Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 32 in total

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  1. Fulltext An older woman with pain and swelling of left leg
    Das Gupta E
    Malays Fam Physician, 2010;5(1):47-8.
    PMID: 25606188
  2. Fulltext Common laboratory tests for rheumatological disorders: how do they help the diagnosis?
    Das Gupta E
    Malays Fam Physician, 2009;4(2-3):48-50.
    PMID: 25606162 MyJurnal
    No screening test is ideal for detecting rheumatic diseases; diagnosis depends on appropriate history and thorough physical examination. Sometimes, laboratory investigations may be useful in confirming or ruling out rheumatic disease after a clinical diagnosis is considered. Once a rheumatic disease has been diagnosed, certain laboratory tests can help in assessing prognosis or determining the extent of the disease. Laboratory tests may also help the physician monitor certain rheumatic diseases, guide treatment or assess potential drug toxicity.
  3. Fulltext A man with febrile illness and difficulty in walking
    Das Gupta E
    Malays Fam Physician, 2008;3(1):51.
    PMID: 25606113
  4. Fulltext A woman with pain and stiffness of hands
    Das Gupta E
    Malays Fam Physician, 2008;3(3):164-5.
    PMID: 25606146
  5. Fulltext A 62 year old man with pain and stiffness of hands
    Das Gupta E
    Malays Fam Physician, 2007;2(1):35.
    PMID: 25606078
  6. Fulltext Cicatricial alopecia - a case study
    Kwa SK, Das Gupta E
    Aust Fam Physician, 2015 Jul;44(7):476-8.
    PMID: 26590492
  7. Fulltext A woman with persistent fever and a skin lesion
    Tai KS, Das Gupta E
    Aust J Gen Pract, 2018 08;47(8):535-536.
    PMID: 30114881
  8. Fulltext Predictors of frequent oral analgesic use in rheumatoid arthritis
    Das Gupta E, Tee HS, Sakthiswary R
    Pak J Med Sci, 2014 Sep;30(5):976-81.
    PMID: 25225510 DOI: 10.12669/pjms.305.5112
    Objective: The main objective of this study was to determine the predictors of frequent oral analgesic use among Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients who were prescribed with the above medication on an ‘as needed’ basis.
    Methods: Patients with RA were recruited consecutively from the Rheumatology outpatient clinics in this cross-sectional study. The sociodemographic data, frequency of oral analgesic intake, Patient Global Assessment (PGA) scores and HAQ (Health Assessment Questionnaire) scores were determined by interviewing the subjects. Subjects were divided into 2 groups; frequent users (3 days and above in a week) and less frequent users (less than 3 days in a week).
    Results: In a total of 112 subjects, 39 (34.8%) were frequent analgesic users. Both the HAQ and PGA scores were significantly higher among the frequent users (p < 0.05). Using multivariate analysis, the HAQ scores (p=0.015, odds ratio 3.161 [95% confidence interval of 1.246-8.015]) and PGA scores (p=0.039 odds ratio 1.291 [95% confidence interval of 1.012-1.646]) were found to be independent predictors of frequent analgesic use.
    Conclusions: Our study confirms that the frequency of analgesic intake in Rheumatoid Arthritis has a significant relationship with patient-reported functional capacity and well being.
    KEY WORDS: Analgesic, Rheumatoid arthritis.

    Study site: Rheumatology clinic, Hospital Tunku Jaafar, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
  9. A survey of the primary care management of osteoarthritis in Malaysia: A view from a rheumatologist's perspective
    Arshad A, Rashid R, Das Gupta E
    Int J Rheum Dis, 2008;11(3):246-250.
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1756-185X.2008.00367.x
    Objective: Primary care management of knee osteoarthritis (OA) has received little attention in the scientific literature and the main reason for this survey is to study and explore the variations and patterns of primary care management and assess both conventional and complementary therapy usage in knee OA in the primary care setting.
    Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 200 randomly selected general practitioners (GPs) in the peninsular states of Malaysia was undertaken using a questionnaire. The GPs involved were asked about basic knowledge of OA in terms of diagnosis, investigation, and treatment. They were also asked about their usage of conventional and complementary medication.
    Results: One hundred and eighty (90%) GPs responded to the questionnaires sent: 77% were in solo practice and 33% in group practice. Most of the GPs surveyed (60%) had been in practice for more than 10 years, 30% for 5-10 years and 10% were in practice for less than 5 years. Of GPs surveyed, 55% saw an average of more than 20 patients per week, 35% about 10-20 patients and 10% less than 10 patients per week. Of GPs surveyed, 65% would arrange an X-ray, 55% would arrange a blood test, mostly serum uric acid, rheumatoid factor and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Pharmacological management consists of first-line treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (61%), analgesics (35%) or a combination of the two (4%). Non-pharmacological management consisted of advice on exercise (27%), weight reduction (33%) and referral to physiotherapy (10%). Of GPs surveyed, 85% prescribed some form of complementary medications, 60% prescribed glucosamine sulphate, 21% chondroitin sulphate, 11% cod liver oil and 9% evening primrose oil. Only 10% of GPs surveyed perform intra-articular injections.
    Conclusion: The data suggest that in the primary care setting, the majority of GPs over-investigate the diagnosis of OA. Pharmacological interventions largely concentrate on analgesics and NSAIDs. The use of physiotheraphy and non-drug approaches were significantly under-utilized. There is a need to further educate GPs in the management of OA.
  10. Characteristics of Malaysian systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients seen in a public and private hospital. [Abstract]
    Yeap SS, Das Gupta E, Gun SC
    Int J Rheum Dis, 2010;13:121.
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1756-185X.2010.01502.x
    BACKGROUND: In Malaysia, patients have a choice of attending a public (fully subsidised bygovernment) hospital (PUBH) or a private (fee-paying) hospital (PRIH) for their healthcare.The aim of this study was to, firstly, provide an overview of the characteristics of MalaysianSLE patients attending rheumatology clinics, and secondly, to ascertain if there were any dif-ferences between patients attending PUBH and PRIH.
    METHODS:A standardised questionnaire was administered to all SLE patients attendingrheumatology clinics in a PRIH in Selangor state and a PUBH in Negeri Sembilan state dur-ing the months of September to December 2009.
    RESULTS:One hundred and thirty patients were included in the study. There were 55(42.3%) patients from PRIH and 75 (57.7%) from PUBH. 93.8% were female. 61.5% wereChinese, 29.2% Malay and 7.7% Indians. The majority of patients completed secondaryschooling (46.9%) with significantly less PUBH patients going onto higher education(P = 0.001). 53.8% were in fulltime employment with 37.7% housewives/unemployed.There were significantly more unemployed patients in PUBH (45.3%) versus PRIH (27.2%)(P = 0.05). 33.8% of patients were single, 60.8% married and 3.8% divorced. Average ageat SLE diagnosis was 29.8510.17 years. At diagnosis, the most common presenting symp-tom was related to the mucocutaneous system 70.8%, followed by joints 55.3%, haemato-logical 46.9% and renal 23.1%. Significantly more patients had renal involvement atdiagnosis in PUBH (33.3%) versus PRIH (9.1%) (P = 0.001). At the time of survey, therewere 12 (9.2%) patients in remission. Of those still symptomatic, 48.5% related to themucocutaneous system, 32.3% joints, 27.7% haematological, 22.3% renal, with significantlymore current renal disease in PUBH (30.7%) versus PRIH (10.9%) (P = 0.008). The mostfrequently prescribed drug was prednisolone in 83.1% of patients, followed by hydroxychlo-roquine 68.5% and azathioprine 23.1%. Only 64.8% of patients on prednisolone were onbone protective agents. More patients in PRIH were on prednisolone (90.9%) versus PUBH(77.3%) (P = 0.04), but more patients were on activated vitamin D in PUBH (72%) versusPRIH (29.1%) (P < 0.001).
