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Chronic wounds are associated with significant clinical, economic and quality‐of‐life burden. Despite the variety of wound imaging systems available in the market for wound assessment and surveillance, few are clinically validated among patients of Asian ethnicity. We aimed to clinically validate the accuracy of a smartphone wound application (Tissue Analytics [TA], Net Health Systems Inc, Florida, USA), versus conventional wound measurements (visual approximation and paper rulers), in patients of Asian ethnicity with venous leg ulcers (VLU). A prospective cohort study of patients presenting with VLU to a specialist wound nurse clinic over a 5‐week duration was conducted. Each patient received seven wound measurements: one by a trained wound nurse clinician, and three separate wound measurements using TA on each of the iOS and Android operating systems. Inter‐rater and intra‐rater reliability between clinical and TA‐based measurements were analysed using intra‐class correlation statistics, with values of <0.5, 0.5 to 0.75, 0.75 to 0.9, and >0.9 indicating poor, moderate, good and excellent reliability, respectively. 82 patients (51% males), with a mean age at 65.8 years, completed the 5‐week study duration. 25 (30%) had underlying diabetes mellitus. Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnicity comprised 68%, 12% and 11%, respectively. The VLU healed in 26 (32%) of patients within the study period. In total, 358 wound episodes with 2334 wound images were analysed. Inter‐rater reliability for length, width and area between wound nurse measurements and TA application measurements was good (range 0.799‐0.919, P < 0.001). Separate measurements of intra‐rater reliability for length, width and area within the iOS or Android systems were excellent (range 0.967‐0.985 and range 0.977‐0.984 respectively, P < 0.001). Inter‐rater reliability between TA used on the iOS and Android systems was also excellent (0.987‐0.989, P < 0.001). Tissue Analytics, a smartphone wound application, is a useful adjunct for wound assessment and surveillance in VLU patients of Asian ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current suicide risk assessments for predicting suicide attempts are time consuming, of low predictive value and have inadequate reliability. This paper aims to develop a predictive model for suicide attempts among patients with depression using machine learning algorithms as well as presents a comparative study on single predictive models with ensemble predictive models for differentiating depressed patients with suicide attempts from non-suicide attempters. We applied and trained eight different machine learning algorithms using a dataset that consists of 75 patients diagnosed with a depressive disorder. A recursive feature elimination was used to reduce the features via three-fold cross validation. An ensemble predictive models outperformed the single predictive models. Voting and bagging revealed the highest accuracy of 92% compared to other machine learning algorithms. Our findings indicate that history of suicide attempt, religion, race, suicide ideation and severity of clinical depression are useful factors for prediction of suicide attempts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate factors associated with outcome of second twin during labour. The study was a retrospective cohort study in a single tertiary centre in Malaysia from 2014 until 2018 involving all twin pregnancies delivered at or more than 24 weeks of gestation. Total of 409 twin pregnancies were included. Dichorionic twin comprises of 54.5 % (n=223) and 45.5 % (n=186) are monochorionic. Women with dichorionic pregnancies are significantly older (p<0.001), have more pre-existing medical disorders (p=0.011) and fetal structural anomalies (p=0.009). Monochorionic pregnancies are significantly more amongst Malay (p=0.01) and conceived spontaneously (p<0.001). There are significantly more fetuses both in cephalic presentation (p=0.026), birthweight discrepancy more than 20 % (p=0.038) and shorter mean inter-twin delivery duration (p=0.048) in monochorionic pregnancies. Second twin delivered with Apgar score <7 is significantly more in dichorionic pregnancies (p=0.006). The second twin is associated with lower birthweight, small for gestational age and arterial cord pH<7.25. Within the group of women who delivered both fetuses vaginally, there was significantly more second twins with intertwin delivery duration less than 30 min who were delivered vaginally without instrumentation (p=0.018). There was significantly more second twin with intertwin delivery duration of 30 min and more with arterial cord pH<7.25 (p=0.045). Those who delivered spontaneously had inter-twin delivery duration within 15–29 min. The outcome of second twin is not influenced by type of twin, gestational age at delivery, inter-twin delivery duration, mode of delivery and presentation at birth. The neonatal outcome for the second twin at birth is not influenced by type of twin, gestational age at delivery, inter-twin delivery duration, mode of delivery and presentation at birth in a cohort managed with non-active management of the second twin in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a global health burden that affects a broad scope of individuals worldwide. Pharmacists, as members of the multidisciplinary team, play a significant role in promoting public awareness towards potential risk factors for NCDs. This study aims to gauge the knowledge of NCDs risk factors among pharmacy students of a Malaysian public university. This paper also outlines perspectives of pharmacy students on the strategies to raise the awareness of NCDs risk factors. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Faculty of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia. Self-administered questionnaires were pretested and validated before being distributed to pharmacy students across different years of study. The data indicated an average level of knowledge towards risk factors of NCDs among study participants with no significant differences in knowledge between male and female genders (p = 0.583). However, there is a significant difference in knowledge concerning the year of study (p < 0.001); as positive correlation can be seen between the level of education and the knowledge of NCDs risk factor. Most of the students (75%) were unaware of the planning by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to control NCDs. Reinforcement of NCDs-related education activities is imperative in order to increase the overall awareness concerning the risk factors of NCDs among future pharmacy practitioners. Further collaborations between educational institutions and the MOH were proposed to help raise awareness of NCDs risk factors among the younger population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to identify factors associated with participation in Phase II cardiac rehabilitation and to assess patient perceptions towards the usage of technologies in cardiac rehabilitation. Background: Despite efforts to promote utilisation of cardiac rehabilitation (CR), participation among patients remains unsatisfactory. Little is known of patient decision to participate Phase II CR in a multi‐ethnic country. Design: A cross‐sectional study design. Methods: A consecutive sampling of 240 patients with coronary heart disease completed Coronary Artery Disease Education Questionnaire (CADE‐Q) II, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale (CRBS). Results: Seventy per cent of patients (mean age 60.5 [SD = 10.6] years, 80.8% male) participated in phase II cardiac rehabilitation. Self‐driving to cardiac rehabilitation centres, higher barriers in perceived need/health care and logistical factors were significantly associated with decreased odds of participation. Patients with more barriers from comorbidities/functional status, higher perceived social support from friends, and anxiety were more likely to participate. Chinese and Indians were less likely to participate when compared with Malays. More than 80% of patients used both home and mobile broadband internet, and 72.9% of them would accept the usage of technologies, especially educational videos, instant messenger, and video calls to partially replace the face‐to‐face, centre‐based cardiac rehabilitation approach. Conclusion: Several barriers were associated with non‐participation in phase II cardiac rehabilitation. With the high perceived acceptance of technology usage in cardiac rehabilitation, home‐based and hybrid cardiac rehabilitation may represent potential solutions to improve participation. Relevance to clinical practice: By addressing the barriers to cardiac rehabilitation, patients are more likely to be ready to adopt health behaviour changes and adhere to the cardiac rehabilitation programme. The high perceived acceptance of using technologies in cardiac rehabilitation may provide insights into new delivery models that can improve and overcome barriers to participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Self-management support has been recognized as one of the most essential elements of the Chronic Care Model (CCM). Inspired by the CCM, the EMPOWER-SUSTAIN Global Cardiovascular Risks Self-Management Booklet© was developed to aid and sustain self-management among patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in primary care to prevent cardiovascular complications. However, the usability of this booklet among these patients is not known. