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  1. Mohammed MA, Mohd Yunus NZ, Hezmi MA, Abang Hasbollah DZ, A Rashid AS
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2021 Feb;28(8):8968-8988.
    PMID: 33443736 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-12392-0
    Environmental global issues affecting global warming, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), have attracted the attention of researchers around the world. This paper reviews and discusses the ground improvement and its contribution to reducing CO2 in the atmosphere. The approach is divided into three parts: the Streamlined Energy and Emissions Assessment Model (SEEAM), the replacement of soil stabilisation materials that lead to the emission of a large amount of CO2 with alternatives and mineral carbonation. A brief discussion about the first two is reviewed in this paper and a detailed discussion about mineral carbonation and its role in enhancing soil strength while absorbing a large amount of CO2. It is emphasised that natural mineral carbonation requires a very long time for a material to reach its full capacity to form CO2; as a result, different acceleration processes can be done from increasing pressure, temperature, the concentration of CO2 and the addition of various additives. In conclusion, it was found that magnesium is more attractive than calcium, and calcium is complicated in terms of strength behaviour. Magnesium has a larger capacity for CO2 sequestration and it has a greater potential to increase soil strength than calcium.
  2. Murat H, Awang Kechik MM, Chew MT, Kamal I, Abdul Karim MK
    Curr Med Imaging, 2024 Apr 09.
    PMID: 38616750 DOI: 10.2174/0115734056282004240403042345
    BACKGROUND: PET scan stands as a valuable diagnostic tool in nuclear medicine, enabling the observation of metabolic and physiological changes at a molecular level. However, PET scans have a number of drawbacks, such as poor spatial resolution, noisy images, scattered radiation, artifacts, and radiation exposure. These challenges demonstrate the need for optimization in image processing techniques.

    OBJECTIVES: Our objective is to identify the evolving trends and impacts of publication in this field, as well as the most productive and influential countries, institutions, authors, themes, and articles.

    METHODS: A bibliometric study was conducted using a comprehensive query string such as "positron emission tomography" AND "image processing" AND optimization to retrieve 1,783 publications from 1981 to 2022 found in the Scopus database related to this field of study.

    RESULTS: The findings revealed that the most influential country, institution, and authors are from the USA, and the most prevalent theme is TOF PET image reconstruction.

    CONCLUSION: The increasing trend in publication in the field of optimization of image processing in PET scans would address the challenges in PET scan by reducing radiation exposure, faster scanning speed, as well as enhancing lesion identification.

  3. Elkalmi RM, Hassali MA, Ibrahim MI, Widodo RT, Efan QM, Hadi MA
    Am J Pharm Educ, 2011 Jun 10;75(5):96.
    PMID: 21829270 DOI: 10.5688/ajpe75596
    To assess senior pharmacy students' knowledge of and perceptions about pharmacovigilance and reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) at 5 public universities in Malaysia.
  4. Ghumman ASM, Shamsuddin R, Qomariyah L, Lim JW, Sami A, Ayoub M
    PMID: 38622423 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33317-7
    Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as highly promising adsorbents for removing heavy metals from wastewater due to their tunable structures, high surface areas, and exceptional adsorption capacities. This review meticulously examines and summarizes recent advancements in producing and utilizing MOF-based adsorbents for sequestering heavy metal ions from water. It begins by outlining and contrasting commonly employed methods for synthesizing MOFs, such as solvothermal, microwave, electrochemical, ultrasonic, and mechanochemical. Rather than delving into the specifics of adsorption process parameters, the focus shifts to analyzing the adsorption capabilities and underlying mechanisms against critical metal(loid) ions like chromium, arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury under various environmental conditions. Additionally, this article discusses strategies to optimize MOF performance, scale-up production, and address environmental implications. The comprehensive review aims to enhance the understanding of MOF-based adsorption for heavy metal remediation and stimulate further research in this critical field. In brief, this review article presents a comprehensive overview of the contemporary information on MOFs as an effective adsorbent and the challenges being faced by these adsorbents for heavy metal mitigation (including stability, cost, environmental issues, and optimization), targeting to develop a vital reference for future MOF research.
  5. Salman M, Khan AH, Adnan AS, Sulaiman SA, Hussain K, Shehzadi N, et al.
    Sao Paulo Med J, 2015;133(6):502-9.
    PMID: 26760124 DOI: 10.1590/1516-3180.2015.005
    CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an escalating medical and socioeconomic problem worldwide. Information concerning the causes of CKD, which is a prerequisite for reducing the disease burden, is sparse in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the attributable causes of CKD in an adult population at a tertiary referral hospital.

    DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective study at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM).

    METHODS: This was an analysis based on medical records of adult patients at HUSM. Data regarding demographics, laboratory investigations, attributable causes and CKD stage were gathered.

    RESULTS: A total of 851 eligible cases were included. The patients' mean age was 61.18 ± 13.37 years. CKD stage V was found in 333 cases (39.1%) whereas stages IV, IIIb, IIIa, and II were seen in 240 (28.2%), 186 (21.9%), 74 (8.7%) and 18 (2.1%), respectively. The percentage of CKD stage V patients receiving renal replacement therapy was 15.6%. The foremost attributable causes of CKD were diabetic nephropathy (DN) (44.9%), hypertension (HPT) (24.2%) and obstructive uropathy (9.2%). The difference in the prevalence of CKD due to DN, HPT and glomerulonephritis between patients ≤ 50 and > 50 years old was statistically significant.

    CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that DN and HPT are the major attributable causes of CKD among patients at a Malaysian tertiary-care hospital. Furthermore, the results draw attention to the possibility that greater emphasis on primary prevention of diabetes and hypertension will have a great impact on reduction of hospital admissions due to CKD in Malaysia.

  6. Rosli MS, Awalludin MFN, Han CT, Saleh NS, Noor HM
    Data Brief, 2024 Jun;54:110463.
    PMID: 38725547 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2024.110463
    In light of the increasing importance digital economy, the significance of computational thinking has grown exponentially, becoming imperative in both workplace and academic settings such as universities. This article addresses the critical need to comprehend the factors influencing the acceptance of computational thinking. The dataset introduces an extensive questionnaire comprising five constructs and 25 items, rooted in the extended Technology Acceptance Model. Notably, the model incorporates facilitating conditions and subjective norm, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding acceptance. Data collection involved 132 undergraduate university students sampled through purposive sampling, specifically targeting courses with a focus on computational thinking. The resulting dataset serves as a valuable resource for future research, offering detailed insights into the factors determining the acceptance of technology in educational contexts beyond mere thinking skills. Given the scarcity of research on technology acceptance in developing nations, this dataset holds particular significance, serving as a foundation for potential cross-cultural comparisons. The dataset contributes to the field by presenting a robust acceptance model, explaining 74.2 per cent of the variance in behavioural intention, 60.2 per cent in perceived usefulness, and 56.1 per cent in perceived ease of use. This high explanatory power positions the dataset as a superior resource for replication, benchmarking, and broader applicability in diverse contexts, thereby enhancing the understanding of computational thinking acceptance across different populations and settings. This dataset stands among the pioneering efforts to assess the novel covariance-based structural equation model algorithm within SmartPLS 4, presenting a valuable resource for future research employing the same mechanism.
  7. Abdul Talib SA, Idris WMR, Neng LJ, Lihan T, Abdul Rasid MZ
    Heliyon, 2024 May 15;10(9):e30324.
    PMID: 38726153 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30324
    Due to its effect on weather and its propensity to cause catastrophic incidents, climate change has garnered considerable global attention. Depending on the area, the effects of climate change may vary. Rainfall is among the most significant meteorological factors associated with climate change. In Malaysia, changes in rainfall distribution pattern have led to many floods and droughts events which lead to La Nina and El Nino where Johor is one of the states in southern part that usually affected. Thus, rainfall trend analysis is important to identify changes in rainfall pattern as it gives an initial overview for future analysis. This research aims to evaluate historical rainfall data of Johor between 1991 and 2020. Normality and homogeneity tests were used to ensure the quality of data followed by Mann-Kendall and Sen's slope analysis to determine rainfall trend as the rainfall data is not normally distributed (p > 0.05). Standardized precipitation anomaly, coefficient of variation, precipitation concentration index and rainfall anomaly index were used to identify rainfall variability and intensity while standard precipitation index was used to evaluate drought severity. The lowest annual rainfall recorded was 1725.07 mm in 2016 and the highest was 2993.19 mm in 2007. Annual rainfall and seasonal rainfall showed a declining trend although it is not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Results reveal that Johor experienced extreme wet and dry years, leading to drought and flood incidents. Major floods arose in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011 while driest years occurred in 1997, 1998 and 2016 which led to El Nino phenomenon. March and April were identified as the driest months among all. Thus, the findings from this study would assist researchers and decision-makers in the development of applicable adaptation and mitigation strategies to reduce climate change impact. It is recommended that more data analysis from more stations should be done in the future research study to obtain a clearer view and more comprehensive results.
