Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 33 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Fulltext Rare case of temporal bone carcinoma with intracranial extension
    Kasim KS, Abdullah AB
    Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 2012 Dec;64(4):397-8.
    PMID: 24294589 DOI: 10.1007/s12070-011-0250-6
    Temporal bone cancer, a relatively rare disease, accounting for less than 0.2% of all tumors of the head and neck and is associated with a poor outcome; often presents in a subtle manner, which may delay diagnosis. It should be suspected in any case of persistent otitis media or otitis externa that fails to improve with adequate treatment. Despite advances in operative technique and postoperative care, long-term survival remains poor). It includes cancers arising from pinna that spreads to the temporal bone, primary tumors of the external auditory canal (EAC), middle ear, mastoid, petrous apex, and metastatic lesions to the temporal bone. Here is a report on a case of temporal bone carcinoma presenting with right otalgia, otorrhea and facial paralysis. The patient was initially diagnosed as mastoiditis and later the clinical impression was revised to temporal bone carcinoma (undifferentiated type), based on the pathologic findings.
  2. Multi-stage filtering for improving confidence level and determining dominant clusters in clustering algorithms of gene expression data
    Kasim S, Deris S, Othman RM
    Comput Biol Med, 2013 Sep;43(9):1120-33.
    PMID: 23930805 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2013.05.011
    A drastic improvement in the analysis of gene expression has lead to new discoveries in bioinformatics research. In order to analyse the gene expression data, fuzzy clustering algorithms are widely used. However, the resulting analyses from these specific types of algorithms may lead to confusion in hypotheses with regard to the suggestion of dominant function for genes of interest. Besides that, the current fuzzy clustering algorithms do not conduct a thorough analysis of genes with low membership values. Therefore, we present a novel computational framework called the "multi-stage filtering-Clustering Functional Annotation" (msf-CluFA) for clustering gene expression data. The framework consists of four components: fuzzy c-means clustering (msf-CluFA-0), achieving dominant cluster (msf-CluFA-1), improving confidence level (msf-CluFA-2) and combination of msf-CluFA-0, msf-CluFA-1 and msf-CluFA-2 (msf-CluFA-3). By employing double filtering in msf-CluFA-1 and apriori algorithms in msf-CluFA-2, our new framework is capable of determining the dominant clusters and improving the confidence level of genes with lower membership values by means of which the unknown genes can be predicted.
  3. Fulltext Anaphylaxis from wasp stings inducing coronary thrombus
    Kasim S, AbuBakar R, McFadden E
    Case Rep Cardiol, 2012;2012:701753.
    PMID: 24826269 DOI: 10.1155/2012/701753
    Myocardial infarction as a result of wasp stings is a rare manifestation of acute coronary syndromes. It has been ascribed to kounis syndrome or allergic angina whose triggers include mast cell degranulation leading to coronary vasospasm and/or local plaque destabilisation. Its exact pathophysiology is still not clearly defined. We present a case of an acute coronary syndrome as a consequence of wasp stings and discuss its possible aetiology.
  4. Fulltext Vulnerable plaque: from bench to bedside; local pacification versus systemic therapy
    Kasim S, Moran D, McFadden E
    Heart Views, 2012 Oct;13(4):139-45.
    PMID: 23439781 DOI: 10.4103/1995-705X.105731
    Critical coronary stenoses accounts for a small proportion of acute coronary syndromes and sudden death. The majority are caused by coronary thromboses that arise from a nonangiographically obstructive atheroma. Recent developments in noninvasive imaging of so-called vulnerable plaques created opportunities to direct treatment to prevent morbidity and mortality associated with these high-risk lesions. This review covers therapy employed in the past, present, and potentially in the future as the natural history of plaque assessment unfolds.
  5. Indoor air pollution and asthma in hospitalized children in a tropical environment
    Azizi BHO, Zulkifli HI, Kasim S
    J Asthma, 1995;32(6):413-8.
    PMID: 7592244 DOI: 10.3109/02770909409077752
    We performed a hospital-based study to examine a hypothesis that indoor air pollution was associated with acute asthma in young children living in Kuala Lumpur City. A total of 158 children aged 1 month to 5 years hospitalized for the first time for asthma were recruited as cases. Controls were 201 children of the same age group who were hospitalized for causes other than a respiratory illness. Information was obtained from mothers using a standardized questionnaire. Univariate analysis identified two indoor pollution variables as significant factors. Sharing a bedroom with an adult smoker and exposure to mosquito coil smoke at least three nights in a week were both associated with increased risk for asthma. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that sharing a bedroom with an adult smoker (OR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.13, 3.21) and exposure to mosquito coil smoke (OR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.02, 2.93) were independent risk factors. Other factors independently associated with acute asthma were previous history of allergy, history of asthma in first-degree relatives, low birth weight, and the presence of a coughing sibling. There was no association between asthma and exposure to kerosene stove, wood stove, aerosol mosquito repellent, type of housing, or crowding. We conclude that indoor air pollution is an avoidable factor in the increasing morbidity due to asthma in children in a tropical environment.
