Amadora Choo, Eugene Lim, Alvin Eng, Weng Hoong Chan, Ravishankar Asokkumar, Jeremy Tan, Ai Shan Tan, Agnes Chong, Yumni Binte Md Shahrin, Xuan Wang, Phong Ching Lee, Chin Hong Lim
{"title":"Predictors of early removal of intragastric balloon due to intolerance: Insights from a multiethnic Asian cohort.","authors":"Amadora Choo, Eugene Lim, Alvin Eng, Weng Hoong Chan, Ravishankar Asokkumar, Jeremy Tan, Ai Shan Tan, Agnes Chong, Yumni Binte Md Shahrin, Xuan Wang, Phong Ching Lee, Chin Hong Lim","doi":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2023257","DOIUrl":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2023257","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Intolerance frequently limits the use of intragastric balloons (IGBs) in the treatment of obesity. This includes refractory nausea, vomiting and abdominal discomfort. Our study aims to identify predictors of balloon intolerance and early removal, which will help to guide patient selection for this intervention and peri-procedure care.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 54 consecutive patients who underwent IGB insertion from July 2017 to July 2022 in a single tertiary institution in Singapore. Forty-seven (87.0%) patients completed therapy, while 7 patients (13.0%) had early removal of the balloon due to intolerance. Characteristics of both groups were compared.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Multivariate analysis revealed significant associations between early balloon removal and both depression (P=0.012) and anxiety (P=0.001) after adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, height, nulliparity, balloon type and volume. Univariate analysis revealed that anxiety was the main risk factor (P=0.004, odds ratio 9.111, 95% confidence interval 1.624-51.124), while depression was no longer a significant predictor.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Identifying predictors of balloon intolerance and early removal can enhance patient selection and improve peri-procedural care. In patients with a history of depression or anxiety, it is important to ensure adequate counselling and preparation prior to balloon insertion.</p>","PeriodicalId":502093,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142383199","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}
Paul Bashyam, Ching Sian Yap, XiangYi Chen, Zhi Zheng Yeo
{"title":"Facing death alone: An exploration of terminally ill individuals living alone in palliative care.","authors":"Paul Bashyam, Ching Sian Yap, XiangYi Chen, Zhi Zheng Yeo","doi":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2023426","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2023426","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":502093,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142383195","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":"Optimising paediatric urinary tract infection diagnos.","authors":"Marcus Wing Choy Loe, Jiahui Li, Kee Thai Yeo","doi":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2024288","DOIUrl":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2024288","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":502093,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142383198","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}
Hazel H Oon, Chris Tan, Derrick Chen Wee Aw, Wei-Sheng Chong, Hong Yi Koh, Ying-Ying Leung, Kar Seng Lim, Jiun Yit Pan, Eugene Sern-Ting Tan, Ki Wei Tan, Siew Nee Tham, Colin Theng, Su-Ni Wong
{"title":"2023 guidelines on the management of psoriasis by the Dermatological Society of Singapore.","authors":"Hazel H Oon, Chris Tan, Derrick Chen Wee Aw, Wei-Sheng Chong, Hong Yi Koh, Ying-Ying Leung, Kar Seng Lim, Jiun Yit Pan, Eugene Sern-Ting Tan, Ki Wei Tan, Siew Nee Tham, Colin Theng, Su-Ni Wong","doi":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2023367","DOIUrl":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2023367","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Psoriasis is a multisystem, chronic, inflammatory dermatological disease. In routine clinical practice, the management of psoriasis varies significantly. The current study aimed to develop a set of practice guidelines relevant to dermatology practice in Singapore.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The Psoriasis Therapeutic Guidelines Workgroup, comprising members of the Dermato-logical Society of Singapore with a subspecialisation in psoriasis, was convened to develop the guidelines. Clinical questions on selected topics were generated and refined by the workgroup. A literature search using PubMed was performed on their assigned topics from June 2013 to December 2023. The articles were included and graded based on the level of evidence.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The guidelines address topics ranging from clinical assessment to practical considerations in the management of mild, moderate and severe psoriasis, including delivery of care, referrals to specialists and adherence to treatment. The recommended therapies include phototherapy, methotrexate, acitretin, cyclosporine; apremilast; topical corticoste-roids, calcipotriol, topical calcineurin inhibitors; and biologics (i.e. adalimumab, infliximab, secukinumab, ixekizumab, ustekinumab, etanercept) either in combina-tion or as monotherapy. Common therapeutic concerns relating to biologic use were addressed. Recommendations on generalised pustular psoriasis, palmoplantar pustular psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis were also made. Patients on systemic therapy would receive appropriate vaccine counselling. Therapeutic implica-tions in special populations, such as pregnant/ lactating women, children, the elderly, those undergo-ing surgery and those suffering from specific infections and cancer were addressed.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These guidelines were developed for dermatologists, family physicians, rheumatologists and other specialists to support their selection of appropriate management options.</p>","PeriodicalId":502093,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142383190","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":"Beyond survival: Addressing gaps in psychosocial support for survivors of childhood cancer.","authors":"Yin Ting Cheung","doi":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2024250","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2024250","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":502093,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142383192","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}
Jean Nee Teo, Yong Teck Teo, Sashikumar Ganapathy, Matthias Maiwald, Yong Hong Ng, Shu-Ling Chong