  8. Taha M, Ismail NH, Aziza AN, Shah SA, Yousuf S
    Acta Crystallogr Sect E Struct Rep Online, 2013 Feb 01;69(Pt 2):o245.
    PMID: 23424524 DOI: 10.1107/S160053681300127X
    In the title compound, C(29)H(21)O(3)P, a coumarin-substitued ylid, the P atom is linked to three benzene rings and a planar coumarin moiety via a methyl-enecarbonyl group. The bond lengths in the P=C-C=O fragment clearly indicate a delocalized system involving the olefinic and carbonyl bonds. The mol-ecular structure is stabilized by an intra-molecular C-H⋯O inter-action that results in an S7 graph-set ring motif. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked into a three-dimensional framework by C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.
  9. Misman MF, Mohamad MS, Deris S, Abdullah A, Hashim SZ
    Bioinformation, 2011;7(4):169-75.
    PMID: 22102773
    Pathway analysis has lead to a new era in genomic research by providing further biological process information compared to traditional single gene analysis. Beside the advantage, pathway analysis provides some challenges to the researchers, one of which is the quality of pathway data itself. The pathway data usually defined from biological context free, when it comes to a specific biological context (e.g. lung cancer disease), typically only several genes within pathways are responsible for the corresponding cellular process. It also can be that some pathways may be included with uninformative genes or perhaps informative genes were excluded. Moreover, many algorithms in pathway analysis neglect these limitations by treating all the genes within pathways as significant. In previous study, a hybrid of support vector machines and smoothly clipped absolute deviation with groups-specific tuning parameters (gSVM-SCAD) was proposed in order to identify and select the informative genes before the pathway evaluation process. However, gSVM-SCAD had showed a limitation in terms of the performance of classification accuracy. In order to deal with this limitation, we made an enhancement to the tuning parameter method for gSVM-SCAD by applying the B-Type generalized approximate cross validation (BGACV). Experimental analyses using one simulated data and two gene expression data have shown that the proposed method obtains significant results in identifying biologically significant genes and pathways, and in classification accuracy.
  10. Yong YK, Zakaria ZA, Kadir AA, Somchit MN, Ee Cheng Lian G, Ahmad Z
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2013 Feb 14;13:32.
    PMID: 23410184 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-13-32
    BACKGROUND: Bixa orellana L. has been traditionally used in Central and South America to treat a number of ailments, including internal inflammation, and in other tropical countries like Malaysia as treatment for gastric ulcers and stomach discomfort. The current study aimed to determine the major chemical constituents of the aqueous extract of B. orellana (AEBO) and to evaluate the antihistamine activity of AEBO during acute inflammation induced in rats.

    METHODS: Acute inflammation was produced by subplantar injection of 0.1 mL of 0.1% histamine into the right hind paw of each rat in the control and treatment groups. The degree of edema was measured before injection and at the time points of 30, 60, 120, 180, 240 and 300 min after injection. Changes of peritoneal vascular permeability were studied using Evans blue dye as a detector. Vascular permeability was evaluated by the amount of dye leakage into the peritoneal cavity in rats. To evaluate the inhibitory effect of AEBO on biochemical mediators of vascular permeability, the levels of nitric oxide (NO) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were determined in histamine-treated paw tissues. The major constituents of AEBO were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis.

    RESULTS: AEBO produced a significant inhibition of histamine-induced paw edema starting at 60 min time point, with maximal percentage of inhibition (60.25%) achieved with a dose of 150 mg/kg of AEBO at 60 min time point. Up to 99% of increased peritoneal vascular permeability produced by histamine was successfully suppressed by AEBO. The expression of biochemical mediators of vascular permeability, NO and VEGF, was also found to be downregulated in the AEBO treated group. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed that the major constituent in AEBO was acetic acid.

