METHOD: All cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension who underwent laparoscopic bariatric surgery, from 2007 to 2017, were retrospectively reviewed.
RESULTS: Thirteen patients were included; eight (62%) were female. The median age was 54 years (interquartile range, IQR 49-60) and median BMI was 48 kg/m2 (IQR 43-55). Portal hypertension was diagnosed based on endoscopy (n = 5), imaging studies (n = 3), intraoperative increased collateral circulation (n = 2), and endoscopy and imaging studies (n = 3). The bariatric procedures included sleeve gastrectomy (n = 10, 77%) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (n = 3, 23%). The median length of hospital stay was 3 days (IQR 2-4). Three 30-day complications occurred including wound infection (n = 1), intra-abdominal hematoma (n = 1), and subcutaneous hematoma (n = 1). No intraoperative or 30-day mortalities. There were 11 patients (85%) at 1-year follow-up and 9 patients (69%) at 2-year follow-up. At 2 years, the median percentage of excess weight loss (EWL) and total weight loss (TWL) were 49 and 25%, respectively. There was significant improvement in diabetes (100%), dyslipidemia (100%), and hypertension (50%) at 2 years after surgery.
CONCLUSION: Bariatric surgery in selected cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension is relatively safe and effective.
METHODS: A cross-sectional anonymous web-based survey was conducted between 10th September 2020 and 30th November 2020. The survey was open to Malaysian aged 18 years and older via various social media platforms. The questionnaire consists of sociodemographic, experience of utilising healthcare facilities, and views on clinic appointment structure.
RESULTS: A total of 1,144 complete responses were received. The mean age was 41.4 ± 12.4 years and more than half of the respondents had a preference for public healthcare. Among them, 77.1% reported to have a clinical appointment scheduled in the past. Less than a quarter experienced off-office hour appointments, mostly given by private healthcare. 70.2% answered they would arrive earlier if they were given a specific appointment slot at a public healthcare facility, as parking availability was the utmost concern. Majority hold positive views for after office hour clinical appointments, with 68.9% and 63.2% agreed for weekend and weekday evening appointment, respectively. The top reason of agreement was working commitment during office hours, while family commitment and personal resting time were the main reasons for disagreeing with off-office hour appointments.
CONCLUSION: We found that majority of our respondents chose to come early instead of arriving on time which disrupts the staggered appointment system and causes over crowdedness. Our findings also show that the majority of our respondents accept off-office hour appointments. This positive response suggests that off-office hour appointments may have a high uptake amongst the public and thus be a possible solution to distribute the patient load. Therefore, this information may help policy makers to initiate future plans to resolve congestions within public health care facilities which in turn eases physical distancing during the pandemic.
METHODS: Women with or without SUI aged ≥21 years old were recruited. Subjects completed the International Consultation of Incontinence-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF), International Consultation of Incontinence-Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Quality of Life (ICIQ-LUTSqol), and EQ-5D questionnaires.
RESULTS: A total of 120 women with SUI and 145 controls participated. The ICIQ-LUTSqol total score (mean ± standard deviation) was significantly higher in the SUI group (38.96 ± 10.28) compared with the control group (20.78 ± 2.73) (P
METHODS: A total of 138 patients aged between 18 and 65 years old with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I or II status, who required general anaesthesia and had no contraindication towards the use of P-LMA™, were recruited. They were randomly positioned into three anatomical landmarks, which were umbilicus, lowest rib margin, and xiphoid. P-LMA™ was inserted following muscle paralysis, and the first successful placement was evaluated using positional and performance tests. Duration, ease of P-LMA™ insertion, and airway complications were compared.
RESULTS: Demographic and airway features were comparable among all groups. The P-LMA™ placement success rate improved when the table height was positioned at the lowest rib margin (p=0.002). All three positions were comparable in terms of duration, ease of insertion, and airway morbidities.
CONCLUSION: The lowest rib margin anatomical landmark can be used as a guide in achieving the optimal operating table height for successful P-LMA™ placement.
METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study on offshore platforms in the United States, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. Emergency evacuation rates were compared between locations with telemedicine (United States) and 2 control groups without telemedicine (Malaysia, United Kingdom).
RESULTS: Three hundred eighty-four cases in the telemedicine group and 261 cases in the control groups were included. The odds (adjusted and unadjusted) of medical evacuation were significantly higher for assets without telemedicine, contractors, and age older than 60 years. Analysis indicated a shift from emergency evacuation to routine transport for the telemedicine group.
CONCLUSIONS: Telemedicine reduces emergency medical evacuations from offshore installations. This reduction is likely due to an increased capacity for transforming emergency care into routine care at the offshore location.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of ivermectin in preventing progression to severe disease among high-risk patients with COVID-19.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The Ivermectin Treatment Efficacy in COVID-19 High-Risk Patients (I-TECH) study was an open-label randomized clinical trial conducted at 20 public hospitals and a COVID-19 quarantine center in Malaysia between May 31 and October 25, 2021. Within the first week of patients' symptom onset, the study enrolled patients 50 years and older with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, comorbidities, and mild to moderate disease.
INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either oral ivermectin, 0.4 mg/kg body weight daily for 5 days, plus standard of care (n = 241) or standard of care alone (n = 249). The standard of care consisted of symptomatic therapy and monitoring for signs of early deterioration based on clinical findings, laboratory test results, and chest imaging.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who progressed to severe disease, defined as the hypoxic stage requiring supplemental oxygen to maintain pulse oximetry oxygen saturation of 95% or higher. Secondary outcomes of the trial included the rates of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit admission, 28-day in-hospital mortality, and adverse events.
RESULTS: Among 490 patients included in the primary analysis (mean [SD] age, 62.5 [8.7] years; 267 women [54.5%]), 52 of 241 patients (21.6%) in the ivermectin group and 43 of 249 patients (17.3%) in the control group progressed to severe disease (relative risk [RR], 1.25; 95% CI, 0.87-1.80; P = .25). For all prespecified secondary outcomes, there were no significant differences between groups. Mechanical ventilation occurred in 4 (1.7%) vs 10 (4.0%) (RR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.13-1.30; P = .17), intensive care unit admission in 6 (2.4%) vs 8 (3.2%) (RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.27-2.20; P = .79), and 28-day in-hospital death in 3 (1.2%) vs 10 (4.0%) (RR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.09-1.11; P = .09). The most common adverse event reported was diarrhea (14 [5.8%] in the ivermectin group and 4 [1.6%] in the control group).
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this randomized clinical trial of high-risk patients with mild to moderate COVID-19, ivermectin treatment during early illness did not prevent progression to severe disease. The study findings do not support the use of ivermectin for patients with COVID-19.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04920942.
METHODS: We performed a pooled analysis of individual patient data from cohort studies that included consecutive patients with ischemic stroke aged 18-50 years. We studied differences in prevalence of risk factors and causes of ischemic stroke between different ethnic and racial groups, geographic regions, and countries with different income levels. We investigated differences in 3-month mortality by mixed-effects multivariable logistic regression.
RESULTS: We included 17,663 patients from 32 cohorts in 29 countries. Hypertension and diabetes were most prevalent in Black (hypertension, 52.1%; diabetes, 20.7%) and Asian patients (hypertension 46.1%, diabetes, 20.9%). Large vessel atherosclerosis and small vessel disease were more often the cause of stroke in high-income countries (HICs; both p < 0.001), whereas "other determined stroke" and "undetermined stroke" were higher in low and middle-income countries (LMICs; both p < 0.001). Patients in LMICs were younger, had less vascular risk factors, and despite this, more often died within 3 months than those from HICs (odds ratio 2.49; 95% confidence interval 1.42-4.36).
DISCUSSION: Ethnoracial and regional differences in risk factors and causes of stroke at young age provide an understanding of ethnic and racial and regional differences in incidence of ischemic stroke. Our results also highlight the dissimilarities in outcome after stroke in young adults that exist between LMICs and HICs, which should serve as call to action to improve health care facilities in LMICs.