Background: Undergraduate (UG), as well as postgraduate (PG), medical students are exposed to daily stressors, which can lead to substance use and abuse. Substance abuse remains a covert yet well-known phenomenon among medical students and medical practitioners globally. Objective: To study the determinants of alcohol and tobacco consumption among medical students of a Medical College in South India Methods: An institution based cross sectional study was carried out among 612 students present on the day of the survey. In beginning the concerned batch in-charge was contacted; date and time was fixed; students were asked to sit in single row so that confidentiality is maintained. Students name or any other personal identification information was not asked. Questionnaire was given to all at same time and collected exactly after 10 minutes such that discrimination was avoided. Same procedure was followed for all the medical students of 5 batches. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 16. Results: The prevalence of alcohol use was 21.24%. The prevalence of tobacco use was seen only in 34 students i.e. 5.55%. Batch year, being male, residing at their own house or outside the college in a private hostel or room, and belonging to problem family were significantly associated with alcohol use. Only being male was statistically significant with tobacco use. Males were 10.5 times more likely to use tobacco compared to females. Conclusion: Prevalence of alcohol use at young age of studies was very high and it increased as the seniority increased. Counselling of these students in the first year of admission could help prevent further increase in the addictions.

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Background: Mosquitoes and other vectors are responsible for 17% of all infectious diseases globally. Considering the increasing burden and socioeconomic impact of mosquito-borne diseases, the most effective control measure is to empower people with essential information and encourage them to adopt preventive and protective measures. Objective: This study was done among school children to identify their perceptions on mosquito-borne diseases in terms of knowledge and attitude and related preventive practices, as part of an awareness programme. Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted among students of classes 9 to 12, in a selected school of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu in January 2017, using a pre-tested, semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire. Results: A total of 400 students participated in the study; 64.5% were males. Malaria (96.8%), Dengue (84.8%) and Chikungunya (71%) were the commonest diseases known. While 62.7% identified symptoms of common mosquito-borne diseases, only 2.5% were aware of vectors involved. 82% of students opined that malaria control is combined responsibility of Government, community and individual. Mosquito nets (63%) were the commonest protective measure used. More than 90% kept water containers and storage tanks covered and clean. More than 75% reported practicing one or more environmental measures to prevent mosquito breeding. The mean knowledge score was 4.28 (SD±1.28). Higher mean scores were observed among males and higher classes of study (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study could be reflective of perceptions and practices of the families and communities. School- based awareness programmes and integration of disease control measures in curriculum with field-based activities could motivate children to adopt preventive and protective measures and promote the same in their communities.

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Background: Study of medicine has always been challenging with immense pressure and high workload. This unjust pressure can sometimes transform into psychological illness and commitment of suicide. The objective of this study was to explore patterns and possible determinants of suicide among medical students in India. Methods: The present study is a record based retrospective study which included collection of data from news-articles published in various English, Hindi and regional dailies, news portal articles and publications in different streams of medical journals through web-based/electronic database search. More than 2000 such articles were reviewed from year 2009 to 2018 and data was extracted. Results: Among 196 medical students, who committed suicide over last 10 years, 42% were female, 42% belonged to the age group of 20-24 years and 68.37% were MBBS students. 31.12% of the victims were in their first year of medical education. Among 61 post-graduate students, most victims were from the department of Anaesthesia (10), General Surgery and Pediatrics (7 each). In 55% of the cases, method/mode of suicide was hanging. Academic & examination pressure was the most cited reason for commitment of suicide. Incidence density of suicide among medical students was calculated to be 6.82 per lakh students per year over the period of 2009-18; while it was 9.56 per lakh students per year in the year 2018. Conclusion: This study is first attempt to find incidence and possible reasons for suicide among medical students in India. It has comprehensively explored 196 suicides among medical students across the country over past 10 year.

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Background: Stress is an inseparable part of life in current scenario. Stress has made its presence very obvious among students also. Early detection and prevention of stressors may inhibit the emergence of mental illnesses in productive population. Objective: To assess perceived stress using perceived stress scale (PSS) to recognize the level of stress and related aspects like sleep disturbance and anxiety. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted amongst MBBS and BDS students of medical and dental colleges of Udaipur, Rajasthan. Data was collected by pre-validated online questionnaire comprised of perceived stress scale and sleep related questions over a duration of 2 months (May – June 2018). Data of 171 students of medical and dental colleges of all semesters was obtained for statistical analysis. Results: Total of 171 students responded out of 300 students i.e. 57% response rate of online questionnaire. Out of total respondents 137 were medical and 34 were dental students. Male female ratio came out to be 1:1.3. In terms of perceived stress majority students (80.1%) perceived moderate stress, low stress was perceived by 11.1% students while 8.8% students felt high level of stress. Conclusion: Medical students perceived higher degree of stress and showed much more sleep related problems. Inclusion of stress relievers and early interventionmay play significant role in inhibition of depression and mental health issues.

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Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder consisting of components like thrombosis of arteries and veins, adverse outcomes of pregnancy affecting both mother and fetus, and raised levels of antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies. Found only in 5 persons per 100,000 populations. We are reporting three patients who presented with severe chest pain and breathlessness of acute onset, history suggestive of recurrent 2^nd-trimester abortions. All basic investigations were done along with ECG, chest x-ray, D-dimer, CECT, and APLprofile. Clinical, radiological and laboratory data were in favor of Anti-phospholipid syndrome in all the patients. They were managed conservatively with anticoagulant therapy and other supportive measures. This case series is reported with review of some relevant literature. We conclude that young women with history of recurrent abortions presenting with acute onset of breathlessness and chest pain should be investigated in the line of pulmonary thromboembolism due to antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.

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