    CONCLUSIONS: The experimental findings demonstrated that the anti-inflammatory activity of AEBO was due to its inhibitory effect on vascular permeability, which was suppressed as a result of the reduced expression of biochemical mediators (NO and VEGF) in tissues. Our results contribute towards the validation of the traditional use of Bixa orellana in the treatment of inflammatory disorders.

  11. Apandi A, Sai Guan L, Mohamad A, Muhamad Tamyez F, Ishak MN
    Cureus, 2024 Apr;16(4):e58008.
    PMID: 38738073 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.58008
    Squamous papilloma of the oral cavity is frequently seen in adult patients and is typically presented as painless exophytic granular or cauliflower-like lesions over the tongue, floor of the mouth, palate, uvula, lips, and faucial pillars. Most of the lesions are solitary and grow rapidly to about 0.5 cm. Oral squamous papilloma has no known malignant potential, with conservative surgical excision being the treatment of choice. Recurrence is rare. It occasionally causes symptoms, unless the presentation is atypical, as in our case. An elongated uvula can cause discomfort and reduce a patient's quality of life. This study aims to report an atypical presentation of a squamous papilloma over the soft palate.
  12. Khan AJ, Afrose T, Nuha FA, Islam MA, Ahmad MSB
    Spec Care Dentist, 2024;44(3):645-658.
    PMID: 37817388 DOI: 10.1111/scd.12931
    BACKGROUND: In dentistry, association between bruxism and individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and Down Syndrome (DS) is high. Bruxism is one of the most common oral and psychophysiological disorders, that is still an unsolved issue with limited data.

    OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this systematic review (SR) was to evaluate evidence about bruxism and its management in individuals with ASD and DS.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: The researchers performed an electronic search using keywords on three databases, reference lists and complemented by manual searching from January 2000 to February 2023 to find out the relevant documents. An extensive literature review using the "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta Analysis" method was carried out. PICO parameters were formulated, and studies risk of bias was evaluated using the JBI critical appraisal checklist tool for case reports.

    RESULTS: Out of 527 documents, 8 case studies and one review paper were identified as final articles for data synthesis. The findings showed, bruxism was reduced for all the participants with ASD and DS after implementation of functional analysis or dental treatment.

    CONCLUSION: The current SR found that despite the positive results of all the studies, there was a lack of evidence due to a limited number of studies and only case studies were conducted through functional analysis and dental treatment.

    NOVELTY: This SR is the first study on bruxism treatments in individuals with ASD and DS that included all the available studies (n = 9) since last 23 years and the first study that specifically addresses the incorporation of case reports in a systemic review.

