Browse publications by year: 2020

  1. Hamad Alfarisi, Hamad Abdulsalam, Nuraniza Azahari, Muhammad Ibrahim, Mohamed, Zenab Hamad, Asmah Hanim Hamdan, Che Anuar Che Mohamad
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Hypercholesterolemia has been proven as a main pathogenic trigger for pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis characterised by chronic inflammatory process and increased expression of inflammatory markers. In this study; Trihoney (a combination of three types of natural honey namely: Trigona, mellifera, and Dorsata)
    was investigated for its anti-inflammatory effect in hypercholesterolemic atherosclerotic rabbits. Methods: Thirty
    male New Zealand white rabbits (NZW) were grouped into: normal diet (C), normal diet with 0.6g/kg/day of Trihoney (C+H), 1% cholesterol diet (HCD), 1% cholesterol diet with 0.6g/kg/day of Trihoney (HCD+H), and 1%
    cholesterol diet with 2mg/kg/day of atorvastatin (HCD+At.). After 12 weeks of starting the experiment, animals were
    sacrificed and serum analysed for homocysteine and pro-atherogenic inflammatory markers such as: interleukin-1β
    (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Fasting serum glucose was analysed to assess glycaemic status. Results: Trihoney treated group showed significantly lower (p
    MeSH terms: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Bees; Cholesterol, Dietary; Fasting; Glucose; Homocysteine; Honey; Hypercholesterolemia; Hyperlipidemias; Immunologic Tests; Male; Rabbits; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Biomarkers; Interleukin-6; Atherosclerosis; Interleukin-1beta
  2. Mohd Shaiful Ehsan Shalihin, Iskandar Firzada Osman, Muhammad Hapizie Bin Din
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Long waiting time is a common issue complained by diabetic patients that came for an
    early morning appointment in a health clinic. Therefore, an audit was conducted among diabetic patients in
    a primary care clinic with the aim to assess the patients’ waiting time and to formulate strategies for
    improvement. Methods: This audit was conducted for four weeks using a universal sampling method in
    November 2017. All diabetic patients who attended the clinic during this period were included except those
    who required longer period such as critically ill patients or those who came for repeat medication or
    procedures. The arrival and departure time for each station was captured using the modified waiting time
    slip, which is manually filled at every station. The waiting and consultation time for registration, screening,
    laboratory investigation, diabetic educator, doctor and pharmacy were recorded. The data were entered into
    the statistical software SPSS version 17 for analysis. Results: Results showed that all patients were registered
    within 11.0 minutes (SD=2.52min). Average total waiting time to see a diabetic educator and a doctor was
    20.9 minutes (SD=15.53min) and 33.23 minutes (SD=27.85min), respectively. Average waiting time for other
    stations was less than 10 minutes. Average total time spend in the clinic for a diabetic patient was 107.58
    minutes, which is comparable to a non-diabetic patient. The identified problems were due to the poor
    tracing and filing system. Conclusion: Improvement strategies recommended include enforcing early file
    tracing prior to appointment and providing a checklist for consultation by doctors and diabetic educators.
    MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities; Appointments and Schedules; Biometry; Diabetes Mellitus; Filing; Humans; Laboratories; Pharmacy; Primary Health Care; Referral and Consultation; Software; Waiting Lists; Critical Illness; Checklist
  3. Noor Shafini Mohamad, Mohd Hafizi Mahmud
    Jurnal Inovasi Malaysia, 2020;4(1):1-14.
