National Epilepsy Day 2007 National Epilepsy Day 2007 17 November 2007

National Epilepsy Day 2007

Theme, Myths of Epilepsy and Seizure First Aid

• National Epilepsy Day will be observed on 17 November 2007 to raise awareness about epilepsy and the need for people living with the condition to be given a fair opportunity in every aspect of life. The theme for the awareness campaign this year is Fighting the social stigma attached with epilepsy.
  
  The objective of the campaign is to raise epilepsy to a new plane of acceptability in the public domain and to increase public awareness of epilepsy as a universal and treatable brain disorder.
  
  In order to create awareness about epilepsy, the Indian Epilepsy Association is undertaking various initiatives. Some of the highlights of this awareness campaign include educating people about dos and don'ts and myths of epilepsy, to ensure timely help of such patients, and special initiatives undertaken by the Indian Epilepsy Association to fight the stigma associated with epilepsy, especially in rural India.

Myths of Epilepsy

Myth: Epilepsy is a rare disease
Fact: Epilepsy is an extremely common neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures (or fits or convulsions- they mean the same thing), which affects approximately 1% of the total population. It is the 3rd most common neurological condition after Stroke and Alzheimer's. Worldwide, 39 million people are believed to have epilepsy. The expected number of cases of epilepsy in Delhi by the 2010 Commonwealth Games is expected to be approximately 190,000 (assuming a total population of approx 19 million).

Myth: Epilepsy occurs because of evil spirits possessing the brain
Fact: Epilepsy is a medical condition (just like heart disease, hypertension diabetes) which needs appropriate medical treatment. It is a neurological disorder, characterized by recurrent and unprovoked seizures and temporary impairment of brain function. Head injuries, strokes, brain tumours, brain infections and genetic conditions are potential causes. In a large number of cases, no cause can be found.

Myth: Patients with epilepsy are crazy
Fact: Although epilepsy is related to the brain, it does not indicate that a person is mentally ill or mentally retarded. Epilepsy is a physical condition and is not related to mental illness or intelligence. People with the condition have the same range of abilities and intelligence as the rest of us. Some have severe seizures and cannot work; others are successful and productive in challenging careers. Julius Caesar, Socrates, Napoleon, Charles Dickens, Leonardo da Vinci, Lewis Carroll etc are some famous people with epilepsy who have reached the pinnacle of success in their fields.

Myth: Epilepsy strikes children only
Fact: Epilepsy can strike anyone. It's most common in children, but those 65 or older are also likely to develop the disorder compared to younger adults. Cerebrovascular disorders like aneurysms and stroke are common causes of epilepsy in the elderly

Myth: All seizures involve convulsions in which the victim becomes rigid and shakes.
Fact: There are many different types of seizures involving different parts of the brain. Depending on which part of the brain is involved, there will be different physical symptoms. For example, a seizure victim may experience blank stares or rapid blinking. He may falls or experience intense emotional and/or physical sensations (e.g. fear, joy, laughter, unpleasant sights or smells).

Myth: During a seizure, people swallow their tongue and suffocate.
Fact: It is physically impossible to swallow your tongue, yet many people try to help a person having a seizure by forcing their mouth open and trying to hold their tongue. This is potentially dangerous both to the person helping (they may get bitten) and the person having the seizure (they may have their teeth damaged). However, a person should be rolled on their side during a convulsive seizure (grand- mal seizure) to ensure that their airway is not blocked.

Myth: Anti-epileptic drugs, if taken for 3 years, can cure epilepsy
Fact: The current medications available help in controlling the seizures but are not the cure for Epilepsy. Multiple antiepileptic drugs are available, which can control seizures. About 60 % of people who develop seizures have epilepsy that can be easily controlled with medications (often a single medication). Approximately 90% of patients with epilepsy will have their seizures well controlled with medical therapy. In many forms of epilepsy, anti-epileptic drugs can be withdrawn after 1-2 years of seizure freedom.

Myth: Apart from anti-epileptic drugs, there are no other options available for patients with epilepsy.
Fact: In spite of best medical therapy, 10% of patients will remain refractory to medications and could benefit from resective epilepsy surgery. Resective surgery can result in complete cessation of seizures in approximately 60% patients and significant improvement in seizure control in another 20%. Other modalities of treatment include ketogenic diet (a special fat rich diet) or vagal nerve stimulation.