  13. Adznan MA, Tai HA, Canda AE, Elmas N, Terzi MC
    Ann Coloproctol, 2024 May 16.
    PMID: 38752338 DOI: 10.3393/ac.2022.01081.0154
    One of the possible causes of chronic constipation is colonic duplication. Although seldom asymptomatic, its diagnosis is important due to the risk of malignancy that it carries. We present a case of a young female patient with long-standing constipation who was referred to Kolorektal Cerrahi Clinic (Izmir, Turkey) after scans revealed tubular type of colonic duplication. We successfully performed a laparoscopic total colectomy, and she recovered well. Identifying the type of duplication is important to ensure adequate resection and treatment. A proper workup, including carcinoembryonic antigen levels, must be done as well. Multiple surgical techniques and procedures have been introduced for this condition, but resection of the duplicated colon with its native lumen should be the management of choice, especially in tubular type of duplications such as in our case. In centers where laparoscopic services are available, laparoscopy could be a better option, as it provides multiple benefits of minimally invasive surgery. Attention should also be paid to anatomical details during surgery to ensure better results and outcomes.
  14. Mubashir Hayat A, Abbas M, Emadifar H, Alzaidi ASM, Nazir T, Aini Abdullah F
    PLoS One, 2024;19(5):e0296909.
    PMID: 38753667 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296909
    The time fractional Schrödinger equation contributes to our understanding of complex quantum systems, anomalous diffusion processes, and the application of fractional calculus in physics and cubic B-spline is a versatile tool in numerical analysis and computer graphics. This paper introduces a numerical method for solving the time fractional Schrödinger equation using B-spline functions and the Atangana-Baleanu fractional derivative. The proposed method employs a finite difference scheme to discretize the fractional derivative in time, while a θ-weighted scheme is used to discretize the space directions. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated through numerical results, and error norms are examined at various values of the non-integer parameter, temporal directions, and spatial directions.
  15. Fauzi MA, Abidin NHZ, Omer MM, Kineber AF, Rahman ARA
    Waste Manag Res, 2024 Jul;42(7):520-532.
    PMID: 37681563 DOI: 10.1177/0734242X231196765
    The purpose of this study is to review the relationship between the highly anticipated concept of circular economy (CE) and sustainable development goals (SDGs). These two sustainability principles have transformed organizations and countries in their quest to achieve sustainable development. Despite their importance to the business and corporate realm, the discussion of these two concepts has been developed in silos, arbitrarily connected. Through a bibliometric approach, this study reviewed 226 journal publications and 16,008 cited references from the Web of Science (WoS) to understand the past, present and future trends of the two concepts and their impact on the sustainability development. The bibliometric approach of citation, co-citation and co-word analysis uncovers the relevant and significant themes and research streams. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed within the broader business and governance perspective to develop a substantial triple bottom line in creating a sustainable future for civil society.
  16. Ng WL, Tan JK, Gnanaraj C, Shah MD, Nor Rashid N, Abdullah I, et al.
    Nat Prod Res, 2024 Jul 02.
    PMID: 38953123 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2370521
    The pantropical Physalis minima are traditionally used for the prevention and treatment of various illnesses, diseases, and cancers. While most earlier studies on the species have focused on the phytochemistry of the leaf and stem extracts, recent studies have indicated that its fruit may contain bioactive compounds of medical interest. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxicity of extracts from the fruit of P. minima against colorectal cancer cell lines and revealed its phytochemical profile via high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Following a 24-h treatment with the fruit extract, cytoplasm shrinkage and nucleus condensation were observed in the colorectal cancer cell lines HCT116 and HT29, indicating the induction of programmed cell death. Phytochemically, 71 putative metabolites were identified. Some of these metabolites have been reported to inhibit cancers to varying degrees, further supporting the correlation of the putative metabolites with the cytotoxicity against colorectal cancer cells demonstrated in this study.
  17. Thahir M, Misbah I, Bhaskaran J, Syed NH, Ashraf M, Balasubramanian N
    Indian J Orthop, 2024 Jul;58(7):845-857.
    PMID: 38948373 DOI: 10.1007/s43465-024-01155-x
    BACKGROUND: Meniscal injuries frequently require surgical intervention to restore knee joint function and stability. Intraoperative platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection has emerged as a potential adjunctive therapy to enhance tissue healing post-meniscal repair. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of PRP in terms of pain relief, functional recovery, and overall success rates in patients undergoing meniscal repair procedures.

    METHODS: A comprehensive search strategy was employed to identify relevant studies across Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases. The inclusion criteria encompassed human studies, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohorts, and case-control studies, focusing on intraoperative platelet-rich plasma (PRP) use post-meniscal repair and reporting outcomes related to pain, functionality, and cure rates. Exclusion criteria comprised animal studies, non-English publications, studies lacking relevant outcome measures, and those with insufficient data. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, resolving disagreements through consensus or consultation with a third reviewer, followed by a full-text assessment for potentially eligible studies. Data extraction was conducted independently by two reviewers using a standardized form. The reliability of observational studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Subgroup analyses and pooled effect estimates for main outcomes were computed using RevMan 5.3, a meta-analysis tool.

    RESULTS: The demographic analysis revealed that the PRP group had an average age of 41.39 years, while the control group had an average age of 42.1 years. In terms of gender distribution, the PRP group consisted of 61 men and 29 women, while the control group had 62 men and 34 women. Pain ratings showed a preference for PRP with a mean difference of 4.83 (p = 0.13). However, there was no significant difference in Lysholm scores (mean difference: - 0.44, p = 0.91) or IKDC scores (mean difference: 2.80, p = 0.14) between the PRP and control groups. Similarly, ROM measures did not show a statistically significant difference, with a mean difference of 2.80 (p = 0.18). Additionally, there was no significant distinction in failure rates between the PRP and control groups, as indicated by a weighted mean difference of 0.71 (p = 0.52). These findings suggest that while PRP may offer some benefits in pain relief, its impact on functional recovery, range of motion, and failure rates following meniscal repair procedures is inconclusive.

