Chandanie Amila Wanigatunge

University of Sri Jayewardenepura · Department of Pharmacology

Introduction: Guidelines for the selection of empirical antibiotics have been developed to improve patient outcomes and reduce unnecessary antibiotic use. We assessed the extent of adherence to the national guidelines for the selection of parenteral empirical antibiotics for three selected infections at a tertiary care center. Methodology: A pro...

Ethics review of a research protocol by an independent ethics review committee (ERC) is an integral aspect in the conduct of research and aims to safeguard the rights, welfare and wellbeing of research participants. The ethical review process can be time consuming for both the researcher and the members of the ERC and may be considered unnecessary...

Background Rupatadine was previously shown to reduce endothelial dysfunction in vitro, reduced vascular leak in dengue mouse models and to reduce the extent of pleural effusions and thrombocytopenia in patients with acute dengue. Therefore, we sought to determine the efficacy of rupatadine in reducing the incidence of dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF...

Background. Prophylactic and empirical antibiotic use is essential in cancer patients due to the underlying immune deficiencies. We examined the spectrum of causative bacteria and the appropriateness of empirical antibiotic prescription for three selected infections in cancer patients. Methodology. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted...

Introduction Optimizing the use of antibacterial medicines is an accepted strategy to combat the antibacterial resistance. Availability of reliable antibacterial consumption (ABC) data is a prerequisite to implement this strategy. Objectives To quantify and describe the national ABC in Sri Lanka and to examine any differences in the consumption be...

Objective: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) has been identified as a risk for atherosclerosis and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and association between hypothyroidism or subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and lipid parameters, anthropometric data and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD)...

Context . Pleurotus ostreatus ( P.o ) is a culinary mushroom which is commonly called as “oyster mushroom” belonging to the Basidiomycetous fungi of the order Agaricales and family Pleurotaceae. Objectives . The present study investigates the anti-inflammatory potential of P.o and the underlying mechanisms of activity. Materials and Methods . Anti-...

Background: 'Screening tool of older people's prescriptions (STOPP) and screening tool to alert to right treatment (START)' criteria is a useful tool to assess the appropriateness of medicines among older adults. However, the original STOPP/START criteria developed in the West, may not be directly applicable to resource limited healthcare settings...

Background There is a dearth of published data from resource-limited settings on appropriateness of medicines in older adults using explicit criteria, but it is unclear if the STOPP/START criteria can be helpful. Objective To assess the usefulness of STOPP/START criteria in assessing appropriateness of medicines in a resource-limited setting. Setti...

1 Aim Prospective registration in a freely accessible public platform is a key step in the ethical conduct of clinical trials. Little is known of the awareness of clinical trial registration among the scientific community. This study aimed to assess awareness of clinical trial registration among participants attending a medical congress in Sri Lank...

Background: The use of lengthy, detailed, and complex informed consent forms (ICFs) is of paramount concern in biomedical research as it may not truly promote the rights and interests of research participants. The extent of information in ICFs has been the subject of debates for decades; however, no clear guidance is given. Thus, the objective of t...

Background: The use of lengthy, detailed, and complex informed consent forms (ICFs) is of paramount concern in biomedical research as it may not truly promote the rights and interests of research participants. The extent of information in ICFs has been the subject of debates for decades; however, no clear guidance is given. Thus, the objective of...

Currently there are no specific treatments available for acute dengue infection. We considered that rupatadine, a platelet-activating factor receptor inhibitor, might modulate dengue-associated vascular leak. The effects of rupatadine were assessed in vitro, and in a dengue model, which showed that rupatadine significantly reduced endothelial perme...

Background: Proper inhaler administration technique must be demonstrated correctly to patients. Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of a tool for pharmacists to improve their quality of counselling on asthma inhaler use. Methods: A non-randomized clinical trial was conducted to assess effectiveness of Handy-GSP (Handy-Guide, Handy-Sticker and Ha...

Purpose of the study There are limited studies on medication errors in South Asian and South East Asian regions. To bridge this gap, we assessed prescribing errors and selected medicine administration errors among inpatients, and the level of acknowledgement of prescribing errors by specialist physicians in a resource-limited hospital setting. Stu...

