Sulforaphane found in broccoli may protect against stroke: Study

Australia: Researchers from the Heart Research Institute in New South Wales, Australia, have discovered that a natural chemical found in broccoli may help prevent and treat stroke.

The study was published in the American Chemical Society’s journal ACS Central Science on January 29, 2024.

“Sulforaphane (SFN), found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, offers irreversible, selective antiplatelet effects, synergizing with vascular recanalization therapies without raising bleeding risks,” the researchers wrote.

These results provide new insights into the molecular pharmacology studies of naturally occurring isothiocyanates as novel antithrombotic leads, specifically in combination with approved therapies.

Around the world, about 15 million people every year experience a stroke, a cardiovascular condition that occurs when blood and oxygen are unable to get to the brain. Depending on the stroke type, the main treatment is either using medications to break down blood clots keeping blood from flowing to the brain, or stopping blood from leaking into the brain.

How quickly the therapy is administered largely impacts a person’s recovery after a stroke. Scientists estimate that only about 10% of stroke survivors make a full recovery, with others living with impairment or disability.

A large variety of dietary phytochemicals has been shown to improve stroke outcomes and thrombosis in preclinical studies. Many of these compounds feature electrophilic functionalities that potentially undergo covalent addition to the sulfhydryl side chain of cysteine residues within proteins. However, no clarity exists on the impact of such covalent modifications on platelet activity and function.

Against the above background, Ivy A. Guan, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and colleagues explored the irreversible engagement of 23 electrophilic phytochemicals with platelets, unveiling the unique antiplatelet selectivity of sulforaphane.

The following are the key features of sulforaphane that could protect against stroke:

  • SFN impairs platelet responses to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and a thromboxane A2 receptor agonist while not impacting thrombin and collagen-related peptide activation.
  • It also substantially reduces platelet thrombus formation under arterial flow conditions.
  • Using an alkyne-integrated probe, protein disulfide isomerase A6 (PDIA6) was identified as a rapid kinetic responder to SFN.
  • Mechanistic profiling studies revealed SFN’s nuanced modulation of PDIA6 activity and substrate specificity.
  • In an electrolytic injury model of thrombosis, SFN enhanced the thrombolytic activity of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) without increasing blood loss.

The findings together with previous reports on SFN’s roles in suppressing oxidative stress and neuroinflammation provide the impetus to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying dietary antiplatelets to discover novel preventive and therapeutic mechanisms for thrombosis and strokes without significant bleeding risks.

“Our results catalyze further investigations into the therapeutic and preventive mechanisms of dietary antiplatelets, aiming to enhance the clot-busting power of rtPA, currently the only approved therapeutic for stroke recanalization with significant limitations,” the research team concluded.

Reference:

ACS Cent. Sci. 2024, 10, 2, 344–357. Publication Date: January 29, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.3c00822.

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Common viruses trigger most cases of intussusception in children, suggests study

Viral infections trigger more cases of intussusception, the common cause of bowel blockages in young children, than previously thought, according to a new study.

The research, led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, found during the COVID-19 lockdowns hospital admissions for intussusception, a medical emergency involving obstruction of the intestine, among young children significantly decreased.

For the study, 12 years of data was analysed across Victoria, NSW and Queensland. A total of 5,589 intussusception cases were recorded between January, 2010 and April, 2022. Of those, 3,179 were children under the age of two.

During the lockdown periods, Victoria and NSW experienced a decline in hospital admissions for intussusception among children under two by 62.7 per cent and 40.1 per cent, respectively. The rate of intussusception cases has now returned to normal levels.

MCRI and Monash University researcher Dr Ben Townley said the magnitude of the decline supported that common respiratory diseases such as colds, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), were behind a significant proportion of intussusception cases.

“Reductions in intussusception hospital admissions were seen in all age groups, however most occurred in children less than two years of age,” he said.

“Intussusception is the leading cause of acute bowel obstruction in infants and young children and without prompt diagnosis and management, can be fatal.

“Countries with prolonged COVID-19 lockdowns and suppression strategies saw reductions in common respiratory viruses, which influenced the drop in intussusception admissions.”

Victoria experienced the greatest lockdown duration, with Melbourne having six lockdown periods, for a total of 263 days. Greater Sydney had 159 days and Brisbane had 18 days in lockdown.

MCRI Professor Jim Buttery said the decrease in intussusception cases was greater than expected given previous research into the causes of the condition.