    CONCLUSION:The demographics and clinical characteristics of SLE patients attending PUBHand PRIH are significantly different. This has important implications when considering edu-cational and treatment strategies
  11. The study of clinical characteristics of gout patients on follow up in Rheumatology Clinic, Hospital Seremban. [Abstract]
    Mohd A, Gun SC, Das Gupta E, De'Souza B
    APLAR Journal of Rheumatology, 2006;9 Suppl 1:A89.
    Objective: To determine the epidemiological, clinical and laboratory features of the patients with gout, on follow up in Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic, Hospital Seremban.
    Methods: This was a retrospective study. Case notes of all our existing gout patients were reviewed, and data on demography, clinical features, associated conditions, and laboratory findings were noted.
    Results: 54 patients were studied, 48 (89%) were male and 6 (11%) were female at the ratio of M : F = 8:1, 30 (57%) of them had the onset of symptoms at their 3rd and 4th decades of life. The majority were the Malays 39 (72%), followed by the Indians 11 (20%) and the Chinese 4 (8%). Commonly associated conditions were hypertension in 37 (68.5%), obesity (BMI of 30 and above) in 36 (66.7%) and hyperlipidaemia in 36 (66.7%) of them. Mixed hyperlipidaemia (High TG and LDL cholesterol) were found in 19 (53%). Underlying history of diabetes mellitus 7 (13%), alcohol consumption 8 (15%), smoking habits 22 (40%) and family history of gout 18 (33%). Half of our patients 27 (50%) had at least 2 or more joints involvement. 28 (52%) of them had tophaceous gout. Among those with tophaceous gout, 18 (64%) had renal impairment with serum creatinine of .150mmol/l. 6 (31.5%) of the patients with renal impairment found to have renal calculi on ultrasonography.
    Conclusion: There was male predominance in our group of patients which was consistent with other reported epidemiological studies. Hypertension, mixed hyperlipidaemia and obesity were common associated conditions while diabetes mellitus, smoking and family history of gout were not. The majority of gout patients in our clinic were Malays and due to religious reasons, alcohol was not a common associated factor. Half of our patients had multiple joints involvement and more than half also had tophaceous gout. There was high incidence of renal impairment seen in patients with tophaceous gout. These could be due to delay in seeking medical treatment, present of renal calculi and possibly contributed by associated hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
  12. To compare ESR and CRP as predictors of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients in Hospital Seremban. [Abstract]
    Gun SC, Loh YL, Das Gupta E
    APLAR Journal of Rheumatology, 2006;9 Suppl 1:A185.
    Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease. Predictors of disease activity include presence of joint inflammation, blood investigations such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and c-reactive protein (CRP). ESR is said to be imprecise as it is affected by aging, female sex, obesity, pregnancy, anaemia and polycythaemia. But it is inexpensive and easy to perform. CRP is produced as an acute phase reactant by the liver in response to interleukin 6 and other cytokines. CRP is more specific but costs more than ESR. Both tests are done in the rheumatology clinic of Hospital Seremban. Objective: To compare the usefulness of ESR and CRP as a predictor of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Method: This was a retrospective study. The medical records of 248 RA patients who attended the rheumatology clinic, Hospital Seremban between 1 January 2004 and 31 Dec 2004 were reviewed. The following data were obtained: joint swelling and tenderness, other clinical features which indicate inflammation secondary to infection or trauma and inflammation of soft tissue, ESR, CRP, FBC and UFEME. Results: Data was analysed and the results showed that a total number of 248 patients were seen. There were 13 defaulters. Of the 248 patients there were 929 patients' visits. Of the total number of patients' visits where patients clinically had active disease, 80.2% had raised ESR while 88.8% had raised CRP. As for visits where patients had quiescent disease clinically, 57.3% had normal ESR and 36.5% had normal CRP. Conclusion: CRP is more sensitive but less specific than ESR. This suggests that we still should use both tests as they complement each other. ESR can serve as a countercheck for CRP and vice versa.
