Displaying publications 161 - 180 of 553 in total

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  1. Liew SM, Tong SF, Lee VK, Ng CJ, Leong KC, Teng CL
    Br J Gen Pract, 2009 Dec;59(569):916-20.
    PMID: 19712544 DOI: 10.3399/bjgp09X472250
    BACKGROUND: Non-attendance results in administrative problems and disruption in patient care. Several interventions have been used to reduce non-attendance, with varying degree of success. A relatively new intervention, text messaging, has been shown to be as effective as telephone reminders in reducing non-attendance. However, no study has looked specifically at using text messaging reminders to reduce non-attendance in chronic disease care.

    AIM: To determine if text messaging would be effective in reducing non-attendance in patients on long-term followup, compared with telephone reminders and no reminder.

    DESIGN OF STUDY: A randomised controlled trial with three arms: text messaging reminder, telephone reminder, and control.

    SETTING: Two primary care clinics in Malaysia.

    METHOD: A total of 931 subjects who had been on at least 6 months of follow-up were randomised into the three groups. Demographic variables were recorded at the first visit. In the intervention arms, a reminder was sent 24–48 hours prior to the appointment. Non-attendance rate was documented at the second visit. Non-attenders were defined as those who did not attend, attended early, or attended late without rescheduling their appointment. Attenders were defined as participants who had turned up for their scheduled appointment and those who had changed or cancelled their appointment with notification.

    RESULTS: The non-attendance rates in the text messaging group (odds ratio [OR] = 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.41 to 0.93, P = 0.020) and the telephone reminder group (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.35 to 0.81), P = 0.003) were significantly lower than the control group. The absolute non-attendance rate for telephone reminders was lower by 2% compared to the text messaging group. This difference was not found to be statistically significant (P = 0.505).

    CONCLUSION: Text messaging was found to be as effective as telephone reminder in reducing non-attendance in patients who required long-term follow-up for their chronic illnesses in this study. It could be used as an alternative to conventional reminder systems.

    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease/therapy*
  2. Velligan DI, Weiden PJ, Sajatovic M, Scott J, Carpenter D, Ross R, et al.
    J Clin Psychiatry, 2009;70 Suppl 4:1-46; quiz 47-8.
    PMID: 19686636
    OBJECTIVES: Poor adherence to medication treatment can have devastating consequences for patients with mental illness. The goal of this project was to develop recommendations for addressing adherence problems to improve patient outcomes.
    METHODS: The editors identified important topics and questions concerning medication adherence problems in serious mental illness that are not fully addressed in the literature. A survey was developed containing 39 questions (521 options) asking about defining nonadherence, extent of adherence problems in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, risk factors for nonadherence, assessment methods, and interventions for specific types of adherence problems. The survey was completed by 41 (85%) of the 48 experts to whom it was sent. Results of the literature review and survey were used to develop recommendations for assessing and improving adherence in patients with serious mental illness.
    RESULTS: ASSESSING ADHERENCE: The experts endorsed percentage of medication not taken as the preferred method of defining adherence, with 80% or more of medication taken endorsed as an appropriate cut-off for adherence in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Although self- and physician report are the most common methods used to assess adherence in clinical settings, they are often inaccurate and may underestimate nonadherence. The experts recommend that, if possible, clinicians also use more objective measures (e.g., pill counts, pharmacy records, and, when appropriate, serum levels such as are used for lithium). Use of a validated self-report scale may help improve accuracy.
    SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM: The majority of the experts believed the average patient with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in their practices takes only 51%-70% of prescribed medication. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH NONADHERENCE: The experts endorsed poor insight and lack of illness awareness, distress associated with specific side effects or a general fear of side effects, inadequate efficacy with persistent symptoms, and believing medications are no longer needed as the most important factors leading to adherence problems in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The experts considered weight gain a side effect that is very likely to lead to adherence problems in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; sedation was considered a more important contributor to adherence problems in bipolar disorder than schizophrenia. The experts rated persistent positive or negative symptoms in schizophrenia and persistent grandiosity and manic symptoms in bipolar disorder as the most important symptomatic contributors to adherence problems in these illnesses.
    INTERVENTIONS: It is important to identify the specific factors that may be contributing to a patient's adherence problems in order to customize interventions to target those problems. Multiple problems may be involved, requiring a combination of interventions.