“Our analysis found commons viruses play a larger role than previously recognised in triggering intussusception,” he said. Infectious triggers were thought to comprise only a minority, about 30 per cent, of cases.”

Professor Buttery said the findings raised the possibility that emerging vaccines like the new RSV vaccines may help prevent intussusception.

“When a new vaccine against common childhood respiratory viruses is introduced, we may find there are some unexpected benefits, like protecting more children from intussusception,” he said. We last saw this in 2007, when introducing the rotavirus vaccine against gastroenteritis, also reduced febrile convulsions in young children.”

Reference:

Benjamin Townley, Deniz Akin, Gerardo Luis Dimaguila, Rana Sawires, Gonzalo Sepulveda Kattan, Sebastian King, Julie Bines, Nicholas Wood, Stephen Lambert, Jim Buttery, Exploring the Infectious Contribution to Intussusception Causality Using the Effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Lockdowns in Australia: An Ecological Study, Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2024;, ciae084, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciae084.

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AI-based app can help physicians find skin melanoma: Study

A mobile app that uses artificial intelligence, AI, to analyse images of suspected skin lesions can diagnose melanoma with very high precision. This is shown in a study led from Linköping University in Sweden where the app has been tested in primary care. The results have been published in the British Journal of Dermatology.

“Our study is the first in the world to test an AI-based mobile app for melanoma in primary care in this way. A great many studies have been done on previously collected images of skin lesions and those studies relatively agree that AI is good at distinguishing dangerous from harmless ones. We were quite surprised by the fact that no one had done a study on primary care patients,” says Magnus Falk, senior associate professor at the Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences at Linköping University, specialist in general practice at Region Östergötland, who led the current study.

Melanoma can be difficult to differentiate from other skin changes, even for experienced physicians. However, it is important to detect melanoma as early as possible, as it is a serious type of skin cancer.

There is currently no established AI-based support for assessing skin lesions in Swedish healthcare.

“Primary care physicians encounter many skin lesions every day and with limited resources need to make decisions about treatment in cases of suspected skin melanoma. This often results in an abundance of referrals to specialists or the removal of skin lesions, which in the majority of cases turn out to be harmless. We wanted to see if the AI support tool in the app could perform better than primary care physicians when it comes to identifying pigmented skin lesions as dangerous or not, in comparison with the final diagnosis,” says Panos Papachristou, researcher affiliated with Karolinska Institutet and specialist in general practice, main author of the study and co-founder of the company that developed the app.

And the results are promising.

“First of all, the app missed no melanoma. This disease is so dangerous that it’s essential not to miss it. But it’s almost equally important that the AI decision support tool could acquit many suspected skin lesions and determine that they were harmless,” says Magnus Falk.

In the study, primary care physicians followed the usual procedure for diagnosing suspected skin tumours. If the physicians suspected melanoma, they either referred the patient to a dermatologist for diagnosis, or the skin lesion was cut away for tissue analysis and diagnosis.

Only after the physician decided how to handle the suspected melanoma did they use the AI-based app. This involves the physician taking a picture of the skin lesion with a mobile phone equipped with an enlargement lens called a dermatoscope. The app analyses the image and provides guidance on whether or not the skin lesion appears to be melanoma.

To find out how well the AI-based app worked as a decision support tool, the researchers compared the app’s response to the diagnoses made by the regular diagnostic procedure.

Of the more than 250 skin lesions examined, physicians found 11 melanomas and 10 precursors of cancer, known as in situ melanoma. The app found all the melanomas, and missed only one precursor. In cases where the app responded that a suspected lesion was not a melanoma, including in situ melanoma, there was a 99.5 percent probability that this was correct.

“It seems that this method could be useful. But in this study, physicians weren’t allowed to let their decision be influenced by the app’s response, so we don’t know what happens in practice if you use an AI-based decision support tool. So even if this is a very positive result, there is uncertainty and we need to continue to evaluate the usefulness of this tool with scientific studies,” says Magnus Falk.

The researchers now plan to proceed with a large follow-up primary care study in several countries, where use of the app as an active decision support tool will be compared to not using it at all.

Reference:

Panagiotis Papachristou, My Söderholm, Jon Pallon, Marina Taloyan, Sam Polesie, John Paoli, Chris D Anderson, Magnus Falk, Evaluation of an artificial intelligence-based decision support for the detection of cutaneous melanoma in primary care: a prospective real-life clinical trial, British Journal of Dermatology, 2024;, ljae021, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljae021.