  6. Influence of chicken feather waste derived protein hydrolysate on the growth of tea plants under different application methods and fertilizer rates
    Raguraj S, Kasim S, Jaafar NM, Nazli MH
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Mar;30(13):37017-37028.
    PMID: 36564696 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24758-z
    Modern agriculture prioritizes eco-friendly and sustainable strategies to enhance crop growth and productivity. The utilization of protein hydrolysate extracted from chicken feather waste as a plant biostimulant paves the path to waste recycling. A greenhouse experiment was performed to evaluate the implications of different doses (0, 1, 2, and 3 g L-1) of chicken feather protein hydrolysate (CFPH), application method (soil and foliar), and fertilizer rate (50% and 100%) on the growth performance of tea nursery plants. The highest dose of CFPH (3 g L-1) increased the shoot and root dry weights by 43% and 70%, respectively over control. However, no significant differences were observed between 2 and 3 g L-1 doses in plant dry weight, biometric, and root morphological parameters. Foliar application of CFPH significantly increased all the growth parameters compared to soil drenching except N, P, and K concentrations in leaves and roots. Plants grown under 100% fertilizer rate showed better growth performance than 50% fertilizer rate. Tea nursery plants treated with foliar 2 g L-1 dose and grown under full fertilizer rate recorded the highest plant dry weight, root length, and root surface area. However, tea plants under 50% fertilizer rate and treated with foliar 2 and 3 g L-1 doses sustained the growth similar to untreated plants under 100% fertilizer rate. The significantly higher N, P, and K concentrations in leaves were observed in plants treated with soil drenching of 2 and 3 g L-1 CFPH doses under 100% fertilizer rate. Our results indicate that the application of CFPH as a foliar spray is highly effective in producing vigorous tea nursery plants suitable for field planting, eventually capable of withstanding stress and higher yield.
  7. Fulltext Delayed Diagnosis of Unilateral Absence of Pulmonary Artery Presenting with Recurrent Bronchopneumonia
    Raja Shariff RE, Yusoff MR, Ibrahim KS, Kasim S
    CASE (Phila), 2024 Mar;8(3Part A):103-108.
    PMID: 38524981 DOI: 10.1016/j.case.2023.12.004
    • Unilateral absence of the pulmonary artery (UAPA) is a rare congenital condition. • Patients with UAPA may present initially following recurrent bouts of pneumonia. • Echocardiography remains a useful tool for diagnosis in resource-limited settings.
  8. Fulltext Hypoplastic Posterior Leaflet of the Tricuspid Valve-a Unique Cause of Right Heart Failure
    Raja Shariff RE, Yusoff MR, Ibrahim KS, Kasim S
    CASE (Phila), 2024 Mar;8(3Part A):157-161.
    PMID: 38524993 DOI: 10.1016/j.case.2023.11.009
    • TR can be due to either primary or secondary causes. • Primary TR due to congenital hypoplasia of leaflets is rare. • Multimodality imaging is key in identifying the cause of TR.
  9. Utilizing shared interacting domain patterns and Gene Ontology information to improve protein-protein interaction prediction
    Roslan R, Othman RM, Shah ZA, Kasim S, Asmuni H, Taliba J, et al.
    Comput Biol Med, 2010 Jun;40(6):555-64.
    PMID: 20417930 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2010.03.009
    Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play a significant role in many crucial cellular operations such as metabolism, signaling and regulations. The computational methods for predicting PPIs have shown tremendous growth in recent years, but problem such as huge false positive rates has contributed to the lack of solid PPI information. We aimed at enhancing the overlap between computational predictions and experimental results in an effort to partially remove PPIs falsely predicted. The use of protein function predictor named PFP() that are based on shared interacting domain patterns is introduced in this study with the purpose of aiding the Gene Ontology Annotations (GOA). We used GOA and PFP() as agents in a filtering process to reduce false positive pairs in the computationally predicted PPI datasets. The functions predicted by PFP() were extracted from cross-species PPI data in order to assign novel functional annotations for the uncharacterized proteins and also as additional functions for those that are already characterized by the GO (Gene Ontology). The implementation of PFP() managed to increase the chances of finding matching function annotation for the first rule in the filtration process as much as 20%. To assess the capability of the proposed framework in filtering false PPIs, we applied it on the available S. cerevisiae PPIs and measured the performance in two aspects, the improvement made indicated as Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and the strength of improvement, respectively. The proposed filtering framework significantly achieved better performance than without it in both metrics.