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the usability of this self-management booklet and identify the factors associated with its usability among patients with MetS in primary care. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with MetS attending a university primary care clinic in Selangor, Malaysia. The usability score was measured using a previously translated and validated EMPOWER-SUSTAIN Usability Questionnaire (E-SUQ) with a score of > 68 indicating good usability. Multiple logistic regressions determined the factors associated with its usability. Results: A total of 391 patients participated in this study. More than half (61.4%) had a good usability score of > 68, with a mean (± SD) usability score of 72.8 (± 16.1). Participants with high education levels [secondary education (AOR 2.46, 95% CI 1.04, 5.83) and tertiary education (AOR 2.49, 95% CI 1.04, 5.96)], those who used the booklet at home weekly (AOR 2.94, 95% CI 1.63, 5.33) or daily (AOR 2.73, 95% CI 1.09, 6.85), and those who had social support to use the booklet (AOR 1.64, 95% CI 1.02, 2.64) were significantly associated with good usability of the booklet. Conclusions: The usability of the EMPOWER-SUSTAIN Global Cardiovascular Risks Self-Management Booklet© was good among patients with MetS in this primary care clinic, which supports its widespread use as a patient empowerment tool. The findings of this study also suggest that it is vital to encourage daily or weekly use of this booklet at home, with the support of family members. The focus should also be given to those with lower education to improve the usability of this booklet for this group of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Apert, Crouzon, and Pfeiffer syndromes are common genetic syndromes related to syndromic craniosynostosis (SC), whereby it is a congenital defect that occurs when the cranial growth is distorted. Identifying cranial angles associated with these 3 syndromes may assist the surgical team to focus on a specific cranial part during the intervention planning, thus optimizing surgical outcomes and reducing potential morbidity. Objective: The aim of this study is to identify the cranial angles, which are associated with Apert, Crouzon, and Pfeiffer syndromes. Methods: The cranial computed tomography scan images of 17 patients with SC and 22 control groups aged 0 to 12 years who were treated in the University Malaya Medical Centre were obtained, while 12 angular measurements were attained using the Mimics software. The angular data were then divided into 2 groups (patients aged 0 to 24 months and >24 months). This work proposes a 95% confidence interval (CI) for angular mean to detect the abnormality in patient's cranial growth for the SC syndromes. Results: The 95% CI of angular mean for the control group was calculated and used as an indicator to confirm the abnormality in patient's cranial growth that is associated with the 3 syndromes. The results showed that there are different cranial angles associated with these 3 syndromes. Conclusions: All cranial angles of the patients with these syndromes lie outside the 95% CI of angular mean of control group, indicating the reliability of the proposed CI in the identification of abnormality in the patient's cranial growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Malaysian government's ongoing movement control order (MCO) to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread, has disrupted the teaching and learning (T&L) activities of higher education institutions in the country. This paper seeks to outline the steps taken by the Department of Family Medicine of the International Medical University (IMU), Malaysia, to adapt its online teaching and learning activities. The five tips are: i) understand how to use online T&L platforms; ii) teachers should create multiple communication channels; iii) ensure attendance is captured; iv) enhance the online T&L experience and v) conduct online formative assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to validate the Malay Happiness at Workplace (M-HAW) index questionnaire. A cross-sectional survey study with a convenience sampling method was carried out at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC), Malaysia. The forward-backward approach was used to translate the original 11 items of the M-HAW questionnaires, which were then distributed to respondents. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were utilised to assess the questionnaires' validity and reliability. A total of 501 healthy individuals were included in the study, with 72% female respondents and a mean age of 37.63 + 7.60. The questionnaire was generally well-received by participants, and reliability standards were met (Cronbach's α = 0.95). The EFA shows two distinct factors, namely individual and environmental factors. The CFA shows that the model was fit (RMSEA= 0.076, CFI= 0.978, x2/df= 3.31). The M-HAW demonstrated its validity as a good tool for determining happiness in the workplace. The M-HAW questionnaire can be used as a screening tool to measure happiness, and should be able to help an organisation provide suitable interventions to improve employee happiness. INSET: 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postoperative sore throat (POST) is a common complication with incidence of 30-90% when intubation was done using conventional Macintosh laryngoscope. Although POST is usually self-limiting and with no long-term morbidity, it can lead to patient's discomfort and dissatisfaction in the postoperative period. The objective of this study was to compare the incidence of POST following intubation using Macintosh laryngoscope and C-MAC® videolaryngoscope (VL) at various time intervals post anaesthesia. This prospective randomised controlled study comprised of 128 patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I and II status who underwent elective surgery under general anaesthesia in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre. All recruited patients have normal airway and divided randomly into Group 1 and Group 2 that used Macintosh laryngoscope and C-MAC® VL during intubation, respectively. Patients were evaluated for sore throat, hoarseness of voice, dysphagia and coughing at recovery, 6 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours after intubation. Severity of POST was assessed using numerical rating scale (NRS). Incidence of POST was found to be higher in the Macintosh laryngoscope group (61.9%) compared to C-MAC® VL group (47.9%) although the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.107). Median pain score was used to assess the severity of POST, showing low and comparable in both groups at all time intervals. There were also no significant differences seen in hoarseness of voice, coughing and dysphagia for both groups during postoperation. Incidence of POST following intubation using C-MAC® VL and conventional Macintosh laryngoscope were comparable. This study revealed that severity of POST was generally low in both groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several studies have investigated the role of laser ablation of anal fistulae in the European setting. However, long-term follow-up results following laser fistula ablations are not widely investigated and no study was performed in the Asia-Pacific, a region with a distinctive prevalence of tuberculosis. The primary objective of this study is to report a single-centre experience with laser ablation of anal fistulae in Malaysia over a period of 6 years.Method: This was a retrospective observational study assessing the outcomes following 70 laser ablations of anal fistulae from February 2014 till December 2019. All cases were assessed using endoanal ultrasound. The laser ablation procedures were performed using laser systems and fibres from Endoteq Medizinische Laser GmBH, Germany, and Biolitec AG, Jena, Germany. Laser fibres were introduced into the fistula tract and laser energy was emitted radially in continuous mode when activated during the procedure. Pre-defined post-procedural outcomes (primary healing, healing failure or recurrence) were recorded as either present or absent during subsequent follow-up appointments and the data was analysed.Results: Over a median follow-up period of 10 months, primary healing was reported following 42 procedures (60.0%). Healing failure was reported following 28 procedures (40.0%) whilst recurrence was seen after 16 procedures (22.86%). No new cases of incontinence were reported following the procedure.Conclusion: The reported primary healing rate following laser ablation of anal fistulae in this study appears consistent with existing literature published by other international centres. The most apparent clinical advantage of this procedure is sphincter-function preservation. However, the primary healing rate after isolated laser fistula ablation is still suboptimal. Judicious patient selection and application in anal fistulae with suitable characteristics could potentially improve the post-procedural outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To