METHODS: Adult patients (≥18 years) tested positive for COVID-19 via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and admitted in Hospital Tuanku Ja'afar Seremban, Malaysia, were recruited in this study. Patients completed a questionnaire via telephone interview comprising the following details: age, sex, ethnicity, comorbidities, general and otorhinolaryngological symptoms, onset and duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. Patients with persistent olfactory and gustatory dysfunction at the time of the initial interview were followed-up every 3 to 5 days till resolution.
RESULTS: A total of 145 patients were included in our study. The mean age of patients was 43.0 ± 17.7 (range: 18-86). Fever (44.1%) and cough (39.3%) were the most prevalent general symptoms. Thirty-one patients (21.4%) reported olfactory dysfunction and 34 (23.4%) reported dysgeusia. There was a significant association between both olfactory and gustatory dysfunction (P
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at assessing the medication self-management capability of home-dwelling older adults with CF and exploring the ways, perceived challenges and barriers in medication self-management.
METHODS: A convergent mixed-method study design was used. The medication management capability of 16 CF individuals aged ≥ 60 years on ≥ 1 long-term prescription drugs were assessed using the Drug Regimen Unassisted Grading Scale (DRUGS). Virtual in-depth interviews were also performed between July-August 2022 using a semi-structured interview guide. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach guided by Bailey and colleagues' model of medication self-management.
RESULTS: The mean DRUGS summary score was 96.86 [standard deviation (SD) 3.74] with highest performance scores observed in medication access (100 %) and lowest performance score in medication identification (91.46 %). Informants were able to independently take their medications and they tended to organise their medication intakes according to mealtime even though some admitted missing medication doses due to forgetfulness. Informants had difficulties with recalling drug names, with little awareness of self-monitoring their own health conditions and the effects of medications. Misconceptions towards medications, difficulties in accessing medications, reduced mobility and worsening health conditions could potentially deter informants from safe and independent medication self-management. In contrast, trust in doctors and a desire to achieve treatment goal could motivate medication self-management.
CONCLUSION: The findings revealed knowledge gaps among older adults with CF in identifying their medications and self-monitoring which warrant reinforcement by healthcare professionals to ensure chronic safe medication use. Future studies should evaluate strategies to enhance medication safety in terms of self-monitoring in individuals with CF.
DESIGN: The LAB strains isolated from Malaysian fermented foods, Lactobacillus brevis FT 6 and Lactobacillus plantarum FT 12, were assessed for their antimicrobial properties against Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC 33277 via disc diffusion assay. Anti-biofilm properties were determined by treating the overnight P. gingivalis ATCC 33277 biofilm with different concentrations of LAB cell-free supernatant (LAB CFS). Quantification of biofilm was carried out by measuring the optical density of stained biofilm. The ability of L. brevis FT 6 and L. plantarum FT 12 to tolerate salivary amylase was also investigated. Acid production with different sugars was carried out by pH measurement and screening for potential antimicrobial organic acid by disc diffusion assay of neutralised probiotics CFS samples. In this study, L. rhamnosus ATCC 7469, a commercial strain was used to compare the efficacy of the isolated strain with the commercial strain.
RESULTS: Lactobacillus brevis FT 6 and L. plantarum FT 12 possess antimicrobial activity against P. gingivalis with inhibition diameters of more than 10 mm, and the results were comparable with L. rhamnosus ATCC 7469. The MIC and MBC assay results for all tested strains were recorded to be 25 µl/µl concentration. All LAB CFS reduced biofilm formation proportionally to the CFS concentration and tolerated salivary amylase with more than 50% viability. Overnight cultures of all lactic acid bacteria strains showed a pH reduction and neutralised CFS of all lactic acid bacteria strains did not show any inhibition towards P. gingivalis.
CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the isolated probiotics have the potential as probiotics to be used as a supportive oral health treatment, especially against a periodontal pathogen, P. gingivalis.
OBJECTIVE: To translate the DQoL-BCI into a Malaysian version and to assess its construct validity (factorial validity, convergent validity and discriminant validity), reliability (internal consistency) and floor and ceiling effects among the Malaysian diabetic population.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: A forward-backward translation, involving professional translators and experts with vast experience in translation of patient reported outcome measures, was conducted. A total of 202 patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were invited to complete the translated DQoL-BCI. Data were analysed using SPSS for exploratory factor analysis (EFA), convergent and discriminant validity, reliability and test-retest, and AMOS software for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
RESULTS: Findings from EFA indicated that the 4-factor structure of the Malaysian version of DQoL-BCI was optimal and explained 50.9% of the variance; CFA confirmed the 4-factor model fit. There was negative, moderate correlation between the scores of DQoL-BCI (Malaysian version) and EQ-5D-3L utility score (r = -0.329, p = 0.003). Patients with higher glycated haemoglobin levels (p = 0.008), diabetes macrovascular (p = 0.017) and microvascular (p = 0.013) complications reported poorer QoL. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and intraclass coefficient correlations (range) obtained were 0.703 and 0.86 (0.734-0.934), indicating good reliability and stability of the translated DQoL-BCI.
CONCLUSION: This study had validated the linguistic and psychometric properties of DQoL-BCI (Malaysian version), thus providing a valid and reliable brief tool for assessing the QoL of Malaysian T2DM patients.