  10. Preliminary study of safety and efficacy of warfarin versus dabigatran in atrial fibrillation patients in a tertiary hospital in Malaysia [Abstract]
    Mohd Hajiri M, Shaharuddin S, Long CM, Hashim R, Zulkifly HH, Kasim SS, et al.
    Value Health, 2015 Nov;18(7):A378.
    PMID: 26532133 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2015.09.795
    Conference abstract:
    Objectives: Warfarin has been used for more than 50 years as stroke prophylaxis in patients with atrial fibrillation. New oral anticoagulant, Dabigatran, was developed and shown to be safer and more efficacious compared to Warfarin due to its lower tendency of bleeding and in reducing stroke incidences. This study aims to compare the pattern of anticoagulants used and to assess their safety and efficacy by evaluating bleeding and stroke occurrences in both groups.
    Methods: This is a retrospective study carried out at a hospital with hematology clinic in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. The samples of the study were patients with atrial fibrillation, prescribed with warfarin or dabigatran. Data collected includes patients’ demographics, co-morbidities, and stroke and haemorrhage events.
    Results: A total of 71 patients were recruited in this study with 21, 21 and 29 patients were on Warfarin, Dabigatran 110 mg and Dabigatran 150 mg respectively. Out of 50 Dabigatran users, 36 of them are warfarin-experienced. 1 out of 21 patients on warfarin experienced stroke while none in both 110 and 150mg dabigatran group. A total of 11 (52.4%) of warfarin patients experienced bleeding with 2 of them having major bleeding whereas, only 4 (8%) out of 50 dabigatran patients experienced minor bleeding, 1 in patient who were on Dabigatran 150mg and 3 patients who were on Dabigatran 110mg.
    Conclusions: The pattern of anticoagulant used for stroke prophylaxis in atrial fibrillation is slowly changing from Warfarin to Dabigatran. Evaluation of safety and efficacy profile of Warfarin shows that Warfarin requires more extensive management and monitoring in order to achieve therapeutic goals with fewer side effects. Comparison between both anticoagulants show that Dabigatran is safer and more effective compared to warfarin
    Study site: Haematology clinic, hospital, Selangor, Malaysia
  11. Relationship of Time in Therapeutic Range (Ttr) with Bleeding and Stroke Incidences of Warfarinised Patients with Pulmonary Embolism in a Tertiary Hospital in Malaysia
    Sudirman N, Shaharuddin S, Long CM, Hashim R, Zulkifly HH, Kasim SS, et al.
    Value Health, 2015 Nov;18(7):A378.
    PMID: 26532135 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2015.09.794
  12. Topologically significant directed random walk with applied walker network in cancer environment
    Seah CS, Kasim S, Saedudin RR, Md Fudzee MF, Mohamad MS, Hassan R, et al.
    Pak J Pharm Sci, 2019 May;32(3 Special):1395-1408.
    PMID: 31551221
    Numerous cancer studies have combined different datasets for the prognosis of patients. This study incorporated four networks for significant directed random walk (sDRW) to predict cancerous genes and risk pathways. The study investigated the feasibility of cancer prediction via different networks. In this study, multiple micro array data were analysed and used in the experiment. Six gene expression datasets were applied in four networks to study the effectiveness of the networks in sDRW in terms of cancer prediction. The experimental results showed that one of the proposed networks is outstanding compared to other networks. The network is then proposed to be implemented in sDRW as a walker network. This study provides a foundation for further studies and research on other networks. We hope these finding will improve the prognostic methods of cancer patients.
  13. Identification of informative genes and pathways using an improved penalized support vector machine with a weighting scheme
    Chan WH, Mohamad MS, Deris S, Zaki N, Kasim S, Omatu S, et al.
    Comput Biol Med, 2016 10 01;77:102-15.
    PMID: 27522238 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2016.08.004
    Incorporation of pathway knowledge into microarray analysis has brought better biological interpretation of the analysis outcome. However, most pathway data are manually curated without specific biological context. Non-informative genes could be included when the pathway data is used for analysis of context specific data like cancer microarray data. Therefore, efficient identification of informative genes is inevitable. Embedded methods like penalized classifiers have been used for microarray analysis due to their embedded gene selection. This paper proposes an improved penalized support vector machine with absolute t-test weighting scheme to identify informative genes and pathways. Experiments are done on four microarray data sets. The results are compared with previous methods using 10-fold cross validation in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and F-score. Our method shows consistent improvement over the previous methods and biological validation has been done to elucidate the relation of the selected genes and pathway with the phenotype under study.
  14. Predicting return to work following a cardiac event in Malaysia
    Mustafah NM, Kasim S, Isa MR, Hanapiah FA, Abdul Latif L
    Work, 2017;58(4):481-488.
    PMID: 29254131 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-172646
    BACKGROUND: Return to work is an important aspect for cardiac rehabilitation following a major cardiac event.