palliate suffering, understanding the circumstances leading to suffering and its amelioration could be helpful. Our study aimed to explore contributing and relieving factors of suffering in palliative care. Adult palliative care stage III or IV cancer in-patients were recruited from University of Malaya Medical Centre. Participants recorded their overall suffering score from 0 to 10 three times daily, followed by descriptions of their contributing and relieving factors. Factors of suffering were thematically analysed with NVIVO. Descriptive data were analysed with SPSS. 108 patients participated. The most common contributing factor of suffering was health factor (96.3%), followed by healthcare factor (78.7%), psychological factor (63.0%) and community factor (20.4%). The most common relieving factor was health factor (88.9%), followed by psychological factor (78.7%), community factor (75.9%) and healthcare factor (70.4%). Self-reported assessment of suffering offers a rapid approach to detect bothering issues that require immediate attention and further in-depth exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Triglycerides are lipids composed of fatty acids that provide energy to the cell. These compounds are delivered to the body's cells via lipoproteins found in the bloodstream. Increased blood triglyceride levels have been associated with high-fat or high-carbohydrate diets. Generally, increased triglyceride levels occur in conjunction with other symptoms that are difficult to notice and recognize. Objectives. The study's goal was to develop and predict the model that could be used to explain the relationship between triglycerides and waist circumference, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and hypertension status by determining the relationship between triglycerides and waist circumference, HDL, and hypertension status. This model was developed using qualitative predictor variables and incorporated data bootstrapping multilayer perceptron neural networks and fuzzy linear regression. Materials and procedures. This was a public health study that combined retrospective data analysis with methodology development. The medical records of patients who attended outpatient clinics at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) were collected and analyzed. This was to provide a more extensive illustration of the methods developed. Screening and selection of patient data were necessary following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patient's medical record was used to obtain triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), waist circumference, and hypertension status. Due to the critical nature of the variable, it was chosen to aid the clinical expert. The R-Studio software was used to develop the associated syntax for the hybrid model, which would define the association between the examined variables. The purpose of this study is to create a technique for the clinical trial design that utilizes bootstrapping, Qualitative Predictor Variables (QPV), Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), and Fuzzy Regression (FR). All analyses were performed using the newly introduced R syntax. The research developed a fuzzy linear model that increased modelling performance by incorporating clinically significant factors and validated variables via Multilayer Perceptron (MLP). Conclusion. The proposed technique for modelling and prediction appeared to be the ideal combination of bootstrap, Multilayer Feed Forward (MLFF) neural network, and fuzzy linear regression. The created syntax is currently being evaluated and validated clinically. For modelling and prediction, the proposed technique looked to be the best, as it incorporated bootstrap, MLFF neural network, and fuzzy linear regression. The established syntax is now being utilized in the clinic to evaluate and validate the outcome. In terms of variable selection, modelling, and model validation, this strategy was superior to earlier approaches for fuzzy regression modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthcare‐associated infection (HAI) is one of the major threats to patients' safety besides being among the principal causes of patient morbidity and mortality. Catheter‐associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is reported to be the most common HAI worldwide. CAUTI can be prevented with appropriate practice and care by healthcare personnel, especially nurses, who play the main role in urinary catheter care. Nurses' knowledge and attitude are considered to be important factors that influence their practice. Objectives: To assess nurses' level of knowledge, attitude and perceived practice regarding CAUTI and its preventive measures. Methods: A cross‐sectional design was adopted, and a self‐administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Nurses from the medical and surgical inpatient wards of a tertiary teaching hospital in Malaysia were recruited in two stages using the stratified and simple random sampling methods. A total of 301 nurses participated. Descriptive analysis, an independent t test, ANOVA and hierarchical multiple regression were employed to analyse the data using SPSS software version 25. In addition, a STROBE checklist was used to report the results of this study. Results: Nurses were found to have good knowledge, a positive attitude and good perceived practice regarding CAUTI prevention. Nurses aged above 30 and who had more than ten years of experience reported higher knowledge levels. Knowledge was found to be positively correlated with attitude and perceived practice; however, attitude explained a higher variance in perceived practice of CAUTI prevention compared with knowledge. Conclusion: Attitude was found to have a higher significant influence on perceived practice in this study. Educators need to emphasise the inculcation of a positive attitude among nurses rather than just knowledge for CAUTI prevention. Since this study assessed perceived practice, examining nurses' actual practice and its impact on patient outcomes is recommended in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus is a costly chronic disease related to medication, physician consultation and laboratory investigation. The main means of financing healthcare include direct out-of-pocket (OOP) payment and government subsidisation in some countries, or public/private health insurance schemes, or a mix of all. Patient satisfaction is critical in ensuring the use of healthcare services, continuity of care and treatment adherence. In this study, we determined the satisfaction of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients regarding the healthcare services and payment methods at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Teaching Hospital, Malaysia. This cross-sectional study involved 313 T2DM patients aged ≥18 years who were included after clinical consultations. We used convenience sampling at the outpatient and inpatient medical centres of Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz and UKM Specialist Centre. A survey consisting of sociodemographic, socioeconomic and payment method types as well as a validated patient satisfaction questionnaire scale were used. The mean age was 59.6 years (SD=13.151), 53.0% of the patients were female, 78.3% were Malay, 76.4% were uninsured, 39.6% were covered by government subsidies, while 36.7% paid OOP. Around 86% were generally satisfied with the overall services. Patients were most satisfied with technical quality (84%), communication skills (83%) and accessibility (80%), but satisfaction was lower in doctors' service orientation, particularly the interpersonal manner (73%), financial aspect (73%) and time spent with the doctor (70%). Over 86% of patients were satisfied with healthcare services and payment methods; however, patients who paid OOP reported low satisfaction. Full insurance and extending benefits to partially cover both inpatients and outpatients with low co-payment is recommended to increase satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Retaining experienced critical care nurses (CCNs) remains a challenge for health care organizations. Nursing practice environment and resilience are both seen as modifiable factors in ameliorating the impact on CCNs' intention to leave and have not yet been explored in Malaysia. Aims and objectives: To assess the association between perceived nursing practice environment, resilience, and intention to leave among CCNs and to determine the effect of resilience on intention to leave after controlling for other independent variables. Design This was a cross‐sectional survey. Methods: The universal sampling method was used to recruit nurses from adult and paediatric (including neonatal) critical care units of a large public university hospital in Malaysia. Descriptive analysis and χ2 and hierarchical logistic regression tests were used to analyse the data. Results: A total of 229 CCNs completed the self‐administrated questionnaire. Of the nurses, 76.4% perceived their practice environment as being favourable, 54.1% were moderately resilient, and only 20% were intending to leave. The logistic regression model explained 13.1% of variance in intention to leave and suggested that being single, an unfavourable practice environment, and increasing resilience