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Faulty fissures operation: Bengaluru Hospital, Doctor slapped compensation

Bengaluru: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Bengaluru has directed Phoenix Hospital and its doctor to pay Rs 1 lakh compensation to a patient for deficiency in care while providing treatment for fissures. While considering the complaint, the Commission opined that the treating doctor did not conduct the operation for fissure oblation and excision of external piles properly and did not use his operation skills effectively. The hospital was held vicariously liable for the negligence of the doctor.

The matter goes back to 2020 when the treating doctor operated on the patient at the treating hospital through Laser Sphincterotomy with fissure oblation and Laser Haemorrhoidopexy with excision of external piles and the patient was discharged the next day. For this procedure, the complainant had paid Rs 60,000. 

It was alleged by the complainant that a week after the operation, she developed swelling in the anal region as well as irresistible pain and bleeding from the operated part. Due to this, the complainant was about to become unconscious. She was rushed to an emergency at Manipal Hospital and remained admitted there as an inpatient for 5 days. She had to incur an expenditure of Rs 80,294 allegedly due to the negligence of the treating doctor and hospital for not conducting the operation properly and leaving her to fate. Alleging negligence, the patient filed a consumer complaint seeking direction to the hospital and doctor to pay Rs 1,42,094 towards various charges and cost of medicines.

On the other hand, the doctor and the hospital submitted that they did not give any guarantee or assurance to the complainant, either orally or on the website, of a total 100% cure of fissures /haemorrhoids. They claimed that the patient was admitted and operated only after being apprised of the consequences and care for the same. 

Apart from this, they also claimed that even though the patient was advised for a follow up and review in the OPD after 7 days of surgery, the complainant failed to do so. It was also highlighted that the complainant rated the service ‘4’ on the scale of ‘5’ indicating her satisfaction with the treatment and the services. 

While considering the matter, the consumer court perused the discharge summary issued by Manipal Hospital and noted that the doctor at the hospital gave a finding that circumferential mucosa’ injury with haemorrhoid in 7oclock position with bleeding, incomplete sphincterotomy noted, diffuse bleeding from mucosa. The Commission observed that ‘Manipal Hospital had again conducted the operation and stated with regard to the procedure done in the said report itself. The said finding was given by a specialist in the said hospital.’

“It is the contention of the learned counsel for opposite party that without an opinion from an expert and without the said Doctor had been examined, the said report cannot be accepted as it is. It is not the case of opposite party No. 1 & 2 that the complainant did not take treatment and got operated at Manipal hospital. Further, it is not the case of opposite party that the Doctor at Manipal hospital and the complainant were hand in glove and the complainant had an enmity with opposite party. Under such circumstances, we feel there is no merit in the contention of opposite party in that aspect and on the other hand for the just say that the report cannot be accepted, the report cannot be brushed aside,” the consumer court noted at this outset.

Referring to the contention of the doctor and hospital that the complainant had given consent before the surgery, the Commission noted that the hospital and doctor did not argue that the bleeding and pain in the anal region were because of the negligence of the complainant.

“For mere because the complainant had given consent for the operation, opposite party cannot take the advantage of the same and do whatever he likes. Hence, there is no merit in the said contention. We feel the opinion given by Doctor at Manipal hospital itself is sufficient to hold that the operation was not properly conducted by opposite party No. 2 (the doctor) and opposite party No. 2 did not use his skill of operation effectively,” opined the Commission.

It is the further contention of the learned counsel for the opposite party that this commission has no jurisdiction. We feel Section 2 (11) of CP Act 2019 attracts with regard to deficiency of service since it is the expectation while approaching the Doctor that he would perform the operation effectively. Therefore, there is no merit in the contention of the learned counsel for opposite party in that aspect. For the above said reasons we feel there was fault in conducting the operation by opposite party No. 2 and since opposite party No. 2 had did the operation at opposite party No. 1 hospital, opposite party No. I hospital is also responsible for same.

Therefore, holding that there was deficiency in service, the consumer court directed the hospital and doctor to pay Rs 1 lakh to the complainant and ordered,

 “We feel for the mental trauma under gone and inconvenience caused to the complainant because of the negligence of opposite party No. 2, opposite party No. 2 has to pay a notional sum of Rs.1,00,000/- to the complainant and opposite party No. 1 is vicariously liable for the same.”

