This study aimed to evaluate the functional status and HRQoL in patients with primary intracranial tumours in Malaysia. Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) and Modified Barthel Index (MBI) were used to assess the functional status whereas EORTC core Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and Brain Cancer Module (BN-20) questionnaires were used to assess the HRQoL. Thirty-eight patients with primary intracranial tumours admitted for surgery in University Malaya Medical Center were recruited. These assessments were administered before surgery (baseline) and six months after surgery (follow-up). All patients received some form of rehabilitation interventions after surgery. The global HRQoL and functional status of these patients showed improvement at six months after surgery. Emotional Functioning score showed the greatest improvement among the functional domains (63 vs 86, p=0.003). Reduction in symptom burden such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, pain and headache were also noted at follow-up together with less future uncertainty (p<0.05). Pearson correlation revealed statistically significant positive correlation between functional status and HRQoL at baseline and follow-up, in particular, global health status (r=0.50 and r=0.67), physical functioning (r=0.53 and r=0.90) and role functioning (r=0.34 and r=0.77). Thus, from the correlation found, improving a patient's function and independence level throughout all stages of care, even before any surgical intervention is offered would improve the HRQoL concurrently.
Acute kidney injury following immersion or near-drowning is rarely described and no data from Malaysia have been found. We report a case of acute kidney injury following a near-drowning event. A 20-year-old man who recovered from near-drowning in a swimming pool 5 days earlier presented to our clinic with abdominal pain, anorexia, nausea and polyuria. Dipstick urinalysis showed a trace of blood. The serum creatinine level was 10-fold higher than the normal range. A bedside ultrasound showed features suggestive of acute tubular necrosis. He is then referred to the hospital with the diagnosis of acute kidney injury with the possibility of acute tubular necrosis secondary to near-drowning. We suggest that any patient presenting after immersion or near-drowning to be should assessed for potential acute kidney injury.
BACKGROUND: Asian slow lorises (Nycticebus spp.) are one of few known venomous mammals, yet until now only one published case report has documented the impact of their venomous bite on humans. We describe the reaction of a patient to the bite of a subadult Nycticebus kayan, which occurred in the Mulu District of Sarawak in 2012.
FINDINGS: Within minutes of the bite, the patient experienced paraesthesia in the right side of the jaw, ear and right foot. By 40 minutes, swelling of the face was pronounced. The patient was admitted to Mulu National Park Health Clinic/Klinik Kesihatan Taman Mulu Tarikh, at which time he was experiencing: swollen mouth, chest pain, mild abdominal pain, nausea, numbness of the lips and mouth, shortness of breath, weakness, agitation and the sensation of pressure in the ears due to swelling. The blood pressure was 110/76, the heart ratio was 116 and oxygen saturation was 96%. The patient was treated intramuscularly with adrenaline (0.5 mL), followed by intravenous injection of hydrocortisone (400 mg) and then intravenous fluid therapy of normal saline (500 mg). By 8 h10 the next day, the patient's condition had significantly improved with no nausea, and with blood pressure and pulse rate stable.
CONCLUSIONS: A handful of anecdotes further support the real danger that slow loris bites pose to humans. As the illegal pet trade is a major factor in the decline of these threatened species, we hope that by reporting on the danger of handling these animals it may help to reduce their desirability as a pet.
BACKGROUND: This study assessed the efficacy and safety of the once-daily glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, lixisenatide, in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately controlled on metformin ± sulfonylurea.
METHODS: In this 24-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational study, patients were randomized to lixisenatide 20 µg once daily or placebo. The primary endpoint was absolute change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c ) from baseline to week 24.
RESULTS: A total of 391 patients were randomized. Lixisenatide significantly reduced HbA1c levels compared with placebo (LS mean difference: -0.36%, p = 0.0004). A significantly higher proportion of lixisenatide-treated patients achieved HbA1c targets of <7% (p = 0.003) and ≤6.5% (p = 0.001) versus placebo. Lixisenatide was associated with a statistically significant reduction in 2-h postprandial plasma glucose after a standardized breakfast versus placebo (LS mean difference: -4.28 mmol/L, p nausea (16.3% vs 2.6% with placebo). The incidence of symptomatic hypoglycaemia was 5.6% with lixisenatide treatment and 2.6% with placebo (p = 0.1321), with no severe symptomatic hypoglycaemia events reported.
CONCLUSIONS: In Asian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus insufficiently controlled on metformin ± sulfonylurea, lixisenatide significantly improved glycaemic control and was well tolerated during the 24-week study.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01169779.
KEYWORDS: Asia; glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists; lixisenatide; type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)
Orbital apex syndrome (OAS) is a localized orbital cellulitis at the orbital apex that can cause vision loss from optic neuropathy and ophthalmoplegia involving multiple cranial nerves. Herein, we report a rare and rapidly progressive case of OAS secondary to fungal pansinusitis caused by Scedosporiumapiospermum in an immunocompromised patient following the extraction of abscessed teeth. A 48-year-old man with diabetes mellitus who had failed to adhere to his treatment presented with complaints of a right-sided headache and toothache for two weeks, with nausea and vomiting for two days prior to presentation. The patient was treated for septic shock secondary to the dental abscesses. Non-contrast brain computed tomography (CT) showed no significant intracranial abnormalities other than pansinusitis. Four days later, dental extraction was performed. The patient reported progressive painless blurring of the vision in his right eye following the dental extractions and was referred to the ophthalmology department. Subsequent examinations revealed decreased optic nerve function and ophthalmoplegia in his right eye and dental caries in the upper molars, with a mucopurulent discharge from the right sphenoid region. The clinical diagnosis was OAS. Pus near the orbital apex was drained surgically. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from the pus and a nasal swab. Tissue culture from the septal wall yielded S.apiospermum. The patient's condition deteriorated, despite intensive antibiotic and antifungal treatment and repeated surgical debridement. The disease progressed rapidly to his left eye. Sixty-seven days after the inital presentation, his visual acuity (VA) of both eyes was classified as no perception of light (NPL). The patient discharged himself from the hospital (at own risk discharge) and subsequently failed to attend a scheduled appointment in the ophthalmology clinic. If immunocompromised patients present with OAS, fungal infections should be ruled out. Prompt and aggressive treatment using a multidisciplinary approach is mandatory in cases of potentially life-threatening and vision-threatening fungal infections.