    OBJECTIVE: The aim was to understand the local prevalence and factors associated with returning to work in Malaysia after a cardiac event.

    METHODS: A cross sectional design was used. All patients attending the cardiac rehabilitation program after major cardiac event during an 11-months period (2011-2012) were included. Data relating to socio-demographic, work-related, risk factors and acute myocardial infarction were collected. The SF-36 questionnaire was used to assess quality of life. Regression analysis was used to determine the predicting factors to return to work.

    RESULTS: A total of 398 files were screened, 112 respondents agreed to participate giving a response rate of 47.3%. The prevalence of returned to work (RTW) was 66.1% [95% CI: 57.2-75.0]. Factors associated with work resumption were age (Adj. OR: 0.92 (95% CI: 0.84-0.99), diabetes mellitus (Adj. OR: 3.70, 95% CI: 1.35-10.12), Mental Component Summary (MCS) score (Adj. OR: 1.05 (95% CI: 1.01-1.09) and baseline angiography findings. Patients with single vessel and two vessel disease were 8.9 times and 3.78 times more likely to return to work compared to those with 3 vessels (Adj. OR: 8.90 (95% CI: 2.29-34.64) and Adj. OR: 3.78, (95% CI: 1.12, 12.74).

    CONCLUSIONS: We proposed a cardiac rehabilitation program to emphasize mental health as it may improve successful return to work after cardiac event.

  15. Legacy effect of short-term alirocumab in familial hypercholesterolaemia: A case report
    Muhmad Hamidi MH, Chua YA, Mohd Kasim NA, Sani H, Md Nawawi H, Kasim SS
    Malays J Pathol, 2022 Dec;44(3):527-531.
    PMID: 36591721
    Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a rare genetic disorder with aberrantly high level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) requiring multiple combined aggressive lipidlowering therapy to reduce the progression of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Alirocumab, a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor (PCSK9i) has been approved for treatment of FH, which requires further lowering of LDL-C in addition to diet modification and maximally tolerated statin therapy. We report the response of short-term alirocumab treatment on a young patient with clinically and genetically confirmed FH, who suffered from acute coronary syndrome, and in particular, discussed the hypothesised legacy effect of PCSK9i. The patient was initially treated with a combination of high-intensity statin and ezetimibe for 12 weeks. Subsequently, alirocumab was added to the patient's lipid-lowering regime and he managed to attain guideline recommended LDL-C target within 10 weeks. However, alirocumab was stopped at week 54 due to financial constraint. Interestingly, despite cessation of PCSK9i therapy for a period of 30 weeks, the patient's LDL-C level rose slightly not returning to his baseline level.
  16. Economic Evaluations of Guideline-Directed Medical Therapies for Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: A Systematic Review
    Kuan WC, Sim R, Wong WJ, Dujaili J, Kasim S, Lee KK, et al.
    Value Health, 2023 Oct;26(10):1558-1576.
    PMID: 37236395 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2023.05.011
    OBJECTIVES: Decision-analytic models (DAMs) with varying structures and assumptions have been applied in economic evaluations (EEs) to assist decision making for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) therapeutics. This systematic review aimed to summarize and critically appraise the EEs of guideline-directed medical therapies (GDMTs) for HFrEF.

