Raiganj Government Medical College and Hospital (RGMC&H) is a tertiary referral Government Medical college. It was established in the year 2018. The college imparts the degree Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS). The college is affiliated to West Bengal University of Health Sciences and is recognized by the National Medical Commission. The hospital associated with the college is one of the largest hospitals in the Uttar Dinajpur district. The selection to the college is done on the basis of merit through National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate).. Yearly undergraduate student intake is 100 from the year 2019. There are two different campuses, main campus at Dr. B.C. Roy Sarani(District Hospital and Super Speciality Hospital campus, makeshift campus for medical college) and another campus for academic activities is under construction near bank of the Kulik river at Abdulghata, a couple of kilometres away from the main Hospital campus..
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health challenge in India, with complex social, economic, and psychological factors influencing patient outcomes. While the DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course) strategy has improved treatment adherence, challenges persist, particularly around stigma, logistical barriers, and health system navigation. This qualitative study aimed to explore the lived experiences, perceptions, and stigma associated with TB treatment among patients who completed at least six months of therapy under the DOTS regimen at a tertiary care centre in North India. A phenomenological approach was used to conduct in-depth interviews with 17 drug-sensitive TB patients registered in the second quarter of 2024 on the Nikshay Portal. Participants were selected until thematic saturation was achieved. Data were collected using a pretested interview guide, audio-recorded, transcribed, translated, and analysed thematically through manual coding. Ten key themes emerged, including delayed diagnosis, fragmented care pathways, financial burdens despite free treatment, drug stock-outs, logistical challenges of DOTS adherence, inadequate counselling, stigma, gender-specific caregiving conflicts, employment vs. treatment tension, and trust in medication driven by fear of relapse. Despite limited knowledge and psychosocial strain, many participants demonstrated strong adherence, motivated by social support and concern over MDR-TB. The study highlights the need for a more patient-centred TB care model that addresses not only clinical management but also the psychosocial, economic, and gendered realities of patients. Tailored counselling, stigma reduction, nutritional support, and flexible treatment delivery can significantly enhance adherence and treatment outcomes.
BACKGROUND:Early, non-invasive detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) is a significant challenge. Given the anatomical and pathophysiological parallels between retinal and coronary microvasculature, retinal arteriovenous (AV) ratio may serve as a surrogate marker of CAD. This study aimed to evaluate correlation between retinal AV ratio and CAD severity as assessed by SYNTAX score in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and chronic coronary syndrome (CCS), using artificial intelligence (AI)-based retinal image analysis. METHODS:In this prospective study, 332 participants were enrolled: 110 with ACS, 120 with CCS, and 102 angiographically normal controls. Retinal fundus imaging was analyzed using AI models (VC-Net and SegFormer) to compute AV ratio. Coronary angiography was performed, and SYNTAX scores were calculated. Correlations between AV ratio and SYNTAX score were assessed, and a machine learning model (RETFound + RBF Kernel Ridge Regression) was developed to predict SYNTAX categories from retinal data. RESULTS:Mean AV ratios were similar across CCS (0.624 ± 0.11), ACS (0.620 ± 0.12), and controls (0.650 ± 0.10; p = 0.153). In CCS patients, a significant inverse correlation was observed between AV ratio and SYNTAX score (r = -0.344; p < 0.001), which remained after adjustment (r = -0.300; p = 0.002). AI model accurately classified patients into SYNTAX risk categories (94.1 % accuracy). CONCLUSION:Retinal AV ratio is significantly associated with CAD severity in CCS patients. An AI-based tool can automatically derive AV Ratio and provide rapid, non-invasive estimate of coronary disease burden, showing promise for risk stratification. This approach warrants further validation in larger cohorts.
Background: Adequate sedation during awake flexible fiberoptic intubation (AFOI), a key step of success, has been traditionally done by several agents. However, each agent has its own side effects. Dexmedetomidine, an α-2 agonist, has also been experimented with, owing to its excellent sedative properties, though it also has several undesirable effects, including hemodynamic alterations. To avoid the unnecessary side effects of intravenous (IV) dexmedetomidine, the IV route has proved to be promising, although adequate studies are lacking. Aims and Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the efficacy, along with the hemodynamic changes, of intranasal (IN) dexmedetomidine while performing AFOI. Materials and Methods: Fifty-six patients of either sex, aged 20–60 years, with unstable cervical spine posted for cervical fixation were randomly allocated into two groups, Group D and Group C, and were atomized preoperatively with IN dexmedetomidine (2 μg/kg) and an equivalent volume of normal saline, respectively, about 40 min before the AFOI procedure. Ease of intubation, number of attempts, and time to intubate were measured along with patient responsiveness, sedation, and hemodynamic changes. Patient awareness was measured on the first post-operative day. Results: The observer assessment alertness/sedation score, comfort score, and intubation score were all found to be significantly lower in Group D in comparison to Group C. The majority of patients in Group D reported having no awareness during the procedure and also maintained a better hemodynamic profile throughout. Conclusion: Atomized IN dexmedetomidine, providing good intubation conditions, procedural sedation, and patient satisfaction without significant side-effects, can be effectively used during AFOI in patients with unstable cervical spine.
Item analysis is a vital step in educational assessment to check the quality of multiple-choice questions (items). Traditional item analysis methods using spreadsheets or statistical software are often time-consuming, error-prone, and challenging for educators with limited programming expertise. To address these issues, ItemSight, an intuitive software for item analysis, was developed to automate and simplify the psychometric evaluation of test items. The software was developed using the R-Shiny framework. It computes item difficulty, discrimination index, distractor efficiency, internal consistency (if an item is deleted), and point-biserial correlation. To run the software, users need R and RStudio with installed packages and the code we provide. After analysis, the report can be easily exported in comma-separated values (CSV) format for further analysis. All data remains stored locally on the user's computer, ensuring privacy. Currently, the software supports only type A multiple-choice questions (four options with a single best answer). It can be accessed and used through RStudio without any cost. The tool serves as a valuable resource for educators and researchers in medical and allied health sciences, promoting evidence-based improvement of assessment quality.
Background: Prolonged waiting periods before definitive radiotherapy remain a major challenge in the management of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC), particularly in resource-constrained healthcare settings. Bridging systemic therapy during this interval may help maintain disease control until definitive radiotherapy can be initiated. The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety of induction docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (TPF) chemotherapy with oral metronomic chemotherapy (OMCT) as bridging treatment in patients with LA-HNSCC experiencing unavoidable delays before definitive radiotherapy. Methods: A prospective randomized study was conducted in the Department of Radiotherapy, IPGME&R and SSKM Hospital, Kolkata, India, between February 2020 and November 2022. Sixty patients with biopsy-proven stage III-IVB LA-HNSCC were randomized to receive either two cycles of induction TPF chemotherapy (Arm A) or oral metronomic chemotherapy comprising weekly methotrexate and twice-daily celecoxib (Arm B) while awaiting definitive radiotherapy. Tumour response, treatment-related toxicities, disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and quality of life were assessed. Survival outcomes were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Baseline demographic and clinicopathological characteristics were comparable between the two treatment groups. Induction TPF chemotherapy achieved significantly higher objective tumour response before radiotherapy and superior complete response rates following treatment compared with OMCT. Disease-free survival was significantly longer in the TPF arm, whereas overall survival was comparable between the two groups during the study period. Conclusions: Induction TPF chemotherapy provided superior tumour response and disease-free survival compared with oral metronomic chemotherapy.
