Medical Journal of Malaysia最新文献

{"title":"The impact of oral multinutrient supplementation on in vitro fertilisation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes: A prospective controlled study.","authors":"M Gopinath, I S Khadijah, R Ruhaima, R Nuguelis, H Mukhri","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Micronutrients influence female fertility, thus adequate levels are important for oocyte quality, maturation, fertilisation and implantation. This study prospectively evaluated the impact of oral multinutrient supplementation on fertility outcomes in In vitro fertilisation or Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI).</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This was a pilot study of N=50 women, who were planning for IVF treatment in University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from July to December 2023. Women without prior nutritional treatment were consented and assigned to either the multinutrient supplementation (Omega 3, coenzyme Q10, folic acid, selenium, vitamin E, catechins) as the study group or 5mg folic acid daily as control group for at least a month prior to their IVF treatment. All women were treated using an antagonist protocol and ovarian stimulation was started with 200 -300IU of urinary HMG and or recombinant FSH. Antagonists (Ganirelix) commenced when the leading follicle reached a diameter of 11 mm. Triggering with hCG or GnRH agonist when at least 3 follicles of 17 mm in diameter were achieved. Oocyte retrieval was performed 36th hour after trigger. Conventional IVF/ICSI was used for fertilisation. All parameters recorded and analysed using SPSS.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age (36.44 ± 3.33 vs 35.32 ± 3.47 years) and body mass index (25.28 ± 4.12 vs 24.80 ± 4.36 kg/m2) of women in multinutrient supplementation group was similar to control group. The Follicular Output Rate (FORT) in women on multinutrient supplementation showed a trend towards benefit compared to control group, although it is not statistically significant (68.12 ± 19.47 vs 64.91 ± 20.06, p=0.493). The mean number of MII oocytes retrieved from mature follicles and number of good quality embryo on day 3 after fertilisation were not statistically significant between the two groups (6.65 ±3.84 vs 6.09 ± 3.01, p=0.626 and 4.00 ± 3.10 vs 3.45 ± 2.30, p=0.549, respectively). In addition, there were no differences in endometrial thickness before embryo transfer in both groups (10.35 ± 1.32mm vs 10.36 ± 2.04mm, p=0.320). However, the total dose of follicle stimulating hormone and duration of controlled ovarian stimulation were lower in the study group compared to control group (2410 ± 656.82 IU vs 2706.82 ± 536.15 IU, p= 0.119 and 8.90 ± 2.13 days vs 9.68 ± 1.29 days, p=0.164, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A multinutrient supplementation given for a minimum of 28 days, may have a positive effect on FORT and lower use of gonadotropin. More and larger sample research is warranted to prove this effect.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"79 6","pages":"715-720"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142773384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the impact of a 4-week physical training regimen on cardiorespiratory fitness among firefighter recruits.","authors":"I Rosnah, D I Z A Noor, A S Asnarulkhadi, J Fathiah, H M Nor, K O Abdul, A G Ismail, R A Ashrul","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Cardiorespiratory fitness is crucial for safe and efficient performance in executing firefighting tasks. The study aims to assess the effects of Phase 1 of a newly designed 4-week physical training regimen on changes in cardiorespiratory fitness, health parameters and other physical fitness elements. Phase 1 was crafted to primarily focus on improving firefighter recruits' cardiorespiratory fitness to prime their body for the subsequent phase of exercise.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A quasi-experimental study employing a one-group pre- and post-intervention was carried out involving 142 male firefighter recruits from a Fire and Rescue Academy in Malaysia. Various aspects of physical fitness changes, including speed, agility, and coordination (SAC), muscle strength, endurance, and power, were evaluated at baseline (Week 1) and upon completion of the first phase (Week 5). Changes in health parameters, such as blood pressure, resting heart rate, body weight, muscle mass, body fat percentage, and body mass index, were also assessed. A paired sample t-test was conducted with the significance level set at 0.05. The magnitude of changes was assessed using the following criteria: values of 0.3 were considered a small effect size, 0.5 indicated a moderate effect size, and 0.8 signified a large effect size.