Survey on the patterns of feeding difficulties and behaviors in Filipino children with Autism Spectrum Disorder seen in a Philippine Tertiary Hospital and the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective@#To describe patterns of feeding difficulties and behaviors of Filipino children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).@*Methods@#An electronic mealtime survey was administered to caregivers of 3- to 9-year-old children diagnosed with ASD in a Philippine tertiary government hospital. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses between feeding difficulties measured as Mealtime Survey Score, sociodemographic data, and early feeding history were performed. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to these was analyzed through a binomial test.@*Results@#All of the 115 study subjects reported at least one problematic feeding behavior, with picky eating being the most frequent (61.74%). Significantly, more feeding difficulties were observed among the children with reported early feeding difficulties during their 2nd and 3rd year of life. There were no documented statistically significant changes in feeding behaviors during the past six months of the COVID-19 pandemic.@*Conclusion@#There is a high prevalence of feeding difficulties and problematic feeding behavior among Filipino children with ASD, however no significant changes to these during the past six months of the COVID-19 pandemic were documented. Present feeding difficulties and behaviors were associated with history of early feeding difficulties, highlighting the need to include feeding difficulties in screening tools, and early training programs and interventions for children with ASD.

Work-related stress factors and psychological health of Filipino nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic

@#<strong>BACKGROUND</strong><p style="text-align: justify;" data-mce-style="text-align: justify;">The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly challenged global healthcare systems, particularly impacting the psychological health of nurses. This study examines the psychosocial impact and work-related stressors faced by Filipino nurses during the COVID-19 crisis.</p><strong>METHODS</strong><p style="text-align: justify;" data-mce-style="text-align: justify;">Adescriptive cross-sectional survey was used to gather data from May 2021 to May 2022. Participants included registered nurses recruited from across the Philippines, focusing on their exposure to work related stressors, burnout, job satisfaction, and coping activities. The survey included validated items that measured work related variables (e.g., job responsibilities, workload) and personal stress management strategies. Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages) were calculated to interpret the continuous and categorical variables.</p><strong>RESULTS</strong><p style="text-align: justify;" data-mce-style="text-align: justify;">A total of 2,229 nurses participated in the survey. Findings indicate that 78.9% of nurses experienced increased workloads, and 36% were assigned to units outside their expertise. Despite the high stress and burnout rates (30.4% reported symptoms), 56.4% of nurses intended to stay in their positions. The most common coping strategies were use of social media (53.7%) and connecting with friends and family (51.5%).</p><strong>CONCLUSION</strong><p style="text-align: justify;" data-mce-style="text-align: justify;">Filipino nurses displayed considerable resilience despite facing severe work-related stressors and psychological strains during the pandemic. The study highlights significant stressors such as increased workload, role shifts, and the lack of clear workplace goals, contributing to burnout and reduced job satisfaction. This study underscores the need for enhanced support systems and policies to safeguard nurses' well-being, recommending more robust mental health services, adequate staffing, and the provision of necessary resources and training to prepare nurses for future health crises better.</p>

Examining nursing students' self-rated competence in the care of LGBTQ+ clients using Pacquiao's Framework for Culturally Competent Healthcare

@#<strong>BACKGROUND</strong><p style="text-align: justify;" data-mce-style="text-align: justify;">Without adequate preparation and competence, nursing students entering the practice might not respond effectively to the growing health and healthcare disparities among the LGBTQ+ population.</p><strong>OBJECTIVE</strong><p style="text-align: justify;" data-mce-style="text-align: justify;">Guided by Pacquiao's Framework for Culturally Competent Healthcare, the study aimed to describe and to compare nursing students' self-rated LGBTQ+ care competence by personal, sociocultural, and educational characteristics, and identify the relationship between LGBTQ+ care competence, level of compassion, and the number of LGBTQ+-related topics offered in nursing curriculum.</p><strong>METHODS</strong><p style="text-align: justify;" data-mce-style="text-align: justify;">A cross-sectional study was implemented through online survey among fourth-year nursing students (N = 208) from nursing schools in Metro Manila using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender-Nursing Education Assessment instrument, the Revised Short Version of the Compassionate Love for Humanity Scale, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Development of Clinical Skills Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.</p><strong>RESULTS</strong><p style="text-align: justify;" data-mce-style="text-align: justify;">Nursing students' overall LGBTQ+ care competence mean rating score was 5.21 out of 7.0. Attitudinal awareness had the highest mean rating score (mean= 6.34, SD= 0.98), followed by basic knowledge (mean= 4.93, SD= 1.27) and clinical preparedness (mean=4.25, SD=1.23). Significant differences in the overall LGBTQ+ care competence mean rating scores were found based on exposure to LGBTQ+-related media contents (p=.03), personal experience in caring for LGBTQ+ clients (p=.00), ethnicity (p=.020), friends' acceptance of LGBTQ.</p><strong>CONCLUSION</strong><p style="text-align: justify;" data-mce-style="text-align: justify;">Findings show that the current generation of nursing students has more positive awareness, acceptance, and attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ population. Embedding LGBTQ+ health in the nursing curriculum must be strategically placed.</p>

