The structure and organization of aquatic arthropod communities in Nepenthes ampullaria pitchers were studied at two sites (M in Malacca and K in Kuching) in Malaysia. The communities consisted mainly of aquatic dipteran larvae. Community M was dominated by a filter feeder, Tripteroides tenax, which reached a high density despite a strongly aggregated distribution. Community K had five trophic groups: carrion feeders, filter feeders, detritus feeders, nipping predators and hooking predators, each including multiple species. The summed density of filter feeders in Community K remained much below the level attained by filter feeders in Community M. Niche differentiation within each trophic group with regard to pitcher age and feeding behaviour was not sufficient to allow species coexistence through niche separation alone. Aggregated distributions directly reduced interspecific encounters. Nevertheless, species belonging to the same trophic group commonly shared the same pitcher, because of high occurrence probabilities of dominant species and positive associations between some taxa (due mainly to similar occupancies by pitcher age). Predator coexistence in Community K may have been facilitated by self-limitation of the large predators through intraspecific cannibalism strengthened by aggregation. Prey coexistence, on the other hand, may have relied more on population suppression by predation, especially the selective removal of old instar Tripteroides.
A five-week-old infant presented with infantile acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. He devel-oped an early CNS and bone marrow relapse despite intensive treatment. This paper discusses infantile leukaemia and its treatment.
A questionnaire survey of student nurses and nurses at a premier hospital in Malaysia reveals that the majority of nurses support the use of corporal punishment on schoolchil-dren. Malay nurses who had received corporal punishment were more likely to endorse corporal punishment than those who had not received it. The number of non-Malay nurses was too small for comment. These findings reveal that nurses need to re-examine their attitudes and their training with respect to child discipline and child rearing practices. Nurses need to be educated on the cycle of violence and the root causes of child abuse in the community. Nurses need to change their attitudes to violence on children and to condemn any such acts, whether it be in the home or at school.
Cryptosporidium is an intestinal protozoan parasite which causes diarrhoea in animals and has recently been reported to cause similar symptoms in man. Cryptosporidiosis is a zoonotic infection and the first human case was reported in 1976.2 Since then the number of cases has increased by the hundreds especially among patients with acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (AIDS), as a result of the severe symptoms that they cause in the im-munosuppressed patients and also due to the better screening techniques which have been developed resulting in the detection of cases.3 To date 20 species of Cryptosporidium have been reported but these cannot be differentiated morphologically. The differences are based mainly on the host from which the parasites were recovered. The species responsible for causing infection in man is Cryptosporidium parvum.4 Of the 20 species reported several are invalid because the oocysts of some of them were found to be the same as the sporocyst of Sarcocystis. It is now concluded that there are only two species that infect mammals (C. Muris and C. parvum). (Copied from article).
The last confirmed case of poliomyelitis in West Malaysia was in 1986', and over the past few years, we have condescendingly associated polio with other developing countries. Recently, 2 children with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) were confirmed as cases of poliomyelitis due to a wild strain of the virus. This implies a failure of the immunisation programme to contain the spread of the wild virus (Hall). However, if we look at the WHO standard case definition of polio virus infection (appendix 1) it is possible that we could have missed a few cases over the last 6 years. At this juncture a brief clinical summary of the 2 cases and a discussion of the differential diagnosis may be useful. (Copied from article).
A retrospective survey was carried out in a neonatal unit to identify babies who required oxygen for more than the first 28 days of life and to determine the cause of their oxygen dependency. A total of 9173 neonates were admitted over a three year period. Approximately 750 were ventilated. Fifteen required oxygen for more than the first 28 days. Ten (67%) of these were due to bronchopulmonary dysplasia. 2 had upper airway complications of mechanical ventilation, one had recurrent apnoea, one had recurrent pneumonia, and one who did not require ventilation had chronic oxygen dependency of unknown cause. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia was the commonest cause of chronic oxygen dependency. The incidence was 1.5% of ventilated babies.
The diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) demands a high index of suspicion. The prognosis depends on the stage of the disease the diagnosis is made and how early the treatment is instituted. The outcome of the disease is very poor when the diagnosis and treatment are late. This is what happened to this child, a 7-year-old Malay girl who presented at stage III TBM. The diagnosis was confirmed by a positive culture of M. tuberculosis from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The delay in the diagnosis in this child had catastrophic consequences. She had hydrocephalus at presentation; however ventricular drainage was not done because parental consent was not obtained. She was started on acetazolamide and frusemide, and daily lumbar puncture in an attempt to reduce the raised intracranial pressure (ICP) in addition to anti-tuberculous chemotherapy. However when she showed no improvement, an external lumbar drain was inserted. The CSF was checked daily and the level of protein and glucose became normal after 6 weeks. The CT scan showed improvement of the hydrocephalus. However, the girl remained severely disabled after treatment and had to be fed via nasogastric tube and needed constant nursing care.
A medical audit is defined as a systematic and critical analysis carried out by doctors looking at the things that doctors do. The concept of auditing is relatively new to the medical profession. It is indeed an excellent instrument to institute change to medical practices which have been "institutionalized". A properly carried out audit can provide highly revealing data that can often sway an administrator to institute change. At the University Hospital Kuala Lumpur we chose to audit the paediatric attendances at high risk deliveries. High risk deliveries were defined as any delivery to which the obstetrician requested a paediatric attendance prior to delivery. A paediatrician must be on hand at all high risk deliveries to ensure proper resuscitation of the new born. The aim of the audit was to determine if paediatric attendance at high risk deliveries were optimal at the University Hospital. (Copied from article).
Reported is the first case of syringomyelia and syringobulbia associated with Arnold Chiari I malformation in a Malaysian child. The initial complaint was that of unilateral anhidrosis of the face. The chief presenting features were dissociated sensory loss, asymmetrical weakness of the left upper limb associated with subluxation of left shoulder and signs of upper motor neurone lesion in the left lower limb. One unusual feature was the presence of vesiculation followed by ulceration of the pinnae of both ears. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the posterior fossa and cervical and thoracic cord facilitated the diagnosis and was the most useful diagnostic procedure in this child.
A 2-month prospective study was carried out in a Kuala Lumpur maternity hospital to determine the antenatal and intrapartum factors associated with perinatal asphyxia in the Malaysian neonates. The incidence of perinatal asphyxia was 18.7 per 1000 livebirths. Of the 75 asphyxiated neonates born during this period, 70 (93.3 per cent) were of term or post-term gestation. The incidence of perinatal asphyxia was more common in the neonates with one of the following characteristics: low birth weight (< 2500 g), breech delivery, or delivery by instrumentation or lower segment Caesarean section (P < 0.001). Conditional logistic regression analysis of the asphyxiated and the control neonates in a nested case-control study (after controlling for sex, race, birth weight, modes of delivery, and maternal gravida) showed that there were two associated factors which were of statistical significance. These were: small-for-gestation neonates and the presence of intrapartum problems. Our study suggests that to reduce the incidence of perinatal asphyxia, the common causes of small-for-gestation neonates and the common types of intrapartum problems should be identified to enable appropriate preventive measures to be carried out.
A case of chronic disseminated histiocytosis X (Hand-Schuller-Christian Disease) of the mandible is presented. Multi-modal approach to management is discussed.
A retrospective study on discharges of children from hospital against medical advice or at own risk (AOR) discharges was conducted at our department from March 1981 to February 1990. There were altogether 890 patients giving an average incidence of 2%/year. The racial composition comprised 62.5% Chinese, 28.5% Malay, 7.3% Indian and 1.7% others. The common reasons for AOR discharge includes: (a) Inconvenience of having the child hospitalised (18.4%). (b) Preference of being treated by the general practitioner (15%). (c) Parents think child is well (14%). (d) Preference of being treated by private specialist or other hospital (11.9%) etc. Neonate comprised 16.9%, infants (except neonates) 44%, children > 1-5 yrs 28.6%, > 5-10 yrs 7.7% and > 10 yr 1.9%. The common diagnoses of these children include gastroenteritis (13.9%), febrile fit (13%), upper respiratory tract infection (11.7%), neonatal jaundice (5.7%). In conclusion AOR discharges of children from hospital is not uncommon and more could be done to reduce the incidence.
