Displaying publications 41 - 60 of 305 in total

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  1. Bruce RD, Govindasamy S, Sylla L, Kamarulzaman A, Altice FL
    Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse, 2009;35(2):68-72.
    PMID: 19212931 DOI: 10.1080/00952990802585406
    Diversion of buprenorphine (BPN) has been described in settings where it is legally prescribed and has resulted in increasing concern. To address this concern, co-formulation of buprenorphine/naloxone (BPN/NLX) replaced buprenorphine alone in Malaysia in December 2006.
  2. Baskaran ND, Gan GG, Kamarulzaman A, Sam IC
    Int J Infect Dis, 2007 Nov;11(6):513-7.
    PMID: 17459753
    OBJECTIVES: This study was initiated to determine the local profile of blood culture isolates and antibiotic sensitivities in febrile neutropenic patients following chemotherapy, and to establish if any modifications to treatment guidelines are necessary.
    DESIGN: A total of 116 episodes of febrile neutropenia admitted to the adult hematology ward at a university medical center in Malaysia were studied retrospectively from January 2004 to January 2005.
    RESULTS: The study showed 43.1% of febrile neutropenic episodes had established bacteremia. Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 60.3% of isolates. Sensitivities of Gram-negative bacteria to the antibiotics recommended in the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines were 86.1-97.2%. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most common Gram-positive organisms isolated (23.3%). The majority of these were methicillin-resistant.
    CONCLUSIONS: Carbapenem monotherapy, as recommended in the 2002 IDSA guidelines, is effective treatment for the infections most often encountered at our center. Combination therapy with an aminoglycoside should be considered when using ceftazidime, cefepime or piperacillin-tazobactam, particularly in high-risk patients. Vancomycin should be used if a Gram-positive organism is suspected or isolated.
  3. Tee KK, Pon CK, Kamarulzaman A, Ng KP
    AIDS, 2005 Jan 28;19(2):119-26.
    PMID: 15668536
    OBJECTIVES: To investigate the molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 and to screen for the emergence of intersubtype recombinants in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    DESIGN: A molecular epidemiology study was conducted among HIV-1 seropositive patients attending the University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) from July 2003 to June 2004.

    METHODS: Protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) gene sequences were derived from drug resistance genotyping assay of 100 newly diagnosed or antiretroviral-naive patients. These were phylogenetically analysed to determine the subtypes and recombination breakpoint analyses were performed on intersubtype recombinants to estimate the recombination breakpoint(s).

    RESULTS: CRF01_AE predominated in Kuala Lumpur with 65% in both PR and RT genes. B subtype was detected at 14% and 12% in PR and RT genes, respectively. C subtype was present at 1% in both genes. Overall, the concordance of PR and RT genes in discriminating subtypes/circulating recombinant forms (CRF) was high at 96%. In this study, novel CRF01_AE/B intersubtype recombinants were detected at high prevalence (22%), including those isolates with subtype discordance. Thai variants of CRF01_AE and B subtype were involved in the genesis of these unique recombinant forms (URF). Interestingly, 19 CRF01_AE/B intersubtype recombinant isolates shared similar recombination breakpoints in both PR and RT genes. Several distinct URF were also identified.

    CONCLUSION: PR and RT genes can be utilized for subtype/CRF assessment with high degree of agreement, allowing concurrent surveillance of circulating HIV-1 subtypes with antiretroviral drug resistance genotyping tests. The emergence of highly identical CRF01_AE/B intersubtype recombinants suggests the possibility of the appearance of a new circulating recombinant form in Kuala Lumpur.

  4. Al-Darraji HA, Tan C, Kamarulzaman A, Altice FL
    Occup Environ Med, 2015 Jun;72(6):442-7.
    PMID: 25794506 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2014-102695
    OBJECTIVES: Although prison employees share the same tuberculosis (TB) risk environment with prisoners, the magnitude of TB problems among prison employees is unknown in most resource-limited prisons. This survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence and correlates of tuberculin skin test (TST) positivity among employees in Malaysia's largest prison.

