Displaying publications 201 - 220 of 780 in total

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  1. Fulltext A comparative study on the service profiles and practice facilities among urban general practices in east and west Malaysia
    Khoo EM
    Med J Malaysia, 2000 Sep;55(3):341-6.
    PMID: 11200714
    1171 urban general practices in East and West Malaysia were compared regarding their service profiles and practice facilities. In general, practices in both parts put important emphasis on preventive health care. More practices in East Malaysia were providing hormone replacement therapy and sexually transmitted diseases services but less were providing intrapartum care, counselling services including sexual and marital counselling and problems associated with social deviance such as alcohol and drug abuse. Although most practices in East Malaysia were solo practices, they were more comprehensive in terms of the provision of practice facilities when compared to those in West Malaysia. A greater number of them had ultrasound facilities, peak flow meters, ECG machines, computers and blood biochemistry facilities.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  2. Fulltext Risk profile of pregnant mothers in Kelantan
    Zulkifli A, Rogayah J, Hashim MH, Shukri O, Azmi H
    Med J Malaysia, 1995 Dec;50(4):359-64.
    PMID: 8668057
    A demographic and obstetric profile of pregnant mothers attending antenatal clinics in Kelantan over period of one year was determined by a retrospective study of 10,032 registered pregnant mothers. The prevalence of risk factors related to the age of the mother, parity, weight, haemoglobin level, bad obstetric history and pregnancy related diseases were determined. Prevalence of teenage pregnancy and primigravida accounted for 4.3 and 17.2 percent respectively. Nearly 3.9 percent of the mothers weighed less than 40 kg and 44.5 percent of mothers were found to be anaemic (Hb less than 11g/d) at the first antenatal visit. Only 3.2 percent of the mothers did not have any designated risk factor. Previous bad obstetric history and pregnancy related disease accounted for 17.1 and 3.5 percent of mothers respectively.
    Study site: Antenatal clinics, klinik kesihatan, Kelantan, Malaysia
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  3. Fulltext Hyperthyroidism following hypothyroidism--a case report
    Kang BH
    Med J Malaysia, 1991 Sep;46(3):287-9.
    PMID: 1839927
    A 25 year old female presented with hypothyroidism which was followed by the development of hyperthyroidism about 1 1/2 years later. This uncommon phenomenon is postulated to result from changes in the relative amounts of stimulatory and inhibitory TSH receptor antibodies. This case illustrates the possible continuum between Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis within the broad spectrum of autoimmune thyroid disease.
    Study site: Primary care clinic. University Malaya Medical Cengtre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  4. Fulltext A comparison of morbidity patterns in Peninsular Malaysia 1959 and 1974
    Arokiasamy JT, Chen PCY
    Med J Malaysia, 1980 Jun;34(4):336-42.
    PMID: 7219259
    Disease patterns among outpatients seen at static and travelling dispensaries, as well as among hospital admissions and hospital deaths are compared between 1959 and 1974. While disease patterns of patients seen by travelling dispensaries show no change, patients seen by static dispensaries and hospital admissions in 1974 show a marked relative decline in infective and parasitic diseases and an increase in accidents, poisonings and violence. Causes of death in hospitals in 1974 were different, there being relative increases in diseases of early infancy, diseases of circulatory system, neoplasms, and accidents, poisonings, violence while infective and parasitic diseases, and diseases of the digestive system declined.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  5. Fulltext Content of general practice
    Lim TO
    Med J Malaysia, 1991 Jun;46(2):155-62.
    PMID: 1839420
    Eight general practitioners participated in a survey of content of general practice. This is useful as an indicator or morbidity in the community as well as of workload of general practice. A total of 3164 consultations were recorded, of which 2764 (87%) were because of an illness and the rest (13%) for other reasons like medical examinations, antenatal check, family planning advice, pregnancy tests, pap smear and vaccination. The old and the young have high consultation rates for an illness, men consulted as often as women. The most common illness seen was upper respiratory tract infections, accounting for 37% of all illnesses. Other common minor illnesses were skin infections (6%), genito-urinary infections (5%), minor musculoskeletal (6%) and gastrointestinal (6%) complaints as well as minor injuries and cuts (4%). Major disorders form an unusually low proportion (18%) of all illnesses seen, in comparison with figures from United Kingdom. The common major disorders seen were hypertension, asthma, chronic rheumatic disorders and diabetes. Circulatory disorders were remarkably rare, accounting for only 1% of illnesses. Psychological disorders, both major and minor, were also rarely seen, accounting for only 1% of illnesses which is in marked contrast with figures from the United Kingdom. Factors contributing to these notable findings are discussed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  6. Fulltext Weights and blood pressures of women who attend family planning clinics in Sarawak
    Wadsworth GR
    Med J Malaysia, 1981 Sep;36(3):148-50.