Apart from this, the Commission also directed the complainant to pay Rs 20,000 as cost of litigation. “Complaint is allowed in part. It is held that there is deficiency of service on the part of opposite party No. 1 & 2. The Opposite Party No. 1 to 3 are jointly and severally liable to pay the above said amount of Rs.1,20,000/- to the complainant. Since, the risk is covered in the policy issued by opposite party No. 3, opposite party No. 3 is liable to pay the same,” read the order.

To view the order, click on the link below:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/bengaluru-deficiency-in-service-234987.pdf

Also Read: Negligence in laparoscopic cholecystectomy leading to death: NCDRC slaps Rs 40 Lakh Compensation on hospital, surgeon

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WHO releases new guidelines on hepatitis B

In a landmark move, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released groundbreaking guidelines to address the global challenge of chronic hepatitis B (HBV) infection.

Unveiled at the 2024 Asian Pacific Conference for the Study of Liver Disease in Kyoto, Japan, these guidelines aim to simplify and expand access to HBV testing and treatment, marking a crucial step towards the WHO’s goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030. With over 250 million people worldwide living with HBV, the new WHO guidelines focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission, a key transmission route, by recommending antiviral treatment for pregnant women and immediate newborn vaccination. This approach not only aims to reduce the global burden of HBV but also prevents liver-related complications, aligning with India’s efforts to curb the disease through its Universal Immunization Program (UIP).

Additionally, they focus on improving HBV diagnostics, addressing hepatitis delta coinfection, and enhancing the delivery of HBV services to ensure long-term adherence to therapy and retention in care.
These guidelines build upon previous WHO guidelines, updating and extending treatment eligibility, including adolescents, and introducing alternative antiviral therapy regimens. The comprehensive approach aims to bridge major testing and treatment gaps, ultimately improving survival rates and reducing the progression of liver disease and liver cancer development in individuals living with chronic HBV infection.

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NMC panel to submit recommendations to SC on corporate hospitals advertising issue

The National Medical Commission’s (NMC) panel, which was formed based on the Supreme Court’s directions to examine the issue of advertising by corporate hospitals, is going to submit its recommendations to the Supreme Court.

Reaching a consensus, the NMC panel has opined that the rules of advertisement shall be the same for the corporate hospitals as well as for the doctors and other health facilities, The Print has reported.

For more information, click on the link below:

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Abbott gets USFDA clearance for whole blood rapid test to help with assessment of concussion at patient bedside

Abbott Park,lII.: Abbott’s i-STAT TBI cartridge has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be used with whole blood, allowing doctors to help assess patients with suspected concussion at the patient’s bedside and obtain lab-quality results in 15 minutes. Previously, the tests to help with the assessment of TBI were only cleared for use with plasma or serum, requiring samples to be sent to a lab for processing and testing.

This new clearance will enable testing to be performed in an array of new healthcare settings beyond hospital emergency departments including urgent care clinics with a certificate to perform moderate complexity tests.

“This is an important step toward a future where testing could be done outside traditional healthcare settings, such as on the sidelines of sporting events,” the Company stated.

The whole blood test on a portable instrument helps clinicians evaluate patients 18 years of age and older who present with suspected mild traumatic brain injury or mTBI, commonly known as concussion. Test results can help rule out the need for a CT scan of the head and assist in determining the best next steps for patient care. The ability to perform the test with a whole blood sample means testing can take place at healthcare settings without a lab which helps to accelerate the evaluation of head traumas.

With this clearance, the i-STAT TBI test can be used to help evaluate patients up to 24 hours after injury, an advancement since those injured often wait before seeking care.

Nearly 5 million people go to the emergency department for a TBI in the U.S. each year, but more than half of people who suspect they have a concussion never get it checked.

For decades, standard TBI assessment has remained the same, with doctors leveraging the Glasgow Coma Scale, a subjective doctor assessment, and CT scans to detect brain tissue damage or lesions.

“Emergency departments can be a busy place. It’s important to be able to triage patients quickly,” said Geoffrey Manley, M.D., PhD, Chief of Neurosurgery at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of California San Francisco and contact principal investigator for the TRACK-TBI Network. “Historically, that process for suspected concussions was largely subjective. With the help of this whole blood test, we can quickly and objectively determine whether or not a patient needs a CT scan or additional evaluation, right at the point of care. It’s an incredibly helpful tool that advances the treatment of traumatic brain injury.”

The i-STAT TBI cartridge with the i-STAT Alinity System requires a small venous blood sample, which is applied to the test cartridge. The cartridge is then inserted into the portable i-STAT Alinity instrument. The test measures two biomarkers from the brain that may be released into the bloodstream, indicating a possible brain injury. Testing for these two biomarkers – ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) – in the aftermath of an injury can provide clinicians with essential information about a patient’s condition and can help healthcare providers decide an appropriate treatment plan.