were significant predictors of nurses' intention to leave. Conclusion: This study found that an unfavourable practice environment is a strong predictor of intention to leave; however, further exploration is needed to explain the higher likelihood of expressing intention to leave among CCNs when their resilience level increases. Relevance to clinical practice: Looking into staff allocation and equality of workload assignments may improve the perception of the work environment and help minimize intention to leave among nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The CYP2C19*2 allele may be associated with a reduced antiplatelet effect for clopidogrel. Here, we assessed whether CYP2C19*2 alleles correlate with clopidogrel responsiveness following the administration of clopidogrel in healthy Malaysian volunteers. Methods. Ninety volunteers were genotyped for CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*3 alleles. Forty-five of 90 volunteers were included in the clopidogrel response studies and triaged into three genotypes, namely, CYP2C19*1/*1 (n = 17) CYP2C19*1/*2 (n = 21) and CYP2C19*2/*2 (n = 17). All subjects received 300 mg of clopidogrel, and platelet reactivity was assessed after a four-hour loading utilizing the VerifyNow-P2Y12 assay. Platelet activity was reported using P2Y12 reaction units (PRUs), and nonresponder status was prespecified at PRU = 230. Results. Following clopidogrel intake, CYP2C19*2/*2 carriers had a significantly higher mean PRU compared to the CYP2C19*1/*2 and CYP2C19*1/*1 (291.0 ± 62.1 versus 232.5 ± 81.4 versus 147.4 ± 87.2 PRU, P < 0.0001) carriers. Almost half of the participants (46.7%) were found to be nonresponders (3 were CYP2C19*1/*1, 11 were CYP2C19*1/*2, and 7 were CYP2C19*2/*2). Conclusion. In healthy Malaysian volunteers, CYP2C19*2 allele was associated with a decrease in platelet responsiveness to clopidogrel. However, clopidogrel nonresponders can be found not only in the carriers of CYP2C19*2/*2, but also in the carriers of CYP2C19*1/*2 and CYP2C19*1/*1. The present paper demonstrated that genotype information does not correlate with clopidogrel response, and genotyping may represent a less robust approach compared to platelet activity testing in guiding clopidogrel therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stevioside from Stevia rebaudiana has been reported to exert antihyperglycemic effects in both rat and human subjects. There have been few studies on these effects in vitro. In this paper, radioactive glucose uptake assay was implemented in order to assess improvements in insulin sensitivity in 3T3-L1 cells by elevation of glucose uptake following treatment with stevioside. Oil Red-O staining and MTT assay were utilized to confirm adipocyte differentiation and cell viability, respectively. Findings from this research showed a significant increase in absorbance values in mature adipocytes following Oil Red-O staining, confirming the differentiation process. Stevioside was noncytotoxic to 3T3-L1 cells as cell viability was reduced by a maximum of 17%, making it impossible to determine its IC50. Stevioside increased glucose uptake activities by 2.1 times (p < 0.001) in normal conditions and up to 4.4 times (p < 0.001) in insulin-resistant states. At times, this increase was higher than that seen in positive control group treated with rosiglitazone maleate, an antidiabetic agent. Expressions of pY20 and p-IRSl which were measured via Western blot were improved by stevioside treatment. In conclusion, stevioside has direct effects on 3T3-L1 insulin sensitivity via increase in glucose uptake and enhanced expression of proteins involved in insulin-signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The paper examined the quality of life of haematological cancer patients according to their socio-demographic profiles and clinical diagnoses. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the tertiary referral centre of Ampang Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, involving 105 patients. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life (EORTC QLQ-C30) questionnaire was used to measure their quality of life. Results: The study involved patients diagnosed with all types of haematological cancer, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and multiple myeloma (MM), with a response rate of 83.3%. The patients with ALL, HL, without NHL, and without MM were younger than other patients. There were significant differences in quality of life scores in different socio-demographic groups and types of cancer diagnosis. The global quality of life of the female patients was much better than that of the male patients. Patients who were 40 years old or younger had a better global quality of life and physical functioning, as well as fewer symptoms of constipation, nausea, and vomiting. Employed patients were in less pain but showed greater impairments of cognitive function than did unemployed patients. Patients who earned a monthly wage of RM1000 or less had reduced physical function, more symptoms of pain, and more financial difficulties compared with patients who earned more. Patients with AML tended to have better physical functioning than did patients with MM, whose physical functioning was impaired. Comparatively, more symptoms of dyspnoea were found in ALL and HL patients than in other types of lymphoma. Compared with other patients, those with ALL had a greater loss of appetite, and other lymphoma patients had fewer symptoms of pain. Patients with NHL had impaired role functioning and more constipation compared with other patients. The results were all statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The quality of life of haematological cancer patients is affected by sociodemographic factors and clinical diagnoses. Efforts should be made to improve the overall quality of life of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine the occurrence, factors and outcome of missed nursing care from the perspective of Malaysian nurses. Background: Missed nursing care is an important issue in the global health care sector. However, little is known on the extent of missed nursing care in the Malaysian context and its contributing factors. Methods: A cross‐sectional design was adopted for data collection using the MISSCARE Survey instrument. Participants comprised 364 nurses from medical and surgical wards of a large teaching hospital. Data were analysed using descriptive, binomial logistic and hierarchical regression analyses. Results: The overall occurrence of missed nursing care was 1.88 (on a scale of 1.00–5.00), which differed across 24 nursing care elements. Basic nursing care and communication‐related care were the most frequently missed elements. Types of ward and labour resources were identified as contributing factors to missed nursing care (p <.001). No significant association was found between missed nursing care and nurses' intention to leave (p >.05). Conclusion: The occurrence of missed nursing care was noted to be low. Implications for Nursing Management: Practical strategies such as an acuity‐based staffing system, close monitoring of rendered care and strengthening of teamwork are recommended to minimize missed nursing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses play a key role in the proper management of endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff pressure, which is important for patients' safety, so it is vital to improve nurses' knowledge on safe cuff management practices. Aims and objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention related to ETT cuff pressure management on improving and retaining critical care nurses' knowledge. Design: A single group pre‐post interventional study was conducted involving 112 registered nurses (RNs) from a 24‐bed adult general intensive care unit at a teaching hospital in Malaysia. Methods: The educational intervention included a theoretical session on endotracheal cuff pressure management and demonstration plus hands‐on practice with the conventional cuff pressure monitoring method. Nurses' knowledge was measured using a self‐administered questionnaire pre‐ and post‐intervention. Data were analysed using repeated measure analysis of variance and bivariate analysis. Results: In this study, 92% of the total number of RNs in the unit participated. A significant difference in mean knowledge score was noted between the pre‐ (mean = 8.13; SD = 1.53) and post‐intervention phases (3 months [mean = 8.97; SD = 1.57) and 9 months post‐intervention [mean = 10.34; SD = 1.08), P <.001), indicating significant knowledge acquisition and retention between the phases. Knowledge gained between the pre‐ and 9 months post‐intervention phases significantly differed according to nurses' educational level. Conclusions: This study supports existing evidence that ongoing educational interventions are essential to improve nurses' knowledge. However, further exploration is suggested to assess how well this knowledge is translated into clinical practice. Relevance to clinical practice: Regular educational programmes with current updates would enhance nurses' knowledge through proper practice and clinical decision‐making skills; this, in turn, would help to standardize cuff management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how Salat (prayer) in Islam moderates the relationship between job stress and life satisfaction among Muslim nursing staff. The researchers sampled 335 nursing staff employed at the University of Malaya Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Their ages ranged from 21 to 60 years. The findings indicate the job stress was associated negatively with life satisfaction; there is a strong positive and significant correlation, respectively, between Salat and life satisfaction and that Salat reduces stress and increases the life satisfaction of Muslim nurses. Thus, Salat has a moderating effect on job stress and life satisfaction of Muslim nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the strategies in strengthening the healthcare providers in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic is through training. Safety and disease unfamiliarity with COVID-19 was the main reason for developing this dedicated specialized training modules in order to address the issue. The training modules were developed based on three strategies that are learning from experience, design suitable dedicated module and identify weakness and vulnerability. The training modules created were donning-doffing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), airway management and cardiopulmonary resuscitation of suspected COVID-19 patients which were delivered through immersive life simulation technique. A total of 178 Emergency Healthcare Frontliners (EHFs) were trained. Each module was guided with a checklist that the participants found to be very useful. None of the participants reported developing symptoms of infection after undergoing the face-to-face simulation training even after two weeks of post-training periods. Seven important steps were found to be crucial that contributed to these findings which included room space, participants number per group, COVID-19 screening, taking of temperature, hand sanitization, PPE, and equipment sanitization before and after training. Hands-on training with guided-checklist was found to be very useful to the EHFs in managing an unfamiliar situation of COVID-19. In time-constraint-resource-limited conditions, training modules should be focused on addressing the pressing problem at hand. In conducting a face-to-face training, precautionary safety measures should be strictly adhered to prevent the spread of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medication use process in the emergency department (ED) can be challenging and the risk for medication error (ME) to occur is high. In Malaysia, several studies on ME have been conducted in various hospital settings. However, little is known about the prevalence of ME in emergency department (ED) in these hospitals. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of ME at an ED of a teaching hospital in Malaysia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over the period of 9 weeks in patients who visited the ED of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM), Kelantan, Malaysia. Data on patient medication orders and demographic information was collected from the doctor's clerking sheet. Observations were made on nursing activities and these were documented in the data collection form. Other information related to the administration of medications were obtained from the nursing care records.Results: Observations and data collections were made for 547 patients who fulfilled the study criteria. From these, 311 patient data were randomly selected for analysis. Ninety-five patients had at least one ME. The prevalence of ME was calculated to be 30.5%. The most common types of ME were wrong time error (46.9%), unauthorized drug error (25.4%), omission error (18.5%) and dose error (9.2%). The most frequently drug associated with ME was analgesics. No adverse event was observed.Conclusions: The prevalence of ME in our ED setting was moderately high. However, the majority of them did not result in any adverse event. Intervention measures are needed to prevent further occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and objectives: To determine the prevalence of psychological distress and its association with job satisfaction among nurses in a teaching hospital in Malaysia. Background: Nurses constitute the majority of health care workers, and, compared with other professions, nursing profession is highly stressful and, hence, a cause of anxiety and depression. This may affect nurses' job satisfaction. Method: Using self‐administered questionnaires, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS‐21) and Job Satisfaction Scale for Nurses (JSS), a cross‐sectional study of 932 nurses from the inpatient departments of a teaching hospital was conducted in December 2017. Descriptive analyses and multiple logistic regressions were used for the analysis. The STROBE guideline was used in this study. Results: The overall prevalence of psychological distress was 41%. The prevalence of stress, anxiety and depression were 14.4%, 39.3% and 18.8%, respectively. It was found that single and widowed nurses had a higher level of stress, anxiety and depression compared with married nurses. In addition, nurses in the age of 26–30 years had a higher level of depression than nurses in other age groups. Also, nurses who worked in the paediatric departments had a higher level of depression compared with nurses in other departments. The majority of the nurses were satisfied with their job at 92.0%. Those nurses who were not satisfied were found to be significantly associated with a high level of stress and depression. Conclusion: This study revealed that the level of stress, anxiety and depression is high. Stress and depression were found to be associated with nurses' low job satisfaction. Relevance to clinical practice: Stress and depression can affect nurses' job satisfaction, it is important for nursing managers to institute strategies to address this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing popularity among researchers, scholars, and policymakers concerning the efficacy of prayer as a coping strategy for job stress. This study examines the moderating effects of prayer and age on the relationship between job stress and nurses' well-being in UMMC. Three hundred (300) Muslim nursing staff working at the University of Malaya Medical Centre were sampled. Data were collected via questionnaires. The findings of this study show that the effect of job stress on well-being is significant for nurses and that prayer of nurses contributed to alleviating job stress and enhancing well-being. This study is limited to nurses in one public hospital in a developing country. Thus, it would be more interesting if the study could be extended to other public and private institutions in a Muslim country, and a comparison could be done between other religions as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim. Epidemiology of maxillofacial fractures (MFF) varies between populations. This study investigated the epidemiology of MFF treated at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) Unit, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Methods. A retrospective review of 473 medical records of patients with MFF treated from June 2013 to December 2015 was conducted. Information on demographic characteristics of patients, aetiology of injury, types of MFF, and treatment was obtained. Descriptive analysis, Pearson's chi-squared test, and multiple logistic regression analysis were conducted. The level of significance was set at 0.05. Results. Most patients treated for MFF were males (82.2%), aged 30 and below (63.1%), and from Malay ethnic (97.4%). Road traffic accident was the most common cause of MFF (83.1%), with motorcycle accident accounting for most injuries (73.6%). Orbital wall fracture was the most frequent MFF type (51.2%). About half of MFF patients (51.4%) were treated conservatively. Patients aged more than 20 years old were at higher odds of sustaining orbital wall fracture (AOR= 1.76; 95% CI: 1.214-2.558; P= 0.003) but were at lower odds of sustaining mandibular fracture (AOR= 0.47; 95% CI: 0.315-0.695; P= 0.001) than patients who are 20 years old and younger. Helmet use among motorcyclists was significantly associated with the nasal, orbital wall, and maxillary sinus wall fractures (P= 0.006, 0.010, and 0.004, respectively). Conclusion. Motorcycle accident was the most common cause of MFF in Kelantan, Malaysia. Ages of patient and helmet use were associated with the type of MFF sustained. This study provides important information to facilitate the planning of MFF prevention strategies among motorcyclists and emphasizes the importance of using a helmet when riding a motorcycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Mental illness is a pertinent risk factor related to suicide. However, research indicates there might be underdiagnosis of mental illness in Asian suicide attempters; this phenomenon is concerning. This study explored prediction of diagnosis of mental illness in suicide attempters in Singapore using available variables. Methods. Three years of medical records related to suicide attempters (N = 462) who were admitted to the emergency department of a large teaching hospital in Singapore were subjected to analysis. Of the sample, 25% were diagnosed with mental illness; 70.6% were females