    CONCLUSIONS: Adherence problems are complex and multidetermined. The experts recommended customized interventions focused on the underlying causes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  3. Badrul Hisham, A.S., Nor Azian Shaharom, C.M.D., Marzukhi, M.I., Norli, R., Fatimah, O., Kee, KF, et al.
    MyJurnal
    The state of Johore, Malaysia had been hit by the worst flood in the Malaysian modern history on the 19th December 2006 (first wave) and the 12th January 2007 (second wave) affecting all the eight districts. A total number of 157,018 and 155,368 Johore population had been displaced by the first and the second wave event respectively. The Johore State Health Department activated the Flood Action Plan which include mobilising medical teams to conduct daily clinical examinations on the flood victims and health teams to inspect flood relief centres, food premises and homes at flood-hit areas with regard to prevent and control communicable diseases. The spreadsheet format was used to collect data on diseases, injury and death throughout the Johore flood disaster period starting from the 19th December 2006 until 19th February 2007. Analyses showed that 19,670 flood victims (36.3%) had communicable diseases and 34,530 (67.0%) had non-communicable diseases. As for the communicable diseases and symptoms/syndromes related to communicable disease, 41.3% were acute respiratory infections (ARI) followed by 25.9% skin infections, 19.1% fever, 10.1% acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and 3.0% acute conjunctivitis. Other infectious diseases include 61 notifiable diseases (46 food poisoning, 14 dengue fever and one tuberculosis), 20 leptospirosis (with two deaths), 20 chicken pox and two melioidosis cases. The Batu Pahat district had the highest incidence for the majority of the communicable diseases because of the prolonged flooding period. No cholera, typhoid, malaria, measles or hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) cases were detected among the Johore flood victims. Trends of disease incidence follow the number of evacuees placed in the relief centres corresponding to respective wave. A total of 507 flood victims had physical injuries related to flood mostly due to fall onto wet floor at the relief centres. Fifteen deaths due to drowning were mainly caused by accidental fall into the flood water. The incidence of communicable diseases encountered had been appropriately anticipated and managed attributed to enhanced public health control programmes augmented by syndromic and laboratory surveillance on potentialy fatal infectious diseases. Equal emphasis should be given to the surveillance and control of chronic diseases.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  4. Hanihaselah, M.S., Norasikin, M.
    MyJurnal
    Background : The management of chronic disease during flood seems to be one of the main challenges to the health care service. Chronic disease becomes worst during flood. Poor condition at the relief centres, loss of assets, fear, and lack of functional health facilities contribute to the morbidity and mortality during and after flood. Poor chronic disease management, especially on severe and uncontrolled hypertension, may threaten lives of victims during flood. In addition, comprehensive treatment cannot be delivered due to destroyed infrastructure, shortage of doctors on duty and delay in getting drug supply. Therefore, all aspects of chronic disease management shall be reviewed and included in the disaster preparedness in order to control and prevent acute incidence and complications of the chronic diseases. Previous Action Plan did not address this issue effectively which had caused many patients not getting their treatment adequately. The aim of this writing is to share experiences in managing chronic disease patients particularly hypertensive patients.
    Methodology : A retrospective study based on data collection by health personnel while conducting health screening, clinical examination and giving treatment to flood victims at the relief centres. Hypertensive patients were identified when the victims came for treatment and while the medical team conducting medical rounds. New hypertensive cases as well as uncontrolled cases with no complication were treated and monitored at the relief centres.
    Result : It was found that 34,530 cases of non communicable disease (11.1% of the total number of the flood victims) including hypertension and diabetes mellitus were reported in Johor. Kota Tinggi reported a total number of 5,317 cases of chronic disease. There was no data collection on specific chronic diseases collected at the state level during the floods thus the findings representing Kota Tinggi cases only. In retrospective search of 150 flood victims with hypertension in Kota Tinggi, only 95 cases had complete data. Among them 71.6% (68 cases) were hypertensive cases already on treatment and 28.4% (27 cases) were new cases. Also it has been found that 67.4% (64 cases) were uncontrolled hypertension and 32.6% (31 cases) were controlled hypertension. Four cases had been found diagnosed as uncontrolled hypertension with complications and have been referred to hospital.
