Saroj Kothari

Medication error in anaesthesia and critical care: A cause for concern

Medication error is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in medical profession, and anaesthesia and critical care are no exception to it. Man, medicine, machine and modus operandi are the main contributory factors to it. In this review, incidence, types, risk factors and preventive measures of the medication errors are discussed in detail.

Effect of fresh Triticum aestivum grass juice on lipid profile of normal rats

Objective: To study the hypolipidemic activity of fresh grass juice of Triticum aestivum in normal rats. Materials and Methods: Freshly prepared Triticum aestivum grass juice was administered to normal rats at the dose of 5 ml/kg and 10 ml/kg orally once daily for 21 days. Blood samples were collected after 24 hours of last administration and used for estimation of lipid profile. Fresh grass juice was also subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening. Results: Fresh grass juice administration produced dose related significant (P < 0.05) reduction in total chloesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol and very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels in normal rats as compared to control. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed presence of alkaloids, tannins, saponins and sterols in Triticum aestivum grass. Conclusion: The results of the present study lndicate hypolipidemic activity of fresh Triticum aestivum grass juice.

Involvement of opioid and monoaminergic pain pathways in Aegle marmelos induced analgesia in mice.

Objective: To study analgesic activity and to evaluate the involvement of opioid and monoamines in the antinociceptive activity of methanol extract of leaves of Aegle marmelos. Materials and Methods: Analgesic activity of methanol extract (ME) of A. marmelos alone (75,150 and 300mg/kg orally) and in combination with morphine or venlafaxine (subanalgesic) were studied using tail flick test and acetic acid-induced writhing in mice. The effect of pre-treatment with opioid antagonist naltrexone 1mg/kg was also studied on antinociception induced due to ME. Result: ME produced a dose-dependent significant antinociceptive activity in the tail flick test and acetic acid-induced writhing in mice. (P<0.05) Administration of subanalgesic dose of ME with morphine or venlafaxine also resulted in significant (P<0.05) antinociceptive activity in both the pain models. Pre-treatment with naltrexone inhibited analgesic activity induced by ME alone and combination with morphine or venlafaxine. Conclusion: A.marmelos in induced antinociception is mediated through both opioid and monoaminergic pain pathways, suggest its possible use in chronic pain.

Fixed drug eruption due to paracetamol

Fixed drug eruption is a common type of drug eruption seen in dermatology OPD’s. Usually it is seen with sulphonamides, salicylates, tetracyclines, oxyphenbutazones, dapsone, barbiturates, phenolphthalein, morphine, codeine, quinine, phenacetin, erythromycin, griseofulvin, mebendazole etc. We hereby report a case of fixed drug eruption due to single dose of oral paracetamol in an otherwise healthy male after one hour of consuming it. A provisional diagnosis of Paracetamol induced fixed drug eruption was made. Paracetamol was stopped and patient advised never to take Paracetamol in future. Patient was managed with prednisolone 10mg /day, cetirizine 10 mg/day, and amoxicillin 500 mg twice a day and mometasone + fusidic acid cream to be applied over the lesions.