74 cases of radiologically proven urinary calculi between 1975 and 1979 were analysed by race, sex and age. The relative frequency of single and multiple stones was also studied. The disease was found in all the ethnic groups present in Limbang except for the Punans. Possible reasons for this observation of their apparent absence were given. The absence of patients from one of the Malay Kampongs in Limbang town was also noted.
MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Ethnic Groups; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Sex Factors; Urinary Calculi/epidemiology*
A total of 346 paediatric in-patients in the University Hospital in Kuala Lumpur was examined for infection with Enterobius vermicularis using two anal swabs taken on two consecutive days. 24% of these children. whose mean age was 6 years [range 2-14 years] were infected. The infection was more prevalent among children between the ages of 5-11 years. There is only a slight difference in the distribution of infection among Malay. Chinese and Indian children. There is no significant difference in the prevalance of infection between boys and girls.
Electrocardiographic features of the Woljf-Parkinson-White syndrome may be seen in normal individuals and in those with congenital or acquired heart disease. Predisposition to tachyarrhythmias and its misinterpretation are common. In this report a case of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in a 25 year old Malay male who presented with cardiac arrhythmias is described. Echocardiographic findings and the role of echocardiography are discussed.
This study is based on measuring the d.c. (direct current) skin conductance of the acupuncture points representing the heart on the external ear. The subjects were 30 healthy volunteers and 20 cardiac patients. The results obtained showed that the skin resistance of the heart acupuncture loci on the auricle of the cardiac patients were markedly reduced when compared with that of the healthy controls. The value of this method of auricular electroacupuncture diagnosis is discussed.
3 cases of perforating injury with retention of intra-ocular foreign body are presented. Their clinical presentation, management and final visual results are discussed. Despite the generally poor prognosis associated with these injuries, some cases surprisingly have good visual results.
Numerous aetiopathologic factors have been enumerated as the possible causes of injuries to the common peroneal nerve at knee. This report presents a case of postero-lateral displacement of the upper end of fibula consequent to the displacement of fractured lateral tibial plateau leading to common peroneal nerve palsy which has not been reported before.
Achondrogenesis is a lethal neonatal chondrodysplasia with extreme micromelia and marked discrepancy between the relatively large head and the decreased trunk length. The affected neonates are usually delivered prematurely, and are stillborn or die soon after birth. Polyhydramnios is frequently present. It is an inherited autosomal recessive disease. The radiographic features are diagnostic.
A survey of lettuce sold in Penang markets showed them to be heavily contaminated with faecal coliforms and nearly half the samples were positive for Salmonella or Shigella. The use of night soil on these vegetables is a likely cause of gastroenteritis.
This was a retrospective study of 177 patients above the age of 45 who were admitted to the Psychiatric Unit, University Hospital Petaling Jaya during the period October 1975 to October 1978. The available socio-demographic and clinical data from the case files were studied. The patients were divided into two groups - those with effective illnesses and those with non-affective illnesses. The differences in socio-demographic background and clinical symptomatology between the two groups and how the data compares with that in other studies was reported. The sick elderly person is an economic and psychological liagility to .his family and society. Absence of illness in the elderly not only fosters their continued independence but also improves the quality of their individual life. Though no definite correlations or conclusions could be arrived at, this study has sought to bring into awareness the necessity of delineating possible illness precipitating stress factors in the social and domestic environment of patients in later life.
The code of ethics derived from the Hippocratic Oath needs to be supplemented by a formal curriculum in Medical Ethics and Medical Humanities in our Medical schools. The need and justification for it, a review of the medical ethics curricula in American. European. British and Australian Universities, together with an outline of the proposed curriculum is described.
19,983 cases of diarrhoea throughout Sabah, Malaysia from January 1971 to December 1978 were bacteriologically examined for Shigella. A total of 241 Shigella isolates representing 9 serotypes were encountered. S. flexneri and S. sonnei accounted for 69.7% and 29.5% of the isolates respectively. S. flexneri type 2 was very common and comprised 47% of the flexneri strains. S. flexneri types 5.6 and Y were rarely found. Only two cases of S. boydii were isolated. S. dysenteriae was not encountered. Isolation rates ranged from 0.64% to 1.73% while the percentages or cases of diarrhoea bacteriologically examined in relation to the number notified range from 13.7 to 29.6. Kota Kinabalu. Tawau and Sandakan accounted for 50.6%. 21.2% and 8.2% of Shigella isolates respectively. However. no isolations were made from Lahad Datu, Semporna and Victoria [Labuan Island]. S. flexneri type 5 was only found in Sandakan while S. flexnert type Y was isolated from Kota Kinubulu. No S. Sonnel was found in Ranau and Tenom.
The multidiscipline laboratories (MDLs) of University of Malaya are a significant feature in the Faculty of Medicine. They provide facilities for a number of activities within the teaching curriculum. This is in contrast to the departmental type of laboratories. Being the first in the eastern hemisphere, they are gaining popularity among new medical schools in this part of the world. Since a number of visitors testify to a continued interest in the multidiscipline laboratories, an attempt is made to discuss our experience with these facilities in relation to tthe design, uses, organisation, staff requirement, student usage and space problems.
MeSH terms: Facility Design and Construction; Faculty, Medical; Malaysia; Teaching/methods*
A case of urogenital myiasis caused by Chrysomya bezziana (Diptera: Calliphoridae) was diagnosed in a 76-year old patient who had carcinoma of the rectum. A total of 35 larvae were obtained from ulcers near the external genitalia and urethra opening. Larvae pupated within 1 to 2 days and 6 days later emerged as adult males. These were identified as Chrysomya bezziana. Female flies possibly attracted by the fetid odour, laid eggs in the existing lesions in the urogenital area, the larvae invading and feeding on living tissue. Lack of personal hygiene was the contributing factor for the cause of urogenital myiasis in this patient.
PIP: The nature of the family in Southeast Asia is examined by reviewing the work of Koichi Mizuno on multi-household compounds in Northeast Thailand in comparison with groupings among Kedah Malays. The authors conclude that the family among Thais and Malays is a flexible, social circle of interwoven dyadic relations and that it can take a variety of grouping pattterns according to circumstances
Seven varieties of long bean, which included three local and four exotic, were crossed in a complete diallel. This was an attempt to study the inheritance of crude protein content, protein yield, flowering date, pod yield and yield components.Both additive and non-additive gene effects were responsible for the genetic variation in the diallel population. However, dominance variance was more important than additive variance in crude protein content, number of pods per plant and number of seeds per pod. For seed weight and pod length, additive variance was more important.The crude protein content, protein yield and number of pods per plant appeared to be controlled by overdominance effects. Partial dominance seemed to be the case for flowering date, pod length and seed weight; complete to overdominance for pod yield. High protein appeared to be associated with recessive genes whereas there was a general trend of high yielding parents carrying more dominant genes.
A 13-year old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on chemotherapy developed neutropenia and acute cellulitis progressing to fulminating septicemia due to Pseudomonas pseudomallei. Septicemic melioidosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a febrile illness in children who are susceptible to infections.