    METHODS: A systematic search of English articles and gray literature, published from January 2010, was performed on databases including MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, NHSEED, health technology assessment, Cochrane Library, etc. The included studies were EEs with DAMs that compared the costs and outcomes of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers, angiotensin-receptor neprilysin inhibitors, beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid-receptor agonists, and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors. The study quality was evaluated using the Bias in Economic Evaluation (ECOBIAS) 2015 checklist and Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) 2022 checklists.

    RESULTS: A total of 59 EEs were included. Markov model, with a lifetime horizon and a monthly cycle length, was most commonly used in evaluating GDMTs for HFrEF. Most EEs conducted in the high-income countries demonstrated that novel GDMTs for HFrEF were cost-effective compared with the standard of care, with the standardized median incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $21 361/quality-adjusted life-year. The key factors influencing ICERs and study conclusions included model structures, input parameters, clinical heterogeneity, and country-specific willingness-to-pay threshold.

    CONCLUSIONS: Novel GDMTs were cost-effective compared with the standard of care. Given the heterogeneity of the DAMs and ICERs, alongside variations in willingness-to-pay thresholds across countries, there is a need to conduct country-specific EEs, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, using model structures that are coherent with the local decision context.

  17. Fulltext Foliar application of enriched banana pseudostem sap influences the nutrient uptake, yield, and quality of sweet corn grown in an acidic soil
    Islam MS, Kasim S, Amin AM, Alam MK, Khatun MF, Ahmed S, et al.
    PLoS One, 2023;18(8):e0285954.
    PMID: 37643156 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285954
    Foliar fertilization is a reliable technique for correcting a nutrient deficiency in plants caused by inadequate nutrient supply to the roots in acid soil. Soluble nutrients in banana pseudostem sap might be effective to supplement chemical fertilizers. However, the limited nutrients in sole banana pseudostem sap as foliar fertilization may not meet-up the nutritional demand of the crop. Field trials were, therefore, conducted with the combination of soil-applied fertilizers with foliar spray of banana pseudostem sap to increase nutrient uptake, yield, and quality of sweet corn planted in acidic soil. Three treatments viz., 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RD) as control (T1), 75% of RD applied in soil with foliar application of non-enriched banana pseudostem sap (T2), and 50% RD applied in soil with foliar spray of enriched banana pseudostem sap (T3) were replicated four times. The combination of soil-applied fertilizer with foliar spray of enriched banana pseudostem sap (T3) showed a significant increase in leaf area index (11.3%), photosynthesis (12%), fresh cob yield (39%), and biomass of corn (29%) over control. Besides, the 50% RD of soil fertilization with foliar spray of enriched pseudostem sap increased nutrient uptake in addition to an increase in sugar content, phenolic content, soluble protein, and amino acids of corn. Considering the economic analysis, the highest net income, BCR (3.74) and MBCR (1.25) values confirmed the economic viability of T3 treatment over the T1. The results suggest that foliar spray of enriched banana pseudostem sap can be used as a supplementary source of nutrients to enhance nutrient uptake by corn while increasing yield and minimizing chemical fertilizer use in acid soil.
  18. Fulltext Impact of simulated acid rain on chemical properties of Nyalau series soil and its leachate
    Ibrahim MH, Kasim S, Ahmed OH, Mohd Rakib MR, Hasbullah NA, Islam Shajib MT
    Sci Rep, 2024 Feb 12;14(1):3534.
    PMID: 38347036 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52758-1
    Greenhouse gases can cause acid rain, which in turn degrades soil chemical properties. This research was conducted to determine the effects of simulated acid rain (SAR) on the chemical properties of Nyalau series (Typic paleudults). A 45-day laboratory leaching and incubation study (control conditions) was conducted following standard procedures include preparing simulated acid rain with specific pH levels, followed by experimental design/plan and systematically analyzing both soil and leachate for chemical changes over the 45-day period. Six treatments five of which were SAR (pH 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, and 5.5) and one control referred to as natural rainwater (pH 6.0) were evaluated. From the study, the SAR had significant effects on the chemical properties of the soil and its leachate. The pH of 3.5 of SAR treatments decreased soil pH, K+, and fertility index. In contrast, the contents of Mg2+, Na+, SO42-, NO3-, and acidity were higher at the lower SAR pH. Furthermore, K+ and Mg2+ in the leachate significantly increased with increasing acidity of the SAR. The changes in Ca2+ and NH4+ between the soil and its leachate were positively correlated (r = 0.84 and 0.86), whereas the changes in NO3- negatively correlated (r = - 0.82). The novelty of these results lies in the discovery of significant alterations in soil chemistry due to simulated acid rain (SAR), particularly impacting soil fertility and nutrient availability, with notable positive and negative correlations among specific ions where prolonged exposure to acid rain could negatively affect the moderately tolerant to acidic and nutrient-poor soils. Acid rain can negatively affect soil fertility and the general soils ecosystem functions. Long-term field studies are required to consolidate the findings of this present study in order to reveal the sustained impact of SAR on tropical forest ecosystems, particularly concerning soil health, plant tolerance, and potential shifts in biodiversity and ecological balance.
  19. Fulltext Validity and measurement equivalence of EQ-5D-5L questionnaire among heart failure patients in Malaysia: a cohort study
    Kuan WC, Chee KH, Kasim S, Lim KK, Dujaili JA, Lee KK, et al.
    J Med Econ, 2024;27(1):607-617.
    PMID: 38557412 DOI: 10.1080/13696998.2024.2337563
    AIM: This study aimed to examine the validity of EQ-5D-5L among HFrEF patients in Malaysia, and to explore the measurement equivalence of three main language versions.

