Displaying all 12 publications

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  1. Osman A, Wan Chuan T, Ab Rahman J, Via G, Tavazzi G
    Eur J Emerg Med, 2018 Oct;25(5):322-327.
    PMID: 28509710 DOI: 10.1097/MEJ.0000000000000471
    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate a novel pericardiocentesis technique using an in-plane parasternal medial-to-lateral approach with the use of a high-frequency probe in patients with cardiac tamponade.

    BACKGROUND: Echocardiography is pivotal in the diagnosis of pericardial effusion and tamponade physiology. Ultrasound guidance for pericardiocentesis is currently considered the standard of care. Several approaches have been described recently, which differ mainly on the site of puncture (subxiphoid, apical, or parasternal). Although they share the use of low-frequency probes, there is absence of complete control of needle trajectory and real-time needle visualization. An in-plane and real-time technique has only been described anecdotally.

    METHODS AND RESULTS: A retrospective analysis of 11 patients (63% men, mean age: 37.7±21.2 years) presenting with cardiac tamponade admitted to the tertiary-care emergency department and treated with parasternal medial-to-lateral in-plane pericardiocentesis was carried out. The underlying causes of cardiac tamponade were different among the population. All the pericardiocentesis were successfully performed in the emergency department, without complications, relieving the hemodynamic instability. The mean time taken to perform the eight-step procedure was 309±76.4 s, with no procedure-related complications.

    CONCLUSION: The parasternal medial-to-lateral in-plane pericardiocentesis is a new technique theoretically free of complications and it enables real-time monitoring of needle trajectory. For the first time, a pericardiocentesis approach with a medial-to-lateral needle trajectory and real-time, in-plane, needle visualization was performed in a tamponade patient population.

  2. Hin HS, Ramalingam R, Chunn KY, Ahmad N, Ab Rahman J, Mohamed MS
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2012 Oct;87(4):737-40.
    PMID: 22826499 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0165
    Co-infection of melioidosis and leptospirosis is uncommon. We report here four such cases, confirmed by blood culture for melioidosis and blood polymerase-chain reaction for leptospirosis, which occurred among rescuers involved in a search and rescue operation for a young man who was suspected to have drowned in Lubuk Yu, a recreational forest in Pahang, Malaysia. Despite treatment, three of the patients died from the co-infection.
  3. Asha'ari ZA, Hasmoni MH, Ab Rahman J, Yusof RA, Ahmad RA
    Laryngoscope, 2012 Oct;122(10):2337-42.
    PMID: 22753136 DOI: 10.1002/lary.23379
    To study the association between sleep apnea and hypertension in a younger age group than previously studied, adding upper airway sizes at endoscopy as important compounding variables not often included in the past.
  4. Draman S, Ab Rahman NS, Nik Mohamed MH, Ab Rahman J, Kartiwi M
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2020 Nov;12(Suppl 2):S718-S727.
    PMID: 33828367 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_384_19
    Context: Electronic cigarettes have been used as a harm reduction method toward tobacco cessation. Malaysian government has enforced a strict policy to regulate the sale of electronic cigarette products because its liquid contains nicotine.

    Aims: This study aimed to explore the general public's perception toward electronic cigarette use. Public support toward electronic cigarette regulation was also examined.

    Settings and Design: This was a Malaysian population-based survey.

    Materials and Methods: Data were obtained from the National E-Cigarette Survey (NECS) 2016, which used a multistage stratified cluster sampling household survey representing all Malaysian adults aged 18 years old. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a total of 4288 adults.

    Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive and logistic regression analysis.

    Results: Majority were aged 25-44 years old (44%), completed at least secondary education (69%), of Malay ethnicity (73%), and married (68%). Majority (88.1%) have never used electronic cigarette. A quarter (25.5%) perceived electronic cigarette helps people quit cigarette smoking, whereas 20.3% perceived electronic cigarette helps people to maintain cigarette abstinence. Approximately 85% believed that electronic cigarette use does not help in improving breathing and coughing. Majority (91.8%) disagreed that electronic cigarettes should be allowed in places where tobacco smoking is banned. Thus, 63.4% agreed that electronic cigarette should be banned completely rather than regulated.

