Iron supplements efficacious for children living with HIV, reveals research

A University of Minnesota Medical School research team has found that giving iron supplements to children living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in sub-Saharan Africa could be an important first step in optimizing brain development.

The research, published in the journal Lancet HIV, demonstrates that iron, while often withheld from children with HIV due to fear of increasing infection risk, is in fact beneficial. This finding paves the way for future research examining iron’s role in neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with HIV.

“With the success and widespread availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART), children with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa are living longer, and optimizing their brain development is a new public health imperative,” said Sarah Cusick, PhD, associate professor at the U of M Medical School and a member of the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain.

Between May 2018 and November 2019, researchers enrolled 200 children with HIV and anemia who had received ART for at least six months. The study participants were randomly chosen to receive either iron supplements or a placebo for three months. Children who received iron had higher hemoglobin concentrations and better markers of iron nutrition than those who received the placebo. There also was no evidence of increased risk of infection.A of time.

Reference:

Anne E P Frosch, Victor Musiime, Christopher Staley, Andrea L Conroy, Safety and efficacy of iron supplementation with 3 months of daily ferrous sulphate in children living with HIV and mild-to-moderate anaemia in Uganda: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial, The Lancet HIV, DOI:10.1016/S2352-3018(24)00238-8. 

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No end to doctor violence! Cardiologist considers quitting profession after mob attack

New Delhi: A recent X (formerly Twitter) post by a senior cardiologist went viral as he narrated how he was attacked by a mob of 20 to 30 people after providing all-day long treatment to a patient, who ultimately passed away.

It has been alleged that when the doctor reached out to the police, the response was “pathetic” and the Inspector of Police at Avalahalli Police Station allegedly pressurised the doctor to delete the post and not to register an FIR!

In another X post, the doctor mentioned that he was considering quitting the medical profession and doing something such as organic farming—to serve society and not face any mob attack. Since the post was posted, around 6,61,000 people have viewed it, and thousands of people have shared it on their social media handles.

The doctor made the first X post on the evening of November 1st, 2024. He mentioned how a 61-year-old male, having a massive heart attack at 11 am came to him for treatment and how after staying by the side of the patient for the whole day, a 20-30 drunk mob attacked him and his staff.

Also Read: Violence against Doctors: Punjab Govt doctors prepare for agitation over lack of security measures

“61 yrs male, massive heart attack 11am, BP not recordable in ER, resuscitated, performed emergency Angioplasty & stenting, pt unstable, explained to family hr by hr, stood by pt all day-passed away at night- 20-30 drunk mob attacked me and my staff,” the doctor’s X post read.

violence against doctors

He further alleged that when the hospital management called the police, the response was pathetic and added, “hosp mgmt called police (Avalahalli, Bangalore); police response pathetic- pacifying miscreants & watching RMO manhandled, mob threatening to kill me & demanding refund of payment! (they only paid 1L advance & treatment cost already over 2 lacs).”

Expressing how he was considering leaving the medical profession, the doctor, who has been practising since 1992, further mentioned in the post, “AM SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING QUITING THE PROFESSION THAT I SO DEARLY LOVED AND PRACTICED WITH SUCH COMPASSION TOWARDS MY PTS SINCE 1992 & DO SOMETHING LIKE ORGANIC FARMING ETC- SAFE FROM MOB ATTACK AND SERVES THE SOCIETY TOO.”

“CAN YOU BELEIVE THIS – Inspector of police- Avalahalli police station- pressurising to delete post in X and not to register an FIR!! Only he knows the reason- but I am led to beleive this is standard police tactic to avoid the hassle of inv and arrrest etc,” he further alleged.

In another post, the doctor claimed that the law to protect the doctor only exists on pen and paper. Later, sharing updates regarding the incident, the doctor claimed that due to the power of the social media, police finally registered his complaint and the commissioner of health services asked for a full report. He also informed how the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and CSI i.e. the Cardiologists Society of India took the matter seriously and how they plan to take it up to the Karnataka Home Minister.

However, in another X post yesterday, he informed that till now no action has been taken even though the RMO at the hospital gave a detailed complaint along with CCTV footages.