Background Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) excess is an independent risk factor of coronary artery disease (CAD) and have shown wide ethnic variations. Further, lipid parameters used in the assessment and management of risk factors for CAD may not reflect accurately the disease or severity if the patients are on pharmacological interventions when compared t...

Introduction Nutritional and immune status is important in the outcome of surgical and non surgical diseased conditions. Objective The study attempted to correlate nutritional and immune markers with development of post-operative infections in patients who had undergone CABG. Method Pre and post-operative nutritional (vitamins A and E, serum fer...

The objective of the present study was to observe the dietary patterns and food frequencies of type 2 diabetes patients attending the clinics of the Family Practice Center of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, located in a highly urbanized area in Sri Lanka. An interviewer administered questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted amo...

Understanding the pathophysiological role of risk factors in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) is important. Dyslipidemia, hypertension, family history of CAD and diabetes are identified as independent risk factors for the disease. It is reported that more than 50% of patients with CAD lack any of the conventional risk factors wherea...

Background: Leaf extracts of Scoparia dulcis, is used as a herbal remedy by diabetics worldwide. Fresh Scoparia dulcis porridge elicited a low glycaemic index (GI) and anti-hyperglycaemic effects when fed to diabetic Wistar rats. Commercially produced Scoparia dulcis porridge (SDC) elicited medium GI. Present study was aimed at studying the anti-d...

TITLE: Antibiotic utilization in general medical units in a tertiary care institution Abstract: (State number of words here - 240) OBJECTIVES To ascertain the use and appropriateness of antibiotics used in medical wards at a selected tertiary care institution using available national guidelines METHODS A descriptive cross sectional study was...

INTRODUCTION: Antibiotics are widely used worldwide and their inappropriate prescription leads to emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms, increased morbidity and mortality. Rational use of antibiotics is the key to reducing the development of resistant organisms. OBJECTIVES: To ascertain the use and appropriateness of antibiotics used in...

Amplified inflammatory response is a major pathophysiological challenge in sepsis. Systemic inflammatory conditions increase both endothelial cells and neutrophil activity which in turn increase oxygen derived free radicals. These oxyradicals play a role in propagation of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome and this imbalance in redox state...

This study determined the oral hypoglycaemic effect of suspensions of freeze dried and powdered (SFDP) Pleurotus ostreatus (P.o) and Pleurotus cystidiosus (P.c), using healthy human volunteers and Type 2 diabetic patients on diet control at a dose of 50mg/kg/body weight, followed by a glucose load. The possible hypoglycaemic mechanisms were evaluat...

This study determined the oral hypoglycaemic effect of suspensions of freeze dried and powdered (SFDP) Pleurotus ostreatus (P.o) and Pleurotus cystidiosus (P.c), using healthy human volunteers and Type 2 diabetic patients on diet control at a dose of 50 mg/kg/body weight, followed by a glucose load. The possible hypoglycaemic mechanisms were evalua...

World population is aging and it is aging fast. Globally there is a dual burden of increase in the elderly population and prevalence of non communicable diseases. Elderly are a special population concerning drug use and are particularly vulnerable for inappropriate prescribing. Elderly population and the chronic diseases are both increasing in Sri...

The present study aims to investigate anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-hyperlipidaemic and toxic effects of long-term consumption of selected green leafy porridges in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rat model. Porridges made with Asparagus racemosus Willd. (AR), Hemidesmus indicus (L) R. Br. W. T. Aiton (HI), Scoparia dulcis L. (SD) and coconut m...

Background: Access to medicines is a universal right. Low availability and low affordability of medicines are issues that deny this right to a significant proportion of the world population. The objective of this study was to determine the availability, price and affordability of essential medicines prescribed to treat non communicable diseases in...

To evaluate the antioxidant potential of porridges (kola kenda) made incorporating herbs. Experimental study. Main outcome measures Total phenolic content was estimated by Folin Ciocalteau method (GAEmg/g(FW) and the antioxidant potential by ABTS free radical scavenging activity (TEAC(μg)/100g (FW). Total phenolics and antioxidant potentials of por...

Introduction and objectives: Inappropriate abbreviations used in prescriptions have led to medication errors. We investigated the use of error-prone and other unapproved abbreviations in prescriptions, and assessed the attitudes of pharmacists on this issue. Methods: A reference list of error-prone abbreviations was developed. Prescriptions of o...