    Conclusion : Comprehensive health strategy for flood victims shall not be focused only on saving lives and giving emergency treatment to patients but also to update and strengthen an overall chronic disease management. Many factors contributed to increase in blood pressure during flooding. Good hypertensive treatment at the relief centres is needed to minimise morbidity and mortality. Information on care and treatment received by flood victims having chronic disease is vital in assessing their health needs during disaster and in formulating disaster preparedness in the future.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  5. Qais Alefan, M. Izham M. Ibrahim, Tariq Abdul Razak, Azizi Ayub
    MyJurnal
    Hypertension is a prevalent chronic disease, which is strongly related to the development of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. The prevalence of hypertension in Malaysia in subjects aged 15 years and above was estimated to be 27.8%. Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) compares treatment options with different effectiveness and safety profiles. The utilisation of antihypertensive drugs has raised some concerns about the balance between its costs and benefits. This study was conducted to describe the healthcare costs for hypertensive subjects and to examine the cost-effectiveness of different classes of antihypertensive drugs used in Malaysia. Retrospective and prospective data analysis of a cohort of uncomplicated hypertensive patients was conducted to determine ambulatory health care costs among hypertensive patients groups. The total direct and
    indirect costs of controlled and uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) were described. The health care
    costs ($) / clinical outcome (AC/E ratio) was calculated. Mean total direct costs per patient per month was higher in uncontrolled blood pressure groups compared to the controlled blood pressure groups. The cost-effectiveness relationship was more favourable for diuretics (1.9), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) (2.0), prazosin (2.4) and beta blockers (2.5), more than the diuretics and beta blockers combination theraphy (3.0), calcium channel blockers (CCBs) (3.4) and other combinations (6.1). Antihypertensive drugs used to treat hypertensive patients were different
    in their cost-effectiveness ratios. Such results will allow health care professionals and/or decision
    makers to make better decisions on how to select treatment options for hypertensive patients in
    Malaysia and how to distribute and allocate scarce health care resources. Pharmacoeconomic
    evaluations can help in making difficult choices rationally and allocate scarce resources efficiently.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  6. Jamsiah, M., Zurainatual Irwani, I., Sh Ezat, W.P., Shamsul, S.A., Rahmah, M.A.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction : Studies on stress among diabetic patients with complications are not much conducted locally. In this study the researchers would like to find out the magnitude of the problem among the Malaysian.
    Methodology : A cross- sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of stress and its associated factors among the diabetes mellitus patients with complications at Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, Kota Bharu, Kelantan. The translated Personal Stress Inventory questionairse was used to measure the stress among the respondents.
    Finding : The prevalence of stress was 36.8%. The study showed that the employment status of respondents has significant association with stress in which higher numbers of unemployed respondents were stressed as compared to the employed respondents. Other sociodemographic factors, namely duration of having diabetes mellitus and type of complications developed by the patients were not significant.
    Conclusion : Once the poor and unemployed patients were diagnosed to have diabetes mellitus either with or without complication, the health staffs should refer them immediately to the relevant agencies for help. By doing so, these patients could be prevented from having stress later. Outreach programmes in the community should be carried out regularly for an early detection and treatment of chronic diseases including diabetes mellitus to prevent patients from developing any complication.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  7. Kapitonova MY, Kuznetsov SL, Khlebnikov VV, Zagrebin VL, Morozova ZCh, Degtyar YV
    Neurosci. Behav. Physiol., 2010 Jan;40(1):97-102.
    PMID: 20012496 DOI: 10.1007/s11055-009-9217-4
    Quantitative immunohistochemical methods were used to assess activation of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenocortical system at the level of its central component - the adenohypophysis - in the growing body during chronic exposure to psychoemotional stressors of different strengths. Sprague-Dawley rats aged 30 days were subjected to "mild" or "severe" immobilization stress for 5 h per day for seven days. Animals were decapitated at the end of the last stress session and the endocrine glands (hypophysis, adrenals) were harvested, weighed, and embedded in paraffin; sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and also immunohistochemically using monoclonal antibodies to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) following by automated image analysis. These studies showed that stress-associated hyperplasia of corticotropocytes in rats of pubertal age was due more to the differentiation of existing immature precursor cells than to cell proliferation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  8. Shahrulazua A, Ariff Sukimin MS, Tengku Muzaffar TM, Yusof MI
    Singapore Med J, 2010 Mar;51(3):235-41.