    METHODS: Consented, full-time prison employees were interviewed using a structured questionnaire that included sociodemographic data, history of working in the correctional system and TB-related risk. TST was placed intradermally and read after 48-72 h. Induration size of ≥10 mm was considered positive. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore associations with TST positivity.

    RESULTS: Of the 445 recruited prison employees, 420 (94.4%) had complete data. Most were young (median=30.0 years) men (88.8%) who had only worked at this prison (76.4%) for a median total employment period of 60 months (IQR 34.5-132.0). The majority were correctional officers, while civilian employees represented only 7.6% of the sample. Only 26 (6.2%) reported having ever been screened for TB since employment. Prevalence of TST positivity was 81% and was independently associated with longer (≥12 months) prison employment (AOR 4.9; 95% CI 1.5 to 15.9) and current tobacco smoking (AOR=1.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.2).

    CONCLUSIONS: Latent TB prevalence was high in this sample, approximating that of prisoners in this setting, perhaps suggesting within prison TB transmission in this facility. Formal TB control programmes for personnel and prisoners alike are urgently needed within the Malaysian correctional system.

  5. Pakianathan MR, Kamarulzaman A, Ismail R, McMillan A, Scott GR
    AIDS, 1999 Sep 10;13(13):1787-8.
    PMID: 10509585
  6. Tan LH, Kamarulzaman A, Liam CK, Lee TC
    Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol, 2002 Oct;23(10):584-90.
    PMID: 12400887
    To determine the occupational risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) and to examine the utility of tuberculin skin testing in a developing country with a high prevalence of bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination.
  7. Ng KT, Takebe Y, Kamarulzaman A, Tee KK
    Arch Virol, 2021 Jan;166(1):225-229.
    PMID: 33084935 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-020-04855-5
    Genome sequences of members of a potential fourth rhinovirus (RV) species, provisionally denoted as rhinovirus A clade D, from patients with acute respiratory infection were determined. Bayesian coalescent analysis estimated that clade D emerged around the 1940s and diverged further around 2006-2007 into two distinctive sublineages (RV-A8-like and RV-A45-like) that harbored unique "clade-defining" substitutions. Similarity plots and bootscan mapping revealed a recombination breakpoint located in the 5'-UTR region of members of the RV-A8-like sublineage. Phylogenetic reconstruction revealed the distribution of clade D viruses in the Asia Pacific region and in Europe, underlining its worldwide distribution.
  8. Zelenev A, Long E, Bazazi AR, Kamarulzaman A, Altice FL
    Int J Drug Policy, 2016 11;37:98-106.
    PMID: 27639995 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.08.008
    BACKGROUND: HIV is primarily concentrated among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Malaysia, where currently HIV prevention and treatment coverage is inadequate. To improve the targeting of interventions, we examined HIV clustering and the role that social networks and geographical distance play in influencing HIV transmission among PWID.

    METHODS: Data were derived from a respondent-driven survey sample (RDS) collected during 2010 of 460 PWID in greater Kuala Lumpur. Analysis focused on socio-demographic, clinical, behavioural, and network information. Spatial probit models were developed based on a distinction between the influence of peers (individuals nominated through a recruitment network) and neighbours (residing a close distance to the individual). The models were expanded to account for the potential influence of the network formation.

    RESULTS: Recruitment patterns of HIV-infected PWID clustered both spatially and across the recruitment networks. In addition, HIV-infected PWID were more likely to have peers and neighbours who inject with clean needles were HIV-infected and lived nearby (<5km), more likely to have been previously incarcerated, less likely to use clean needles (26.8% vs 53.0% of the reported injections, p<0.01), and have fewer recent injection partners (2.4 vs 5.4, p<0.01). The association between the HIV status of peers and neighbours remained significantly correlated even after controlling for unobserved variation related to network formation and sero-sorting.