“Clinicians have needed an objective way to assess patients with concussions,” said Beth McQuiston, M.D., medical director in Abbott’s diagnostics business. “When you look at all the other diseases, or other organs in the body, they all have blood tests to help assess what’s happening. Now, we have a whole blood test that can help assess the brain right at the patient’s bedside – expanding access to more health providers and therefore patients.”

The newly cleared test expands Abbott’s TBI test offerings, which includes the i-STAT TBI Plasma test and the ARCHITECT and Alinity i lab test (serum and plasma), which were all cleared previously.

“The ability to use whole blood to help assess TBI is an important step in Abbott’s vision to make its tests available in all settings where people seek care for head injuries. Abbott is engaged in ongoing research and planning that may, in the future, allow the test to be used in non-healthcare settings and with a broader population including teens and pediatrics,” the Company added.

Read also: Abbott gets CDSCO Panel Nod To study FDC Dydrogesterone plus Estradiol

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Drug safety alert: CDSCO flags 58 drug samples

In its latest drug safety alert, the apex drug regulatory body, the Central Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has flagged 58 medicine batches for failing to qualify for a random sample test for February 2023, while 2 drug samples have been declared as suprious.

These drugs include Acepik – P (Aceclofenac and Paracetamol Tablets) manufactured by Nexkem Biotech, Amoxycillin Oral Suspension I.P. (Medmoxil 125) manufactured by Laborate Pharmaceuticals, Calcium Carbonate and Vitamin D3 Tablets IP (Calcigiant 500 Tablets) manufactured by Nutra Life Healthcare, Ofloxacin manufactured by Concept Pharmaceutical, Calcium and Vitamin D3 Tablets manufactured by Hanuchem Laboratories, Serratiopeptidase Tablets manufactured by Arnav Research Laboratories.

For more information, click on the link below:

CDSCO Drug Alert: 58 Drug Samples Including Alkems’s Pyricool 500, Glenmark’s Deferasirox, Sun Pharma’s Zole F Flagged

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Karnataka Sex Determination Racket: CID names 3 doctors among 19 suspects in final report

Bengaluru: Following the unearthing of an illegal sex determination-cum-foeticide racket last year, three doctors along with 16 other suspects have been named in the final report filed by the Central Investigation Department (CID). The agency has forwarded the report to the health department as it lacks the authority to file a charge sheet in the matter. 

The 19 suspects included three doctors, two lab technicians, two nurses, one scanning machine vendor and eleven touts. While 18 suspects were arrested and released on bail, one suspect remains at large. 

Dr Swamy, the alleged mastermind was an Ayurvedic doctor who the CID arrested in December 2023 but later released on bail. He has since passed away due to poor health. The doctor allegedly procured four portable scanning machines from a licensed dealer in Mangaluru without submitting the necessary documents. He was believed to be the common link between medical staff and touts.

Also read- Karnataka Doctor Who Allegedly Performed Around 900 Illegal Abortions Arrested

Medical Dialogues team had last year reported the incident where a doctor and his lab technician were arrested for allegedly performing around 900 illegal abortions in the last three years.

Dr Chandan Ballal and his lab technician Nisar allegedly charged around Rs 30,000 for each abortion which they carried out at a hospital in the district headquarters town of Mysuru.

Police busted the sex-determination and female foeticide racket on October 15, 2023, with the arrest of two accused — Shivalinge Gowda and Nayan Kumar — in the district headquarters town of Mandya, near Mysuru, when they were taking a pregnant woman for abortion in a car.

During interrogation, the accused-duo revealed a jaggery unit in Mandya, used as an ultrasound scan centre, from where a police team later seized the scan machine, which did not have valid authorisation or other official documents.

Later, more people came to light and were arrested including another doctor named Dr Tulasiram.

The PCPNDT Act stipulates that only a medical doctor can buy an ultrasound scanning machine by submitting the required documents, and use it in a hospital set-up. However, Swamy failed to submit valid documents to procure the scanning machines.

According to the CID, Gowda, a Mangaluru-based licensed vendor selling ultrasound scanning machines didn’t insist on the documents because he desperately needed money. He told the investigators that Swamy had claimed he had all the documents. Gowda sold Swamy three more machines without documents.

The first machine that Gowda sold to Swamy was a used one. The second was broken. Gowda got both machines replaced by licensed dealers from Kerala. The CID plans to use the dealers as witnesses.

