To determine whether glucose turnover is increased in acute falciparum malaria compared to enteric fever in children, steady-state 6,6-D2-glucose turnover was measured in 9 Malaysian children with uncomplicated malaria (6 males and 3 females; median age 10 years, body weight 22 kg) and in 12 with uncomplicated enteric fever (8 males and 4 females; median age 10 years, body weight 24 kg) in acute illness, after quinine (5 malaria patients) and in convalescence. Baseline plasma glucose concentrations in malaria and enteric fever were similar (all values are medians [ranges in brackets]) 5.6 [3.2-11.3] vs. 5.5 [4.2-8.0] mmol/L), as were serum insulin levels (5.6 [0.4-26.5] vs. 6.8 [1.1-22.5] milliunits/L; P > 0.4). Glucose turnover in the malaria patients was higher than in patients with enteric fever (6.27 [2.71-6.87] vs. 5.20 [4.50-6.08] mg/kg.min; P = 0.02) and in convalescence (4.74 [3.35-6.79] mg/kg.min; P = 0.05 vs. acute malaria study), and fell after quinine together with a rise in serum insulin (P = 0.03). Basal plasma lactate concentrations were higher in enteric fever than in malaria (3.4 [1.8-6.4] vs. 0.8 [0.3-3.8] mmol/L; P < 0.0001) and correlated inversely with glucose turnover in this group (rs = -0.60; n = 12; P = 0.02). These data suggest that glucose turnover is 20% greater in malaria than in enteric fever. This might reflect increased non-insulin-mediated glucose uptake in falciparum malaria and/or impaired gluconeogenesis in enteric fever, and may have implications for metabolic complications and their clinical management in both infections.
The records associated with 83 children from 16 months to 12 years of age who were admitted with snake bite to Kota Bharu General Hospital and University Hospital, Universiti Sains Malaysia over a 5 year period were reviewed. Elapid bites were more common than viper bites while sea-snake bites were not recorded. Symptoms were relatively mild, the common clinical features being pain and local swelling. Antivenom therapy was required in 11 children. Only three of the 11 children developed minor adverse reactions to antivenom. Four of the 83 required ventilatory support for respiratory failure and two children died.
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an X-linked red blood cell enzymopathy common in malaria endemic areas. Individuals affected by this disease show a wide variety of clinical signs of acute hemolytic anemia. Mutations of the G6PD gene in the Malay population with G6PD deficiency in Kelantan, a state in North East Malaysia were studied. Ninety-three individuals with G6PD deficiency were subjected to mutation analysis of the G6PD gene using polymerase chain reaction based techniques of multiplex PCR. Of the ninety-three DNA samples studied, molecular defects were identified in 80 cases (86%). Variants were heterogeneous - 28.7% were found to have a G to A nucleotide change at nucleotide 871 of the G6PD gene (G871A), corresponding to G6PD Viangchan. The other major mutations were G6PD Mediterranean, G6PD Vanua Lava, G6PD Coimbra, G6PD Kaiping, G6PD Orissa, G6PD Mahidol, G6PD Canton and G6PD Chatham. These results showed that there are heterogeneous mutations of the G6PD gene associated with G6PD deficiency and that G6PD Viangchan and G6PD Mediterranean account for the main variants in G6PD deficiency among the Malay population in Malaysia.
The aim of this prospective study was to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum in hospitalized children in Kota Bharu, Malaysia. Over a 19 month study period, 258 stool samples were examined from 159 children; 109 with diarrhea and 50 controls without diarrhea. Modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining method and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay were used to detect C. parvum and the samples were also examined for the presence of other intestinal parasites. Only 1 of the 109 (0.9%) children with acute diarrhea was positive for C. parvum by microscopy and PCR. Thirty-one percent of children were infested with other intestinal parasites, the most common being Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura. In conclusion, we found C. parvum to be an uncommon infective agent in hospitalized children with or without diarrhea in Kota Bharu, Malaysia.
Neonatal septic arthritis has always been considered as separate from its counterpart in older children. The condition is uncommon but serious. Affected neonates usually survive, but with permanent skeletal deformities. Ten cases of neonatal septic arthritis were diagnosed between January 1989 and December 1993 in the neonatal intensive care units of two referral hospitals in the state of Kelantan, Malaysia. All except one neonate was born prematurely. The mean age of presentation was 15.6 days. Joint swelling (10/10), increased warmth (7/10) and erythema of the overlying skin (7/10) were the common presenting signs. Vague constitutional symptoms preceded the definitive signs of septic arthritis in all cases. The total white cell counts were raised with shift to the left. The knee (60%) was not commonly affected, followed by the hip (13%) and ankle (13%). Three neonates had multiple joint involvement. Coexistence of arthritis with osteomyelitis was observed in seven neonates. The commonest organism isolated was methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (9/10). Needle aspiration was performed in nine neonates and one had incision with drainage. Follow up data was available for five neonates and two of these had skeletal morbidity. Early diagnosis by frequent examination of the joints, prompt treatment and control of nosocomial infection are important for management.
