MyMedR

Racial and age-group incidence of common intestinal helminths in the Straits Settlements

Russell RF

Malayan Medical Journal, 1934;9:17-22.

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

Fulltext A note on the racial incidence of chicken-pox in Kuala Lumpur during the years 1936-1940

Milne JC

Journal of the Malaya Branch of the British Medical Association, 1941;5(1):9-13.

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

Fulltext Modifiable and non-modifiable epidemiological risk factors for acne, acne severity and acne scarring among Malaysian Chinese: a cross-sectional study

Say YH, Heng AHS, Reginald K, Wong YR, Teh KF, Rawanan Shah SM, et al.

BMC Public Health, 2021 03 27;21(1):601.

PMID: 33773591 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-10681-4

BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris, a highly prevalent multifactorial inflammatory skin disease, can be categorised into different severity and scarring grades based on the type, number, and severity of lesions. While many epidemiology studies have investigated the risk factors for acne presentation, fewer studies have specifically studied the risk factors for acne severity and scarring. Therefore, this study investigated the prevalence of acne, acne severity and scarring grades, and their associated non-modifiable and modifiable epidemiological risk factors among Malaysian Chinese.

METHODS: A total of 1840 subjects (1117 cases/723 controls) completed an investigator-administered questionnaire as part of a cross-sectional study, which include socio-demographics, familial history, lifestyle factors, dietary habits, and acne history. Acne cases were further evaluated for their severity (n = 1051) and scarring (n = 1052) grades by a trained personnel.

RESULTS: Majority of the acne cases (up to 69%) had mild acne or Grade 1/2 scarring, while 21.6% had moderate/severe acne and 5.5% had Grade 3/4 scarring. Males had significantly higher risk of presenting with higher grades of acne scarring. Those who had acne, regardless of severity and scarring grades, had strong positive familial history (either in parents and/or sibling). Frequent consumption (most or all days) of foods that are commonly consumed during breakfast (butter, probiotic drinks, cereals and milk) decreased the risk for acne presentation and higher acne scarring, while periodic consumption (once/twice per week) of nuts and burgers/fast food decreased the risk for higher acne severity. Alcohol drinking was significantly associated with increased risk for acne presentation, while paternal, parental and household smoking were associated with reduced risk of more severe acne.

CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, positive familial history is a strong predisposing factor in influencing acne presentation, severity and scarring. Frequent consumption of foods that are commonly consumed during breakfast is protective against acne presentation.

Matched MeSH terms: China/epidemiology

Fulltext Comparative analyses on epidemiological characteristics of dengue fever in Guangdong and Yunnan, China, 2004-2018

Yue Y, Liu Q, Liu X, Wu H, Xu M

BMC Public Health, 2021 07 13;21(1):1389.

PMID: 34256730 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11323-5

BACKGROUND: In China, Guangdong and Yunnan are the two most dengue-affected provinces. This study aimed to compare the epidemiological characteristics of dengue fever in Guangdong and Yunnan during 2004-2018.

METHODS: Descriptive analyses were used to explore the temporal, spatial, and demographic distribution of dengue fever.

RESULTS: Of the 73,761 dengue cases reported in mainland China during 2004-2018, 93.7% indigenous and 65.9% imported cases occurred in Guangdong and Yunnan, respectively. A total of 55,970 and 5938 indigenous cases occurred in 108 Guangdong and 8 Yunnan counties, respectively during 2004-2018. Whereas 1146 and 3050 imported cases occurred in 84 Guangdong and 72 Yunnan counties, respectively during 2004-2018. Guangdong had a much higher average yearly indigenous incidence rate (3.65 (1/100000) vs 0.86 (1/100000)), but a much lower average yearly imported incidence rate (0.07 (1/100000) vs 0.44(1/100000)) compared with Yunnan in 2004-2018. Furthermore, dengue fever occurred more widely in space and more frequently in time in Guangdong. Guangdong and Yunnan had similar seasonal characteristics for dengue fever, but Guangdong had a longer peak period. Most dengue cases were clustered in the south-western border of Yunnan and the Pearl River Delta region in Guangdong. Most of the imported cases (93.9%) in Guangdong and Yunnan were from 9 Southeast Asian countries. Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia imported mainly into Guangdong while Myanmar and Laos imported into Yunnan. There was a strong male predominance among imported cases and an almost equal gender distribution among indigenous cases. Most dengue cases occurred in individuals aged 21-50 years, accounting for 57.3% (Guangdong) vs. 62.8% (Yunnan) of indigenous and 83.2% (Guangdong) vs. 62.6% (Yunnan) of imported cases. The associated major occupations (house worker or unemployed, retiree, and businessman, for indigenous cases; and businessman, for imported cases), were similar. However, farmers accounted for a larger proportion of dengue cases in Yunnan.