    MyJurnal
    Three-point bending test is one of the main methods used in long bones to characterise bone material and determine the biomechanical properties. We have examined the mechanical competencies of the mouse bones at four-week-old by using a three-point bending jig so that the potential genotype-related deficiencies in mechanical properties of bones explored. The available bending jig was not suitable for small animal model and may cause slippage when applying the load. The tibial gross length measurements of the four-week-old mouse measured using the proximal anatomical point of the centre of the condyles to the distal anatomical significance of the medial malleolus (~16 mm). The mid tibia diameter measurement is taken at the middle tibia (~1 mm) and metaphyseal diameter (~3 mm). The bending jig was custom-made, where both ends support were cut in a v-shape to provide stability. The tibias were mechanically tested with the v-shape support under three-point bending using a Bose ElectroForce® 3200 until failure. The test revealed a significant result of flexural strength, work-to-fracture and strain to failure obtained from the load-displacement curves. The finding may be useful in the studies of quantitative assessments of the strength and toughness of small animal bones.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Biomechanical Phenomena; Bone and Bones; Culture; Disease Models, Animal; Genotype; Tarsal Bones; Tibia; Mice
  4. Firdaus Hayati, Meryl Grace Lansing, Nornazirah Azizan
    MyJurnal
    Dear editor, We read with great interest the article by Go ZL et al., which was published in your esteemed journal1. The authors had reported an unusual and yet important case of cutaneous manifestations of malignancy. Being the only and initial presentation of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prurigo nodularis can manifest as a benign dermatological appearance in the underlying sinister condition. We want to again highlight the importance of this bizarre cutaneous presentation which can counterfeit the actual and occult villain.
    MeSH terms: Administration, Cutaneous; Hodgkin Disease; Neurodermatitis; Prurigo; Skin
  5. Azna Aishath Ali, Syamim Johan, Firdaus Hayati, Chiak, Yot Ng
    MyJurnal
    -
  6. Rajesh Kumar Muniandy, Merly Grace Lansing
    MyJurnal
    Getting appropriate healthcare is a challenge to the citizens in Malaysia due to the limited facilities, healthcare providers, and cost of healthcare. Uberization of healthcare will help fill this gap. Uberization helps modify the market or economic model with the introduction of a cheaper and more effective alternative service by introducing a different way of buying or using it, with the use of mobile technology. With powerful artificial intelligence engines operating on cloud servers, mobile apps can provide a better healthcare experience for patients. With uberization application, the patient need not come to the hospital to see a doctor before a treatment can be planned. Once a request is made by the patient, the healthcare providers can come to see the patient at an agreed place. This article aims to explore the possible uberization of healthcare in Malaysia.
    MeSH terms: Artificial Intelligence; Delivery of Health Care; Health Personnel; Hospitals; Humans; Malaysia; Physicians; Technology; Models, Economic; Mobile Applications
  7. Norhayaty Sharman Khamis @ Roslee, Mohd Shaiful Ehsan Shalihin, Iskandar Ibrahim, Zalini Zin
    MyJurnal
    Milk discharge from neonatal breast commonly occurs bilaterally. Majority of them are benign in nature. Those cases usually require conservative management and will resolve with time. It typically occurs within one month of age in which late-onset of galactorrhoea in toddlers is indeed a rare occasion. Thus, an abnormal cause needs to be ruled out. An 18-months-old child had persistent milky discharge from the left nipple for several days without underlying specific identified causes. This case highlights the occurrence of physiological milk discharge can still possibly occur at the age beyond one-year-old despite its absence in the initial months of life. The principle observation at primary care is still adequate in managing such cases unless high suspicion of alarming disease arises. This case proved a late onset of physiological galactorrhoea can still occur in the early toddler age group.
    MeSH terms: Amenorrhea; Animals; Body Fluids; Breast Neoplasms; Child, Preschool; Female; Galactorrhea; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Milk; Nipples; Patient Discharge; Pregnancy; Conservative Treatment
  8. May, Honey Ohn, Khin, Maung Ohn, Khin, Nyein Yin, Teh, Yong Guang, Ng, Pey Luen, Chin, Li Bing
    MyJurnal
    Contralateral hyperhidrosis from the cardiovascular accident has been infrequently described in the stroke literature. The clinical significance and pathogenesis are yet well understood. This is a case of a 60-year-old man who developed excessive sweating of the paralyzed side with a pure division along the midline of the body secondary to a subcortical stroke, which region is supplied by branches of middle cerebral artery territory known as deep perforating lenticulostriate. To the best of our knowledge, a precise clinicoanatomic correlation between hyperhidrosis and subcortical stroke has not been widely reported. In this review, we summarize the existing literature of post-stroke hyperhidrosis to evaluate the correlation between clinical manifestation and its neuroanatomical location. According to the location of the infarction and clinical features, it can be concluded that both tracks en route through the ipsilateral internal capsule, after originating in the opercular cortex before crossing the brain stem and terminal connections with the contralateral thoracic spinal cord. Therefore, the phenomenon of hyperhidrosis in anterior circulation stroke might be postulated as due to the disruption of the sympathoinhibitory pathway that controls sweat glands, similarly like posterior circulation stroke.