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Seizure

To help a person having a seizure, keep these instructions close at hand

Seizure First Aid

In a convulsive seizure:-

• Stay calm

• Note the time (to estimate seizure length)

• Do not put anything in the person's mouth

• Do not try to restrain the person

• Do not apply CPR

• Protect the person from obvious injury

• Place something soft under the person's head and shoulders

• Roll the person onto their side to keep the airways clear

• Stay with and reassure the person until he / she has recovered

In a non-convulsive seizure:-

• The person may behave strangely or appear disoriented . Talk to the person and try to guide him / her to safety.

• Protect the person until he/she recovers from the convulsion.

Call an Ambulance:-

• If the seizure continues unabated

• If consciousness is not regained for 5 minutes, after the convulsion.

• When a serious injury has occurred

--
Dr Marwah

Link to the photos of Yoga Camp on the net

Yoga Camp was inaugurated at Kidwai Nagar CGHS Dispensary on1711 2007. Photos were taken on the occasion.
Link to the photos on the net is given below.

http://picasaweb.google.com/gomarwah/YogaCampKidwaiNagarCGHSDispensary17112007

--
Dr Marwah

YOGA CAMP INAUGURATION

YOGA CAMP INAUGURATION

Yoga camp was inaugurated at Kidwai Nagar dispensary on 17 November 2007 at 7.00 am . Dr Ramesh Anand Additional Director ( H Q ) and Dr BariK Joint Director ( H Q ) started the camp by lighting the lamp and cutting the red ribbon.

Members of the Advisory committee were present. President of the Advisory committee and best worker Shri Suresh Pal both lighted the lamp and started the yoga camp.

Blood pressure , weight and blood sugar of all the participants were checked.

Dr Anita Jain CMO I/C Y block Sarojni Nagar Dispensary, Dr Pal CMO(NFSG) Laxmi Bai nagar CGHS dispensary and Dr Bhawna Tiwari CMO(NFSG) G block Sarojni Nagar CGHS dispensary also attended the Yoga Camp.

The inauguration was possible because of the efforts of all the doctors and staff members of the dispensary.

Some photographs were also taken. The link to these photos will be put on the blog later on.

--
Dr Marwah

The theme of this year's World Diabetes Day campaign is Diabetes in Children and Adolescents.

World Diabetes Day - Year of the Child

Celebrate the first United Nations observed World Diabetes Day

On December 20 2006, the General Assembly of the United Nations passed a landmark Resolution recognizing diabetes as a chronic, debilitating and costly disease. The Resolution designates World Diabetes Day as a United Nations Day to be observed every year starting in 2007.

The UN Resolution makes World Diabetes Day stronger than ever and provides the opportunity for a significant increase in the visibility of the campaign and an increase in government and media participation on or around November 14. The Resolution will ensure even greater reach for awareness-raising activities throughout the diabetes world.

Diabetes in Children and Adolescents

The theme of this year's World Diabetes Day campaign is Diabetes in Children and Adolescents.

Diabetes is one of the most chronic diseases of childhood. It can strike children of any age including infants and toddlers. World Diabetes Day focuses on children and adolescents to raise awareness of the diabetes and its impact on children. Every child has a right to a long and healthy life.

• No child should die of diabetes

• More than 200 children get diabetes every day

• Diabetes is different for children

• Care for children is best when a multidisciplinary approach is adopted involving health professionals from all areas that concern children.

• Diabetes hits the poorest hardest.

• A child's access to appropriate medication and care should be a right not a privilege.

• Diabetes costs more than money.

• Over 50% of type 2 diabetes can be prevented.

• All diabetes is on the rise in children.