Meanwhile, in response to the X post, another user mentioned that people are angry how hospitals looted them during COVID 19 pandemic in the name of treatment and how people lost everything they had including their loved ones. The post further mentioned how during the pandemic, dead people were kept on ventilators to inflate the bill and obnoxious rates were charged for meds and how people have now lost their patience.

Responding to this, the doctor mentioned, “I feel this is so inappropriate. Just because of some people being unethical, U can’t paint majority of sincere doctors toiling to save a life on Diwali day (also happened to be my Birthday & I could have happily enjoyed the festivities with family& friends) with the same brush.”

Further addressing the comments that referred to corporate culture in medical field these days, the doctor mentioned that he had not anything wrong but they were upset with the outcome because the patient had died despite best efforts and how those people manhandled 6 persons altogether.

“The excuses put forward r “they were emotional” “they were inebriated” “they r illiterate”- does any right thinking person agree that any of the above justifies beating up 6 health care professionals doing their duty on Diwali day!” he added in another X post.

Also Read: Orthopaedic Surgeon attacked at Trichy ESI Hospital after traffic dispute, 5 booked

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Kundapur Govt Hospital Doctor on emergency duty verbally abused, threatened with death by patient’s attendant

Udupi: A case has been registered against an attendant of a female patient who allegedly verbally abused an on-duty medical officer at Kundapur government hospital and threatened him with death over a dispute regarding the patient’s admission process. 

According to the complaint, the attendant is the patient’s husband who allegedly in a fit of rage verbally assaulted the doctor, snatched his wife’s medical records, and tore official documents on the doctor’s table.

The incident occurred around 11:15 p.m. on Sunday when the doctor who has served as an emergency care doctor at the hospital for over two years, was treating a female patient who came in complaining of severe stomach pain with the assistance of another woman. 

Also read- Orthopaedic Surgeon attacked at Trichy ESI Hospital after traffic dispute, 5 booked

In his complaint, the doctor claimed that he examined the patient along with her medical records and recommended her admission for further observation in the presence of a nurse. During the process, the patient’s husband arrived at the hospital and he was asked to complete the admission process. 

However, shortly afterwards, the couple unexpectedly left the hospital without completing the formalities. The doctor said that he was in the middle of examining the patient when they left the hospital. 

Within half an hour, at approximately 11:45 p.m., the husband in a rage returned to the hospital’s emergency room. It was claimed that he barged in and verbally assaulted the doctor, snatched the patient’s medical records, and tore official documents on the doctor’s table, disrupting the emergency room.

As per DH news report, the situation further escalated when the husband accompanied by another woman, allegedly issued death threats to the doctor apart from continuing to verbally abuse him. 

Following this, the doctor filed a complaint at the police station. Acting on the complaint, the police registered a case against the husband under relevant sections of  BNS. An investigation in this regard is underway. 

Also read- TN Nurse attacked, sexually assaulted by youth while returning from hospital

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Tightly tied waist cord of saree underskirt may lead to skin ulceration and pose cancer risk, warn doctors

A tightly tied waist cord of the underskirt (petticoat) traditionally worn under a saree, particularly in rural parts of India, may lead to what has been dubbed “petticoat cancer,” warn doctors in the journal BMJ Case Reports after treating two women with this type of malignancy.

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Snooze your way to well-being: Study finds 46 extra minutes of sleep boosts gratitude and resilience

Research has shown the numerous positive benefits that come with good sleep habits. Now, a new study from Baylor University shows that even subtle changes in the amount of sleep—in fact, only 46 extra minutes of sleep per night—are linked to improvements to overall well-being, including a beneficial impact on a person’s gratitude, flourishing, resilience and prosocial behaviors.

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Nepal study reveals microbes in mouth reflect lifestyle choices

Lifestyle can shape the composition of beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms within the mouth, according to a new study led by Penn State biologists. The international team revealed how the oral microbiome differs over a range of subsistence strategies—from nomadic hunter gatherers to farmers to industrialized groups—and found that lifestyle, as well as specific lifestyle factors like smoking, can shape the microbiome. A paper describing the results appears Nov. 4 in the journal Microbiome.

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Innate immune defense system plays an unexpected role in maintaining genome stability, researchers find

Along with defending against pathogens, the body’s innate immune system helps to protect the stability of our genomes in unexpected ways—ways that have important implications for the development of cancer, researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) are discovering.