Translation, adaptation, and validation of the Filipino version of the Telehealth Usability (TUQ-F)

Introduction@#Telemedicine services have steadily been relied upon since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding its usability and contextual performance is of paramount importance if it were to pervade the local health delivery system. Hence, a tool to assess usability is warranted. @*Objective@#The study aims to adapt a reliable and validated instrument in English to Filipino, the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ), on evaluating the usability of telemedicine services in the Philippines. @*Methodology@#The research is a translation and validation study. The methodology includes forward translation in collaboration with our UST Sentro sa Salin at Araling Salin and expert panel review with five experts using the telehealth system. It was followed by pretesting (pilot testing and cognitive debriefing) of the pre-final tool to 30 family medicine telehealth patients and field testing of the final instrument to 85 telehealth patients from USTH. Appropriate statistical methods for assessment included internal consistency, content validity and linguistic with conceptual equivalence. @*Results@#All translated items were retained, but through the focus group discussion, several statements were modified to fit the cultural context. Each item and the overall tool showed excellent validity and internal consistency. The mean difference scores for each item and domain were less than ±0.25. Tests of equivalence showed that majority of items and each domain were not statistically different (p>0.05), suggesting that both questionnaires are similar and homogenous. Furthermore, the Bland-Altman plots for each dimension/domain are within the upper and lower boundaries indicating agreement between the two versions. @*Conclusion@#TUQ-Filipino is a valid and appropriate instrument to assess telehealth usability in the local setting.

Clinical profile of genetically confirmed Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Among Filipino children less than 18 years old

@#Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is the most common inherited lethal disease in children. Confirmatory diagnosis is based on molecular genetic testing of survival motor neuron (SMN) genes. We aimed to describe the phenotypic presentation of Filipino infants and children with SMA based on the copy number analysis of SMN genes. Medical records of 17 Filipino children were reviewed from January 2017 to December 2019. De-identified clinical data fulfilled the diagnostic criteria defined by the International SMA Consortium. Among Filipino children, the predominant SMA type by copy number was type I having two copies of SMN2 gene. The clinical severity based on symptom onset and highest functional motor capacity attained correlated with SMN2 copy number congruent with existing data. A significant time lag between symptom onset to confirmation of genetic diagnosis was noted. Nine out of the 17 (52%) children did not have a family history of the disease, raising the possibility of mutation carriers in these families since the incidence of de novo mutations in literature is about 2%. These data offered the first epidemiological pattern of genetically confirmed SMA among Filipino children; provided additional information for genetic counselling; and an avenue to consider pre-symptomatic newborn screening and carrier testing that would change proactive measures and opportunities for therapy. These measures unavoidably will decrease the incidence and prevalence of disease in the future.