and 29.4% were males; 62.6% were Chinese, 15.4% Malays, and 16.0% Indians. Their age ranged from 12 to 86 (M = 29.37, SD = 12.89). All available variables were subjected to regression analyses. Findings. The full model was significant in predicting cases with and without diagnosis of mental illness and accurately classified 79% of suicide attempters with diagnosis of mental illness. Conclusions. The findings were discussed in regard to clinical implications in diagnosis and primary prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incidence rate and patterns of physical restraint use were examined based on a cross-sectional study in 22 wards of a large teaching hospital in Malaysia. Results indicated that the highest rate of physical restraint (19.7%) was reported from neurology–neurosurgery wards. “Un-cooperative for electroconvulsive therapy” and “trying to pull out catheters” were the most commonly reported reasons to use restraint in psychiatric and non-psychiatric wards, respectively. There were some relationships between patterns of physical restraint in this study. Exploring the incidence rate and patterns of physical restraint is important so that effective strategies can be formulated to minimize using restraint in hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Toxoplasmosis is caused by infection from a ubiquitous obligate intracellular parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii, which can infect both human and warm-blooded animals. This infection is commonly prevalent in developing country. Objectives. The purpose of this study is to report on a 7-year review of ocular toxoplasmosis patients that presented to the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital. Material and methods. This is a retrospective review of cases. The demographic data, ocular manifestations, clinical and laboratory profiles, treatment and disease outcome were collected from the patients' medical records from January 2010 to December 2016. Results. A total of 16 patients with a diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis were identified. The mean age was 43.2, with standard deviation ± 15.4 years old. The percentage was 62.5% (10 patients) females and 37.5% (6 patients) male. The majority of patients were Malay (93.4%, 15 patients). The most common classification of uveitis was panuveitis (56.3%, 9 patients), followed by posterior uveitis (25%, 4 patients), anterior uveitis (12.5%, 2 patients) and intermediate uveitis (6.2%, 1 patient). Keratic precipitate (75%, 12 patients) and vitritis (75%, 12 patients) were the most common ocular manifestation of ocular toxoplasmosis. A serological test for toxoplasmosis found only 1 patient with positive serum immunoglobulin M, while all patients displayed non-reactive serum immunoglobulin G (except 1 missing data). All ocular toxoplasmosis patients were treated with oral Azithromycin 500 mg daily for 6 weeks, 81.3% (13 patients) were given an instillation of a steroid eye drop, while 25% (4 patients) required administration of an oral steroid. All of the patients responded well to treatment, but 25% (4 patients) suffered from recurrence, which required a second course of treatment. Conclusions. Ocular toxoplasmosis is a serious and depilating disease that can cause serious ocular morbidities. This review shows a diverse presentation of ocular toxoplasmosis as a result of toxoplasmosis infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nutritional requirement increases during pregnancy can influence the growth, development, and health of the mother and her newborn child. Understanding the antenatal mothers' nutrition knowledge is essential to developing effective strategies to curb malnutrition and encouraging healthier dietary behaviors. The aim of this study was to assess the level and associated factors of nutritional knowledge during pregnancy among antenatal mothers in a tertiary teaching hospital in northeast Malaysia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done on 88 randomly selected antenatal mothers at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic during their antenatal care visits. Data was collected using a pretested self-administered questionnaire between December 2015 and February 2016. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to determine the association of selected socio-demographic variables and obstetric data with nutritional knowledge score among antenatal mothers. Results: The mean age of the participants was 32.06 ± 5.56 years. More than half (63.6%) of the antenatal mothers had good nutritional knowledge level. Higher occupational status (p=0.030) and monthly household income (p=0.016) of participants were significantly associated with higher nutritional knowledge score. Conclusion: These findings highlight the current knowledge gap that exists in antenatal mothers. It can be concluded that nutritional education ought to be intensified to address this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives To investigate the knowledge, attitude, intention and practice of nurses towards physical restraint and factors influencing these variables. Background A literature review showed a lack of studies focused on the intention of nurses regarding physical restraint throughout the world. Considering that very little research on physical restraint use has been carried out in Malaysia, assessment of nurses' knowledge, attitude, intention and practice is necessary before developing a minimising programme in hospitals. Design A cross-sectional study was used. Methods A questionnaire to assess the knowledge, attitude, intention and practice was completed by all nurses ( n = 309) in twelve wards of a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur. Results Moderate knowledge and attitude with strong intention to use physical restraint were found among the nurses. Less than half of nurses considered alternatives to physical restraint and most of them did not understand the reasons for the physical restraint . Nurses' academic qualification, read any information source during past year and nurses' work unit showed a significant association with nurses' knowledge. Multiple linear regression analysis found knowledge, attitude and intention were significantly associated with nurses' practice to use physical restraint. Conclusion This study showed some important misunderstandings of nurses about using physical restraint and strong intention regarding using physical restraint. Findings of this study serve as a supporting reason for importance of educating nurses about the use of physical restraint. Relevance to clinical practice Exploring the knowledge, attitude, intention and current practice of nurses towards physical restraint is important so that an effective strategy can be formulated to minimise the use of physical restraints in hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aims This study aimed to determine attitudes and practices of intensive care unit ( ICU) nurses towards provision of oral care for intubated patients. Background Oral care is as an essential nursing intervention for intubated patients to maintain patient comfort and prevent colonization of dental plaque by respiratory pathogens. Design This was a cross-sectional study. Methods Data were collected from 93 ICU nurses of a teaching hospital in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia using a self-administered questionnaire. Results Some nurses agreed that oral cavity of intubated patients was difficult (40·8%) and unpleasant (16·2%) to clean, but all of them realized the importance of oral care and the majority (97·9%) would like to learn more about it. Most nurses reported providing oral care at least two times daily using various methods and products such as suction toothbrush (90·4%), manual toothbrush (49·5%), cotton swab (91·5%) and foam swab (65·7%). Chlorhexidine gluconate oral rinse was the preferred mouthwash (97·8%) and swabs (93·5%) solution although few used non-optimal products such as sodium bicarbonate (14·0%), tap water (4·3%) and hydrogen peroxide (3·2%) to wash their patients' mouths. While the majority of nurses agreed that oral care supplies and equipments were available (93·6%) and suitable (88·2%), most of them also thought they need better hospital support (88·2%). Conclusions The nurses' attitudes towards oral care were generally positive and most oral care methods were appropriate. However, some methods and products used were inconsistent with the current recommendations and they have mixed views about the suitability of oral care supplies and equipment provided by the hospital. Relevance to clinical practice Recommendations were made for providing standard oral care protocols for intubated patients and oral care training programs for ICU nurses to support delivery of quality patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In Malaysia, nurses form a significant part of the clinical mental health team, but the current level of training in mental health results in suboptimal nursing care delivery. Methods: For this study 220 registered nurses and medical assistants working with the mentally ill completed a structured questionnaire. The purpose of this study was to explore perceived competence in mental healthcare and the training needs of nurses working with