    PMID: 7329371
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  7. Attitudes on health care of villagers attending a rural clinic in Malaysia
    Heggenhougen HK
    Med J Malaysia, 1979 Dec;34(2):108-16.
    PMID: 548711
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  8. Fulltext Periodontal referral pattern in periodontal specialist clinic in faculty of dentistry, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM): a retrospective pilot study
    Erni Noor, Nur Azielyana Noor Kamaruzaman, Nur Syahira Mohd Jeffri, Nik Nazurah Nik Eezammudden, Nur Zety Mohd Noh
    Compendium of Oral Science, 2018;5(1):37-45.
    MyJurnal
    Objectives: Periodontitis is a chronic disease which remain undiagnosed and untreated without proper examination and referral to specialist clinic for further management Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the pattern of referrals to Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Periodontal Specialist Clinic. Materials and methods: A total of 176 periodontal cases referred to UiTM Periodontal Specialist Clinic in year 2011 and 2016 were identified and patient’s referral forms were collected. The data obtained were the referred cases from undergraduate student clinics, other specialist clinics, UiTM primary dental care clinic and private dental clinics. Descriptive data analysis was conducted using frequency distribution by SPSS. Chi square analysis was used to evaluate the association of source of referral, diagnosis and reason for referrals to Periodontal Specialist Clinic. Results: There was increased referral cases to Periodontal Specialist Clinic in 2016 (86.9%) compared to 2011 (13.1%). Most referral to Periodontal Specialist Clinic were received from faculty’s undergraduate student clinic in both 2011 and 2016 (46%), followed by other specialists (27.3%), primary care clinic (25.6%) and private practice (1.1%). 96% of cases were referred for intervention by periodontist as more than half of the cases were referred for the non-surgical periodontal treatment. Chi square analysis showed the association between source of referral and reason for referral was statistically significant (p value=0.000). Conclusion: Proper periodontal screening in all patients and necessary referral to specialist clinic is crucial to prevent undiagnosed periodontal disease.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  9. Fulltext Use, Awareness, Knowledge and Beliefs of Medication During Pregnancy in Malaysia
    Alani AHHDA, Hassan BAR, Suhaimi AM, Mohammed AH
    Osong Public Health Res Perspect, 2020 Dec;11(6):373-379.
    PMID: 33403200 DOI: 10.24171/j.phrp.2020.11.6.05
    Objectives: This study aimed to assess medication use in pregnant women in Malaysia by measuring use, knowledge, awareness, and beliefs about medications.

    Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional study involving a total of 447 pregnant women who attended the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL), Malaysia. A validated, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect participant data.

    Results: Most of pregnant women had taken medication during pregnancy and more than half of them (52.8%) showed a poor level of knowledge about the medication use during pregnancy. Eighty-three percent had a poor level of awareness and 56.5% had negative beliefs. Age and education level were significantly associated with the level of knowledge regarding medication use during pregnancy. Multiparous pregnant women, and pregnant women from rural areas were observed to have a higher level of awareness compared with those who lived in urban areas. Use of medication during pregnancy was determined to be significantly associated with education level, and race.

    Conclusion: Although there was prevalent use of medication among pregnant women, many had negative beliefs, and insufficient knowledge and awareness about the risks of taking medication during pregnancy. Several sociodemographic characteristics were significantly associated with the use (race and education level), level of knowledge (age and education level), awareness (parity and place of residence), and beliefs (race, education level, and occupation status) towards medication use during pregnancy.

    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  10. Fulltext A Review of Guidelines to Resuming Elective Orthopaedic Surgeries Amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Deriving a Simple Traffic Light Model
    Attia AK, Omar UF, Kaliya-Perumal AK
    Malays Orthop J, 2020 Nov;14(3):10-15.
    PMID: 33403057 DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.2011.003
    The COVID-19 pandemic has affected most healthcare systems around the world. Routine care operations such as outpatient clinics and elective surgery remain badly hit. This situation cannot continue for long as it puts patients at a higher risk for complications due to delayed management. Hence, it is essential to resume routine, especially elective surgery. Regarding orthopaedic practice, various authors and organisations have come out with guidelines to resume elective surgeries. However, clear consensus and common strategies need be derived. With this motive, we conducted a review of the literature for guidelines to resume elective orthopaedic surgery amid COVID-19 pandemic and shortlisted scholarly publications and information from regional organisations. We have summarised the information and derived an organised algorithm considering the guidelines provided by various sources. In this extraordinary time, guidelines come in as a relief for every surgeon who is in a dilemma whether to resume electives or not. Putting safety first, these guidelines or suitable versions should be followed at all levels wherever possible to avoid the lack of trained manpower in the event of staff morbidity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  11. Fulltext Assessment of knowledge and perception of erectile dysfunction among diabetic and non-diabetic patients at a University Health Center in Malaysia
    Hassali MA, Shafie AA, Khalid Y, Hari R
    Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research, 2009;2:60-65.