Anatomical variations of the celiac trunk in adult Filipino cadavers: A retrospective study

Objectives@#The celiac trunk (CT) is the first major branch of the abdominal aorta and typically gives rise to the left gastric artery (LGA), common hepatic artery (CHA), and splenic artery (SA), which supply blood to the abdominal viscera. Variations in the branching pattern of the CT exist and knowledge of such is crucial when performing surgical, laparoscopic, and angiographic procedures. The aim of this study is to determine the anatomic variations of the CT in adult Filipino cadavers and to compare the proportions of these with those reported in the foreign literature.@*Methods@#Adult Filipino cadavers from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine Anatomy Laboratory were dissected by first year medical students from 2014-2019. The CT and its branches were identified, drawn on a separate piece of paper, and confirmed to be correct and accurate by an anatomist. The data collected from that period was reviewed. Percentages were calculated for the branching patterns identified. A Z-test of Two Populations was used to compare the results of the current study to that of Pinal-Garcia (2018), Pillay (2020) and Venieratos (2013).@*Results@#A total of 107 drawings based on 107 dissected preserved cadavers were reviewed. Ninety-two specimens (85.98%) showed typical branching into the LGA, CHA, and SA. The CT presented as a true tripod (tripus Halleri) in 75 specimens (70.09%) and as a bifurcation with one of the three arteries arising first along the trunk (false tripod) in 17 specimens (15.89%). Nine cadavers (8.41%) showed additional branches arising from the CT and four (3.74%) showed bifurcation of the CT with the third branch arising from a different artery.@*Conclusion@#The most common configuration of the CT among Filipino adult cadavers is a true tripod, followed by a false tripod, additional branching, and bifurcation of the CT with the third branch arising elsewhere. The present study most closely resembles the results of the study of Venieratos.

Diagnosis and management of otosclerosis in a Filipino population: A case series

Objective@#This case series aims to describe the diagnosis and management of otosclerosis in a series of Filipino patients encountered in a private, subspecialty otologic clinical practice. In particular, it elucidates the demographics, clinical presentation, diagnostic exam findings, clinical intervention and hearing outcomes.@*Methods@#Study Design : Retrospective review of medical records of a case series. Setting : Subspecialty otologic / neurotologic clinical practice. Participants : Medical records of all patients diagnosed to have otosclerosis based on radiologic evidence of fenestral or retrofenestral otosclerosis and/or confirmed during surgical exploration of the middle ear, during the period 2004-2017. @*Results@#Nine patients with otosclerosis were identified. Most patients presented with bilateral, primarily conductive hearing loss in middle age. However, an adolescent patient was also identified. Most patients were from the component cities of the National Capital Region. However, patients from the Cordillera region and south-central Mindanao were also identified. Radiologic evidence of fenestral or retrofenestral otosclerosis was identified in the majority of patients. However, readings of normal temporal bone CT findings were also seen. Obliterative otosclerosis was identified in one patient. Both objective and subjective evidence of hearing improvement was documented after stapedectomy in patients undergoing surgery.@*Conclusions@#This study documents the presence of clinical otosclerosis in a Filipino population. As in other populations, it typically presents in middle age as a bilateral, primarily conductive hearing loss. However, a younger age does not preclude its diagnosis, as juvenile otosclerosis has been identified. The presence of patients in regions of the Philippines other than the National Capital Region implies that it has to be considered even in regional populations without a racial predilection for otosclerosis. The identification of radiologic evidence of fenestral and retrofenestral otosclerosis on CT imaging of the temporal bone makes this is an essential part of the work-up of Filipino patients with conductive hearing loss and normal otologic examinations. Surgical treatment via stapes surgery is an effective and viable option in the management of Filipino patients with otosclerosis. The identification of less common variants such as obliterative otosclerosis indicates the need for specialized surgical equipment and appropriate surgical training in order to successfully deal with these situations.

Radiographic measurement of Nasopharyngeal Depth from the Anterior Nasal Spine (ND-ANS) among Filipino adults

Objective@#To determine a normative value for the nasopharyngeal depth from the anterior nasal spine (ND-ANS) among normal adult Filipinos using Computed Tomography scans.@*Methods@#Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Tertiary National University Hospital. Participants: Of 516 adult patients that underwent facial, neck and temporal bone CT scans in our hospital between January 1 to June 30, 2019, 100 cases were randomized to be included in the study and 91 CT scans were analyzed.@*Results@#The mean nasopharyngeal depth from the anterior nasal spine among Filipino adults is 7.17 ± 0.42. There was a significant difference between sexes with a mean measurement of 7.23 cm ± 0.44 in males and 7.09 ± 0.37 cm in females. There was no statistically significant difference in mean nasopharyngeal depth across age groups.@*Conclusion@#A statistically significant difference was observed between sexes in our study sample. Our study provides initial normative values of nasopharyngeal depth among adult Filipinos, and additional studies may use this as a basis for further research.

Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) in two private, urban, tertiary hospitals in Metro Manila, Philippines

Background@#MIS-C is an infrequent, but serious complication encountered after acquiring COVID-19 illness in children. There is a lack of local data on MIS-C in the Philippines.@*Objective@#To identify demographic data, co-morbidities, clinical manifestations, laboratory results, 2D-echocardiography findings, acute co-illnesses and complications, treatment, and outcome of children with MIS-C, seen in two, private, urban, tertiary hospitals.@*Methodology@#This is a retrospective, descriptive study of all consecutive MIS-C cases, using the 2020 US CDC definition, seen between July 2020 to January 2023, by a single infectious disease physician. Demographic, epidemiologic, clinical, and physical examination findings; results of laboratory, 2-DE, and radiologic tests; co-illnesses and complications; and therapeutic and outcome data, were entered in a case report form for each patient.@*Results@#Thirty-six patients were seen. MIS-C cases had a median age of 6 years, presented with fever in 97%, while one-half had abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and/or rash. CRP, D-dimer, ferritin, LDH and procalcitonin were generally elevated, and thrombocytopenia was seen in 39%. The most common 2-DE abnormalities were pericardial effusion (50%), coronary artery dilatation or aneurysm (39%) and mitral regurgitation (36%); the 2-DE was normal in 22%. The main complications were pneumonia (31%), myocarditis (28%) and hypotension (14%); 8% had ARDS. Treatment was with corticosteroids (89%) and IVIG (84%). Most (94%) recovered, and the hospital stay was five days, or less, in 86%. The two mortalities were a severely wasted adolescent with previously undiagnosed HIV infection; and an adolescent on chemotherapy for AML, who was also being treated for disseminated TB.@*Conclusions@#There is a need to create a greater awareness of MIS-C as, like Kawasaki disease, it has the potential to be an important cause of acquired heart disease among children.

Ileo-Ileal Intussusception with Meckel Diverticulum in a Filipino adolescent

@#Intussusception refers to the invagination (telescoping) of a part of the intestine into itself. Intussusception occurs primarily in infants and toddlers.1 The peak incidence is between 4 and 36 months of age, and it is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in this age group. 2 Approximately 1 percent of cases are in infants younger than three months, 30 percent between 3 and 12 months, 20 percent between one and two years, 25 percent between two and three years, and 10 percent between three and four years.3 Although intussusception is most common in infants and young children, it is important to consider this diagnosis in children outside this age range. Approximately 10 percent of cases are in children over five years, and 3 to 4 percent in those over 10 years.3,4 We share here images from an actual case of a 15-year-old Filipino male with an ileo-ileal intussusception that is beyond the typical age range, with an incidental finding of an intraluminal mass that was histomorphologically diagnosed as Meckel’s diverticulum (MD). The diagnosis of intussusception is relatively rare in the patient’s age and the diagnosis of MD in the presence of intussusception is sparsely reported in the Philippines. Intussusception refers to the invagination (telescoping) of a part of the intestine into itself. Intussusception occurs primarily in infants and toddlers.1 The peak incidence is between 4 and 36 months of age, and it is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in this age group. 2 Approximately 1 percent of cases are in infants younger than three months, 30 percent between 3 and 12 months, 20 percent between one and two years, 25 percent between two and three years, and 10 percent between three and four years.3 Although intussusception is most common in infants and young children, it is important to consider this diagnosis in children outside this age range. Approximately 10 percent of cases are in children over five years, and 3 to 4 percent in those over 10 years.3,4 We share here images from an actual case of a 15-year-old Filipino male with an ileo-ileal intussusception that is beyond the typical age range, with an incidental finding of an intraluminal mass that was histomorphologically diagnosed as Meckel’s diverticulum (MD). The diagnosis of intussusception is relatively rare in the patient’s age and the diagnosis of MD in the presence of intussusception is sparsely reported in the Philippines.