    Conclusion: Majority of general public had negative perception about electronic cigarette use.

  5. Mosaad M, Elnaem MH, Cheema E, Ibrahim I, Ab Rahman J, Kori AN, et al.
    Int J Gen Med, 2021;14:3881-3897.
    PMID: 34335052 DOI: 10.2147/IJGM.S320492
    Cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) is a leading cause of death in cancer patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy. The latest guidelines emphasize stratifying the patients in terms of CAT risks periodically. Multiple risk assessment models (RAMs) were developed to classify patients and guide thromboprophylaxis to high-risk patients. This study aimed to discuss and highlight different RAMs across various malignancy types with their related advantages and disadvantages. A scoping review was conducted using predefined search terms in three scientific databases, including Google Scholar, Science Direct, and PubMed. The search for studies was restricted to original research articles that reported risk assessment models published in the last thirteen years (between 2008 and 2021) to cover the most recently published evidence following the development of the principal risk assessment score in 2008. Data charting of the relevant trials, scores, advantages, and disadvantages were done iteratively considering the malignancy type. Of the initially identified 1115 studies, 39 studies with over 67,680 patients were included in the review. In solid organ malignancy, nine risk assessment scores were generated. The first and most known Khorana risk score still offers the best available risk assessment model when used for high-risk populations with a threshold of 2 and above. However, KRS has a limitation of failure to stratify low-risk patients. The COMPASS-CAT score showed the best performance in the lung carcinoma patients who have a higher prevalence of thrombosis than other malignancy subtypes. In testicular germ cell tumours, Bezan et al RAM is a validated good discriminatory RAM for this malignancy subtype. CAT in haematological malignancy seems to be under-investigated and has multiple disease-related, and treatment-related confounding factors. AL-Ani et al score performed efficiently in acute leukemia. In multiple myeloma, both SAVED and IMPEDED VTE scores showed good performance. Despite the availability of different disease-specific scores in lymphoma-related thrombosis, the standard of care needs to be redefined.
  6. Masroor N, Ab Rahman J, Han TM, Khattak MAK, Aye A
    Malays J Nutr, 2014;20(2):197-207.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: This study aimed to assess the nutritional status of children below 24 months in the district of Pekan, Pahang, and identify the contributing factors. Methods: Using a cross-sectional methodology, a total of 910 children was selected by random sampling from four public health clinics. Anthropometric measurements were taken and weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for- height were calculated in Z scores. Immediate caregivers of children were interviewed by using a pretested validated questionnaire to assess their socio- economic, demographic, educational and occupational status. Results: Of the 910 children who participated in the study, the majority were Malay (70.1%), while the remaining comprised indigenous or Orang-Asli (OA) children. Prevalence of wasting, stunting and underweight were 28.7 %, 15.6 % and 19.0% respectively. There were more underweight males than females. Wasting was most common among children aged below 6 months. Stunting was more prevalent in children between 12 to 24 months. Obesity was seen in 7.3% of the sample. Maternal education, employment and socio-economic status had a significant influence on wasting and underweight. Children were vulnerable to stunting as age advanced, whereas prevalence of wasting tended to decrease. Conclusion: Malnutrition exists in significant proportions among children below 24 months in the Pekan district. This study identified low birth weight along with age, race, gender, large family size and socio-economic status as important risk factors of malnutrition.
  7. Zayzan KR, Yusof NM, Sulong AF, Zakaria Z, Ab Rahman J
    Singapore Med J, 2020 Dec 02.
    PMID: 33264560 DOI: 10.11622/smedj.2020164
    INTRODUCTION: The clinical outcomes and factors associated with treatment failure of post-traumatic osteomyelitis have been investigated by many studies. However, limb functionality and quality of life following treatment for this condition have not been thoroughly studied.

    METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that included 47 patients with post-traumatic osteomyelitis of the lower limb. Functional outcome was assessed using the Lower Extremity Functional Score (LEFS), and quality of life was assessed using the validated Malay version of Short Form-36 version 2.

    RESULTS: Mean follow-up time was 4.6 (range 2.3-9.5) years. Median age was 44 years. Osteomyelitis was located in the tibia for 26 patients and in the femur for 21 patients. Osteomyelitis was consequent to internal infection in 38 patients and due to infected open fractures in nine patients. 42 (89.4%) patients had fracture union and control of infection. Bone defect was found to be a significant contributing factor for treatment failure (p = 0.008). The median LEFS for the success group was 65 when compared to 49 for the failure group. Although the success group showed better scores with regard to quality of life, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant.

    CONCLUSION: The success rate for post-traumatic osteomyelitis of the lower limb was high. The presence of a bone defect was associated with treatment failure. Successfully treated patients had significantly better functional outcomes than failed ones.

  8. Mohamed Bakrim N, Mohd Shah ANS, Talib NA, Ab Rahman J, Abdullah A
    Malays J Med Sci, 2020 Mar;27(2):64-76.
    PMID: 32788843 MyJurnal DOI: 10.21315/mjms2020.27.2.8
    Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) molecular research in young adults is still limited. The aim of this study is to identify AMI proteomic biomarker(s) in young adults.

    Methods: This study comprised of two phases namely discovery and verification. In the discovery phase, proteins in the pooled plasma samples from young male adults between 18 and 45 years (10 AMI patients and 10 controls) were separated using two-dimensional electrophoresis. The protein spots that were expressed differently in the AMI patients were identified via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The plasma concentrations of these proteins were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay during the verification phase (40 AMI patients and 80 controls).

    Results: Haptoglobin (Hp), apolipoprotein AI (Apo AI) and apolipoprotein AIV (Apo AIV) were up-regulated in the discovery phase. In the verification phase, the plasma concentration of Hp was significantly higher in AMI patients than the controls (P < 0.001). Logistic regression showed an association between Hp and AMI in young adults (odds ratio [OR] = 1.016, 95% CI: 1.002-1.030, P = 0.025) independent of other AMI risk factors. Hp was significantly correlated with high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (r = 0.424, P < 0.001).

    Conclusion: In young adults with AMI, plasma Hp concentrations were elevated and it is independently associated with AMI. A positive correlation with hs-CRP suggests Hp could be a potential biomarker of AMI in young adults.