    The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions of diabetics and non-diabetics at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) main campus towards erectile dysfunction (ED). A cross-sectional survey using 40 items questionnaire was conducted in USM main Campus and at the Diabetic Clinic in the main campus. By the end of the study period a total of 200 individuals were surveyed, 52 of them were diabetics and the rest were non-diabetics. The mean total knowledge score obtained by diabetics was significantly higher, (63.7% of the maximum possible total knowledge score) than non-diabetics score (53.8 % of the maximum possible total knowledge score), P=0.002. Diabetics scored significantly lower regarding perception towards sexual activity, (65.1% of the maximum possible score) than non diabetics (70% of the maximum possible score), P=0.012. Diabetic patients scored none significantly higher scores regarding perception towards effect of ED on quality of life, (61.3% of the maximum possible score) compared with non-diabetics (59.7 % of the maximum possible score) P=0.332. Overall, the finding of this study suggested that health care professionals should be more proactive in disseminating health information about ED to the public in order to increase their knowledge and awareness on the disease.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  12. Postnatal depression in mothers attending primary care clinics in Kelantan, Malaysia
    Abdul Kadir A, Nordin R, Ismail SB, Yaacob MJ, Wan Mahmud WMR
    International Medical Journal (Tokyo), 2005;12:105-109.
    Objective: To determine the prevalence of postnatal depression (PND), and associated risk factors among women in Kota Bharu District, Kelantan. Design: A cohort study Methods: A study involving four hundred and twenty one pregnant women attending primary health care facilities in Kota Bharu between February and September 2000 were screened for depression at 36-42 weeks of pregnancy, 1 week postpartum and 4-6 weeks postpartum using validated Malay version of Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Results: Three hundred and seventy seven women successfully completed the EPDS (response rate = 89.8%). The prevalence of PND at 4-6 weeks postpartum, based on an EPDS score of 12 and above, was 20.7%. Depressive symptoms at the end of pregnancy (p<0.05) and one week postnatal (p<0.05) were significantly associated with PND. Conclusions: PND among women in Kota Bharu was 20.7%, which was higher than previously reported studies. Onset of depressive symptoms towards the end of pregnancy and early postnatal period independently predicted postnatal depression. © 2005 Japan International Cultural Exchange Foundation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  13. Fulltext Postpartum depression among Malay women from a rural area in Kedah, north-west of Peninsular Malaysia: prevalence and risk factor
    Wan Mahmud WMR, Hayati MR, Bashah B, Amir A, Mahmood NM
    Malaysian Journal of Psychiatry, 2005;13:3-19.
    Background: Community based epidemiological data on postpartum depression in Malaysia is scarce. Aim: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for developing postpartum depression among Malay women from a rural area in Kedah, North West of Peninsular Malaysia. Method: We screened 185 women at 4-12 weeks postpartum attending the selected health centers using the Malay versions of Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-11). Those scoring 12 and / or 9/10 on BDI-11 were interviewed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and the 17-items Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HDRS-17). All diagnoses were based on the Tenth Edition of the International Classification for Disease: Diagnostic Criteria for Research (ICD-I0: DCR-10). Results: The prevalence of postpartum depression was 21.08%. The condition was found to be significantly linked to polygamous marriages, high number of life events and financial problems over the last one year prior to delivery, and low scores on the Malay version of the MOS Social Support Survey and all its components (overall support index, informational support, affectionate support/ positive social interactions and instrumental support). Conclusions: Postpartum depression is indeed a reality among Malay women in rural areas In Kedah, North West of Peninsular Malaysia. These findings have implications for policies regarding maternal and childcare programs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  14. Help seeking behaviour among men with erectile dysfunction in primary care setting
    Ab Rahman AA, Al-Sadat N, Low WY
    Journal of Men's Health, 2011;8 Suppl 1:S94-S96.
    DOI: 10.1016/S1875-6867(11)60033-X
    Background: To examine the self-reported erectile problem and help-seeking behaviour among men.
    Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 1331 men aged 40 years and above who attended public primary care clinics in an urban district in Malaysia. Questions were asked regarding presence of erectile problem, help-seeking behaviour and treatment sought.