Government-Industry-Academia Alliance: A multisectoral collaboration for improved nutrition of children and well-being of mothers

@#Introduction: Consistent with the Sustainable Development Goal 17 highlighting partnership to achieve development, this study demonstrated the convergence among government, industry and academe in carrying out a nutrition intervention to improve the nutritional status, knowledge, attitude and behaviour of school community (school children and mothers). Methods: A school-based intervention study comprising of school lunch feeding and nutrition lessons was conducted. Quasi-experimental design was used in the intervention research. Data were analysed using Stata 12.0. Descriptive statistics were generated using the survey module (svy) of Stata. The food and nutrition intervention mix composed of the governmentpartner School Feeding Programme (SFP) and the nutrition education campaign. The government-partner SFP involved lunch feeding of 7 to 9 years old students based on the standardised Pinggang Pinoy® recipes. The government-partner nutrition education component involved teaching of the developed modules to students and their mothers. Results: The intervention resulted in improvements in nutritional status, knowledge, attitude and behaviour of students. Investing an average of Php 15.00 or USD 0.29 (as of 2017) in a school feeding programme following the government-partner food and nutrition intervention mix improved nutritional status and shifted the number of underweight children to normal nutritional status by 25.3% after 120 feeding days. This intervention was implemented through a multisectoral collaboration during the pre-implementation, implementation, and post-implementation phases of the study. Conclusion: Partnerships among stakeholders provided the context towards healthier children as demonstrated by improved nutritional status, knowledge, attitude and behaviour of participants.

The prevalence of toddlers at risk for developmental delay during the Covid-19 pandemic in the National Capital Region, Philippines: A single tertiary hospital study

Background@#With the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, toddlers had significantly reduced environmental stimulus, leading to missed opportunities for learning and play, evidenced by declining developmental assessment scores.@*Objectives@#This was the first study in the Philippines to describe the prevalence of toddlers at risk for developmental delay during the COVID- 19 pandemic. Using the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Checklist, factors correlated with increased risk of developmental delay were identified.@*Methods@#A descriptive cross sectional study was done among toddlers aged 12 to 36 months. The ECCD Checklist was administered to determine the children's risk of developmental delay. Chi-square and Multiple Logistic Regression were used to identify factors correlated with risk of developmental delay.@*Results@#145 toddlers (u=25.28±7.078 months) were included in the study, and among which, 25.5% (n=145) were noted to be at risk for delays in one or more developmental domains, with prevalence odds increased by two-fold among those with daily screen time of an hour or longer (p=0.033, OR=3.055). It was also found that 73.1% (n=145) of toddlers had daily screen time of an hour or longer, contrary to AAP recommendations.@*Conclusion@#During the COVID-19 pandemic, more toddlers were found to be at risk for developmental delay, with prevalence odds increased with longer screen time. Findings may guide educational sectors in formulating interventions to prevent developmental delays as the country moves through the new normal.

Efficacy of oral lycopene supplementation for photoprotection in Filipino patients in a Tertiary Hospital in Makati: A single-blind randomized controlled trial

Background@#Ultraviolet radiation has been proven to result in unwarranted effects on the skin through reactive oxygen species (ROS) and direct DNA damage. Lycopene, a naturally occurring substance, acts as an antioxidant by neutralizing ROS.@*Objective@#The objective of the study was to determine the efficacy of oral lycopene supplementation for photoprotection in adult Filipino patients seen in a tertiary hospital in Makati City.@*Design@#The study design involves single-blind, parallel, randomized controlled trial.@*Methods@#Thirty-six Filipino patients aged 18 years old and above with Fitzpatrick Skin Phototype (FSP) III–V were divided into two groups using a computer-generated randomization. Group A received lycopene 500 mg/ soft gel capsule two capsules per orem once daily for 12 weeks, while Group B received no intervention during the entire observation period. Minimal erythema dose (MED) of patients from both groups was assessed by a single treatment-blinded reader at baseline, week 6, and week 12.@*Results@#Group A showed a significant increase in MED across periods, with a 20.83% increase from baseline at week 6 and a 43.06% increase at week 12. Group B MED remained constant from baseline to week 6 and to week 12. These results show that there is a significant effect in the increase in MED as compared to the control group.@*Conclusion@#Oral lycopene is effective in increasing the MED of patients and may be used for photoprotection among patients with FSP III–V.