Swamy gave two machines to Siddesh, his cousin, who teamed up with a few others and started performing illegal sex determination. Shiva Nanjegowda, a lab technician from Mysuru, got another machine from Swamy and gave it to a friend, who runs a hospital in Channarayapatna.

Following this, the CID seized all four scanning machines after the racket was busted as reported by Deccan Herald.

The 11 touts who were first arrested but were released on bail spread the word about sex determination in the villages, especially in the Old Mysuru region. They also performed sex determination two days per month in makeshift labs in villages near Mandya.

The touts called the customers at a specific place in Bengaluru. The fact that the illegal sex determination tests increased as individuals who had undergone the procedure shared information, drawing in other curious villagers wanting to know the gender of their unborn child.

The touts from Bengaluru would transport them to Mandya for gender determination, with a price tag of Rs 10,000. In case the parents decided to terminate the fetus, usually female, they were directed to two hospitals in Mysuru – Matha Hospital and Ayurvedic Daycare Centre which were performed by Dr Ballal. 

The nurses were involved in this case after they helped Dr Ballal in carrying out the abortions at a hospital. The hospital’s manager Meena and receptionist Rizma Khan were arrested as reported by the Medical Dialogues team. 

Also Read: Violation of PC PNDT Act: Licence of three ultrasound centres suspended, show cause notice issued

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Health Bulletin 02/ April/ 2024

Here are the top health stories for the day:

CDSCO issues alert for 58 drug samples

In its latest drug safety alert, the apex drug regulatory body, the Central Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has flagged 58 medicine batches for failing to qualify for a random sample test for February 2023, while 2 drug samples have been declared as suprious.

These drugs include Acepik – P (Aceclofenac and Paracetamol Tablets) manufactured by Nexkem Biotech, Amoxycillin Oral Suspension I.P. (Medmoxil 125) manufactured by Laborate Pharmaceuticals, Calcium Carbonate and Vitamin D3 Tablets IP (Calcigiant 500 Tablets) manufactured by Nutra Life Healthcare, Ofloxacin manufactured by Concept Pharmaceutical, Calcium and Vitamin D3 Tablets manufactured by Hanuchem Laboratories, Serratiopeptidase Tablets manufactured by Arnav Research Laboratories.

For more information, click on the link below:

CDSCO Drug Alert: 58 Drug Samples Including Alkems’s Pyricool 500, Glenmark’s Deferasirox, Sun Pharma’s Zole F Flagged

NMC panel consensus: Corporate hospitals advert decision heads to Supreme Court

The National Medical Commission’s (NMC) panel, which was formed based on the Supreme Court’s directions to examine the issue of advertising by corporate hospitals, is going to submit its recommendations to the Supreme Court.

Reaching a consensus, the NMC panel has opined that the rules of advertisement shall be the same for the corporate hospitals as well as for the doctors and other health facilities, The Print has reported.

For more information click on the link below:

WHO publishes new guidelines on hepatitis B
In a landmark move, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released groundbreaking guidelines to address the global challenge of chronic hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Unveiled at the 2024 Asian Pacific Conference for the Study of Liver Disease in Kyoto, Japan, these guidelines aim to simplify and expand access to HBV testing and treatment, marking a crucial step towards the WHO’s goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030. With over 250 million people worldwide living with HBV, the new WHO guidelines focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission, a key transmission route, by recommending antiviral treatment for pregnant women and immediate newborn vaccination. This approach not only aims to reduce the global burden of HBV but also prevents liver-related complications, aligning with India’s efforts to curb the disease through its Universal Immunization Program (UIP).
Additionally, they focus on improving HBV diagnostics, addressing hepatitis delta coinfection, and enhancing the delivery of HBV services to ensure long-term adherence to therapy and retention in care.


Almost 50,000 excess deaths estimated globally due to disrupted routine vaccinations: Study

A new modeling study published in The Lancet Global Health journal estimated the health effects of COVID-19-related immunization disruptions in 112 countries during 2020–30.

The researchers used modeling groups from the Vaccine Impact Modelling Consortium from 112 low- and middle-income countries to estimate vaccine effects for 14 disease-causing pathogens. They revealed close to 50,000 additional deaths globally are estimated between 2020 and 2030 due to pandemic-related disruptions to immunization.
For more information, click on the link below:
COVID-19-Related Immunization Disruptions Tied To About 50000 Excess Deaths Globally: Lancet

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