  9. Ab Rahman J, Mohd Yusoff MF, Nik Mohamed MH, Mahadir Naidu B, Lim KH, Tee GH, et al.
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2019 10;31(7_suppl):9S-21S.
    PMID: 30880403 DOI: 10.1177/1010539519834735
    Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are a new method for the consumption of nicotine. A nationwide survey among 4288 Malaysian adults was conducted in 2016 to measure the prevalence and to describe the population characteristics of e-cigarette users. A complex sampling design was used, and data were collected using a face-to-face questionnaire. The overall prevalence of current, ever, former, and dual users of e-cigarettes in Malaysia were 3.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.5-4.1), 11.9% (95% CI = 10.5-13.5), 8.6% (95% CI = 7.5-9.8), and 2.3% (95% CI = 1.8-3.1), respectively. The prevalence of all type of e-cigarette use was higher in urban than in rural areas. Current e-cigarette users were likely to be younger, males, and with higher education level. Among current e-cigarette users, 74% (95% CI = 64-82) also smoked conventional cigarettes (dual user). E-cigarette use is prevalent in Malaysia. It is common among younger adults, males, and cigarette smokers.
  10. Jayaramu V, Zulkafli Z, De Stercke S, Buytaert W, Rahmat F, Abdul Rahman RZ, et al.
    Int J Biometeorol, 2023 Mar;67(3):423-437.
    PMID: 36719482 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-022-02422-y
    Leptospirosis is a zoonosis that has been linked to hydrometeorological variability. Hydrometeorological averages and extremes have been used before as drivers in the statistical prediction of disease. However, their importance and predictive capacity are still little known. In this study, the use of a random forest classifier was explored to analyze the relative importance of hydrometeorological indices in developing the leptospirosis model and to evaluate the performance of models based on the type of indices used, using case data from three districts in Kelantan, Malaysia, that experience annual monsoonal rainfall and flooding. First, hydrometeorological data including rainfall, streamflow, water level, relative humidity, and temperature were transformed into 164 weekly average and extreme indices in accordance with the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI). Then, weekly case occurrences were classified into binary classes "high" and "low" based on an average threshold. Seventeen models based on "average," "extreme," and "mixed" indices were trained by optimizing the feature subsets based on the model computed mean decrease Gini (MDG) scores. The variable importance was assessed through cross-correlation analysis and the MDG score. The average and extreme models showed similar prediction accuracy ranges (61.5-76.1% and 72.3-77.0%) while the mixed models showed an improvement (71.7-82.6% prediction accuracy). An extreme model was the most sensitive while an average model was the most specific. The time lag associated with the driving indices agreed with the seasonality of the monsoon. The rainfall variable (extreme) was the most important in classifying the leptospirosis occurrence while streamflow was the least important despite showing higher correlations with leptospirosis.
  11. Chan CMH, Ab Rahman J, Tee GH, Wee LH, Ho BK, Robson NZMH, et al.
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2019 10;31(7_suppl):32S-43S.
    PMID: 31328531 DOI: 10.1177/1010539519860730
    Little is known about the perceptions of harm and benefit associated with the use of e-cigarettes in Malaysia. This was a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample comprising 1987 males (≥18 years of age). Current, former, and never users of conventional cigarettes and/or e-cigarettes participated in a questionnaire study conducted via face-to-face interviews. The relationship between participant characteristics and perceptions of harm and benefit of e-cigarettes were determined with multivariable logistic regression. There were 950 current, 377 former, and 660 never users of e-cigarettes. Government employees (odds ratio [OR] = 1.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.29-2.66, P = .001), private sector employees (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.27-2.18, P = .001), and the self-employed people (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.31-2.17, P = .001) were more likely to perceive e-cigarettes as more harmful than conventional cigarettes compared with respondents who were not wage earners. All current users in the form of e-cigarette users (OR = 7.87, 95% CI = 3.23-19.18), conventional cigarette smokers (OR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.39-2.33), and dual users (OR = 8.59, 95% CI = 4.76-15.52) were more likely to perceive e-cigarettes as useful in quitting conventional cigarette smoking compared with former and never users. Our findings constitute an important snapshot into the perceptions of e-cigarette harms and benefits, which could inform targeted public health messaging strategies.
  12. Lim KH, Heng PP, Nik Mohamed MH, Teh CH, Mohd Yusoff MF, Ling JMY, et al.
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2019 10;31(7_suppl):22S-31S.
    PMID: 31802718 DOI: 10.1177/1010539519874944
    Smoking cessation significantly reduces risk of smoking-related diseases and mortality. This study aims to determine the prevalence and factors associated with attempts to quit and smoking cessation among adult current smokers in Malaysia. Data from the National E-Cigarette Survey 2016 were analyzed. Forty nine percent of current smokers had attempted to quit at least once in the past 12 months and 31.4% of the respondents were former smokers. Multivariable analysis revealed that current smokers with low nicotine addiction and aged below 45 years were more likely to attempt to quit smoking. Being married, older age group, and having tertiary education were significantly associated with smoking cessation. Only half of the current smokers ever attempted to quit smoking and only a third of smokers quit. Stronger tobacco control policies are needed in Malaysia to encourage more smokers to quit smoking. Improved access to cessation support for underprivileged smokers is also needed.
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