    MeSH terms: Accidents; Brain Stem; Humans; Hyperhidrosis; Infarction; Male; Middle Aged; Spinal Cord; Sweat Glands; Sweating; Stroke; Middle Cerebral Artery; Internal Capsule
  9. Huan, Nai Chien, Wan Awatif Wan Mohd Zohdi
    MyJurnal
    High anion gap metabolic acidosis (HAGMA) is a hallmark of Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). Occasionally, a Normal Anion Gap Metabolic Acidosis (NAGMA) can be seen, especially during the treatment phase. In this case report, a 55-year-old lady with diabetes mellitus who presented with a 2-day history of fever, lethargy and multiple episodes of vomiting and diarrhoea. Initial laboratory investigations revealed: capillary blood glucose as 27 mmol/L, urine ketone as 3+, blood ketone as 3.5 mmol/L, serum bicarbonate as 14 mmol/L, and serum chloride as 95 mmol/L. She was treated with intravenous normal saline fluid resuscitation and constant rate insulin infusion which was fortunately accompanied by stabilization of blood glucose and normalization of blood ketone to 0.2 mmol/L. However, despite normalization of her anion gap (25 to 14), she remained unwell with acidotic breathing due to refractory hyperchloraemic NAGMA with bicarbonate at 11 mol/L and chloride of 112 mmol/L. It was then decided to administer 100 mL of 8.4% Sodium Bicarbonate solution. The next day, she was no longer tachypneic as her bicarbonate and carbon dioxide improved to 21 mmol/L and 32 mmHg respectively. The presence of NAGMA in DKA should prompt clinicians to conduct a thorough search for possible underlying causes, such as gastrointestinal fluid loss, sepsis and chloride load from aggressive fluid resuscitation with normal saline. Sodium bicarbonate should only be considered in intractable cases to correct a NAGMA and not routinely used in the treatment of DKA.
    MeSH terms: Acid-Base Equilibrium; Acid-Base Imbalance; Acidosis; Bicarbonates; Blood Glucose; Carbon Dioxide; Chlorides; Diarrhea; Female; Fluid Therapy; Humans; Ketones; Laboratories; Middle Aged; Vomiting; Diabetic Ketoacidosis; Sodium Bicarbonate; Sepsis; Lethargy; Insulins
  10. Husna Abdul Rahman, Haliza M. Haron, Naimah Mat Isa, Hasnida Saad
    ESTEEM Academic Journal, 2020;15(2):24-34.
    MyJurnal
    PMMA polymer microfiber doped Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) was reported for alcohol sensing application. The sensitivity of the sensor is increasing relatively with the increment of the alcohol concentration which affects the transmission output power. However, the challenges are on choosing the right material and the simplicity on the fabrication of microfiber sensor for an improvement of the sensitivity of the sensor. A PMMA polymer microfiber doped MWCNTs was introduced for an application of alcohol detection system. Direct drawing technique was used to form a uniform waist size of microfiber sensor with 6µm diameter and 5mm length respectively. The performance of the fabricated sensor was tested with two types of alcohol, namely ethanol and 2-propanol at concentrations varying from 2% to 8% with 2% intervals. The performance which includes sensitivity, linearity and resolution were studied and analysed for the undoped PMMA and PMMA doped MWCNTs-doped polymer microfiber. The PMMA doped MWCNTs sensor which exhibited higher sensitivity for ethanol sensing with 83.23dBm/% with a linearity of 99.96% and a sensitivity of 73.75dBm/% with linearity 99.82% for 2- propanol sensing. The resolution has improved significantly by 0.0004% and 0.0007% respectively. In conclusion, PMMA doped MWCNTs was able to increase the sensitivity as well as the reproducibility of the microfiber sensor for the alcohol detection system.
