Eight-hundred patients recruited between September 1981 and December 1984 were admitted to a randomized prospective trial of the Nova T (NTCu200Ag) and Multiload 250 (MLCu250) IUDs. At the cut off date, 31 December 1986, 206 patients had completed the 4-year trial period, 379 had terminated before completion and 215 were in the fourth year of use. For the third and fourth years, the MLCu250 had a significantly lower accidental pregnancy rate (p less than 0.05).
The relationship between locus of control and reaction to illness is empirically examined in a group of patients on haemodialysis for chronic renal failure. Results of the study suggest that patients who perceive themselves as having personal control over life events tend to have stronger feelings that their illness has made them dependent on others. There is also a greater tendency for them to exhibit more information seeking behaviour, and to adopt an active, problem-solving and intellectual approach to cope with their chronic renal failure. Relevance of the findings and implication for treatment outcome are discussed.
The Singapore Cancer Registry started operations on January 1, 1968. It is a population-based registry that seeks to obtain basic epidemiological and clinical data on all cases of cancer diagnosed in Singapore. The results presented pertain only to Singapore citizens and permanent residents and cover the period from 1973 to 1977. Of special interest are the cancer patterns of the main ethnic groups in Singapore. Generally, the Chinese (76% of total population) have significantly higher risks for cancer; the most prevalent sites are the nasopharynx, esophagus, stomach, liver, and lung. Within the Chinese group are also dialect group differences. The Malays (15% of population) have the lowest rates for most sites, whereas among the Indians (7% of population), mouth cancer is an important site for both sexes. All these variations provide useful clues in the search for etiological factors.
Routine examination for spinal deformity as part of a school health screening programme was introduced in Singapore in 1981. The three different ethnic groups included in the study provided figures for the prevalence of idiopathic scoliosis in an Asian population. A three-tier system of examination was used and a total of 110744 children in three age groups were studied. In those aged 6 to 7 years the prevalence was 0.12%. The prevalence in those aged 11 to 12 years was 1.7% for girls and 0.4% for boys, a ratio of 3.2 to 1. In girls aged 16 to 17 years the prevalence was 3.1%. In the latter two age groups there was a significantly higher prevalence in Chinese girls as compared with Malay and Indian girls. The optimal age for school screening seemed to be 11 to 12 years, but repeated examinations may be worthwhile.
The causal explanation given by a 24-year-old Malay woman from a low socioeconomic class for her epilepsy is described. This case illustrates how cultural explanations can protect an individual from the stigma of illness. The Malay concept of the supernatural and the causation of illness is discussed.
We report the case of an infant who was found dead in the toilet of a nursery. Examination of the scene revealed an element of neglect in the care of the child. Postmortem showed evidence of drowning. Her blood sample showed a toxicologic evidence of alcohol exposure.
In this current COVID-19 pandemic, the elderly (60 years and over) are more vulnerable populations to be infected and become victims. In a disaster cycle, the various parts are usually divided into three stages, consisting of the pre-impact stage, the trans-impact stage, and the post-impact stage. It is necessary to explain how to handle the COVID-19 disaster for the elderly at each step (explain the meaning of pre-case, case (pre-hospital and hospital), and post-case phases, respectively). This paper presents the handling of COVID-19 for elderly in pre-case, case, and post-case phases in six Asia-Pacific countries (Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Japan). The data and information come from COVID-19 official websites of each country, including information from World Health Organization (WHO), United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mass media, and professional associations. The handling of COVID-19 in the pre-case phase has been done correctly for the elderly, especially in Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, and Singapore. In the case phase (pre-hospital and hospital), only Indonesia, Japan, and Thailand have followed special handling protocols for the elderly, particularly for those who have comorbidities and respiratory diseases. For the post-case phase, all countries have the same treatment protocol for all age groups, with none specific for the elderly.
The putative H. pylori pathogenicity-associated factor dupA has been associated with IL-8 induction in vitro, and duodenal ulcer (DU) and gastric cancer (GC) development in certain populations, but this association is inconsistent between studies. We aimed to investigate dupA prevalence in clinical isolates from Sweden, Australia and from ethnic Chinese, Indians and Malays resident in Malaysia and Singapore and to examine the association with DU and GC. In addition we investigated the sequence diversity between isolates from these diverse groups and compared the level of IL-8 secretion in isolates possessing and lacking dupA.