  13. Knowledge about osteoporosis in a Malaysian population
    Yeap SS, Goh EM, Das Gupta E
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2010 Apr;22(2):233-41.
    PMID: 20457652 DOI: 10.1177/1010539509343948
    To determine the depth and sources of knowledge about osteoporosis (OP) among the public in Malaysia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to attendees of health-related public forums. A total of 87.1% of the attendees had heard of OP. Of these, 89.5% were concerned about getting OP. Significantly more women than men (P = .015), those with more than 10 years of schooling (P < .001), and those earning more than $US285 per month (P = .022) had heard of OP. Knowledge of OP risk factors was good: 97.1% identified low calcium intake, 87.8% lack of exercise, 80.0% family history of OP, and 75.8% postmenopausal status. A total of 38.7% of the attendees thought that OP was more serious than cancer and 35.1% more serious than heart disease; 55.7% obtained information about OP from newspapers and 46.4% from magazines. In this self-selected population, women, the better educated, and those earning higher incomes were more aware of OP. Knowledge of OP was obtained mainly from printed materials.
  14. Rheumatological publications from Malaysia: a bibliometric study
    Teng CL, Chew WZ, Das Gupta E, Yeap SS
    Clin Rheumatol, 2020 Feb;39(2):547-552.
    PMID: 31784864 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-019-04839-0
    OBJECTIVES: To assess the content, authorship and study design of rheumatological publications written by Malaysian authors or about rheumatological conditions in Malaysia.

    METHODS: The Malaysian Medical Repository (MyMedR), a web-based database of Malaysian health and medical publications, and Scopus were searched to retrieve rheumatological publications from Malaysia, for the period 1950 until 30 June 2019. The type and number of publications in each rheumatological subject area and the overall trend of publication numbers and citations were analysed.

    RESULTS: 547 publications were found for the time period studied. There was a 27-fold increase in the number of publications from the period up to 1980 compared to 2010-2019. The median number of citations per paper was 5, but unlike the number of publications, there was only a slight increase in the number of citations with time. 84.5% of the papers were cited at least once. The top 3 conditions generating the most publications were systemic lupus erythematosus, 36.7%, followed by rheumatoid arthritis, 17.0%, and osteoporosis, 13.9%.

    CONCLUSIONS: The number of rheumatological publications in Malaysia have increased over time, especially in the last decade. However, the average number of citations per publications remains low and the majority of publications are in journals with low impact factors. Thus, the quality of rheumatological publications from Malaysia can be further improved.Key Points• There have been only a limited number of bibliometric analysis of rheumatology publications from Asia.• In Malaysia, the number of rheumatology publications has increased over time.• However, there is still room for improvement in terms of the quality of the publications.

  15. Health beliefs about osteoporosis in a Malaysian population. [Abstract]
    Yeap SS, Goh EML, Das Gupta E, Lee JK
    APLAR Journal of Rheumatology, 2006;9 Suppl 1:A125-A126.