    MeSH terms: Ethanol; Polymers; Reproducibility of Results; 2-Propanol; Polymethyl Methacrylate; Nanotubes, Carbon; Nanocomposites
  11. Kim Sooi Law, Noor Khairiah A. Karim, Noor Khairiah A. Karim, Nor Samsinar Abu Talib, Norhaliza Abd Hamid, Nur Arzuar Abdul Rahim, et al.
    Jurnal Inovasi Malaysia, 2020;3(2):100-107.
    MyJurnal
    The paramedic team of Advanced Medical and Dental Institute (IPPT), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is often involved in providing medical assistance for various activities organised by the university such as during PIMPIN siswa outdoor training and sport events. Paramedics often faced difficulty in saving injured patients as the current stretcher is rather heavy (5.8 kg) and is not able to be folded to a smaller size. To overcome this problem, i-TAG, a stretcher made of durable two-layer canvas cloth with the size of 170.0 cm x 74.0 cm and equipped with 10 user-friendly rubber handle, has been invented. The upper part of the stretcher has a zip to insert the spinal board if the victim has spinal and head injuries. The i-TAG is also very light with only 1.2 kg in weight, easy to be folded and stored in emergency bags, and can be easily carried by paramedics. The i-TAG innovative product has a positive impact on health and safety services. Using i-TAG, the task to carry patients or injured victims becomes easier, faster, saves energy and subsequently increases the efficacy of the rescue and medical aid tasks by paramedics.
    MeSH terms: Allied Health Personnel; Emergencies; Emergency Medical Technicians; Craniocerebral Trauma; Humans; Malaysia; Rubber; Spine; Universities; Stretchers
  12. Abdul Rauf Abdul Rasam, Abdul Rauf Abdul Rasam, Azri Haziq Azlin, Noraqila Aiman Abu, Ahmad Norhisyam Idris, Nurmilah Romeyu
    Jurnal Inovasi Malaysia, 2020;3(2):87-99.
    MyJurnal
    Disability is termed as both evolving concept and manifestation of interaction between persons with disabilities (PWDs) and physical and environmental barriers that holds them back from contributing actively in a society. People who fall in this category will find themselves trapped in a such vulnerable condition as they may not be able to cope with their daily problems without high surveillance from their guardian. Development of a mobile apps and web GIS-based healthcare system in Ampang is proposed in this study as this application has a bright potential to assist PWDs in terms of accessibilities to reach healthcare centres. The main objectives of this paper are i) to study the needs assessment on the proposed system, ii) to develop a mobile and web GIS-based healthcare information system and iii) to evaluate the performance of the proposed system. Selected respondents agreed on the development of the prototype system, namely the mobile apps and web system. The system was created with main menus such as doctor home visits, ambulance and medication delivery. Medical support team can also perform analyses in the system for PWD needs such as shortest path analysis, buffering and view of the main menus.
    MeSH terms: Ambulances; Delivery of Health Care; Disabled Persons; Humans; Surveys and Questionnaires; Needs Assessment; Geographic Information Systems; Mobile Applications
  13. Syadatul Syaeda Mat Saleh, Najihan Awang @ Ali, Nik Ruslawati Nik Mustapa, Nurul Husna Jamian, Hussin bin Abdul Hamid
    Jurnal Inovasi Malaysia, 2020;3(2):75-86.
    MyJurnal
    Road accident is not stranger matter in Malaysia. Subsequently, often leads to a claim for personal injury by the persecuted party. In Malaysia, the method for calculating claims applies a multiplier-multiplicand approach. This approach is no longer relevant and unfair to the claimant as it excludes personal status in the quantum calculation of damages. Hence, this study uses the Ogden Table as introduced in the United Kingdom as benchmarking guidelines, by taking into account of all aspect of claimant's personal condition for the purpose of such calculation. This study is built upon a proposed framework of data modelling system known as Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) and the created process modelling known as data flow diagram (DFD). Doing so, the claimants will insert their input data, run it through the first process, and store the information in the claim injury part database. They can also edit and store to claim injury part database on their own. This will generate a report with the information in claim injury part database and can be viewed by claimant, court and lawyer as target users. It is hoped that it will facilitate the calculation of injury claim which would serve justice and accuracy of personal injury in road accidents
    MeSH terms: Accidents; Data Collection; Health Services; Humans; Malaysia; Social Justice; Benchmarking; Lawyers
  14. Kardina Kamaruddin, Hadzli Ishak, Abdul Majeed Ahmad, Siti Hajar Hussain, Azlin Azman, Fauziah Mohammad Yunus, et al.