    CONCLUSION: The relationship between HIV status across networks and space in Kuala Lumpur underscores the importance of these factors for surveillance and prevention strategies, and this needs to be more closely integrated. RDS can be applied to identify injection network structures, and this provides an important mechanism for improving public health surveillance, accessing high-risk populations, and implementing risk-reduction interventions to slow HIV transmission.

  9. Werb D, Kamarulzaman A, Meacham MC, Rafful C, Fischer B, Strathdee SA, et al.
    Int J Drug Policy, 2016 Feb;28:1-9.
    PMID: 26790691 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2015.12.005
    Despite widespread implementation of compulsory treatment modalities for drug dependence, there has been no systematic evaluation of the scientific evidence on the effectiveness of compulsory drug treatment.
  10. Al-Darraji HA, Altice FL, Kamarulzaman A
    Trop Med Int Health, 2016 Aug;21(8):1049-1058.
    PMID: 27197601 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12726
    OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of previously undiagnosed active tuberculosis (TB) cases among prisoners in Malaysia's largest prison using an intensified TB case-finding strategy.

    METHODS: From October 2012 to May 2013, prisoners housed in two distinct units (HIV-negative and HIV-positive) were approached to participate in the TB screening study. Consenting prisoners submitted two sputum samples that were examined using GeneXpert MTB/RIF, smear microscopy and liquid culture. Socio-demographic and clinical information was collected and correlates of active TB, defined as having either a positive GeneXpert MTB/RIF or culture results, were assessed using regression analyses.

    RESULTS: Among the total of 559 prisoners, 442 (79.1%) had complete data; 28.7% were HIV-infected, 80.8% were men and the average age was 36.4 (SD 9.8) years. Overall, 34 (7.7%) had previously undiagnosed active TB, of whom 64.7% were unable to complete their TB treatment in prison due to insufficient time (<6 months) remaining in prison. Previously undiagnosed active TB was independently associated with older age groups (AOR 11.44 and 6.06 for age ≥ 50 and age 40-49 years, respectively) and with higher levels of immunosuppression (CD4 < 200 cells/ml) in HIV-infected prisoners (AOR 3.07, 95% CI 1.03-9.17).

    CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of previously undiagnosed active TB in this prison highlights the inadequate performance of internationally recommended case-finding strategies and suggests that passive case-finding policies should be abandoned, especially in prison settings where HIV infection is prevalent. Moreover, partnerships between criminal justice and public health treatment systems are crucial to continue TB treatment after release.

  11. Abdul Rashid A, Kamarulzaman A, Sulong S, Abdullah S
    Malays Fam Physician, 2021 Jul 22;16(2):14-18.
    PMID: 34386159 DOI: 10.51866/rv1048
    Online activities have become the norm. From searching for new information to conducting business meetings, social media's role in daily life continues to grow in prominence. It is estimated that the majority of the population uses social media, and users include doctors and other healthcare professionals. It is critical for primary care doctors to note how social media can substantially influence one's healthcare behaviour and decision making. Because primary care doctors are usually the first line of contact for patients, they are the most easily accessible and most instrumental in using social media to steer the public toward proper information on healthcare.
  12. Vijay A, Bazazi AR, Yee I, Kamarulzaman A, Altice FL
    J Subst Abuse Treat, 2015 Jul;54:29-36.
    PMID: 25841703 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2015.01.014
    Little is known about attitudes toward and experiences with opioid maintenance therapy (OMT) among people who inject drugs in Malaysia, a country where people who inject drugs comprise 1.3% of the adult population.
  13. Krishnan A, Weikum D, Cravero C, Kamarulzaman A, Altice FL
    PLoS One, 2021;16(3):e0248705.
    PMID: 33755693 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248705
    BACKGROUND: Mobile health (mHealth) can be beneficial in monitoring the complex healthcare regimen for people with HIV that includes adhering to medication and refraining from risky practices such as unsafe sex and injection drug use. Not only is mHealth often implemented without appropriate feasibility and acceptability research, but there is limited mHealth research among key HIV-positive populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW).