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1479-8077.2006.00199_20.x
    Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the depth of knowledge about osteoporosis (OP) among the public in Malaysia. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to attendees of selected health-related public forums in the Klang Valley and Seremban between the months of May to October 2005. Results: 483 questionnaires were returned from 600 given out (80.5%). There were 139 (28.8%) male, 338 (70%) female respondents and 6 (1.2%) not stated. 87.1% respondents had heard of OP. Significantly more women than men had heard of OP (p = 0.015). Mean age was 50.15 ± 14.6 years, 56.7% in the range of 45-64 years. There was no significant difference in the ages of those who had heard of OP and those who had not. 180/338 (53.3%) were postmenopausal females. Those with >10 years of schooling were more likely to have heard of OP (p RM 1000/month (US$270) were more likely to have heard of OP (p =0.022). 22.6% had a positive family history of OP. 63.1% exercised regularly at an average of 4.26 ± 2.78 hours/week. 4.8% were smokers with a median of 10 cigarettes/day. 24.4% drank alcohol with a median of 1 drink/week. However, 70.9% of respondents said that OP led to falls. 89.6% were concerned about osteoporosis. 90.7% agreed that osteoporosis would make daily activities more difficult. The majority obtained their information about osteoporosis from the printed word; newspapers 55.7%, magazines 46.4%, posters/brochures 30.2%, followed by public talks 30%, relatives 29.6%, television 22.8%, medical clinic 22.6% and internet 11.4%. The majority would ask for more information on osteoporosis from their general practitioner 30.6%, followed by other medical specialists such as orthopaedic surgeons 28.4%, hospital specialists 23.8%, rheumatologists 22.4%, followed by friends 15.9%, relatives 14.3% and pharmacists 11.4%. In this self-selected population, knowledge of OP was better among women, the better educated and those earning a higher level of income. Almost 90% of respondents were concerned about getting OP. Their knowledge of OP was obtained from the printed word, which is an important consideration when considering health promotion activities. General practitioners and orthopaedic surgeons need to have a good knowledge of OP.
  16. Fulltext Teaching and learning in workplace: contemporary perspectives
    Bhardwaj A, Nagandla K, Das Gupta E, Ibrahim S
    Education in Medicine Journal, 2015;7(3):67-72.
    MyJurnal
    Workplace learning is essentially informal that is unstructured, unintended and opportunistic from educational view point. Recall of factual knowledge and applying skills is central in workplace so learning becomes meaningful and evidence based. To maximise their learning, the learners must take active participation in their own learning, set goals and march towards achieving these goals. The objective of the teacher at this juncture is obliging to the needs of the learners and of the patients. This review aims to address the teaching and learning theories that impact the workplace learning, factors influencing workplace based learning, identifying opportunities for learning to occur parallel with work and strategies that maximise successful workplace learning.
  17. Fulltext Early referral of newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis
    Das Gupta E, Gun SC, Abdul Rahman YR
    Family Physician, 2003;12(1):16-8.
    1. Revised ARA criteria (1987) the diagnosis of RA requires presence of at least 4 of the following 7 features: 1) morning stiffness> 1 hour 2) swelling of 2 or more joints (of 6 weeks duration) 3) symmetrical joint involvement 4) arthritis of more than 1 hand joints (of at least 6 weeks duration) 5) positive rheumatoid factor, 6) presence of rheumatoid nodule 7) X-ray changes. 2. Use of DMARD should start early, along with pain control by non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAID) 3. Early referral to rheumatologists is the current recommendation 4. Indications for early referral include: i. Early morning stiffness (EMS) of 30 mins ;- ii. Metatarsophalangeal (MTP) / metacarpophalageal (Mep) involvement. iii. 2 or more swollen joints.
  18. Fulltext Performance of medical students in final professional examination: Can in-course continuous assessments predict students at risk?
    Nagandla K, Gupta ED, Motilal T, Teng CL, Gangadaran S
    Natl Med J India, 2019 7 4;31(5):293-295.
    PMID: 31267998 DOI: 10.4103/0970-258X.261197
    Background: Assessment drives students' learning. It measures the level of students' understanding. We aimed to determine whether performance in continuous assessment can predict failure in the final professional examination results.

    Methods: We retrieved the in-course continuous assessment (ICA) and final professional examination results of 3 cohorts of medical students (n = 245) from the examination unit of the International Medical University, Seremban, Malaysia. The ICA was 3 sets of composite marks derived from course works, which includes summative theory paper with short answer questions and 1 of the best answers. The clinical examination includes end-of-posting practical examination. These examinations are conducted every 6 months in semesters 6, 7 and 8; they are graded as pass/fail for each student. The final professional examination including modified essay questions (MEQs), 1 8-question objective structured practical examination (OSPE) and a 16-station objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), were graded as pass/fail. Failure in the continuous assessment that can predict failure in each component of the final professional examination was tested using chi-square test and presented as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).