    Jurnal Inovasi Malaysia, 2020;3(2):64-74.
    MyJurnal
    The e-PA system was developed to establish a monitoring and reporting process for academic adviser(PA) and student (advisee) to be used in the UiTM Kedah Academic Affairs Division (BHEA). The e-PA system is an online system that enhances the process of monitoring and reporting of PA-advisee activities. The e-PA system utilized the Design Thinking approach which is an approach in empowering innovation that was identified to value functionality. Therefore, the e-PA system are categorized in 3 phases which were: Hear (H) which was Emphatize-activity aiming to visualize and analyze users’ needs; Create (C)-this phase encompassed Define-and-Ideate-activities aiming to find inventions that meets the value of functionality; and Deliver (D) which covers the Prototype-and-Test-activities where the e-PA system was developed through the provision of prototypes and had been through 3 trials and finally tested with four target groups. The results of the e-PA system development had achieved significant reductions in terms of cost and time. In addition, the objectives of 25 percent innovation creation indication had also been achieved through the aspects of organizational function, customer needs, stakeholders, and current conditions and eco systems of the campus. The e-PA system could be a platform of communication to facilitate monitoring and reporting of PA-advisee activities for all stakeholders at UiTM Kedah Branch. The e-PA system can enhance PA's roles by helping BHEA to empower PA-advisee relationships, increase customer satisfaction, maximize students’ success in accordance with the aspirations of the Higher Education Ministry, and assist the campus to achieve a "green-university" status. This three-phase-interaction system is a precedent system in the monitoring and reporting of PA-advisors at UiTM Kedah Branch
    MeSH terms: Achievement; Communication; Humans; Organizations; Personal Satisfaction; Students; Universities; Inventions
  15. Mohd Samsudin Abdul Hamid, Md Rasul Mohamad Nor, Nor Hafizah Hanis Abdullah, Siti Hafizan Hassan, Mohd Azuan Tukiar, Nurulzatushima Abd Karim,, et al.
    Jurnal Inovasi Malaysia, 2020;3(2):42-63.
    MyJurnal
    Effectiveness of a programme is measured through the achievement of Course Outcomes and Programme Outcomes (COPO). However, problems occur when number of courses and lecturers increased and yet the process of collecting and analysing all the data were done manually. Therefore, systematic and effective toolsare required to tackle these problems. Furthermore, all engineering programme offered under the faculty must implement the Outcome Based Education (OBE) system as a curriculum approach for the purpose of accreditation from Boards of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) through Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) for bachelor degree and Engineering Technician Accreditation Council (ETAC)for diploma. Therefore, an effective system called i-RAS (Revolution on Assessment for Student Monitoring System) has been developed to overcome the improper analysis of COPO. This system has been implemented for bachelor degree at Faculty of Civil Engineering UiTM Penang Branch. The advantages of this system are (i) paperless because all the data were uploaded in the faculty website, (ii) automatic data analysis and (iii) the storage system is safer than before. As a result, the Bachelor Degree of Civil Engineering (Infrastructure) has succesfully attained 5 (FIVE) years accreditation. Seeing this successful story, the Dean of Civil Engineering Faculty has standardized the implementation of this system throughout all campuses offering Diploma of Civil Engineering such as in Pasir Gudang Campus (Johor), Jengka Campus (Pahang), Permatang Pauh Campus (Penang) and Samarahan Campus (Sarawak).This system also has boost satisfaction among the lecturers up to 97%, time saving up to 78% and development system cost saving up to RM29,700 (100%). This system also helped the faculty to attain full accreditation for all the programs offered by this faculty.