    Results: The mean age was 54.7 (±8.3), ranging from 40 to 79 years. Among the subjects, 69.5% (n = 925) had erectile dysfunction (ED); however, only 54.8% reported having difficulty with erection. The subjects with severe ED had higher proportion of self-reported ED (90.8%) than moderate (75.7%) and mild ED (27.4%). More than two-third of the subjects (67.2%) have spoken to someone about their difficulty; of these, 54.1% spoke to their spouse or partner, 6.3% to friends and 5.3% to family members. Only 32.4% had initiated the discussion with their doctor, whereas only 10.5% reported that their doctor had raised the issue. Among the men who did not seek any help, reasons were: ED normal part of aging (37.9%), due to health condition (32.2%), ED was caused by medication (9.4%) and they were embarrassed (7.3%). Only 4.4% had sought treatment. More than one third participants (35%) had used Sildenafil while most had used other traditional medicines such as Tongkat Ali, massage and Chinese herbs.
    Conclusions: Self-reported erectile problem among men is common. However, ED is not a health condition that patients would commonly discuss with their doctors despite the fact that they are already seeing doctors for various other medical reasons. © 2011 WPMH GmbH.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  15. Anti-CCP antibodies: A better diagnostic tool for rheumatoid arthritis
    Dollah R, Yaacob A, Ismail AH, Che Hussin CM
    International Medical Journal (Tokyo), 2011;18(1):53-57.
    Objective: The assay for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody is a recent test of interest due to low diagnostic specificity of rheumatoid factor in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. To determine the sensitivity and specificity of anti-CCP antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis patients using American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria as a gold standard.
    Design: A cross sectional study was conducted from January 2008 to December 2008 on 100 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 153 patients with arthritis or arthralgia but not fulfilling ACR criteria for rheumatoid arthritis.
    Materials and Methods: Serum from each subject was tested for anti-CCP antibodies and IgM rheumatoid factor (IgM RF) by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Sensitivity and specificity of the tests were evaluated using the ACR criteria as the gold standard. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 12.0 software. The association between the two categorical variables were tested using chi-square test. The differences between the two groups were tested using independent t-test. Results: The sensitivity of anti-CCP antibodies was 71% with 94.8% of specificity. For rheumatoid factor the sensitivity was 85% and the specificity was 74.5%. Positive predictive value for anti-CCP antibodies was 89.9% whereas for rheumatoid factor it was 68.5%. The sensitivity of ACR criteria with inclusion of anti- CCP antibodies was 100% and specificity of 94.8% (95%CI: 91.3%, 98.2%).
    Conclusion: Anti-CCP antibody has a higher diagnostic accuracy compared to the RF. Anti-CCP antibody is a useful laboratory marker to support the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and to differentiate patients with rheumatoid arthritis from rheumatoid arthritis-like symptoms. Therefore, it is suggested that anti-CCP antibodies should be included as another laboratory supportive criterium besides RF test in ACR criteria in the diagnosis of RA.
    Study site: family medicine clinic, rheumatology clinic and immunology laboratory of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM), Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  16. Fulltext Anaemia among primary care patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD): a multicentred cross-sectional study
    Idris I, Tohid H, Muhammad NA, A Rashid MR, Mohd Ahad A, Ali N, et al.
    BMJ Open, 2018 12 22;8(12):e025125.
    PMID: 30580276 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025125
    OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anaemia among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) at primary care settings and its associated factors.
    DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study involved 808 adult patients with T2DM and CKD who were recruited via systematic sampling from 20 public primary care clinics in Peninsular Malaysia. Their sociodemographic, clinical and biomedical profiles were collected through interviews, examination of medical records and blood testing.
    RESULTS: The prevalence of anaemia was 31.7% (256/808). The anaemia was mainly mild (61.5%) and normocytic normochromic (58.7%). About 88.7% of the patients with anaemia were not known to have anaemia prior to the study. Among 36 patients with documented history of anaemia, 80.6% were still anaemic, and only a half received iron therapy. Multivariate regression analysis showed that women (adjusted odd ratio (AOR): 1.57, 95% CI: 1.12 to 2.21, p=0.009) and those with older age (AOR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.06, p<0.001), CKD stage 3a (AOR: 2.47; 95% CI: 1.25 to 4.87, p=0.009), CKD stage 3b (AOR: 4.36; 95% CI: 2.14 to 8.85, p<0.001), CKD stage 4 (AOR: 10.12; 95% CI: 4.36 to 23.47, p<0.001), CKD stage 5 (AOR: 10.80; 95% CI: 3.32 to 35.11, p<0.001) and foot complication (AOR 3.12, 95% CI: 1.51 to 6.46, p=0.002) were more likely to have anaemia. Having higher body mass index (AOR 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92 to 0.99, p=0.012) and higher diastolic blood pressure (AOR 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95 to 0.99, p<0.001) were associated with lower odds to have anaemia.