    Results: Failure in ICA in semesters 6-8 strongly predicts failure in MEQs, OSPE and OSCE of the final professional examination with OR of 3.8-14.3 (all analyses p< 0.001) and OR of 2.4-6.9 (p<0.05). However, the correlation was stronger with MEQs and OSPE compared to OSCE.

    Conclusion: ICA with theory and clinical examination had a direct relationship with students' performance in the final examination and is a useful assessment tool.

  19. Rheumatology in Malaysia
    Yeap SS, Gun SC, Das Gupta E, Veerapen K
    Rheumatol Int, 2020 Jun;40(6):829-836.
    PMID: 32285145 DOI: 10.1007/s00296-020-04577-6
    Malaysia is a developing country in the South-East Asian region with a significant burden of disability from musculoskeletal disease. Rheumatology in Malaysia is a relatively young speciality. Currently, there is approximately 1 rheumatologist per 390,000 population, mostly concentrated in the urban areas. This article aims to give a brief overview of the research in rheumatology, the healthcare system, and rheumatology training and education in Malaysia. From 1950 until mid-2019, there were 547 publications about rheumatological conditions from Malaysia, with a 27-fold increase in the numbers from the period before 1980 compared to 2010-2019. Although there is universal access to healthcare through the public (government funded) hospitals and clinics, as well as a system of private healthcare, funding for expensive biological therapies remain patchy and scarce, leading to significant under-utilization of such treatments in rheumatology patients. Training in rheumatology in Malaysia is well established with a formalised training curriculum introduced in 2004, followed by the introduction of training in musculoskeletal ultrasound in 2006. To improve care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions, there has been regular continuing educational meetings and courses, not just for rheumatologists, but also for other medical professionals, as not all areas in Malaysia have easy access to rheumatology services. Thus overall, despite the small number of rheumatologists, rheumatology in Malaysia has made encouraging progress over the past 2 decades, but improvements in patient care, training, education and research need to continue in the future.
  20. Early effect of hydroxychloroquine therapy: relationship between cumulative dose and retinal thickness
    Agarwal P, Wong YH, Das Gupta E, Agarwal R, Livingstone BI, Ramamurthy S, et al.
    Cutan Ocul Toxicol, 2015;34(3):179-84.
    PMID: 25068998 DOI: 10.3109/15569527.2014.938751
    BACKGROUND: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is widely used for long-term treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. However, its long-term use is known to be associated with visual changes due to retinal damage. Retinal damage associated with long-term HCQ therapy is preventable if the drug is discontinued early when the patients are still asymptomatic. In view of contrasting reports from previous studies, we investigated the association of prolonged HCQ therapy with retinal thickness in macular area.
    METHODS: This study included 48 patients on long-term HCQ therapy and 38 healthy controls. All subjects underwent examination for corrected visual acuity, fundus photography, visual fields and SD-OCT for retinal thickness.
    RESULTS: Visual acuity, visual fields, fundus photography and SD-OCT did not reveal changes consistent with diagnosis of established HCQ retinopathy in any of the subjects from HCQ group. Retinal thickness in central, parafoveal and perifoveal areas did not show significant differences between HCQ and control groups. However, we observed negative correlation between cumulative dose and retinal thickness in the parafoveal (p = 0.003) and perifoveal areas (p = 0.019) but not in the central area.
    CONCLUSIONS: Correlation of cumulative dose with retinal thickness in parafoveal and perifoveal areas and not the central area is in accordance with the late appearance of HCQ-induced bull's eye retinopathy. Hence screening of asymptomatic patients using OCT seems to be of great importance for early detection of retinal changes.
    KEYWORDS: Cumulative dose; OCT; hydroxychloroquine; retinal thickness
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