CONCLUSIONS: Identifying the different epidemiological characteristics of dengue fever in Guangdong and Yunnan can be helpful to formulate targeted, strategic plans, and implement effective public health prevention measures in China.

Matched MeSH terms: China/epidemiology

At the bamboo roots. 3: Malaysia

Kettle B

Nurs Times, 1976 Aug 26;72(34):1311-3.

PMID: 958977

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

Mild homozygous high a2-type beta thalassaemia

Ganesan J, Gill SS, Lie-Injo LE

Med J Malaysia, 1974 Jun;28(4):229-33.

PMID: 4278391

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

Fulltext Determinants of comorbidity in rheumatoid arthritis: influence of demographic and duration of illness

Chin SN, Abdullah N, Poh LP

Journal of Advanced Research Design, 2015;22(1):13-22.

MyJurnal

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, disabling autoimmune disease which affects about 5 in 1000 people in Malaysia. Patients with RA are at increased risk of developing comorbid conditions. This research aims at determining these relationships between demographic, duration of illness and comorbidity in RA via a multiple binary logistic (MBL) regression analysis based on the 102 patients’ information (23 males; 79 females) obtained from the rheumatoid clinic of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu. The relationship of the RA patients with comorbid conditions was studied with focus on the demographic and duration of illness. The variables obtained for analysis were the comorbid conditions namely, hypertension and hyperlipidemia, age, duration of illness, gender, ethnicity, household income and education level. From six independent variables, two were quantitative would be analyzed, while four were categorical, and would be transformed into dummy variables. Four phases in a model-building approach were executed where two models were formed where Model I predicted the probability of occurrence of hypertension with age of patients and first order interaction between duration of illness before diagnosis and household income of less than RM1000 had positive effects on the model, while Model II predicted the occurrence of hyperlipidemia among the RA patients with age of patients and first order interaction variable between gender(female) and age were the contributing factors.
Study site: Rheumatoid clinic, Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

Fulltext Stage IV-S neuroblastoma. A review from the University Hospital , Kuala Lumpur

Sinniah D, Lin HP, Kwan PW, Somasundram K

PMID: 7344086

A review of 20 cases of neuroblastoma at the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur from 1967 to 1980 reveals six infants aged 2 to 13 months with stage IV·S disease, associated with an unusually good prognosis. Four of the six patients presented with hepatomegaly, one had skin nodules and another paresis of the lower limbs. The primary tumour was located infra-diaphragmatically in all cases, four had disease in the bone marrow but none had radiological evidence of bone involvement. Although not systematic, with limited treatment of low dose radiation and mild chemotherapy, four patients are alive and well, one absconded and one died of septicaemia. It is important to define this special category as an unexpectedly good survival is possible with minimal therapy. Death is more likely to result from over-zealous treatment than from the disease itself.

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

Fulltext Gastrointestinal bleeding caused by epitheloid sarcoma: A case report

Lee FY, Lim L, Gee T

Med J Malaysia, 2016 Aug;71(4):215-216.

PMID: 27770126 MyJurnal

Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) of the small bowel is a rare gastrointestinal tumour. We report a case of gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to small bowel ES in a 55-year-old gentleman. After gastroscopy and colonoscopy failed to identify the source of bleeding, we proceeded with computed tomography angiogram of the mesentery, which revealed intraluminal blood clot in the distal jejunum with features of obstruction. This is a rare cause of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and emphasises the need for additional evaluation in the presence of negative endoscopic findings.

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

Fulltext You can never have too many accessories - a case of two accessory muscles of the ankle

See PP

Med J Malaysia, 2016 Aug;71(4):199-200.

PMID: 27770119

Accessory muscles are relatively rare anatomic duplications of muscles that may appear anywhere in the muscular system. Though a wide array of accessory and supernumery muscles involving the ankle have been described in the literature, this is the first reported case we are aware of that features two accessory muscles. Accessory muscles are typically asymptomatic and often picked up as incidental findings but are important to be identified in the presence of chronic persistent ankle pain and the absence of other more common aetiologies.

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

Observations on human intestinal protozoa in Malaya

Jepps MW

Parasitology, 1923;15:213-20.

DOI: 10.1017/S0031182000014682

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

The health of women and children in Malaya

Brodie M

Journal of the Royal Sanitary Institute, 1937;58:305-18.