Dengue fever, Dengue hemorrhagic fever and Dengue shock syndrome within the dengue complex is a sinister disease of great public health importance and continues to ravage children, young adults and the aged in Malaysia. The history of the disease is traced for over the years and the changing pattern of clinical presentation are noted. Various hospital based studies have been compared and the pathognomonic features of the disease in Malaysia are highlighted.
National data show that the perinatal mortality amongst the Malays is higher than that of the Chinese but less than that of the Indians. These figures include data from both urban and rural areas. In the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, however, the perinatal mortality amongst the Malays was found to be the lowest; an odds-ratio of 0.72 (95% confidence limits; 0.59-0.87; P < 0.0005) when compared to the non-Malays. This occurred despite a significantly higher parity amongst the Malays. The Malays in this group of patients however, had a significantly better social class distribution.
Publication year: 1992-1993
The prevalence of nasal septal deformity and its relationship with the different types and difficulty of delivery were studied in a randomised group of newborns at the Maternity Hospital Kuala Lumpur between 1st November 1989 to 31st January 1990. Out of a total of 674 noses examined using the otoscope, 147 (21.8%) were found to have nasal septal deformity. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of nasal septal deformity in the different types of delivery. There was also no significant increase in the prevalence of nasal septal deformity with increasing degree of difficulty of the delivery. Therefore, we cannot then attribute parturition pressures or birth trauma as the etiology of these congenital nasal septal deformity. Nevertheless a policy of routine screening in view of early correction is advocated to decrease the morbidity associated with this deformity in newborns and children.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), though endemic in the sixties, emerged as a major public health problem in Malaysia from 1973 onwards. The incidence rate of DHF which was 10.1 per 100,000 in 1973 has fallen down to 1.9 per 100,000 in 1987 with a mean case fatality rate of 6.4 per 100 persons. The Chinese appear to be more prone to DHF with the highest mean morbidity rate of 5.5 per 100,000 and case fatality rate of 6.1%. The incidence of DHF is higher in the males with a higher case fatality rate in females. Male Chinese appear to be mainly affected. The overall age-specific incidence rate is highest in two age groups, viz. 5-9 years and 10-19 years of age with a mean morbidity rate of 4.9 cases per 100,000. The mean age-specific case fatality rate was highest in the 0-4 years age group. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is predominantly an urban disease in Malaysia with a mean incidence rate of 5.3 cases per 100,000 as opposed to 1.2 cases per 100,000 being reported from rural areas. The mean overall incidence of deaths in the urban area is 0.5 compared to 0.1 per 100,000 for rural areas. There is a marked seasonal correlation between DHF cases and rainfall, with a peak in August. While all four serotypes of dengue viruses are found in Malaysia, Den 2 appears to be isolated with greater frequency during all the epidemics.
Publication year=1992-1993
A total of 306 patients were admitted to the University Hospital in Kuala Lumpur in 1989 after attempting suicide. Fourteen of them succumbed to injuries. Psychosocial data of 296 patients out of the 306 survivors are reported. Suicidal behaviour is more common in the young and especially amongst the females. Nearly 45.0% of them are from social class IV and V. Persons of Indian ethnic origin are overrepresented, while in Malays suicidal behavior seemed to be less common. Self-poisoning was reported to be the commonest method in attempting suicide. Diagnosis of adjustment disorder was made in 58.5% of the patients. Two-thirds of the patients had an intention score of less than 10 on the Pierce's Scale.
Publication year=1992-1993