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Social isolation can take a deadly toll on older individuals with COPD, says study

University of California, San Francisco and the University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have identified a link between social isolation and increased mortality among adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Journal Club: Identifying interventions that improve medication safety & rational use of medicines

A recent study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research published by Scientific Scholar states, patient engagement inclined with the top research priorities on research into the safe use of medicines.
Medication-related harm is known to be the cause for about 1/10th of hospitalizations. Some estimates from India show that about 90 per cent of medicines consumed are inessential or irrational and contribute towards high out-of-pocket expenditure on health. In this context, the Indian Council of Medical Research in 2022 constituted a National Task Force (NTF) to explore possible solutions that could improve safe and rational use of medicines (SRUMs).
The objective of this study was to identify research ideas in the field of SRUM through a survey of relevant stakeholders, and further to prioritize the research ideas using a pre-identified set of criteria.
The responses were assessed using the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method. The final output of the prioritization process was a list of research ideas or questions, ranked by their scores.
Total 209 unique ideas were received from 190 respondents, which were scored by 27 experts. The top three research topics on medication safety focused on cost-effective strategies for improving antimicrobial stewardship, safe use of poly-pharmacy in geriatric patients and drug take-back policy interventions.
Regarding the rational use of medicine, the top three topics included testing mobile application-based antimicrobial stewardship interventions, development of diagnostics for antimicrobial resistance, and behavioural interventions.
Therefore, the authors interpreted that several priority ideas found in this study also align with those of global priority, e.g., Safe disposal practices and enhanced pharmacovigilance, rational use of medicines.
Patient engagement, which underlines many of the top scoring ideas found in this study, is also inclined with the top research priorities reported by the WHO priority exercise on research into the safe use of medicines.
Hence, the findings of this research priority-setting exercise can help to guide research for the development of policy-relevant and novel interventions to improve SRUM in India.

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Lahaul, Spiti Residents urge appointment of Pediatrician, Gynaecologist at Keylong Hospital

Himachal Pradesh: Residents of Lahaul and Spiti have appealed to the state government to appoint a paediatrician and a gynaecologist at the district hospital in Keylong, highlighting the need for improved healthcare facilities at the hospital.

The hospital currently has an orthopaedic specialist and an anaesthesia expert, but the lack of paediatric and gynaecology specialists has made it increasingly difficult for the local population to access essential treatments.

Rigzin Samphel Heyreppa, a resident of Lahaul has mentioned that following the opening of the Atal Tunnel, their area has become a thriving destination for the tourist. He further emphasized the importance of healthcare services in the region, given the growing number of tourists. However, the region has not adequately addressed this increasing demand for healthcare. He further mentions that better healthcare facilities are needed to support tourism and ensure the well-being of residents.

A member of the District Council for Lahaul and Spiti named Kunga Bodh emphasized the need for paediatricians and gynaecologists to deliver essential healthcare services directly to the community. He mentions that as winter approaches and heavy snowfall becomes imminent, residents face increased challenges in accessing medical care outside the valley. He also adds that the government must send doctors committed to serving in this tribal district, especially during the harsh winter months.

Also Read: Shortage of Doctors: 78 specialist doctor posts lying vacant in Rudrapur Govt Hospitals

According to The Tribune, Local resident Mohan Lal Relingpa criticizes political parties for their failure to fulfil promises made to them regarding improvement in healthcare facilities made during election campaigns. “Once they are in power, they ignore the problems of the citizens,” he adds.

Local residents of Lahaul and Spiti are especially concerned about the health of children and expectant mothers, as they require consistent access to medical care. They urge the state government to prioritize the deployment of a paediatrician and a gynaecologist at the Keylong hospital.

Also Read: Shortage of specialists: Jharkhand govt decides to recruit private doctors at state-run hospitals

Anuradha Rana the MLA of Lahaul and Spiti has also expressed concerns and raised the issue with the government, advocating for better healthcare facilities in the district. In response to the pressing demands of healthcare services, the health authorities of Lahaul and Spiti have also informed the higher authorities of the Health Department in Shimla regarding vacant posts of specialists at the Keylong hospital.

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