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Objective: Several studies have demonstrated that driving under influence of alcohol and psychoactive drugs increases the risk of fatal accidents & hence increased mortality rates. This paper presents a retrospective study of Road & Rail traffic accidents in Mangaluru. Method: Over a six-year period (2010-2015), a total of 5226 autopsies were conducted at Govt. Wenlock Hospital, Mangaluru out of which 1261 were Vehicular accidents (1117 - Road, 144 - Rail) .Various parameters were looked in these cases such as age groups, gender, type of Vehicle involved, Victim status, time of day, day of the week (weekdays/weekend), Season, type of intoxication, accident site etc. Results: 15.85% (n = 177) of all the Road Traffic Deaths & 9.72% (n=14) of all Rail deaths occurred as a consequence of either alcohol (16.83%, n=188/191) or drug overdose (n=3). 42.93% of victims belonged to 56 and above age group. Most commonly the e the vehicle which were involved in accident were motorcycles (around 51.83% cases). Conclusions: The results of this study reveals a strong positive association between the presence of alcohol and psychoactive drugs in road & rail traffic accident victims. The matter of grave concern is increasing trend of drunken driving leading to fatal accidents among adolescent age-groups especially in motorcycle vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), which incorporated the WHO DOTS strategy was introduced in India in the mid-1990s. An operational research project was conducted between 1996 and 1998 to assess the needs and perspectives of patients and providers in two chest clinics in Delhi, Moti Nagar and Nehru Nagar, during the introduction of the new strategy. This paper reports on the findings of the project, concentrating on information collected from 40 in-depth interviews with patient defaulters and from non-participant observations in clinics and directly observed treatment centres. In Moti Nagar chest clinic, 117 of 1786 (6.5%) patients and 195 of 1890 (10%) patients in Nehru Nagar left care before their treatment was complete. It was argued that the reasons for default stem from a poor correlation between patient and programme needs and priorities, and from particular characteristics of the disease and its treatment. Patient needs that were not met by the health system included convenient clinic timings, arrangements for the provision for treatment in the event of a family emergency and provision for complicated cases like alcoholics. The problems facing the provider were poor interpersonal communication with the health staff, lack of attention and support at the clinic, difficulty for patients to re-enter the system if they missed treatment and, in certain areas, long distances to the clinic. Problems related to diseases were inability of the staff to deal with drug side-effects, and patients' conception of equating well-being with cure. Simple, practical measures could improve the provision of tuberculosis (TB) treatment: more flexible hours, allowances for poor patients to reach the clinics and training health care staff for respectful communication and monitoring drug side-effects. The findings indicate a need to rethink the label of 'defaulter' often given to the patients. The important areas for future operational research is also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increased intake of alcohol causes changes in the cognitive process, affecting many important functions such as execution, recent memory, and visuospatial abilities. Sometimes changes imparted by alcohol use are irreversible. Aims and Objectives: The impairments caused by alcohol abuse are usually underdiagnosed even though they are moderate to severe. To this purpose, we studied the cognitive improvement on abstinence of alcohol use. Materials and Methods: The present study was done in 100 patients, whose diagnosis was made as per the International Classification of Disorders-10 as alcohol dependence syndrome. Patients were administered with the scales, the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SAD-Q), Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Postgraduate Inventory Battery of Brain Dysfunction (PGIBBD), Trail Making Test-B, Digit Span Test, and Digit Vigilance Test. The evaluation of patients was done after 2 weeks of the last alcohol intake and reassessed at the end of the 3rd and 6th months, scores were compared. Analysis of data was done by using mean and standard deviation for continuous variables. The categorical variables were presented as frequency and percentages, and the comparisons between the quantitative data were done by analysis of variance test. Results: The cognitive assessment revealed impairments in executive function, short-term verbal memory, recent memory, visuospatial abilities, visual recognition, and processing speed on initial evaluation, and all the values improved in 6 months of abstinence. Conclusions: In this study, we found, there was significant impairment in memory, executive function, processing speed, visuospatial and recognition skills, initially, and improvement in cognitive function in alcohol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on the research papers considered for the Colonel 2012 Kirpal Singh Award for best paper in military psychiatry or industrial psychiatry.

Background: Efficient alcohol screening measures are important to prevent or treat alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Objectives: We studied different versions of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) comparing their performance to the full AUDIT and an AUD measure as screeners for alcohol use problems in Goa, India. Methods: Data from a general population study on 743 male drinkers aged 18–49 years are reported. Drinkers completed the AUDIT and an AUD measure. We created shorter versions of the AUDIT by (a) collapsing AUDIT item responses into three and two categories and (b) deleting two items with the lowest factor loadings. Each version was evaluated using factor, reliability and validity, and differential item functioning (DIF) analysis by age, education, standard of living index (SLI), and area of residence. Results: A single factor solution was found for each version with lower factor loadings for items on guilt and concern. There were no significant differences among the different AUDIT versions in predicting AUD. No significant DIF was found by education, SLI or area of residence. DIF was observed for the alcohol frequency item by age. Conclusions/Importance: The AUDIT may be used with dichotomized response options without loss of predictive validity. A shortened eight-item dichotomized scale can adequately screen for AUDs in Goa when brevity is of paramount importance, although with lower predictive validity. Although the frequency item was endorsed more by older men, there is no evidence that the AUDIT items perform differently in other groups of male drinkers in Goa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol abuse is recognized as the most common cause for the development of various abnormalities including liver disease. Excessive free radicals are generated during the metabolism of ethanol. The ingestion of alcohol along with polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) aggravates the production of free radicals and enhances the oxidative stress. Medicinal plants contain active phytocomponents, which are the principal healthcare resources. We aimed to analyze the effect of wheatgrass extract on alcohol and thermally oxidized PUFA (ΔPUFA) induced oxidative stress in male albino Wistar rats. The levels of marker enzymes gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lipid peroxidative markers; thiobarbutric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and lipid hydroperoxides (LH), the levels of enzymatic (catalase [CAT], superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidase [GPx]) and nonenzymatic (reduced glutathione [GSH], vitamin E, vitamin C) antioxidants were analyzed in liver to evaluate the effects of wheatgrass. The levels of TBARS and LH were significantly ( p ≤ .05) increased in alcohol + ΔPUFA group, which were found to be reduced on treatment with wheatgrass. The levels of both enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants were significantly ( p ≤ .05) decreased in alcohol + ΔPUFA group, which were found to be restored on treatment with wheatgrass. From the results obtained, we conclude that wheatgrass protects the liver against alcohol and ΔPUFA induced oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children of people with alcohol dependence (COAs) are at high risk for behavioral and cognitive problems. Aim: Aim of this study was to compare the nature and extent of these problems in children of men with and without alcohol dependence. Materials and Methods: 32 children (17 in study group and 15 controls) were evaluated for psychopathology, neurodevelopment, cognitive functioning and family environment. Tools used were: Socio-demographic data sheet, Malin's Intelligence Scale for Indian Children (MISIC), Child Behavior Checklist, Trail Making Test, Neurodevelopment Scale and the Family Environment Scale. Results: Children of men with alcohol dependence had higher externalizing than internalizing scores. Children of alcohol-dependent fathers had higher scores on the neurodevelopment scale and lower scores on the performance scale of the MISIC than the children in control group. These children also made more errors on the Trail Making Test. The family environment of COAs was characterized by lack of independence for its members, greater perceived control and lack of adequate cultural and intellectual activities. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that children of men with alcohol dependence have difficulties with frontal lobe functions and neurodevelopmental tasks. There are also difficulties in the family, which are related to alcohol consumption by the father. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]