A prevalence study for intestinal parasites among 305 infants and young children was conducted at the Paediatric wards of the General Hospital Kuala Lum.pur, Malaysia. 40.8 percent of children were infected with at least one type of intestinal parasites: 39 percent were found to be infected with intestinal helminths and 4.26 percent with intestinal protozoa. Ascaris formed 17.38 percent of the infestation followed by Trichuris (14.75 percent) and hookworm (2.95 percent); 0.3 percent of the cases had Strongyloides stercoralis; 2.30 percent and 2.62 percent of the children had Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia respectively. Indian children were the predominant group found infected, followed by the Chinese and Ma lays. A significant drop in infestation rate of soil-transmitted helminths was detected among the Malays. The significance of the changing pattern in the epidemiology of soil-transmitted helminths is
discussed. A brief review of literature is also presented.
The case notes of twelve jaundiced patients, on whom percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) were performed, are reviewed. PTC was carried out to differentiate the patients with intrahepatic cholestasis from those with extrahepatic biliary obstruction, and to identify the site and nature of the block. In eleven cases, the biliary trees were visualised, with the sites of obstruction in those present demonstrated and confirmed at subsequent laparotomies. There was no serious side effect from the procedure. PTC in our hands has proved an invaluable aid in the investigation of the icteric patients.
Incidence, aetiology, morphology, histology and symptoms of natal or neonatal teeth are presented. The commonly used terminology natal and neonatal teeth is adopted in this article. A case of an 8-week old girl with natal tooth and sublingual ulceration of the tip of the tongue is described.
This scale is constructed to meet the need for an efficient, rapid and economical method of
measuring change in schizophrenic patients during the course of psychotropic medication (drug trial) in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual population of low educational level. Items are included only if (1) they can be elicited objectively, (2) they are important symptoms of schizophrenia and (3) they are frequent maniJestatz'on of the schizophrenic syndrome as recorded in Woodbridge Hospital. It could be used by a single rater but its reliability should be further improved if two raters are involved.
Six hundred and fifty standard one school children in 3 Petaling Jaya schools were examined. 7.1 percent were found to have significant refractive errors and fourteen cases of squints were detected giving a prevalence of 2.2 percent. The majority of squints were of the divergent type. The prevalence and different patterns among the Malaysian and Caucasian populations are discussed.
Realising that family planning is not making a sufficient impact on the rural people as it is on the urban people, it was decided that it would be interesting to study the knowledge and attitude of a rural community towards family planning, The study sample consisted of 200 Malay married women - 100 acceptors and 100 non-acceptors from the Kuala Pilah District, The study commenced on 4 December 1978 and ended on 22 December 1978. A healthy climate of knowledge and attitude exists among rural Malay women. Only 2 percent nonacceptors had not heard of any method of family planning, and 99 percent acceptors, and 85 percent non-acceptors discussed family planning with their husbands. There was also enough evidence to show that birth rate does decrease as literacy rate increases. On the other hand, however, only 19 percent respondents approved of family planning practice before the first child. Also there is a dearth of information on family planning in the rural areas and not much was being done in utilising the two popular forms of mass-media - the radio and the television as a means of disseminating information on family planning. The study concludes with a recommendation that there is a need for sustained effort at improving knowledge and disseminating information, and nursing and nurturing the right attitudes towards family planning, It suggests that community leaders, women's clubs and private organisations be mobilised to participate more
fully in promoting family planning,
A case of the Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) in Malaysia is described. A brief discussion of this rare condition and its differential diagnosis follows.
Sixty seven infants were admitted over a 10-year period from 1972 to 1981: 50 males and 17 females. A higher incidence of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis exists in West Malaysia than was previously recognised. However, it remains at less than one tenth of the Western figures. Among the three major races, the condition was commonest in Indians and least in Malays. Most cases presented between the ages of 3 to 8 weeks. Prolonged history of vomiting of more than 3 weeks occurred in 43.3 percent cases, usually among Malay and Indian patients. All patients were treated surgically with 1 death (1.5 percent). The usual postoperative complication was vomiting which occurred in 22.4 percent. Early presentation, adequate preoperative resuscitation and improved anaesthetic techniques can further reduce this mortality and morbidity.
Over a 28 month period in the Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching, there were 100 'confirmed' septic induced abortions and 75 'suspect' cases. Socio-demographic characteristics are studied. Seventy-five percent of induced abortions used some kind of foreign body per vaginam. Forty-one percent are in the age group of 20-25 years and the housewife together with the unemployed form 57 percent of the whole group. There were 2 maternal mortalities.
This is a study of 148 women seeking induced abortion by doctors. The typical woman in this study was married, with 2 or more children, Chinese, urban, 21-30 years and had completed primary education. She was motivated to defer pregnancy and to a lesser extent to limit family size by resorting to induced abortion.
Two cases oj dentures impacted in the oesophagus are presented. One patient had an intrathoracic perforation oj the oesophagus. The complications arising from. impacted foreign bodies and attempts at its removal are discussed. It is suggested that primary oesophagostomy and extraction of the foreign. body may be the better alternative than repeated attempts at extraction through the oesophagoscope.
Women who conceived within 4 months of cessation of oral contraceptives have five times more postdatism (term plus 14 days or more) compared to the non pal users. Also postdatism is severe if they conceive within 4 months of cessation of oral contraceptives. In pill users, routine induction. at term plus 14 days would result in unacceptably high induction rate, iatrogenic prematurity and possibly high caesarean rates. This is the conclusion of a prospective study of 186 pill users of which 37 were postdate out of 1496 pregnancies.
Campylobacter Jejuni is being increasingly recognised as a cause of bacteraemia enteritis and two infants with this condition are described. Awareness of the organism. as a possible cause of septicaemia is important because it has special growth requirements and delay in the diagnosis can be detrimental in a disease which usually only responds to erythromycin, gentamicin and chloramphenicol.