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Upon completion of the first phase of the physical training regimen, there was a statistically significant improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness, with a mean increment of VO2max was 9 mL/kg/min (95% CI: 8.33, 9.58, p<0.001, large effect size of 2.40). Both pre-and postintervention assessments of abdominal and upper body muscle strength and endurance showed statistically significant improvement with the mean difference of 11 situps (95%CI: 10.08, 12.01; p<0.001, large effect size of 1.89) and 1.5 pull-ups (95%CI: 1.07, 1.86; p<0.001, moderate effect size of 0.63), respectively. Health parameters showed similar, except for systolic BP (SBP). There was a small increment in recruits' SBP following the 4-week training period with a mean difference of 4.3 mmHg (95%CI: 2.37, 6.24; effect size = 0.37, p<0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The first phase of the newly introduced fourweek physical training regimen has proven effective in enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness, as well as abdominal and upper body muscle strength and endurance. Additionally, the regimen has positively influenced several health parameters, except for systolic blood pressure. The observed increase in average systolic blood pressure indicates a necessity for continuous monitoring at the academy to address this issue effectively. confirm our findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"79 6","pages":"708-714"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142773243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quality control of Actinium-225 radiopharmaceuticals: Current challenges and solutions in Malaysia.","authors":"Z Ashhar, M F Fadzil, M A Said, M Mujahid, S Suppiah","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Development of Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA)-targeted radiopharmaceuticals for theranostics has changed the treatment landscape for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The emerging use of [²²⁵Ac]Ac-PSMA-RLT has been effective and safe for the treatment of mCRPC. Nevertheless, challenges with the nuclear recoil of [²²⁵Ac]Actinium radionuclides, which may release the daughter radionuclide from the radiopharmaceutical and lead to unnecessary irradiation of other organs, poses threats such as organ dysfunction. Therefore, this short communication aims to highlight the current situation in Malaysia and explain the solutions by using a risk-based approach analysis for the inhouse preparation.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"79 6","pages":"794-799"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142773374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Organisms causing community-acquired bloodstream infection in medical department: A single centre retrospective observational study.","authors":"R Suganthini, T Suvintheran, Z A Nor Zanariah","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Community acquired bloodstream infection (CA-BSI) is positive blood culture obtained within 48 hours of hospital admission. Bloodstream infections need to be treated with antibiotics. Inappropriate choice of antibiotics will lead to antimicrobial resistance. This is an observational retrospective study to look at the antimicrobial resistance of organisms causing bloodstream infections in patients admitted to the medical wards in our centre. The aim of the study is to determine the appropriate choice of empirical antibiotics for suspected CA-BSI in our hospital.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>All patients admitted to medical wards with blood stream infection during the period January 2021 to June 2021 were enrolled. Identification of organisms and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were obtained. Information regarding the severity of the bacteremia was collected by assessing if the patient needed inotropes, mechanical ventilation or renal replacement therapy. Data on comorbidities which were the presence of end-stage renal failure, diabetic mellitus and immunosuppression were collected.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Total of 269 cases were screened. Out of these 104 communities acquired cases were included. The pathogens frequently isolated were gram negative organisms most commonly Escherichia coli (43%) and Klebsiella species (30%). Staphylococcus aureus accounts for the majority of gram-positive organisms. Only two out of 20 Staphylococcus aureus were methicillin resistant. Bulkholderia pseudomallei accounts for 7.8% cases. All Burkholderia pseudomallei isolates were sensitive to cotrimoxazole. Escherichia coli (46%) isolates demonstrated a higher resistance pattern to Augmentin compared to klebsiella species (17.4%). The overall mortality rate was 22%, with higher rates for those critically ill (39%). Patients with Enterobacteriaceae infection showed no difference in outcome between the groups of patients according to sensitivity to Augmentin and cefotaxime. These groups of patients who were critically ill did not demonstrate any significant difference in terms of resistance pattern to Augmentin (p = 0.3) and cefotaxime (p = 0.7). Patients who are aged 65 or older have a significantly more resistant pattern to Augmentin and cefotaxime.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Antibiogram serves as a guide for clinicians to choose appropriate choices of antibiotics based on local data. Empirical antibiotics of choice for patients with sepsis should be narrow-spectrum beta lactam/beta lactamase inhibitors. Broad spectrum beta lactam/beta lactamase inhibitors such as piperacillin tazobactam should be reserved for patients who are critically ill and elderly patients over 65 years. The antibiotics should be deescalated once the organisms and sensitivity of the antibiotics are known.