    CONCLUSION: Anaemia among patients with T2DM and CKD in primary care was common, and the majority was unrecognised. Inadequate treatment of anaemia was also prevalent. Therefore, screening of anaemia should be incorporated into the routine assessment of diabetic complications particularly for those with significant associated factors. It is hoped that such strategy could lead to early treatment and hence improve their overall care.

    TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NMRR-15-660-24324.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  17. Fulltext Assessment of diabetic patient waiting time in a primary healthcare clinic
    Mohd Shaiful Ehsan Shalihin, Iskandar Firzada Osman, Muhammad Hapizie Bin Din
    IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia, 2020;19(2):41-48.
    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.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  18. Long term visit-to-visit variability of systolic blood pressure and cardiovascular disease events in a primary care setting: a 10-year retrospective cohort study [Abstract OS 04-05]
    Ching SM, Chia YC, Lim HM
    J Hypertens, 2016 Sep;34 Suppl 1 - ISH 2016 Abstract Book:e56.
    PMID: 27753921
    Conference abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the relationship of long term visit to visit variability (VVV) of SBP and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a primary care setting.
    DESIGN AND METHOD: This is a retrospective study of a cohort of 1416 patients over a period of 10 years (1998-2007). Demographic data, three monthly clinic BP readings and CVD events were captured from patient records. We derived the mean BP and VVV of SBPs for each subject and divided them into three groups defined as non hypertension, developed hypertension along the 10-year follow-up and persistent hypertension. We examined differences in cardiovascular events across these groups.
    RESULTS: Mean age of the participants at baseline was 56.5 ± 10.1 years, 34.6% were males. Table 1 describes mean SBP, BPV and CVD events of the study population.Those with both low mean SBP and low BPV have the lowest CVD events, conversely those with both high mean SBP and high BPV have highest CVD events. In those patients with the same mean SBP, whether high or low, those with higher BPV have more events than those with lower BPV. However patients with low mean SBP but high BPV have more CVD events compared with those patients with high mean SBP but low BPV (p = 0.04) suggesting BPV is more important than mean SBP in causing CVD events.We used ROC of VVV SBP to identify the cut off point of 12.9 mmHg as the indicator for increase in CVD events.
    CONCLUSIONS: In our study, we found that patients with hypertension have higher BPV than normotensive subjects. Furthermore those with higher BPV also had more CVD events. As such, we should prioritize lowering not only mean systolic BP but lowering BPV as well. Long term VVV SBP should be another target in the management of patients with hypertension.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  19. The prevalence of depression among elderly patients attending a rural primary health care clinic
    Mohd Noor N, Mohd Sidik S
    Family Physician, 2003;12:30-35.
    Introduction: Depression is an important problem in primary care practice and is the commonest psychiatric disorder among the elderly.
    Aim: To assess the prevalence of depression among the elderly patients attending a rural primary health care clinic in Malaysia and to identify its associated factors.
    Method: The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) questionnaire was used as a screening instrument. Patients with positive GDS scores for depression were further assessed for Major Depression.
    Results: 14% of the patients were found to have depression. The associated factors identified were gender, marital status, educational level, total family monthly income, living arrangement and if they had someone to confide in. Further clinical evaluation using the DSM IV Criteria for major depression revealed that two-thirds of the patients with depression were suffering from major depression.
    Conclusion: The prevalence of depression among the elderly patients at a rural primary health care clinic was high. Primary health care doctors and staff should take extra care to detect depression when managing elderly patients.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
  20. Fulltext Morbidity patterns in elderly patients presenting to a family practice
    Teoh LC, Chan SC
    Family Physician, 2003;12(1):24-28.
    The morbidity patterns of elderly patients presenting to a family physician clinic was studied by the attending physician completing a questionnaire on all elderly patients aged 60 and above attending the clinic between 1st January to 31st March 2000. 612 elderly patients registered during the study period. The most common presentations included upper respiratory tract infections (21.6%), hypertension and diabetes mellitus (18%), gastritis/dyspepsia (5.0%) and injuries (5.0%), Musculoskeletal complaints (backache, gout, osteoarthritis) and anxiety were also among the top 10 most common presenting complaints. Injuries were mainly soft tissue injuries and sprains sustained at home. Some were preventable.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities
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