Clinical profile and outcomes of adult Filipino patients with septic arthritis: A descriptive study

Introduction@#Septic arthritis is an infection of the joint. Considered a medical emergency, it requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. Local data on the clinical profile of septic arthritis patients in the Philippines are still limited. Therefore, this study aims to determine the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with septic arthritis in the local setting.@*Objective@#To determine the clinical profile and outcome of adult Filipino patients with septic arthritis admitted at a tertiary hospital. @*Methodology@#This is a retrospective descriptive study of the medical records of patients with septic arthritis admitted at Chong Hua Hospital, Cebu City, from January 2012 to December 2019.@*Results@#Fifty- seven patients were included in this study. Sixty-four percent were males. Forty-three percent were between the ages of 45 to 64 years old. Diabetes mellitus (49.12%) was identified as the most common comorbidity. 94% of patients presented with monoarthritis, with the knee being the most commonly involved joint (73%). 85% of patients presented with joint pain and swelling. Gram-negative bacilli were the most common pathogen isolated at 31.5%. In addition, 87% of patients had synovial fluid white blood cell counts of more than 50,000/uL. Ceftriaxone was the most commonly used empiric antibiotic (31.5%). Based on sensitivity results, empiric antibiotic treatment was adequate in 66.67% of the cases. 64% of patients underwent surgical intervention in addition to antibiotic therapy.@*Conclusion@#This study highlights the unique characteristics of septic arthritis in this population, such as its prevalence in middle-aged patients and the isolation of gram-negative bacilli as the most common isolate. This study showed that the majority of patients were male, with monoarthritis as the most common presentation. Half of the studied population had diabetes mellitus. High clinical suspicion and awareness of risk factors should be emphasized so that timely and adequate treatment may be provided.

Delivery of rehabilitation services: Opportunities and threats during a global pandemic

BACKGROUND@#This presentation articulated a personal perspective of an Occupational Therapy (OT) practitioner regarding the changes already happening within the field of rehabilitation before the COVID-19 pandemic and its cataclysmic role that accelerated changes in the delivery of rehabilitation services, specifically in advancing the application technologies and innovative practices in the clinics, renewed focus on strengthening and supporting OT and rehabilitation professionals’ health and well-being, and use of transformational instructions to prepare students for future healthcare challenges. Included in this presentation is the global response to ensure the delivery of rehabilitation services, the exemplar of local innovations and resilience among Filipino OT and the rehabilitation community, emerging opportunities and threats brought about by the pandemic, and the lessons and innovations we bring forward as part of the new normal post-COVID-19 pandemic, and beyond.

Validation of the Filipino translation of the impact of vision impairment for children (IVI_C) questionnaire among school children

Background@#Quality of life questionnaires provide valuable information in assessing the effects of health interventions and public health campaigns. In the Philippines, we only have a few validated questionnaires targeted specifically for children.@*Objective@#To translate to Filipino and validate the translated Impact of Vision Impairment for Children Questionnaire (IVI_C).@*Methods@#This is a translation and validation study of the IVI_C. The IVI_C was translated following international guidelines of forward–translation and back-translation methods. After completion of the Filipino IVI_C version, pretesting was performed on school-aged children 8 to 18 years old through convenience sampling in the outpatient department and Pediatric Ophthalmology and Motility Clinic at Sentro Oftalmologico Jose Rizal, Philippine General Hospital from January 1 to August 31, 2018.@*Results@#We included 130 participants in the study. The calculated Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.88 for the translated Filipino version of the IVI_C suggested high reliability and internal consistency. Rasch analysis showed comparability of the Filipino translation to the original English version of the questionnaire.@*Conclusion@#Our study showed that the Filipino version of IVI_C questionnaire was of high reliability and validity.