mentally ill patients in inpatient mental healthcare facilities. Results: The skills perceived as important for practicing in mental health varied among the nurse participants. Post basic training in mental health was significantly related to perceived competence in patient mental state assessment (p=0.036), risk assessment for suicide (p=0.024), violence (p=0.044) and self-harm (p=0.013). Conclusion: There is little emphasis on psychosocial skills in current post basic mental health training in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Sedation management is an integral component of critical care practice. It requires the greatest attention of critical care practitioners because it carries significant risks to patients. Therefore, it is imperative that nurses are aware of potential adverse consequences of sedation therapy and current sedation practice recommendations. Aims and objectives To evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on nurses' knowledge of sedation assessment and management. Designs and methods A quasi-experimental design with a pre- and post-test method was used. The educational intervention included theoretical sessions on assessing and managing sedation and hands-on sedation assessment practice using the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale. Its effect was measured using self-administered questionnaire, completed at the baseline level and 3 months following the intervention. Results Participants were 68 registered nurses from an intensive care unit of a teaching hospital in Malaysia. Significant increases in overall mean knowledge scores were observed from pre- to post-intervention phases (mean of 79·00 versus 102·00, p < 0·001). Nurses with fewer than 5 years of work experience, less than 26 years old, and with a only basic nursing education had significantly greater level of knowledge improvement at the post-intervention phase compared to other colleagues, with mean differences of 24·64 ( p = 0·001), 23·81 ( p = 0·027) and 27·25 ( p = 0·0001), respectively. A repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed a statistically significant effect of educational intervention on knowledge score after controlling for age, years of work and level of nursing education ( p = 0·0001, ηp2 = 0·431). Conclusion An educational intervention consisting of theoretical sessions and hands-on sedation assessment practice was found effective in improving nurses' knowledge and understanding of sedation management. Relevance to clinical practice This study highlighted the importance of continuing education to increase nurses' understanding of intensive care practices, which is vital for improving the quality of patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defaulting is an important issue across all medical specialties, but much more so in cancer as delayed or incomplete treatment has been shown to result in worse clinical outcomes such as treatment resistance, disease progression as well as lower survival. Our objective was to identify psychosocial variables and characteristics associated with default among cancer patients. A total of 467 consecutive adult cancer patients attending the oncology clinic at a single academic medical centre completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and reported their preference for psychological support at baseline, 4-6 weeks and 12-18 months follow-up. Default was defined as refusal, delay or discontinuation of treatment or visit, despite the ability to do so. A total of 159 of 467 (34.0%) cancer patients were defaulters. Of these 159 defaulters, 89 (56.0%) desired psychological support, compared to only 13 (4.2%) of 308 non-defaulters. Using a logistic regression, patients who were defaulters had 52 times higher odds ( P = 0.001; 95% confidence interval 20.61-134.47) of desiring psychological support than non-defaulters after adjusting for covariates. These findings suggest that defaulters should be offered psychological support which may increase cancer treatment acceptance rates and improve survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents research on the effect of emotional stability on the social adjustment of working men in Mangalore, Karnataka, India. Results of the study show the association between the emotional stability of the workers' coping, life and life situations in the context of their social adjustments at work.

Objectives Assessment of dental treatment needs has predominantly been based on the normative approach, despite its numerous limitations. The sociodental approach is a more rational method of needs assessment as it incorporates broader concepts of health and needs and behavioural propensity. This study compares estimates of periodontal dental treatment needs and workforce requirements for different skill mixes using normative and sociodental approaches among a sample of adults in Malaysia. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out on 732 Malaysian adults aged 30-54 years. Subjects' normative and sociodental needs for periodontal treatment were assessed using WHO criteria, an oral health-related quality of life measure (the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances index), and behavioural propensity measures for toothbrushing and smoking behaviour. The proportion of subjects requiring periodontal treatment and the numbers of dentists and dental therapists required to treat them using the normative and sociodental approach were compared using different skill mix models. Results The estimates of need for periodontal treatment using the sociodental approach were 90% lower than the respective estimates using the normative need method. Overall, 14.43 dentists would be required per 100 000 people using the normative approach compared to 2.32 for the sociodental approach. When skill mix models were used, the number of dentists required decreased by almost 70% when more periodontal procedures were delegated to dental therapists. Conclusions Using the sociodental approach resulted in much lower estimates of dental need and workforce requirements for periodontal treatment than using the normative method. Using dental therapists markedly reduced the numbers of dentists needed for periodontal treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:This study investigated improvements in quality of life associated with eight weeks of montelukast and/or intranasal steroid treatment for moderate to severe allergic rhinitis.Methods:A single-centre, prospective, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was carried out. Assessments were made using the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire and symptom scales.Results:A total of 128 patients (aged 13–51 years) were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the montelukast group, patients were treated with montelukast tablets and fluticasone propionate nasal spray (n = 64). In the placebo group, treatment comprised a placebo and fluticasone propionate. The results showed significant improvements in symptom scores and quality of life scores for both groups after one month and two months of treatment, compared with baseline values; these improvements were significantly greater for the montelukast group compared with the placebo group. The mean number of loratadine tablets taken by each patient during the study period was only 0.73 for the montelukast group compared with 9 for the placebo group.Conclusion:The combination of montelukast tablets and fluticasone propionate nasal spray improved symptom control and overall quality of life for moderate to severe allergic rhinitis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Thalassaemia screening programme has been conducted in Malaysia since 2004. The aim of the programme was to reduce the burden of the disease by identifying thalassaemia carriers. However, the response towards the screening activities was unsatisfactory as there was lack of public awareness against the importance of thalassaemia screening. An alternative approach is to screen blood donors. The purpose of this study was to observe the prevalence of thalassaemia carriers among healthy blood donors. Seven hundred and thirty eight healthy blood donors were screened in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Klang from July to September 2010 using cation-exchange high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Cases with haemoglobin variants were further analyzed by gel electrophoresis at alkaline pH. Result shows that the blood donors consisted of 413 Malays (56%), 162 Indians (22%), 148 Chinese (20%) and 15 others (2%). There were 19 (2.6%) individuals with haemoglobin E trait, six (0.8%) with co-inheritance of haemoglobin E and αα- thalassaemia and five (0.7%) with β-thalassaemia trait. Haemoglobin Constant Spring and haemoglobin A2 prime were observed in two (0.3%); and Haemoglobin Lepore and alpha chain variant in one (0.2%). αα-thalassaemia and normal haemoglobin A2 β-thalassaemia could not be excluded in 190 cases (26%), as they required deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) studies for identification. Thalassaemia screening in blood donors is more feasible and effective. Therefore, a wider scale population screening including blood donors could benefit the existing thalassaemia screening programme