohol dependence. Hence, this study was conducted among fishermen in a selected fishermen community in Puducherry, South India, to (a) assess the proportion of harmful alcohol use and probable dependence to alcohol among alcohol users using AUDIT tool and (b) find the sociodemographic factors associated with harmful alcohol use and probable dependence among alcohol users. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among the fishermen above 18 years of age in a selected "fishing hamlet." A house-to-house survey was conducted to identify the fishermen. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain sociodemographic details. AUDIT tool was administered by interviewer to those fishermen who used alcohol in the past 1 year. Data were entered and analyzed using EpiData software. The proportion of harmful use of alcohol and probable dependence among alcohol users was expressed as percentage. Chi-square test was used to find association between sociodemographic factors with harmful use of alcohol and probable dependence. Results: Of 304 fishermen included in the study, 241 (79%) reported alcohol use in the past 1 year. Of 241 alcohol users, four-fifths (82%) had some formal education and two-thirds (67%) had monthly income <3000 INR. "Harmful use" of alcohol was noted in 76.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 71.1%–81.7%) and probable alcohol dependence in 12.4% (95% CI: 8.9%–17.2%). None of the individual characteristics of alcohol users were associated with either harmful use of alcohol or probable dependence. Conclusion: Among fishermen who use alcohol, eight out of ten have harmful use of alcohol. There is a need to screen for alcohol-related disorders among fisherman and adopt brief intervention strategies to counter problems of harmful use of alcohol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to a set of distressing symptoms experienced around the time of menstrual flow. Hormonal changes may underlie these symptoms which can lead to difficulties in day-to-day functioning and poor quality of life. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, 300 students attending the science stream at a women's college of Puducherry were administered self-reported questionnaires to obtain sociodemographic, dietary, lifestyle and family details. The Shortened Premenstrual Assessment Form was used to assess PMS, a symptom checklist was used to assess premenstrual dysphoric disorder and Short From 36 was used to assess quality of life. Results. The prevalence of PMS was 62.7%. Back, joint and muscle aches were the most common symptoms followed by abdominal heaviness and discomfort. PMS was associated with a poorer quality of life across all domains. About half the students had affective symptoms in the premenstrual phase. Conclusion. Dietary and lifestyle factors such as consumption of sweets and lack of physical activity were associated with the presence of PMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol addiction is a chronic relapsing syndrome. Benzodiazepines remain as the mainstay for detoxification, taking care of the acute withdrawal syndrome. There is fear of dependence and abuse of benzodiazepines on prolonged use. Here, we selectively interviewed ten cases who were on longer duration of benzodiazepines to elicit their potential perceived benefits, attitudes, and any adverse effect. Three patients experienced adverse effects. None of them had features of benzodiazepine dependence. We opine that in select cases, benzodiazepine use should persist beyond detox period, and its benefits continue beyond the acute withdrawal phase while monitoring their safety/adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol withdrawal is commonly encountered in general hospital settings. It forms a major part of referrals received by a consultation-liaison psychiatrist. This article aims to review the evidence base for appropriate clinical management of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome. We searched Pubmed for articles published in English on pharmacological management of alcohol withdrawal in humans with no limit on the date of publication. Articles not relevant to clinical management were excluded based on the titles and abstract available. Full-text articles were obtained from this list and the cross-references. There were four meta-analyses, 9 systematic reviews, 26 review articles and other type of publications like textbooks. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a clinical diagnosis. It may vary in severity. Complicated alcohol withdrawal presents with hallucinations, seizures or delirium tremens. Benzodiazepines have the best evidence base in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal, followed by anticonvulsants. Clinical institutes withdrawal assessment-alcohol revised is useful with pitfalls in patients with medical comorbidities. Evidence favors an approach of symptom-monitored loading for severe withdrawals where an initial dose is guided by risk factors for complicated withdrawals and further dosing may be guided by withdrawal severity. Supportive care and use of vitamins is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which investigated referral patterns in de-addiction services in India. The De-Addiction Centre at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) in Puducherry, India was the focus of the study. Data on de-addiction services were collected from June 2011 to May 2012 using Drug Abuse Monitoring System (DAMS) proforma.