In 1990 the Institute for Medical Research carried out a serosurvey in the state of Kelantan to study the age stratified immune prevalence rates for measles and poliomyelitis. Our findings indicate that 981 out of 1,097 (89%) of the population screened had measles antibodies and more than 90% (366 out of 400) had antibodies to all three serotypes of poliovirus. The susceptible group for measles was infants below one year of age, of whom 53.3% (8/15) did not have measles antibody. Of 400 subjects, 125 (31.3%) who were either incompletely vaccinated or had not been vaccinated against poliomyelitis, had polio neutralizing antibodies to all three poliovirus serotypes, suggesting herd immunity in the population. No high risk age group could be identified for poliomyelitis.
Acquired subglottic stenosis is a compication or neonatal endotracheal intubation. Although it is rare, it contributes significantly to the morbidity and physical well being of post extubated neonates. A 20-day old neonate, ventilated for meconium aspiration syndrome and persistent fetal circulation, presented with marked stridor and respiratory embarrassment. A stenosed subglottic area was found on rigid bronchoscopy. Anterior cricoid split was performed to relieve the obstruction. He is asymptomatic post operatively.
Three sisters with cassava poisoning are described. A review of the toxic properties of cassava is presented together with discussion on the methods of its preparation, its adverse effects on man, its detoxification in the body, and the treatment of its poisoning.
Two cases of Hypomelanosis of Ito are described; presenting with depigmented whorl-like, zig-zag, bizzare cutaneous manifestations associated with central nervous system disorders.
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 six year old Malay boy with phenylketonuria is presented. The history, clinical examination, biochemical findings and treatment are described followed by a discussion on phenylketonuria.
Whether the exceptionally low prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection reported among Malays is also present among aborigines (the Orang Asli) living in northeastern Peninsular Malaysia is unknown. We studied asymptomatic Orang Asli from settlements situated 210 km from the city of Kota Bharu. The HP infection status was confirmed by a validated serology test. Nineteen percent of 480 Orang Asli tested positive for HP infection. The prevalence was 40.6% in the birth cohort of the 1940s and declined steadily in later cohorts to under 10% among 12-30 year olds. This may be related to the phases of relocation from the jungles into resettlement camps and ultimately into designated villages near rivers. The low prevalence pattern after the 1970s was probably partly a result of improvement in sanitation and hygiene practice in these villages but other unidentified factors may also be operating.
To determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori antigen carriage in stool in the Penan ethnic minority in Malaysian Borneo, we studied 295 Penans 0.6-89.0 years of age from 1) the remote Limbang Division, 2) Mulu regional center, and 3) Belaga village. Overall, 37.7% of the subjects tested positive. Peak prevalence was reached by 10 years of age. There were no differences in age, sex, body mass index, and socioeconomic/domestic variables between antigen-positive and antigen-negative subjects. In a logistic regression analysis, subjects from Limbang were least likely to be antigen-positive (odds ratio [OR] = 0.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.12-0.44 versus other sites, P < 0.001). Availability of a flushing toilet was protective against H. pylori carriage (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.27-0.95, P = 0.031). Infection with H. pylori among the Penan was less than reported in other low socioeconomic groups. The lowest prevalence in the most remote setting suggests that the infection has been a recent arrival in previously isolated communities.
The objective of this study was to investigate the longevity of positive dot enzyme immunosorbent assay (dot EIA) results for IgM and IgG to a Salmonella typhi outer membrane protein in Malaysian children with enteric fever. The patients were children one month to 12 years of age with clinical evidence of typhoid fever, positive blood or stool cultures for S. typhi, and/or a positive Widal test result who were admitted over a two-year period to General Hospital (Kota Bharu, Malaysia). These patients received standard inpatient treatment for enteric fever including chloramphenicol therapy for 14 days. Dot EIA tests were performed as part of clinical and laboratory assessments on admission, at two weeks, and then at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21 months postdischarge. Assessment of the longevity of positive dot EIA IgM and IgG titers was done by Kaplan-Meier analysis. In 94 evaluable patients, 28% were dot EIA IgM positive but IgG negative on admission, 50% were both IgM and IgG positive, and 22% were IgM negative and IgG positive. Mean persistence of IgM dot EIA positivity was 2.6 months (95% confidence interval = 2.0-3.1 months) and that of IgG was 5.4 months (4.5-6.3 months). There were no significant differences between the three subgroups. Thus, positive IgM and IgG results determined by dot EIA within four and seven months, respectively, following documented or suspected enteric fever in a child from an endemic area should be interpreted with caution. In other clinical situations, the dot EIA remains a rapid and reliable aid to diagnosis.
Data is lacking with regard to the epidemiology of invasive haemophilus influenzae (HI) disease in Malaysia. This study was carried out to document the epidemiology of invasive HI disease in hospitalised Kelantanese children.
We describe here a case of cryptococcal empyema thoracis and periauricular pyogenic abscess in a child with Bruton's agammaglobulinaemia. The cryptococcal empyema thoracis was treated with intravenous amphotericin B and intravenous fluconazole for six weeks followed by oral fluconazole. The pyogenic periauricular abscess was surgically drained and treated with intravenous ceftazidime and cloxacillin for two weeks. He also received monthly intravenous immunoglobulin.