    MeSH terms: Accreditation; Curriculum; Engineering; Faculty; Humans; Malaysia; Personal Satisfaction; Students
  16. Benjamin Ng Han Sim
    MyJurnal
    Phasic ECG voltage changes or electrical alternans is a well-described ECG changes seen in the pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. Popular as once believed, this ECG features are no longer considered pathognomonic for pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. Electric alternans is observed in pneumothorax especially left-sided pneumothorax. This is a case of a 41-year-old man who presented with chest pain and breathlessness to the emergency department. Assessment in the emergency unit revealed an obvious distress man with a respiratory rate of 60 breaths/min with cyanosis There were generalised rhonchi and prolonged expiratory breath sound appreciated. Chest X-ray (CXR) was done and diagnosed to have left tension pneumothorax. Initial electrocardiogram (ECG) showed electrical alternans in all leads. He was intubated for respiratory distress followed by chest tube insertion. His initial ECG findings resolved after treatment of the tension pneumothorax. Doctors need to evaluate the cardiac findings along with respiratory findings.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Cardiac Tamponade; Chest Pain; Cyanosis; Dyspnea; Electrocardiography; Emergency Service, Hospital; Humans; Male; Pericardial Effusion; Pneumothorax; Respiratory Sounds; X-Rays; Chest Tubes; Respiratory Rate
  17. Shirazi OU, Ab Rahman NS, Zin CS
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2020 10 08;12(4):369-380.
    PMID: 33679082 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_311_19
    The overuse of antibiotics has led to various healthcare problems such as the emergence of resistance in infectious microbes and mortality due to antibiotic resistant healthcare associated infections (HAIs). An antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) program is the set of interventions used worldwide to enhance the rational use of antibiotics especially for the hospitalized patients. This review aimed to describe the characteristics of the implemented AMS programs in various hospitals of the world mainly focusing on the interventions and patients outcomes. The literature about AMS program was searched through various databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Cochran Library, Ovid (Medline), Web of Science and Scopus. In this review the literature pertaining to the AMS programs for hospitalized patients is sorted on the basis of various interventions that are categorized as formulary restriction (pre-authorization), guideline development, clinical pathway development, educative interventions and prospective audit. Moreover a clear emphasis is laid on the patient outcomes obtained as a result of these interventions namely the infection control, drop in readmission rate, mortality control, resistance control and the control of an overall cost of antibiotic treatment obtained mainly by curbing the overuse of antibiotics within the hospital wards. AMS program is an efficient strategy of pharmacovigilance to rationalize the antimicrobial practice for hospitalized patients as it prevents the misuse of antibiotics, which ultimately retards the health threatening effects of various antibiotics.
    MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cross Infection; Delivery of Health Care; Hospitals; Humans; Patient Readmission; Bibliometrics; Infection Control; Critical Pathways; PubMed; Pharmacovigilance
  18. Dellemin NA, Zahari Z, Ahmad Hassali MA, Abdul Rashid S
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2020 10 08;12(4):428-435.
    PMID: 33679089 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_247_19
    Introduction: National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency, Ministry of Health Malaysia has received 1018 adverse drug reaction reports related to paracetamol with 1972 adverse events from the year 2000 to February 2015. Serious skin reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis, and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis may develop as a result of allergic reactions of paracetamol. This study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire regarding Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception towards Allergic Reactions of Paracetamol (KAP-ARP) among the general population.

    Materials and Methods: Content and face validity of the KAP-ARP were determined by four experts and 20 respondents, respectively. A questionnaire with 36 items, consisting of 16 Knowledge, 9 Attitude, and 11 Perception items, was distributed to 177 respondents. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed for construct validity. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the reliability of the questionnaire.

    Results: EFA constructed 13 Knowledge, 8 Attitude, and 8 Perception items. The final KAP-ARP questionnaire is reliable based on its internal consistency reliability (Knowledge: α = 0.78; Attitude: α = 0.63; Perception: α = 0.70).

    Conclusion: A valid and reliable questionnaire that is useful for measuring KAP-ARP among the general population has been developed.