    METHODS: This study assessed access to and use of mobile technology and acceptability of mHealth among 150 HIV-positive MSM and TGW who were prescribed antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Malaysia-an emerging economy with rapid telecommunications growth and societal stigma against these groups.

    RESULTS: Findings among the 114 MSM and 36 TGW reveal high levels of depression (42%), stigma (2.53/4.00) and risky sexual behavior (30%), and suboptimal ART adherence (22%). On the other hand, the sample had excellent access to smartphones (75.3%) and the internet (78%), and had high acceptance of mHealth especially for those with suboptimal ART adherence.

    CONCLUSION: In settings like Malaysia where homosexuality and cross-dressing are socially and legally stigmatized, HIV prevention and treatment strategies delivered using an mHealth platform have the potential to overcome in-person barriers.

  14. Nasarruddin AM, Saifi RA, Othman S, Kamarulzaman A
    AIDS Care, 2017 May;29(5):533-540.
    PMID: 27530678 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2016.1220485
    HIV status disclosure plays a crucial role in reducing risk behaviors of drug and sexual partners and thereby limiting HIV transmission. As people who inject drugs (PWID) bear a significant HIV burden and disclosure research among PWID is relatively few, we reviewed the literature to highlight what is known about disclosure among HIV-positive PWID. Searches of articles published from 2000 to 2015 yielded 17 studies addressing different aspects of disclosure, and results are presented by major themes. Our results suggest that despite the difficulties, most PWID (64-86%) disclose their HIV-positive status to trusted individuals (family members and intimate sexual partners) and to those who are known to be HIV-positive. Disclosure to non-intimate sexual partners and fellow drug users is relatively lower. Disclosure decision-making is primarily driven by the perceived positive and negative consequences of disclosure. Subsequent risk reduction practices following disclosure are influenced by the feeling of responsibility, as well as partners' willingness to accept risk. Cultural family values, ethnicity, and different localities were several contextual factors that affect patterns of disclosure and risk behaviors of PWID. Areas for future research are recommended.
  15. Larney S, Mathers BM, Poteat T, Kamarulzaman A, Degenhardt L
    J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr, 2015 Jun 01;69 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S100-9.
    PMID: 25978476 DOI: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000000623
    BACKGROUND: Women and girls who use and inject drugs are a critical population at risk of HIV. In this article, we review data on the epidemiology of drug use and injection among women globally and HIV prevalence among women and girls who use and inject drugs.

    RESULTS: Women and girls comprise one-third of people who use and inject drugs globally. There is substantial variation in HIV prevalence in this population, between and within countries. There is a pronounced lack of data examining HIV risk among particularly vulnerable subpopulations of women who use and inject drugs, including women who have sex with women, transgender women, racial and ethnic minority women, and young women. Women who use and inject drugs experience stigma and discrimination that affect access to services, and high levels of sexual risk exposures.

    CONCLUSIONS: There are significant gaps in our understanding of the epidemiology of drug use and injecting among women and girls and HIV risk and prevalence in this population. Women are frequently underrepresented in studies of drug use and HIV risk and prevalence among people who inject drugs, limiting our understanding of possible sex differences in this population. Most research originates from developed countries and may not be generalizable to other settings. A great deal of work is needed to improve understanding of HIV among particularly vulnerable subpopulations, such as transgender women who use drugs. Better data are critical to efforts to advocate for the needs of women and girls who use and inject drugs.

  16. Panickar R, Aziz Z, Mohd Sani N, Kamarulzaman A
    Patient Educ Couns, 2023 Mar 17;112:107707.
    PMID: 36989861 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2023.107707
    OBJECTIVES: To identify technologies used in vaccine safety communication and evaluate their impact on vaccination intention, uptake, knowledge, attitude, and perceptions of consumers.

    METHODS: We searched 6 electronic databases to identify randomised controlled trials assessing the impact of using technology in vaccine safety communication. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias was used to evaluate each study.