in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives To assess Malaysian nurses' perceived job satisfaction and to determine whether any association exists between job satisfaction and intention to leave current employment. Background There is currently a shortage of qualified nurses, and healthcare organisations often face challenges in retaining trained nurses. Job satisfaction has been identified as a factor that influences nurse turnover. However, this has not been widely explored in Malaysia. Design Cross-sectional survey. Methods Registered nurses in a teaching hospital in Malaysia completed a self-administered questionnaire. Of the 150 questionnaires distributed, 141 were returned (response rate = 94%). Results Overall, nurses had a moderate level of job satisfaction, with higher satisfaction for motivational factors. Significant effects were observed between job satisfaction and demographic variables. About 40% of the nurses intended to leave their current employment. Furthermore, age, work experience and nursing education had significant associations with intention to leave. Logistic regression analysis revealed that job satisfaction was a significant and independent predictor of nurses' intention to leave after controlling for demographic variables. Conclusion The results suggest that there is a significant association between job satisfaction and nurses' intention to leave their current employment. It adds to the existing literature on the relationship between nurses' job satisfaction and intention to leave. Relevance to clinical practice Methods for enhancing nurses' job satisfaction are vital to promote the long-term retention of nurses within organisations. Attention must be paid to the needs of younger nurses, as they represent the majority of the nursing workforce and often have lower satisfaction and greater intention to leave than older nurses do. Strategies to nurture younger nurses, such as providing opportunities for further education, greater management decision-making capabilities and flexible working environment, are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective Studies of peri-implant soft tissue on in vivo models are commonly based on histological sections prepared using undecalcified or 'fracture' techniques. These techniques require the cutting or removal of implant during the specimen preparation process. The aim of this study is to explore a new impression technique that does not require any cutting or removal of implant for contour analysis of soft tissue around four types of titanium (Ti) surface roughness using an in vitro three-dimensional oral mucosal model (3D OMM). Methods The 3D OMM was constructed by co-culturing a keratinocyte cell line TR146 and human oral fibroblasts on to an acellular dermis scaffold. On the fourth day, a Ti disk was placed into the model. Four types of Ti surface topographies, i.e. polished, machined, sandblasted and anodized were tested. After 10 d of culture, the specimens were processed based on undecalcified (ground sectioning), electropolishing and impression techniques for contour analysis of the implant-soft tissue interface. Results Under light microscopic examination of the ground and electropolishing sections, it was found that the cell line-based oral mucosa formed a peri-implant-like epithelium attachment on to all four types of Ti surfaces. In contour analysis, the most common contour observed between the cell line-based oral mucosa and Ti surface was at an angle ranging between 45° and 90°. Conclusion The in vitro cell line-based 3 D OMM formed a peri-implant-like epithelium at the implant-soft tissue interface. The contour of the implant-soft tissue interface for the four types of Ti surface was not significantly different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To determine the sensitivity and specificity of intensive empirical treatment with pantoprazole in diagnosing laryngopharyngeal reflux in adults.Study design:This was a prospective, double-blind study.Subjects and methods:Fifty-five patients with either a Reflux Symptom Index of more than 13 or a Reflux Finding Score of more than 7 were enrolled. All patients underwent 24-hour, double-probe pH monitoring before commencing pantoprazole 40 mg twice daily; both investigators and patients were blinded to pH monitoring results. The Reflux Symptom Index and Reflux Finding Score were reassessed during the second, third and fourth month of follow up.Results:The sensitivity of empirical pantoprazole treatment in diagnosing laryngopharyngeal reflux was 92.5 per cent. The specificity was 14.2 per cent, the positive predictive value 86 per cent and the negative predictive value 25 per cent. There was significant reduction in the total Reflux Symptom Index and Reflux Finding Score after the second, third and fourth month of treatment. There was no correlation between laryngopharyngeal reflux and body mass index.Conclusion:Our results suggest that intensive empirical treatment with proton pump inhibitors is effective in diagnosing laryngopharyngeal reflux. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: To compare parenting stress between mothers of children with spina bifida (SB) and able bodied controls. Methods: Sixty-six mothers of children with SB and controls (matched for age, sex and ethnicity) completed the Parenting Stress Index Short Form (PSI/SF) and General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12). Each child's adaptive skills was assessed using the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales (VABS). Results: Mothers of children with SB had significantly higher scores for GHQ-12 and the Parental Distress (PD), Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction (P-CDI) and Difficult Child (DC) sub-scales of the PSI/SF, even after adjusting for socioeconomic and caregiver status. Single parent status, having a child with SB and higher Life Stress scores were associated with higher PD and DC scores. Lower VABS scores were associated with higher P-CDI scores. Conclusion: Factors such as recent life change events, single parent status and the child's adaptive skills modify the impact of spina bifida on parenting stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paediatric patients are more vulnerable to drug administration errors due to a lack of appropriate drug dosages and strengths for use in this group of patients. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the extent and types of drug administration errors in two paediatric wards and to identify measures to reduce such errors. A researcher was stationed in two paediatric wards of a teaching hospital to observe all drugs administered to paediatric inpatients in each of the ward, for 1 day in a week over ten consecutive weeks. All data were recorded in a data collection form and then compared with the actual drugs and dosages prescribed for the patients. Of the 857 drug administrations observed, 100 doses had errors, and this gave an error rate of 11.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) 9.5-13.9%]. If wrong time administration errors were excluded, the error rate reduced to 7.8% (95% CI 6.0-9.6%). The most common types of drug administration errors were incorrect time of administration (28.8%), followed by incorrect drug preparation (26%), omission errors (16.3%) and incorrect dose (11.5%). None of the errors observed were considered as potentially life threatening, although 40.4% could possibly cause patient harm. Drug administration errors are as common in paediatric wards in Malaysia as in other countries. Double-checking should be conducted, as this could reduce drug administration errors by about 20%, but collaborative efforts between all healthcare professionals are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabet. Med. 29, 911-917 (2012) Abstract Aims To study whether HbA1c, and its relationship with fasting plasma glucose, was significantly different among Chinese, Malays and Indians in Singapore. Methods A sample of 3895 individuals without known diabetes underwent detailed interview and health examination, including anthropometric and biochemical evaluation, between 2004 and 2007. Pearson's correlation, analysis of variance and multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the influence of ethnicity on HbA1c. Results As fasting plasma glucose increased, HbA1c increased more in Malays and Indians compared with Chinese after adjustment for age, gender, waist circumference, serum cholesterol, serum triglyceride and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance ( P-interaction < 0.001). This translates to an HbA1c difference of 1.1 mmol/mol (0.1%, Indians vs. Chinese), and 0.9 mmol/mol (0.08%, Malays vs. Chinese) at fasting plasma glucose 5.6 mmol/l (the American Diabetes Association criterion for impaired fasting glycaemia); and 2.1 mmol/mol (0.19%, Indians vs. Chinese) and 2.6 mmol/mol (0.24%, Malays vs. Chinese) at fasting plasma glucose 7.0 mmol/l, the diagnostic criterion for diabetes mellitus. Conclusions Using HbA1c in place of fasting plasma glucose will reclassify different proportions of the population in different ethnic groups. This may have implications in interpretation of HbA1c results across ethnic groups and the use of HbA1c for diagnosing diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]