DOI: 10.1177/146642403705800505

Vital statistics in Malaya are of limited value but annual reports show that the infant mortality in Penang Municipality is 125, in Singapore Municipality 172.2, in the Straits Settlements 165.28, and in the State of Kedah 137 per thousand births. The tables show a similarity to those of large English towns fifty years ago.
Poverty, ignorance and superstition account for many of these deaths and much maternal ill-health. Children are seldom taken out in infancy and houses are frequently dark, stuffy and closely-shuttered. Solid carbohydrate food is given to infants even during the first month. Congenital Syphilis causes a number of deaths and in an investigation in Singapore of mothers whose infants died in the first year of life 30.9 per cent. were Wassermann-positive.
Increasing use is made of maternity wards in the Hospitals and in Kuala Lumpur there is a Chinese maternity hospital with a Chinese woman doctor on the staff. The infant death-rate among Malays is much higher than that of other races, who are more willing to make use of the hospitals.
In the rural areas labour commonly takes place under the most primitive conditions with no help except that of an untrained handy-woman (bidan). A better midwifery service for these areas is gradually being developed and Malay women are being trained to replace the old "bidan" in the villages.
Education is doing something to inculcate modern views on the bringing up of children. The teaching of personal hygiene to teachers and pupils in the vernacular girls' schools is proving of value, and the Girl Guide movement has given an added interest to this.
Medical inspection of school children is more complete in the towns than in the rural areas. Dental caries, skin conditions, intestinal worms, and enlarged tonsils are common in the junior schools.
Tables are given of vital statistics and records of school medical inspection from the reports of the health officers of the Straits Settlements, Singapore, and Kedah. W. H. Peacock.

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

Two fatal cases of unsuspected rupture of the spleen

Wilson F

Lancet, 1927;209:1236-7.

DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(00)73647-6

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

Clinical manifestations of vitamin deficiencies as observed in the Federated Malay States

Fasal P

Archives of Dermatology and Syphilology, 1944;50:160-166.

DOI: 10.1001/archderm.1944.01510150012002

Manifestations of vitamin deficiencies observed in 6,000 Tamil and 4,000 Malay children and young adults during a survey carried out by the Institute for Medical Research in the Federated Malay States included phrynoderma, Bitot spots
and angular stomatitis. They were more frequent in Tamils than in Malays. Phrynoderma and Bitot spots responded rapidly to administration of vitamin A or carotene, though in some patients with phrynoderma improvement was not attained unless also the protein intake was increased and vitamin B complex added. Angular stomatitis was benefited by administration of riboflavin or vitamin B complex. The clinical and histologie observations of phrynoderma in Tamils and Malays in Malaya were identical with those previously reported in Chinese, Ceylonese and southern Indians. A supplementary food ration, composed of soy beans, skim milk powder, dal and red palm oil, given to Tamil children on rubber estates not only increased the general state of health but led to a rapid regression of the manifestations of vitamin deficiencies.

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

Fulltext Dermatoglyphics: comparison between Negritos Orang Asli and the Malays, Chinese and Indian

Ismail E, Abdul Razak S, Selamat L, Gurusamy R, Zariman H, Shahrudin MS, et al.

Sains Malaysiana, 2009 6;38:947-952.

Dermatoglyphic traits are formed under genetic control during early gestation and do not change through the entire life. A few studies have shown that dermatoglyphic traits were conservative in their evolution and were different between and within population groups. The objective of this study was to compare the variability of palm dermatoglyphs in three main populations i.e. Malay, Chinese, Indian and five sub-ethnic population of Negritos’ Orang Asli i.e. Bateq, Jahai, Kintak, Kensiu and Lanoh. We utilised fingerprints and palms of 390 healthy adult individuals, counted the total ridge for ten fingers
(TRC), a-b ridge counts (a-b RC) on palms, examined widening of the atd-angle, and classified the digital pattern configuration of arches, whorls, ulnar, and radial loops for all fingers. Variables obtained from both palm did not show any differences between males and females for all populations. TRC, a-b RC and atd-angle were the highest for Kensiu and were later on specially described to be in a group of its own by ANOVA and TUKEY test for TRC and a-b RC. The same test has put Chinese in a group of its own for atd-angle. Only a-b RC clearly separate Orang Asli populations from the three main races. Whorls and ulnar loops were the most predominant pattern in all groups. Malays and Chinese had similar distributional patterns for each ten fingers. Indian and Jahai similarly mimic each other, while Bateq has the reversal pattern distribution to them both. Kintak and Lanoh halfly mimics each other pattern and Kensiu had its own unique pattern. In conclusion, races, patterns, and pattern frequencies were related to each other and can be used to differentiate different races or Orang Asli
sub-ethnics. This study documents for the first time the comparative dermatoglyphic traits between Malaysian main races with Orang Asli populations show a list of informative variables that can be used to identify them as well as suggesting it’s used as a tool in tracing the etnohistorical background of populations.

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

Opium and tuberculosis

Chen SL

Malayan Medical Journal, 1932;7:25-31.

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

Notes on smallpox

Blakemore WL

Malayan Medical Journal, 1932;7:94-5.

Matched MeSH terms: China/ethnology

Some notes on a hookworm and roundworm survey

Wolfe EDB

Malayan Medical Journal, 1936;11:224-5.