    MeSH terms: Acetaminophen; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Malaysia; Perception; Surveys and Questionnaires; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome; Reproducibility of Results; Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis
  19. Tahir M, Upadhyay DK, Iqbal MZ, Rajan S, Iqbal MS, Albassam AA
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2020 10 08;12(4):436-443.
    PMID: 33679090 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_263_20
    Introduction: Community pharmacist's knowledge about the uses of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reactions reporting can contribute in better therapeutic outcomes and patient safety. Objectives: To evaluate community pharmacists' knowledge about the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reactions reporting in Kedah state, Malaysia.

    Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among 103 pharmacists from 74 different community pharmacies to assess their knowledge about the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reaction reporting by using a pre-validate knowledge questionnaire consisting of 12 questions related to it. The pharmacists' responses were measured at a 3-point Likert scale (Poor=1, Moderate=2, and Good=3) and data was entered in SPSS version 22. The minimum and maximum possible scores for knowledge questionnaires were 12 and 36 respectively. Quantitative data was analyzed by using One Way ANOVA and Paired t-test whereas Chi-square and Fisher exact test were used for qualitative data analysis. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant for all the analyses.

    Results: About 92% of the pharmacist had good knowledge regarding the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reaction reporting with a mean knowledge score of 32.88±3.16. One-way ANOVA determined a significant difference of employment setting (p<0.043) and years of experience (<0.008) with mean knowledge scores of Pharmacists. Pharmacists' knowledge was significantly associated with their years of experience with the Chi-square test.

    Conclusion: Pharmacists exhibit good knowledge regarding the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reaction reporting. However, with an increasing trend of herbal medicine use and its adverse drug reaction reporting it recalls the empowerment of experienced pharmacists with training programs in this area for better clinical outcomes.

    MeSH terms: Analysis of Variance; Community Pharmacy Services; Cross-Sectional Studies; Employment; Humans; Malaysia; Pharmacies; Pharmacists; Surveys and Questionnaires; Chi-Square Distribution; Treatment Outcome; Herbal Medicine; Patient Safety; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
  20. Hamid N, Muhamad R, Kueh YC, Zahari Z, Mohamad Nor N, Abdullah N, et al.
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2020 10 08;12(4):444-448.
    PMID: 33679091 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_265_19
    Background: In Malaysia, the problem of marital distress is fast becoming an important public health concern. A major shortcoming is inadequate marital evaluation. There are, however, very few localized instruments for married women in Malaysia. The objective of this study was to translate the original version of the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) and to evaluate for its psychometric properties. Multiple aspects of validity and reliability were also assessed.

    Materials and Methods: The questionnaire was first translated into the Malay language (RDAS-M). In this cross-sectional study, healthy married Malay women in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, were recruited from January to April 2018. Participants were asked to complete the RDAS-M that consists of three domains, that is, dyadic consensus, dyadic satisfaction, and dyadic cohesion with a total of 14 items. The concept, content, and construct validity using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability of the RDAS-M were assessed.

    Results: Of the 164 recruited participants, 150 consented to participate. The mean age of the participants was 34.1 years (standard deviation [SD], 9.5 years), ranging from 20 to 57 years. All 14 items were considered comprehensible by more than 95% of the subjects. Based on EFA, total variance extracted was 69.08%, and the original three factors were retained. The Malay version of the RDAS was valid based on factor loadings for dyadic consensus, dyadic satisfaction, and dyadic cohesion, which ranged from 0.64 to 0.80, 0.79 to 0.98, and 0.37 to 0.78, respectively. The internal consistency was good with coefficient α of 0.87 for dyadic consensus, 0.93 for dyadic satisfaction, and 0.78 for dyadic cohesion.

    Conclusions: The Malay version of the RDAS is easy to understand, and is a reliable and valid instrument for married women. It is also comparable with the original version of the RDAS in terms of structure and psychometric properties.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Humans; Language; Malaysia; Marriage; Personal Satisfaction; Psychometrics; Public Health; Surveys and Questionnaires; Reference Standards; Translating; Reproducibility of Results; Consensus
External Links