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Jammu: The Legal Metrology Department (LMD) has taken action against the Punjab-based Jammu private hospital chain based in Jammu at Greater Kailash. The hospital has been fined for using non-standard units of measurement in its transactions, which violates legal regulations.

Through this significant step, LMD aims to protect consumers from fraudulent practices and ensure fair treatment in the healthcare sector. 

The case came to light following a special inspection by the Legal Metrology Department Jammu District, directed by the Controller of LMD, Anuradha Gupta. The inspection aimed to regulate commercial transactions in the healthcare sector and enforce compliance with the Legal Metrology Act and its rules. It is made to protect consumers from fleeing the hospitals and to ensure fair trade practices in the medical industry.

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The hospital, which specializes in orthopaedic surgeries and bone-related treatments, was found guilty of using nonstandard units of measurement in its billing system, which violates the law. The hospital was found guilty of violating provisions of the Legal Metrology Act by LMD. The act mandates accurate information and the use of standard units of measurement in all commercial transactions, including medical devices.

The investigation revealed significant discrepancies in the hospital’s billing practices, particularly concerning the quantity of surgical materials and dressing supplies used during procedures, measured in terms of weight, measure, or number.

As per the media report by Daily Excelsior, upon registration of the case for breach of relevant provisions of the Legal Metrology Act, the hospital management pleaded guilty to the violation and opted for departmental compounding of the case by paying a fine of Rs. 20,000.  

The Legal Metrology Department J&K, in a recent handout, has highlighted the provisions of the Legal Metrology Act.  It emphasizes that medical services, including transactions related to medical devices, now fall under the purview of the Legal Metrology Act. According to the standing norms, pre-packaged commodities must not be sold at prices exceeding their maximum retail price (MRP). The clarification aims to enhance consumer protection in the medical industry.  

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Consumers are advised to scrutinize their hospital bills for any discrepancies, especially regarding overcharging. In case someone encounters overcharging, aggrieved consumers can report to the Legal Metrology Department for timely resolution.

A recent study published in the European Heart Journal unveiled increase in heart rate and atrial tachycardias with binge drinking in which young individuals through continuous rhythm monitoring. The holiday heart syndrome is characterized by cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, may be brought on by an acutely high alcohol intake. Stefan Brunner and colleagues set out this study to prospectively examine the temporal course of cardiac arrhythmias that arise after binge drinking in young individuals due to a lack of underlying data.

202 volunteers in total were enlisted who planned to consume alcohol acutely and had predicted peak breath alcohol concentrations (BAC) of ≥1.2 g/kg. Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring for 48 hours was used in the study. Baseline (hour 0), the “drinking period” (hours 1–5), the “recovery period” (hours 6–19), and two control periods, which corresponded to the 24 hours after the “drinking” and “recovery periods,” respectively, were covered. BAC readings were used to track acute alcohol consumption during the “drinking period.” Heart rate variability (HRV), atrial tachycardia, premature ventricular complexes (PVC), premature atrial complexes (PAC) and mean heart rates were examined on ECGs.

The data showed that when alcohol consumption increased, there was an excess of atrial tachycardias and an increase in heart rate. An autonomic modulation with sympathetic activation after alcohol consumption and the ensuing “recovery period” was revealed by HRV measurement, with parasympathetic predominance following. While PVCs were more common during the “drinking period,” PACs were substantially more common during the “control periods.” During the ‘recovery phase’, 10 individuals had significant arrhythmic events, mostly atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardias.

Premature ventricular complexes were more common in individuals without a known history of cardiac arrhythmias during the hours of alcohol use. About 1 day later, premature atrial complexes were much more common. Also, approximately 200 subjects had significant arrhythmic events during the hours after their binge drinking, including atrial fibrillation, non-sustained ventricular tachycardias, and varying degrees of atrioventricular block.

Overall, this study highlighted the holiday heart syndrome as a health concern by showing how excessive drinking affects heart rate changes and increases atrial tachycardias during the “drinking period” and the emergence of clinically significant arrhythmias following the “recovery period.”

Reference:

Brunner, S., Krewitz, C., Winter, R., von Falkenhausen, A. S., Kern, A., Brunner, D., & Sinner, M. F. (2024). Acute Alcohol Consumption and Arrhythmias in Young Adults: The MunichBREW II Study. In European Heart Journal. Oxford University Press (OUP). https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehae695

Several medications are available to treat high blood pressure, but more than 10 million Americans do not respond to the treatments, according to the American Heart Association. Using a bioelectronic device to deliver pulsed electricity to the body has proven to be a promising strategy to treat drug-resistant hypertension patients, according to Penn State researcher Tao Zhou, although he noted that its practical application in patient care has significant limitations.

Zhou, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics and of biomedical engineering, received a five-year, $1.83 million grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health to develop a soft and stretchable tissue-like electronic device for the treatment of resistant high blood pressure.

In a Q&A with Penn State News, Zhou-who is a co-hire with the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and the Materials Research Institute as part of the Center for Neural Engineering-discussed the specifics of the grant.

Q: What are the limitations of existing non-medication-based strategies that treat high blood pressure?

Zhou: Existing devices have significant limitations that precludes their practical application. They are made of stiff materials and unable to stretch in response to the carotid artery wall’s periodic expansion and contraction, which can cause tissue damage and inflammation. Devices also must be sutured to the carotid artery wall, which introduces further damage to the tissue on which they were implanted. Overall, these limitations can cause significant patient discomfort, illness and failure of devices over time.

Q: How does electrical stimulation of the neck reduce blood pressure in patients?

Zhou: Electrical stimulation of relevant nerves on the neck can activate the baroreflex, which can modulate patient blood pressure.

Q: What will be the key features of your device, and how will it benefit hypertension patients?

Zhou: We adopt soft and stretchable yet resilient hydrogel-based materials for the fabrication of the devices to better match the mechanical properties of tissues and to reduce tissue damage and inflammation after implantation. Owing to its intrinsic stretchability, the whole device can deform as the artery wall expands and contracts, thus minimizing constraint and damage to the carotid artery. We also will adopt a bioadhesive component in the proposed system to eliminate the need for suturing electrical devices on carotid artery walls, thus significantly decreasing the invasiveness of implanted devices and increasing the safety, stability and functionality of the device.