    CONCLUSION: The current evidence regarding the effect of intraoperative platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on patients undergoing meniscal repair remains inconclusive. While some studies suggest potential benefits in terms of pain relief and functional recovery, others show no significant differences compared to control groups. The impact of PRP therapy on overall success rates, including rates of re-tear and revision surgery, is also uncertain. Further well-designed randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes are needed to provide more robust evidence and guide clinical practice in orthopedic surgery.

  18. Syed NH, Misbah I, Azlan M, Ahmad Mohd Zain MR, Nurul AA
    Indian J Orthop, 2024 Jul;58(7):866-875.
    PMID: 38948378 DOI: 10.1007/s43465-024-01175-7
    BACKGROUND: Exosomes are the smallest extracellular vesicles (30-150 nm) secreted by all cell types, including synovial fluid. However, because biological fluids are complex, heterogeneous, and contain contaminants, their isolation is difficult and time-consuming. Furthermore, the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA) involves exosomes carrying complex components that cause macrophages to release chemokines and proinflammatory cytokines. This narrative review aims to provide in-depth insights into exosome biology, isolation techniques, role in OA pathophysiology, and potential role in future OA therapeutics.

    METHODS: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for studies involving exosomes in the osteoarthritis using keywords "Exosomes" and "Osteoarthritis". Relevant articles in the last 15 years involving both human and animal models were included. Studies involving exosomes in other inflammatory diseases were excluded.

    RESULTS: Despite some progress, conventional techniques for isolating exosomes remain laborious and difficult, requiring intricate and time-consuming procedures across various body fluids and sample origins. Moreover, exosomes are involved in various physiological processes associated with OA, like cartilage calcification, degradation of osteoarthritic joints, and inflammation.

    CONCLUSION: The process of achieving standardization, integration, and high throughput of exosome isolation equipment is challenging and time-consuming. The integration of various methodologies can be employed to effectively address specific issues by leveraging their complementary benefits. Exosomes have the potential to effectively repair damaged cartilage OA, reduce inflammation, and maintain a balance between the formation and breakdown of cartilage matrix, therefore showing promise as a therapeutic option for OA.

  19. Ahmed S, Barwick A, Sharma A, Hasan MZ, Kabir MA, Nancarrow S
    PLoS One, 2024;19(7):e0304443.
    PMID: 38950041 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304443
    Diabetes-related foot complications, including neuropathic plantar forefoot ulcers, are a significant contributor to morbidity and increased healthcare costs. This retrospective clinical audit examines the characteristics of people accessing pedorthics services who are at risk of neuropathic plantar forefoot ulcer (re)occurrence and the pathways and funding models used to access these services. A clinical record audit was conducted on all patients accessing a pedorthics service who had diabetes and neuropathy with a history of plantar forefoot ulceration. The data included demographics, diabetes and neuropathy duration, main forefoot pathology and other comorbidity, footwear and insole interventions, and health fund access status. A total of 70 patient records were accessed, and relevant data was extracted. The mean age of participants was 64.69 (standard deviation (SD) 11.78) years; 61% were male and 39% female. Duration of diabetes ranged from one to 35 years, with a mean of 14.09 years (SD 6.58). The mean duration of neuropathy was 8.56 (SD 4.16) years. The most common forefoot conditions were bony prominences at 71% (n = 50), rigid flat foot and limited joint mobility (53%, n = 37), and hallux abductovalgus at 47% (n = 33). All participants had hyperkeratosis; 34% (n = 24) had forefoot amputation, and around 34% (n = 24) had a history of digital amputation. Various publicly funded packages and private health insurance were accessed. This study investigates the sociodemographic and medical profiles of individuals with diabetes-related foot complexities prone to neuropathic plantar forefoot ulcers. It is the first to examine patients receiving pedorthic services, informing practitioner surveys and preventive care strategies. Understanding patient characteristics aids in optimising multidisciplinary care and reducing ulcer incidence. Further studies are warranted to explore the field to establish an effective multidisciplinary care approach between medical professionals, podiatrists and pedorthists to optimise patient outcomes.
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