{"title":"Investigating urinary characteristics and optimal urine white blood cell threshold in paediatric urinary tract infection: A prospective observational study.","authors":"Jean Nee Teo, Yong Teck Teo, Sashikumar Ganapathy, Matthias Maiwald, Yong Hong Ng, Shu-Ling Chong","doi":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.202477","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.202477","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>While the definitive diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) requires a positive urine culture, the likelihood of UTI can be determined by urinalysis that includes white blood cell (WBC) count. We aimed to determine the optimal urine WBC threshold in urinalysis to predict UTIs in children presenting at the emergency department (ED).</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We performed a prospective observational study in the ED at KK Women's and Children's Hospital for children below 18 years old who underwent both urine microscopy and urine cultures, between 10 January and 7 November 2022. We assessed the various urine WBC thresholds associated with culture-proven UTIs using sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and area under receiver operating characteristic curve.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found a culture-proven UTI rate of 460/1188 (38.7%) among all patients analysed, and 278/998 (27.9%) among those with nitrite-negative urine samples. Among all patients, a urinalysis WBC threshold of 100/μL had a sensitivity of 82.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 78.4-85.5) and negative predictive value of 86.2% (95% CI 83.6-88.4). Among those who were nitrite-negative, a WBC threshold of ≥100/μL resulted in a potential missed rate of 48/278 (17.3%). By lowering the WBC threshold to ≥10/μL, the potential missed cases reduced to 6/278 (2.2%), with an estimated increase in 419 urine cultures annually.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A urine microscopy WBC threshold of ≥100/μL results in a clinically significant number of missed UTIs. Implementation of various thresholds should consider both the potential missed UTI rate and the required resource utilisation.</p>","PeriodicalId":502093,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142383196","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}
Francis Jia Yi Fong, Bryan Wei Zhi Wong, Jamie Si Pin Ong, Beron Wei Zhong Tan, Michaela Su-Fern Seng, Ah Moy Tan, Raymond Reinaldo Tanugroho
{"title":"Mental wellness and health-related quality of life of young adult survivors of childhood cancer in Singapore.","authors":"Francis Jia Yi Fong, Bryan Wei Zhi Wong, Jamie Si Pin Ong, Beron Wei Zhong Tan, Michaela Su-Fern Seng, Ah Moy Tan, Raymond Reinaldo Tanugroho","doi":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.202445","DOIUrl":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.202445","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at risk of experiencing psychological distress years after completing cancer treatments. We aimed to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors affecting psychological distress and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among CCS in Singapore, and compare with their siblings without a history of or existing cancer as control.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We recruited 143 young adult CCS aged ≥18 years attending survivorship clinics at KK Women's and Children's Hospital in Singapore who were in remission for ≥5 years and treatment-free for ≥2 years, and 57 siblings. CCS and siblings were matched at a 1:1 ratio based on sociodemographic factors yielding 46 pairs for comparison. Among CCS participants, 79 (55.2%) were male, 86 (60.1%) had leukaemia, 29 (20.3%) had solid tumours, 15 (10.5%) had lymphoma and 13 (9.1%) had brain tumours. All participants completed the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) and Medical Outcomes Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36) questionnaires from August 2021 to July 2022.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were 35 (24.5%) CCS who reported psychological distress in the BSI-18 Global Severity Index. Five (3.5%) and 31 (21.7%) CCS reported low HRQOL in the physical and mental composite scores, respectively. Mean scores between CCS and their siblings were not statistically significant across all domains of the BSI-18 and MOS SF-36. Associated risk factors for psychological distress and low HRQOL among CCS were history of psychiatric illness after cancer diagnosis and mood affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>CCS reported significant psychological distress and low HRQOL although they were not statistically different from their siblings. A holistic and risk factor-centric follow-up programme can aid early detection and mitigation of psychological late effects for CCS and their families.</p>","PeriodicalId":502093,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142383197","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}
Chun En Yau, Qihuang Xie, Ren Yi Jonas Ho, Chun Yi Yau, Elaine Guan, Dawn Yi Xin Lee, Xinyan Zhou, Gerald Gui Ren Sng, Joshua Yi Min Tung, Andrew Fu Wah Ho, Ryan Shea Ying Cong Tan, Daniel Yan Zheng Lim
{"title":"Assessing the accuracy and consistency of generative pretrained transformers in assigning Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status.","authors":"Chun En Yau, Qihuang Xie, Ren Yi Jonas Ho, Chun Yi Yau, Elaine Guan, Dawn Yi Xin Lee, Xinyan Zhou, Gerald Gui Ren Sng, Joshua Yi Min Tung, Andrew Fu Wah Ho, Ryan Shea Ying Cong Tan, Daniel Yan Zheng Lim","doi":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.202414","DOIUrl":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.202414","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":502093,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142383191","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}
Jade Chee, Francis Jia Yi Fong, Mingchang Wang, Yee Han Dave Lee
{"title":"Evolving landscape of sports injuries and recommendations on injury preventions: A retrospective analysis in Singapore.","authors":"Jade Chee, Francis Jia Yi Fong, Mingchang Wang, Yee Han Dave Lee","doi":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2024240","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2024240","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":502093,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142383194","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}
Hui Boon Tay, Terina Ying Ying Seow, Chun Fan Lee, Lee Ying Yeoh
{"title":"Evaluating the role of technology in disseminating education to patients with chronic kidney disease.","authors":"Hui Boon Tay, Terina Ying Ying Seow, Chun Fan Lee, Lee Ying Yeoh","doi":"10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2023251","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2023251","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":502093,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142383193","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}