    PMID: 20428746
    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the early functional outcome following the use of a bioabsorbable suture anchor to simplify the repair of injured lateral ankle structures as a variation of an established technique known as the Brostrom-Gould procedure.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  9. Chang AS, Yeong BY, Koh WP
    Nutr Rev, 2010 Apr;68(4):246-52.
    PMID: 20416020 DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00283.x
    Reported here is a summary of the proceedings of the Symposium on Plant Polyphenols: Nutrition, Health and Innovations, which was cosponsored by the Southeast Asia Region branch of the International Life Sciences Institute and the Nutrition Society of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, June 22-23, 2009. The symposium provided a timely update of research regarding the protective effects of polyphenols in chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as the development of innovative polyphenol-containing food products with enhanced nutritive and health properties. Presentations covered polyphenols from a wide range of food sources such as tea, coffee, nuts and seeds, cocoa and chocolate, soy, and Asian fruits, vegetables, and spices. The symposium was attended by a large and diverse group of nutritionists, dietitians, researchers and allied health professionals, as well as management, research and development, and marketing personnel from the food and beverage industry. Their enthusiastic participation was a testament to the increasing awareness and interest in polyphenols in the prevention and control of chronic diseases. Presented here are some of the highlights and important information from the symposium.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease/prevention & control
  10. Reda Mahmoud TA, Ismail NI, Muda AS, Abdul Rahman MR
    Ann Thorac Surg, 2010 Aug;90(2):654-5.
    PMID: 20667375 DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2010.02.031
    Bismuth paste injection into the pleural cavity used to be a treatment for chronic empyema thoracis. This method, however, was long forgotten and scarcely practiced due to advanced surgical techniques and antibiotic therapy. We report a 50-year-old man with chronic empyema thoracis who was successfully treated with bismuth paste injection after a failed surgical decortication and a long-term chest drainage. This case highlights a trial of a 100-year-old method of bismuth paste injection which proved effective after standard measures had failed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  11. Sabanayagam C, Lim SC, Wong TY, Lee J, Shankar A, Tai ES
    Nephrol Dial Transplant, 2010 Aug;25(8):2564-70.
    PMID: 20185856 DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfq084
    There is substantial heterogeneity in literature regarding the epidemiology for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in different Asian populations. We aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of CKD in a multi-ethnic Asian population in Singapore.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  12. Alibrahim OA, Al-Sadat N, Elawad NA
    J Public Health Afr, 2010 Sep 01;1(1):e7.
    PMID: 28299041 DOI: 10.4081/jphia.2010.e7
    Depression is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. In the year 2000 depression accounted for 4.4% of the global disability adjusted life years (DALYs). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has a population of 28 million people and is one of the countries experiencing demographic transition in its population structure. Improvements in socioeconomic status have been shown to be associated with increased chronic diseases including chronic mental diseases like depression, but still there is no comprehensive review summarizing the various reports currently existing in the literature. Although individual studies within Saudi Arabia have reported prevalence rates and risks, the quality of such studies need to be subjected to rigorous assessment and their findings pooled to give combined weighted evidence that will provide basis for targeted intervention. Pooled risks have the advantage of adjusting inherent variations within sampled populations and therefore providing more reliable estimates even though there are concerns about possible magnification of smaller individual risks.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  13. Hassan NB, Ismail HC, Naing L, Conroy RM, Abdul Rahman AR
    Br J Clin Pharmacol, 2010 Oct;70(4):500-13.
    PMID: 20840442 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2009.03597.x
    The aims were to develop and validate a new Prescription Quality Index (PQI) for the measurement of prescription quality in chronic diseases.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease/drug therapy*
  14. Ami M, Zakaria Z, Goh BS, Abdullah A, Saim L
    Malays J Med Sci, 2010 Oct;17(4):44-50.
    PMID: 22135560 MyJurnal
    Mastoid abscess remains a recognised complication of otitis media despite the advent of antibiotics. The objectives of this study were to describe the risk factors in patients with mastoid abscess following acute and chronic otitis media and discuss the management of this infection.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  15. Wong CY, Khairi MD, Mohamed SA, Irfan M
    Med J Malaysia, 2010 Dec;65(4):307-8.