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"79 5","pages":"569-574"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142355985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pulmonary tuberculosis diagnostic test using fluorescence immunoassay-based interferon gamma release assay with IchromaTM IGRA-TB.","authors":"B Bermawi, D W Kurniasari, A Imaniar, N Hidayatih, D A Lisnawati, I F Rofananda, P Prihatini","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious global health problem in Indonesia, which is the country with the secondhighest TB burden after India. Accuracy in TB diagnosis is the key to effective treatment and decreased transmission rate. One of the latest diagnostic methods is interferon gamma release assay (IGRA), which measures the interferon-γ release associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection. This study aims to determine the diagnostic value of IGRA-TB using IchromaTM IGRA-TB diagnostic kit (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value [PPV], and negative predictive value [NPV]), compared to Ziehl-Neelsen (AFB) staining, nucleic acid amplificationbased test (Xpert-MTB) and chest-X Ray as the gold standard in TB diagnosis.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A cross-sectional observational study design was used. Patients were recruited through purposive sampling from pulmonology outpatient clinic and inpatient ward at Jemursari Islamic Hospital (RSI Jemursari), Surabaya from July 2023 to December 2023. All enrolled patients should have been previously tested positive or negative for pulmonary TB using AFB staining, Xpert MTB and chest x-ray. Blood samples of the patients were collected and processed using the IchromaTM IGRA-TB diagnostic kit. The results were then compared with gold standard methods for calculating the IGRA-TB diagnostic value.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 56 adult patients were enrolled in this study. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy rate of IGRA-TB using IchromaTM IGRA-TB diagnostic kit were 80.56%, 85%, 90.62%, 70.83% and 82.14%, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>IchromaTM IGRA-TB showed reasonably high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, indicating that this method can be further utilised as a diagnostic and screening tool for pulmonary TB.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"79 5","pages":"604-607"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142355988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adverse event following immunisation of adsorbed-inactivated Coronavac (Sinovac) and ChAdOx1 nCOV-19 (Astra Zeneca) of COVID-19 vaccines.","authors":"A Simatupang, Y R M B Sitompul, B Simanungkalit, K Kurniyanto, L N Achmad, F Sitompul, S M Mahmud, E Suarthana","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Countries around the world organised mass vaccinations using various types of vaccines against COVID-19, like inactivated viruses and mRNA. The study aimed to look at adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) of Coronavac® (SIN) and ChAdOx1 nCOV-19 ® (AZ) COVID-19 vaccines in Indonesia.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Subjects who received SIN or AZ vaccines were sent questionnaires twice: after they received the first and the second doses of vaccine, respectively. AEFI data on the first- and second-day post-vaccination were collected and analyzed descriptively.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1547 people vaccinated with SIN vaccine, 529 (33.3%) responded to the first-dose and 239 (47%) to the second-dose questionnaires, whereas 936 people vaccinated with AZ vaccine, 483 (51.6%) answered the firstdose and 123 (25%) to the second-dose questionnaires. Some important AEFIs on the first- and second-day post receiving SIN vs. AZ vaccination were as follows: fever 4% vs 59%; pain at the injection site 27% vs 87%; redness and swelling at the injection site 4% vs 18%; nausea 5% vs 30%; diarrhea 1.8% vs 5.7%, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>SIN seemed to have fewer AEFIs than AZ. Apart from different vaccine materials and excipients, the gap in AEFIs between SIN and AZ could be caused by the distinct population where AZ recipients were more exposed to COVID-19.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"79 5","pages":"507-511"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142355954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Real-world efficacy and safety of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose for the management of iron deficiency anaemia in Malaysia: A single centre cohort study.","authors":"H N B Kamarul","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Introduction: &lt;/strong&gt;Up to 24.2% Malaysians are estimated to be affected by anaemia. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency leading to anaemia. Oral iron therapy may not be well tolerated or efficient. Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM), a non-dextran intravenous iron formulation, may be an appealing alternative for iron replacement therapy. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of intravenous FCM infusion for the management of iron deficiency anaemia in a single centre in Malaysia.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Materials and methods: &lt;/strong&gt;All patients who received at least one dose of 500 mg intravenous FCM infusion from January to December 2023 in Bukit Tinggi Medical Centre (BTMC) were identified from the electronic medical record database. Inclusion criteria were patients: (1) ≥ 14 years old and (2) with iron deficiency anaemia. The primary outcome was the mean change in haemoglobin level before treatment and 30 day after treatment. Secondary outcomes included reasons for intravenous FCM infusion, median dose, adverse drug reactions, mean change in haemoglobin levels for different subgroups and percentage of patients with normalised haemoglobin after treatment. The efficacy outcome was analysed using per-protocol analysis while the safety outcome used intention-to-treat analysis. Paired t-test was used to