Material and Methods: A total of 5 ml of unstimulated saliva was collected from each subject (10 non-orthodontic patients and 15 post-orthodontic patients with 6-months retention phase). Samples were then subjected to LC-MS analysis. The expressed proteins were identified and compared between groups. Incisor irregularity for both maxilla and mandible were determined with Little's Irregularity Index at 6-months retention phase.
Results: 146 proteins and 135 proteins were expressed in control and 6-months retention phase group respectively. 15 proteins were identified to be co-expressed between groups. Immune system process was only detected in 6-months retention phase group. Detected protein in immune system process was identified as Tyrosine-protein kinase Tec. Statistical significant of incisor irregularity was only found in mandible at 6-months retention phase.
Conclusions: Our study suggests that immune system process protein which is Tyrosine-protein kinase Tec could be used as biomarker for prediction of stability during retention phase of post-orthodontic treatment. Key words:Orthodontics, proteomics, retention, LC-MS, saliva.
METHODS: This was a two-centre randomised controlled trial of CI versus IB dosing of beta-lactam antibiotics, which enrolled critically ill participants with severe sepsis who were not on renal replacement therapy (RRT). The primary outcome was clinical cure at 14 days after antibiotic cessation. Secondary outcomes were PK/PD target attainment, ICU-free days and ventilator-free days at day 28 post-randomisation, 14- and 30-day survival, and time to white cell count normalisation.
RESULTS: A total of 140 participants were enrolled with 70 participants each allocated to CI and IB dosing. CI participants had higher clinical cure rates (56 versus 34 %, p = 0.011) and higher median ventilator-free days (22 versus 14 days, p MIC than the IB arm on day 1 (97 versus 70 %, p
Objectives: A cross-sectional survey was carried out and sent to a total of 868 specialists working primarily in the ICU. The aim of this study was to explore knowledge, perception, and the antibiotic prescribing practice among specialists and advanced trainees in Malaysian ICU.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was used, consisted of three sections: knowledge, perception, and antibiotic prescribing practice in ICU. Three case vignettes on hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), infected necrotizing pancreatitis (INP), and catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) were used to explore antibiotic prescribing practice.
Results: A total of 868 eligible subjects were approached with 104 responded to the survey. Three hundred eighty-nine antibiotics were chosen from seven different classes in the case vignettes. All respondents acknowledged the importance of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) in antibiotic optimization and majority (97.2%) perceived that current dosing is inadequate to achieve optimal PK/PD target in ICU patients. Majority (85.6%) believed that antibiotic dose should be streamlined to the organisms' minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). In terms of knowledge, only 64.4% provided the correct correlations between antibiotics and their respective PK/PD targets. Compliance rates in terms of antibiotic choices were at 79.8%, 77.8%, and 27.9% for HAI, INP, and CRBSI, respectively.
Conclusion: Malaysian physicians are receptive to use PK/PD approach to optimize antibiotic dosing in ICU patients. Nonetheless, there are still gaps in the knowledge of antibiotic PK/PD as well as its application in the critically ill, especially for β-lactams.