Coping styles of Filipino hypertensive patients seen at the family and community medicine outpatient clinic of Region 1 Medical Center: A cross-sectional study

Introduction@#Hypertension is still prevalent globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries such as the Philippines. Despite its great burden, its psychosocial aspect including the coping strategies is still understudied. Upon literature search, there seems to be no local studies available, hence this study aimed to explore the coping strategies used by Filipino hypertensive patients.@*Objective@#This study aimed to identify the coping styles utilized by Filipino hypertensive patients seen in Region 1 Medical Center Family and Community Medicine Out-Patient Clinic (R1MC FCM OPC).@*Methods@#This is a cross-sectional descriptive study with a descriptive-cross-sectional research design. Purposive sampling was used to select 280 hypertensive patients from the R1MC FCM OPC between April 1, 2021 and April 1, 2022 to answer a modified version of the Filipino Coping Strategies Scale (FCSS). The following statistical tests were utilized: frequency count and percentages for qualitative data; mean, median and standard deviation for continuous variables. All analyses were performed using SPSS version 26.@*Results@#The study enrolled 280 respondents who met the eligibility criteria. The majority were 51 to 60 years old (27.14%, mean age 51.23 ± 13.12), female (60%), and high school graduates (41.79%). Furthermore, most were unemployed (63.57%) and belonging to the low-income class (75%). Among the coping strategies, the highest scores were the problem-solving domain, religiosity and relaxation/recreation domains (Mdn=3). The lowest were in emotional release and substance use domains (Mdn=1). @*Conclusion@#The coping strategies of Filipino hypertensive patients seen at R1MC FCM OPC were problem-oriented domain, religiosity and relaxation/recreation; emotional release and substance use was the least used. Further research into the psychosocial aspects of hypertension using FCSS should be conducted in other institutions or locations.

The rotator cuff footprint in Filipinos: A cadaveric study

Introduction@#Rotator cuff tears are one of the common etiologies of shoulder pain. Rotator cuff repair is recommended for a patient who failed conservative treatment. Proper knowledge of the rotator cuff footprint is needed in restoring correct anatomy during the repair. The size of the footprint is important in determining the kind of repair.@*Objective@#This study aimed to define the average measurements of the rotator cuff footprint on the humerus in Filipino cadavers.@*Methods@#This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study of preserved human cadaver upper extremity specimens. We measured the length, width, and shape of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor.@*Results@#We obtained 27 upper extremity specimens. The median age of the source cadavers was 50.5 years with the equal male-to-female distribution. The mean measurement of the supraspinatus is 22.92 mm in length and 10.17 mm in width. The shape of the supraspinatus was found to be trapezoidal. The infraspinatus length was found to be 17.20 mm and the width at 10.72 mm. Its shape was found to be trapezoidal. The teres minor length was measured at 15.15 mm and the width at 11.04 mm. The shape was mostly trapezoidal but some were triangular. Finally, the subscapularis length was 17.68 mm while the width was 11.26 mm. The shape was trapezoidal or comma-shaped.@*Conclusion@#The average measurement of the rotator cuff footprint was found to be smaller in our study than reported in terms of length and width. The footprint shape was similar to the studies reported.

Short-, mid-, and long-term outcomes of suburethral slings with concomitant pelvic organ prolapse surgeries / Philippine Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Background@#This retrospective cohort study assessed the outcomes of combined surgeries for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in 31 patients with a follow-up of 7 years.@*Objectives@#The study aimed to determine the success and recurrence rates of POP and SUI while comparing the outcomes, analyzing the predictors for recurrence, and reporting on complications.@*Materials and Methods@#Demographic and clinical profiles were analyzed descriptively using frequency and percentages. Objective SUI cure rate was assessed via office cystometry with a cough stress test, while POP was evaluated using the POP-Q system. Subjective cure rates for both conditions were determined using a symptom severity checklist based on the King's Health Questionnaire. Chi-square tests assessed associations between objective outcome parameters and time elapsed since surgery, and other outcome predictors, with significance set at p < 0.05.@*Results@#The results showed a high objective cure rate of 96% for SUI and subjective cure rates of 96% for both SUI and POP. Long-term symptoms included urine frequency and retention, while mesh erosion occurred in one patient. The objective cure rate for POP was 67.7%, with recurrence in the anterior compartment at the midterm and in various compartments at long term. Vault fixation suggests efficacy in reducing apical prolapse recurrence. The preoperative age was identified as a significant risk factor for POP recurrence. @*Conclusion@#This study supports the durability and efficacy of combined surgeries for SUI and POP, with high patient satisfaction.