• Children die because their families cannot afford the medication they need

The World Diabetes Day campaign in 2007 and 2008 aims to:

• Increase the number of children supported by the IDF Life for a Child Program

• Raise Awareness of the warning signs of diabetes

• Encourage initiatives to  reduce diabetic ketoacidosis and distribute materials to support these initiatives

• Promote healthy lifestyles to help prevent type 2 diabetes in children

Diabetes is different for children

Diabetes has a unique impact on children and their families. The daily life of children is disrupted by the need to monitor blood glucose levels, take medication, and balance the effect of activity and food. Diabetes can interfere with the normal developmental tasks of childhood and adolescence, which include succeeding in school and transitioning to adulthood. To help the child and family cope, and to ensure the best possible physical and emotional health of the child, care should be delivered by a multidisciplinary team with good knowledge of paediatrics issues. Support must also be given to caregivers and to school personnel. In this way, children with type 1 or type 2 diabetes can reach adulthood with as little adverse impact as possible on their well-being. For children with diabetes in developing countries the situation at present is bleak.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the rising prevalence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents. Early diagnosis and early education are crucial to reducing complications and saving lives. The health care community, educators, parents and guardians must join forces to help children living with diabetes, prevent the condition in those at risk, and avoid unnecessary death and disability.

--
Dr Marwah

Yoga Camp

Yoga Camp

Yoga camp will be held at Kidwai Nagar CGHS allopathic dispensary from 17 November to 23 November 2007 ( 7.00 am to 10.00 am).

All are invited to attend the camp.

Those interested may get registered with Smt Saravjeet kaur in room no 8 and may also please bring their own dari / chatai/ mat.




CMO I/C
 
Dr Marwah

What is Prescription?

What is Prescription?
Prescription means slip which is written by medical practitioners to guide the pharmacists or chemists to give particular medicine to the patients.

The prescription is generally hand written on a preprinted form.

It also bears name of the medical practitioners.

Both the chemists and practitioners are expert in their professions. When a patient is diagonised by the doctor, he gives him some treatment. If we have to define a prescription, it can be a hand written or printed form that contain information.

The name and address of the prescribing provider and any other legal requirement such as a registration number may be same on the prescription provided by same practitioners.

Only name of the patient will be unique.

Date is put on each prescription.

There is some time limit for the prescription.

There is some recipe of medicines to be taken.

Literally, "Recipe" means simply "Take...." and when a doctor writes a prescription beginning with "Rx", he or she is completing the command. This was probably originally directed at the pharmacist who needed to take a certain amount of each ingredient to compound the medicine, rather than at the patient who must "take" the medicine, in the sense of consuming it.

The word "prescription" can be decomposed into "pre" and "script" and literally means, "to write before" a drug can be prepared. Those within the industry will often call prescriptions simply "scripts".

Both pharmacists and physicians are regulated professions in most jurisdictions.

A prescription as a communications mechanism between them is also regulated and is a legal document.

Many brand name drugs have less expensive generic drug substitutes that are chemically equivalent.

Prescriptions will also contain instructions on whether the prescriber will allow the pharmacist to substitute a generic version of the drug. This is a two way communication.

In some jurisdictions, the preprinted prescription contains two signature lines: one line has "dispense as written" printed underneath; the other line has "substitution permitted" underneath. Some have a preprinted box "dispense as written" for the prescriber to check off (but this is easily checked off by anyone with access to the prescription). Other jurisdictions the protocol is for the prescriber to handwrite one of the following phrases: "dispense as written", "DAW", "brand necessary", "do not substitute", "no substitution", "medically necessary", "do not interchange"

As a guideline, pediatric prescriptions should include the age of the child if the patient is less than twelve and the age and months if less than five. (In general, including the age on the prescription is helpful.) In some jurisdictions, it may be a legal requirement to include the age of child on the prescription. Adding the weight of the child is also helpful.

Prescriptions often have a "label" box. When checked, pharmacist is instructed to label the medication.

A prescription often contains the dose of medicine to be taken. And side effects to a patient by any medicine is also taken into account.

A prescription describes the name of the disease and treatment given.

--
Dr Marwah

MCI notification of April 6, 2002, the Indian Medical Council (professional conduct, etiquette and ethics) Regulations, 2002

MCI notification of April 6, 2002, the Indian Medical Council (professional conduct, etiquette and ethics) Regulations, 2002
The link to the above notification is given at below.

http://www.expresshealthcaremgmt.com/20020531/focus1.shtml

--
Dr Marwah