Tualang honey supplementation as cognitive enhancer in patients with schizophrenia.

INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness with clusters of symptoms, including cognitive impairment. This study aimed to explore the effect of Tualang Honey (TH) on cognitive domains, especially as it pertained to the verbal memory of schizophrenia patients. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study involved 80 individuals, diagnosed with schizophrenia. The Malay Version Auditory Verbal Learning Test (MVAVLT) was used. Data were analysed using SPSS 20.0 software. Intention to treat analysis was applied. RESULT: A comparison of the total learning score at eight weeks between the two groups based on time effect and time-treatment interaction favoured TH group. CONCLUSION: This study concludes that by supplementing schizophrenia patients with 8-week of TH did improve total learning performance across domains in the immediate memory among patients with schizophrenia.

Serum adiponectin and resistin: Correlation with metabolic syndrome and its associated criteria among temiar subtribe in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized as a cluster of metabolic disorder including increased blood pressure, elevated blood glucose level, high cholesterol level and visceral fat obesity. Polypeptide hormones such as adiponectin and resistin play a significant role in glucose and lipids metabolism, liver and pancreas function. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum adiponectin and resistin with MetS criteria among Temiar subtribe in Kuala Betis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross sectional study involved 123 subjects from Temiar subtribe in Kuala Betis, Gua Musang, Kelantan. MetS criteria were measured according to standard protocol by modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) guideline. Anthropometric and biochemical measurements were performed including serum adiponectin and resistin for every study subjects. RESULTS: Serum adiponectin was significantly lower in MetS subjects (7.98 ±â€¯5.65 ng/ml) but serum resistin was found to be significantly higher in MetS subjects (11.22 ±â€¯6.34 ng/ml) compared to non-MetS subjects with p < 0.001 and p = 0.002 respectively. Serum adiponectin was negatively correlated with most of the cardio-metabolic risk factors; BMI, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride and total cholesterol. Serum resistin was found to be positively correlated with BMI, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose and total cholesterol. CONCLUSION: The difference in serum adiponectin and resistin level among MetS individuals indicated the potential of serum adiponectin and resistin to be used as a biomarker for the diagnosis of MetS among Temiar subtribe.

Assessing patient pain scores in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Pain management in the Emergency Department is challenging. Do we need to ask patients specifically about their pain scores, or does our observational scoring suffice? The objective of this study was to determine the inter-rater differences in pain scores between patients and emergency healthcare (EHC) providers. Pain scores upon discharge or prior to ward admission were also determined. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in which patients independently rated their pain scores at primary triage; EHC providers (triagers and doctors) separately rated the patients' pain scores, based on their observations. RESULTS: The mean patient pain score on arrival was 6.8 ± 1.6, whereas those estimated by doctors and triagers were 5.6±1.8 and 4.3±1.9, respectively. There were significant differences among patients, triagers and doctors (P< 0.001). There were five conditions (soft tissue injury, headache, abdominal pain, fracture and abscess/cellulites) that were significantly different in pain scores between patients and EHC providers (P<0.005). The mean pain score of patients upon discharge or admission to the ward was 3.3 ± 1.9. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences in mean patient pain scores on arrival, compared to those of doctors and triagers. Thus, asking for pain scores is a very important step towards comprehensive pain management in emergency medicine.