    RESULTS: We included 22 studies involving 27,109 participants from 8 countries; 15 studies assessed the use of videos and 7 examined innovative technologies. Using videos significantly improved knowledge (n = 3) and participant engagement (n = 2) compared to printed material. Among the innovative technologies, the use of virtual reality, and smartphone applications incorporating social networking or gamification significantly increased vaccination knowledge, confidence, and engagement. The studies showed that narrative messaging increased perceived disease severity (n = 2) and vaccination intention (n = 2).

    CONCLUSIONS: While the use of innovative technologies is increasing, videos currently remain the most popular technology for vaccine safety communication. Communication technology, particularly with narrative messaging, improves patient engagement and comprehension.

    PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Health authorities should increase focus on using videos and smartphone applications for vaccine safety communication. Collaboration among stakeholders is essential to develop guidelines on effective message content to complement the technology.

  17. Tackett S, Sugarman J, Ng CJ, Kamarulzaman A, Ali J
    J Med Ethics, 2022 Jun;48(6):391-396.
    PMID: 33811112 DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2021-107237
    Health research ethics (HRE) training programmes are being developed and implemented globally, often with a goal of increasing local capacity to assure ethical conduct in health-related research. Yet what it means for there to be sufficient HRE capacity is not well-defined, and there is currently no consensus on outcomes that HRE training programmes should collectively intend to achieve. Without defining the expected outcomes, meaningful evaluation of individual participants and programmes is challenging. In this article, we briefly describe the evolution of formal education in HRE, articulate the need for a framework to define outcomes for HRE training programmes, and provide guidance for developing HRE competency frameworks that define outcomes suited to their contexts. We detail critical questions for developing HRE competency frameworks using a six-step process: (1) define the purposes, intended uses and scope of the framework; (2) describe the context in which practice occurs; (3) gather data using a variety of methods to inform the competency framework; (4) translate the data into competencies that can be used in educational programmes; (5) report on the competency development process and results and (6) evaluate and update the competency framework. We suggest that competency frameworks should be feasible to develop using this process, and such efforts promise to contribute to programmatic advancement.
  18. Al-Darraji H, Hill P, Sharples K, Altice FL, Kamarulzaman A
    Int J Prison Health, 2023 Jan 11.
    PMID: 36622107 DOI: 10.1108/IJPH-01-2022-0001
    PURPOSE: This intensified case finding study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) disease among people with HIV entering the largest prison in Malaysia.

    DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The study was conducted in Kajang prison, starting in July 2013 in the men's prison and June 2015 in the women's prison. Individuals tested positive for HIV infection, during the mandatory HIV testing at the prison entry, were consecutively recruited over five months at each prison. Consented participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire and asked to submit two sputum samples that were assessed using GeneXpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) and culture, irrespective of clinical presentation. Factors associated with active TB (defined as a positive result on either Xpert or culture) were assessed using regression analyses.

    FINDINGS: Overall, 214 incarcerated people with HIV were recruited. Most were men (84.6%), Malaysians (84.1%) and people who inject drugs (67.8%). The mean age was 37.5 (SD 8.2) years, and median CD4 lymphocyte count was 376 cells/mL (IQR 232-526). Overall, 27 (12.6%) TB cases were identified, which was independently associated with scores of five or more on the World Health Organization clinical scoring system for prisons (ARR 2.90 [95% CI 1.48-5.68]).

    ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Limited data exists about the prevalence of TB disease at prison entry, globally and none from Malaysia. The reported high prevalence of TB disease in the study adds an important and highly needed information to design comprehensive TB control programmes in prisons.

  19. McDonald SA, Mohamed R, Dahlui M, Naning H, Kamarulzaman A
    BMC Infect Dis, 2014;14:564.
    PMID: 25377240 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-014-0564-6
    Collecting adequate information on key epidemiological indicators is a prerequisite to informing a public health response to reduce the impact of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Malaysia. Our goal was to overcome the acute data shortage typical of low/middle income countries using statistical modelling to estimate the national HCV prevalence and the distribution over transmission pathways as of the end of 2009.
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