compare the mean difference between the haemoglobin measurements before and 30-day after treatment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 144 administrations were given to 141 patients requiring intravenous iron replacement therapy during the 1-year study period in BTMC. Intravenous FCM infusion was administered for the management of iron deficiency related to: (1) increased blood loss, including menorrhagia, haemorrhoids and GI-related surgery, (2) low iron intake, including poor nutrition and gastrointestinalrelated malabsorption and (3) haematological disorders, including autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and idiopathic thrombocytopaenia purpura. The median dose of intravenous FCM infusion was 1000 mg. At 30 day post-infusion, the mean haemoglobin level increased significantly from 8.9 g/L to 11.6 g/L (p &lt; 0.05), an increase of 2.68 g/L (95% CI: 2.45 - 2.90 g/L). No adverse drug reactions were reported. Subgroup analysis showed that patients with haematological disorders had significantly higher improvement in haemoglobin levels after intravenous iron infusion compared to those without. At 7-day, 14-day, 21-day post-infusion, 33% (33/99), 34% (34/99) and 36% (36/99) patients had a normalised haemoglobin level, respectively. The proportion of patients with a normalised haemoglobin level increased to 36% (36/99) and 42% (42/99) at 30-day and 90-day post-infusion.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Within the limit of this single-centre retrospective study, intravenous FCM infusion was well tolerated and effective in increasing the haemoglo","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"79 5","pages":"517-524"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142356001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of outcomes in epithelial ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer and primary peritoneal serous carcinoma between a multidisciplinary and a single-speciality centre.","authors":"M N Senin, C M Yong, J Omar, W N A Wan Fadzil Adlan, B C Lim","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Introduction: &lt;/strong&gt;Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the fourth most common malignancy among Malaysian women. This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of EOC, fallopian tube cancer and primary peritoneal serous carcinoma (PPSC) between a centre managed by both clinical oncologists and gynaecologic oncologists, Institut Kanser Negara (IKN) and a centre managed solely by gynaecologic oncologists, Hospital Ampang (HA).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Materials and methods: &lt;/strong&gt;This retrospective cohort study involved data review of all the newly diagnosed patients with EOC, fallopian tube cancer and PPSC who received treatment in IKN and HA from January 2015 to December 2019, with follow-up continuing until December 2022. The primary outcome is overall survival (OS) and the secondary outcome is progression free survival (PFS) rates; estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the logrank test. Another secondary outcome is to determine the prognostic factors affecting the OS of patients from these two cohorts using Cox regression analysis.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 256 patients from both centres were recruited (106 and 150 patients from IKN and HA respectively) and at the time of diagnosis, more than half of the patients were diagnosed with advanced stage disease (67.5% and 62% from IKN and HA respectively). The median OS for patients with EOC was significantly longer for HA compared to IKN (69 months vs 39 months, p &lt; 0.042). There was no significant difference in the median PFS for both centres. Furthermore, when the comparison was made based on the disease staging, there was no difference in the median OS and median PFS. Multivariate analysis identified that patients aged between 41 and 60 years (Hazard ratio [HR]: 2.83; 95% CI: 1.11, 7.25, p = 0.030), patients with medical illness (HR 1.51; 95% CI: 1.04, 2.21, p = 0.033), patients with advanced-stage disease (HR: 3.63; 95% CI: 2.20, 6.00, p &lt; 0.001) and patients with ECOG ≥ 1 (HR: 2.00; 95%CI: 1.38, 2.91, p &lt; 0.001) as independent risk factors for adverse outcome. Meanwhile, optimal surgery is found to be a protective factor (HR 0.60; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.89, p = 0.011). Patients with optimal surgery had reduced the risk of adverse outcome.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Our findings confirmed that the median OS was significantly longer for patients with EOC in HA compared to IKN. However, there was no significant difference in the median OS based on the disease staging; therefore, we could not establish the non-inferiority outcome between the two centres. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in median PFS for both centres. This could be due to small sample size to be able to detect any difference. In addition, it could also be contributed by the different treatment options available and unequal volume of patients treated in both centres. Thus, further study with larger sample size and longer time period is needed to provide better guidance and treatm","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"79 5","pages":"547-555"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142355955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of the relationship between the frequency of attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder symptoms and nutritional habits in children.","authors":"Ö D Elvin, Ç V Aydan, E Ç Güzel, B Topçu","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Introduction: &lt;/strong&gt;Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common chronic neurodevelopment disorder characterised by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity at levels that are not compatible with age. ADHD is one of the high social and individual costs for the population of the country. In the present study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between some sociodemographic characteristics, nutrition and sleep patterns, certain habits and various factors with ADHD in primary school children aged between 6 to 10 years.