    PMID: 21901952
    Dural exposure may occur during the course of thinning the tegmen tympani and tegmen mastoideum in mastoid procedure. If large area of dura is exposed or lacerated, cerebrospinal fluid and brain herniation may enter the mastoid cavity. We report a case of a patient with injured dura mater and tegmen mastoideum during mastoidectomy for chronic suppurative otitis media with cholesteatoma managed by using DuraGen. The dura mater and tegmen defect healed totally showing the success of the procedure. A collagen matrix like DuraGen is an option for repairing dural tear in mastoid region.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  16. Siow SL, Sim NK
    Med J Malaysia, 2010 Dec;65(4):313-4.
    PMID: 21901955
    Proteus Syndrome is a rare congenital hamartomatous disorder that typically manifests itself in overgrowth, vascular malformation and disregulation of fatty tissue. The tissues affected are commonly the limbs but can be of any tissue. Vascular anomalies are common and appear at random sites on the body. Diagnosis is often difficult leading to wrong treatment. We describe a case of a 17-year-old girl with Proteus syndrome presented with symptomatic anaemia secondary to chronic rectal bleeding. Computed Tomography Angiogram of Abdomen and Pelvis confirmed the presence of rectal vascular malformations.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  17. Yeng C, Osman E, Mohamed Z, Noordin R
    Electrophoresis, 2010 Dec;31(23-24):3843-9.
    PMID: 21080484 DOI: 10.1002/elps.201000038
    Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women may result in abortion and foetal abnormalities, and may be life-threatening in immunocompromised hosts. To identify the potential infection markers of this disease, 2-DE and Western blot methods were employed to study the parasite circulating antigens and host-specific proteins in the sera of T. gondii-infected individuals. The comparisons were made between serum protein profiles of infected (n=31) and normal (n=10) subjects. Antigenic proteins were identified by immunoblotting using pooled sera and monoclonal anti-human IgM-HRP. Selected protein spots were characterised using mass spectrometry. Prominent differences were observed when serum samples of T. gondii-infected individuals and normal controls were compared. A significant up-regulation of host-specific proteins, α(2)-HS glycoprotein and α(1)-B glycoprotein, was also observed in the silver-stained gels of both active and chronic infections. However, only α(2)-HS glycoprotein and α(1)-B glycoprotein in the active infection showed immunoreactivity in Western blots. In addition, three spots of T. gondii proteins were detected, namely (i) hypothetical protein chrXII: 3984434-3 TGME 49, (ii) dual specificity protein phosphatase, catalytic domain TGME 49 and (iii) NADPH-cytochrome p450 reductase TGME 49. Thus, 2-DE approach followed by Western blotting has enabled the identification of five potential infection markers for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis: three are parasite-specific proteins and two are host-specific proteins.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  18. Al-Jashamy K, Murad A, Zeehaida M, Rohaini M, Hasnan J
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2010;11(6):1765-8.
    PMID: 21338230
    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer mortality among men and women worldwide; the risk of its occurrence has been shown to be increased by chronic bacterial infections. A case control study was therefore carried out at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) to determine the incidence of colorectal cancer associated with S. bovis infection. A total of 166 stool specimens were collected from diseased patients and healthy individuals and S. bovis isolates were identified. Suspected colon tumor and cancer cases were diagnosed and confirmed. It was found that overall prevalence of S. bovis was 41 (24.7%) out of 166 cases studied. Some 41(48.6%) of these S. bovis isolates was found in patients with colonic polyps, adenocarcinomas, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and chronic gastrointestinal tract (GIT). It was also found that colorectal cancer incidence was 24.7%, adenocarinomas accounting for 51% with the highest incidence in the sigmoid part of the colon. Among the IBD and chronic GIT cases, ulcerative colitis featured in the majority of cases (41.4%). In conclusion, there is a high incidence of colorectal cancer associated with S. bovis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  19. Hasmoni MH, Shah AS, Ayoub S, Hin LS, Abd Rashid MA
    BMJ Case Rep, 2010;2010.
    PMID: 22791841 DOI: 10.1136/bcr.06.2010.3120
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  20. Chew BH
    Malays Fam Physician, 2010;5(2):101-4.
    PMID: 25606197 MyJurnal
    This case reports a 57-year-old lady presented with cough of two months duration despite repeated treatments from multiple general practitioners. It took her another two months to know her diagnoses and a further couple of months to be relieved of her cough and became asymptomatic. Chronic cough management in primary care often needs an empiric integrative approach and requires good doctor-patient rapport with informed follow ups and continuity of care to be successful.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
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