    METHODS: We surveyed HFrEF patients from two hospitals in Malaysia, using Malay, English or Chinese versions of EQ-5D-5L. EQ-5D-5L dimensional scores were converted to utility scores using the Malaysian value set. A confirmatory factor analysis longitudinal model was constructed. The utility and visual analog scale (VAS) scores were evaluated for validity (convergent, known-group, responsiveness), and measurement equivalence of the three language versions.

    RESULTS: 200 HFrEF patients (mean age = 61 years), predominantly male (74%) of Malay ethnicity (55%), completed the admission and discharge EQ-5D-5L questionnaire in Malay (49%), English (26%) or Chinese (25%) languages. 173 patients (86.5%) were followed up at 1-month post-discharge (1MPD). The standardized factor loadings and average variance extracted were ≥ 0.5 while composite reliability was ≥ 0.7, suggesting convergent validity. Patients with older age and higher New York Heart Association (NYHA) class reported significantly lower utility and VAS scores. The change in utility and VAS scores between admission and discharge was large, while the change between discharge and 1MPD was minimal. The minimal clinically important difference for utility and VAS scores was ±0.19 and ±11.01, respectively. Malay and English questionnaire were equivalent while the equivalence of Malay and Chinese questionnaire was inconclusive.

    LIMITATION: This study only sampled HFrEF patients from two teaching hospitals, thus limiting the generalizability of results to the entire heart failure population.

    CONCLUSION: EQ-5D-5L is a valid questionnaire to measure health-related quality of life and estimate utility values among HFrEF patients in Malaysia. The Malay and English versions of EQ-5D-5L appear equivalent for clinical and economic assessments.

  20. Fulltext Complete Heart Block as a Clinical Feature in Critically Ill Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Patients: A Case Series of Three Cases
    Ahmad F, Gandre P, Nguekam J, Wall A, Ong S, Karuppamakkantakath AN, et al.
    Case Rep Crit Care, 2021;2021:9955466.
    PMID: 34422417 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9955466
    Background. Novel coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) is associated with significant cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, there have been very few reports on complete heart block (CHB) associated with COVID-19. This case series describes clinical characteristics, potential mechanisms, and short-term outcomes of critically ill COVID-19 patients complicated by CHB. Case Summary. We present three cases of new-onset CHB in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Patient 1 is a 41-year-old male with well-documented history of Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) who required mechanical ventilator support for acute hypoxic respiratory failure from severe COVID-19 pneumonia. He developed new-onset CHB without a hemodynamic derangement but subsequently had acute coronary syndrome complicated by cardiogenic shock. Patient 2 is a 77-year-old male with no past medical history who required intubation for severe COVID-19 pneumonia acute hypoxic respiratory failure. He developed CHB with sinus pause requiring temporary pacing but subsequently developed multiorgan failure. Patient 3 is 36-year-old lady 38 + 2 weeks pregnant, gravida 2 para 1 with no other medical history, who had an emergency Lower Section Caesarean Section (LSCS) as she required intubation for acute hypoxic respiratory failure. She exhibited new-onset CHB without hemodynamic compromise. The CHB resolved spontaneously after 24 hours. Discussion. COVID-19-associated CHB is a very rare clinical manifestation. The potential mechanisms for CHB in patients with COVID-19 include myocardial inflammation or direct viral infiltration as well as other causes such as metabolic derangements or use of sedatives. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 should be monitored closely for the development of bradyarrhythmia and hemodynamic instability.
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links