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Materials and methods: &lt;/strong&gt;In the study, a total of 600 children's parents were asked to fill in the Conners Parent Rating Scale - Short Form (CPRS-48), which consists of 48 questions. The questions in the scale are answered by the parents on a four-point Likert scale. The responses were scored as 0, 1, 2 and 3 for 'never', 'rarely', 'often' and 'always', respectively. It was accepted that the children who scored at least 18 for the behaviour problem subscale, at least five for the learning problem subscale, at least six for the aggression, hyperactivity subscale, and at least seven for the defying subscale were considered to be in the problematic category. In order to determine the eating habits of the children included in the study, their parents filled out the food consumption frequency form. Foods in the form of food consumption frequency are divided into two groups as healthy and unhealthy foods. Individuals were given scores between 0 and 6 according to the frequency of food consumption. The healthy food group and unhealthy food group scores were collected separately.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Of the children included in the study, 312 (52%) were male, with a mean age of 8.24±1.30 (range: 6 10) years. The mean CPRS-48 score was 23.88±19.71. The Cronbach's Alpha value of the CPRS-48 scale, which consists of 48 questions in total, was obtained as 0.957. The mean CPRS-48 score was significantly higher in boys (p = 0.014), in those whose mothers smoked during pregnancy (p = 0.008), those who did not receive breast feeding at birth or those who received less than 2 months (p = 0.035), those who frequently skipped meals (p &lt; 0.001), those who do not have breakfast regularly (p = 0.002), those who spend more than four hours a day using a tablet/computer (p = 0.007), those who watch television more than 2 hours a day (p = 0.003), those who do not have regular sleep (p = 0.012), those who sleep less than 8t hours a night (p = 0.031), those who do not spend quality time with their families at least 2 days a week (p = 0.002) and those who do not have a hobby or sport that they were constantly interested in (p = 0.007).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;The finding of the present study show that CPRS score in children is associated with some factors such as mother's habits in pregnancy, behaviours in having meals, daily habits and regular sleep. Although eating habits ar","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"79 5","pages":"538-546"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142355971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding Halal pharmaceuticals: Views from outpatients in a Malaysian state hospital.","authors":"W C Ang, N A Khadir, N A S Lahazir, A H Baharudin","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Halal pharmaceuticals are paramount in healthcare settings catering to Muslim patients. The COVID- 19 pandemic ignited discussions on the Halal status of pharmaceuticals, especially vaccines. This study aims to explore the understanding and views of hospital outpatients regarding Halal pharmaceuticals.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A qualitative study by in-depth interviews was undertaken among adult Muslim outpatients. Utilising a semi-structured interview guide in Malay, content reliability of the guide was ensured through expert reviews. Potential participants were approached in the outpatient pharmacy waiting area. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. These Malay transcripts were translated into English and subjected to thematic content analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Data saturation was achieved through interviewing ten outpatients. The findings indicated that patients were vigilant in checking labels to confirm the correctness of their medications. Yet, the terms 'Halal pharmaceuticals' and 'Shariah-compliant hospital' were unfamiliar to all and did not evoke curiosity. The respondents expressed trust in the government's commitment to dispense safe and Halalcertified drugs. The majority of the participants did not consider Halal status as a primary factor when selecting medications. Nevertheless given a choice, many voiced a preference for Halal-certified drugs, irrespective of their cost or efficacy. For life-threatening situations, participants were willing to accept non-Halal treatments.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Despite non-familiarity, the general sentiment towards Halal pharmaceuticals remain positive. This study underscores the need for enhanced education and awareness regarding Halal pharmaceuticals for better align healthcare practices with the cultural and religious values of Muslim patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"79 5","pages":"512-516"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142356006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}