Are interventions to increase the uptake of screening for cardiovascular disease risk factors effective? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally. However, many individuals are unaware of their CVD risk factors. The objective of this systematic review is to determine the effectiveness of existing intervention strategies to increase uptake of CVD risk factors screening. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted through Pubmed, CINAHL, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Additional articles were located through cross-checking of the references list and bibliography citations of the included studies and previous review papers. We included intervention studies with controlled or baseline comparison groups that were conducted in primary care practices or the community, targeted at adult populations (randomized controlled trials, non-randomized trials with controlled groups and pre- and post-intervention studies). The interventions were targeted either at individuals, communities, health care professionals or the health-care system. The main outcome of interest was the relative risk (RR) of screening uptake rates due to the intervention. RESULTS: We included 21 studies in the meta-analysis. The risk of bias for randomization was low to medium in the randomized controlled trials, except for one, and high in the non-randomized trials. Two analyses were performed; optimistic (using the highest effect sizes) and pessimistic (using the lowest effect sizes). Overall, interventions were shown to increase the uptake of screening for CVD risk factors (RR 1.443; 95% CI 1.264 to 1.648 for pessimistic analysis and RR 1.680; 95% CI 1.420 to 1.988 for optimistic analysis). Effective interventions that increased screening participation included: use of physician reminders (RR ranged between 1.392; 95% CI 1.192 to 1.625, and 1.471; 95% CI 1.304 to 1.660), use of dedicated personnel (RR ranged between 1.510; 95% CI 1.014 to 2.247, and 2.536; 95% CI 1.297 to 4.960) and provision of financial incentives for screening (RR 1.462; 95% CI 1.068 to 2.000). Meta-regression analysis showed that the effect of CVD risk factors screening uptake was not associated with study design, types of population nor types of interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions using physician reminders, using dedicated personnel to deliver screening, and provision of financial incentives were found to be effective in increasing CVD risk factors screening uptake.

Weight satisfaction, management strategies and health beliefs in knee osteoarthritis patients attending an outpatient clinic.

BACKGROUND: Although weight control is important in managing knee osteoarthritis (OA), it is difficult to achieve. Understanding beliefs regarding weight management in people with knee OA may improve weight control. AIMS: To examine differences in bodyweight satisfaction, weight management strategies and weight-related health-beliefs in obese, overweight and normal weight people with knee OA. METHODS: The beliefs and attitudes to weight in 102 people with symptomatic knee OA were ascertained. Participants were classified as being obese, overweight or of normal weight. RESULTS: Although obese and overweight participants were less satisfied with their bodyweight, they were more likely to want to lose weight and to report dieting compared with normal weight participants(P < 0.001 for all) and also more likely to report weight gain in the past 6 months (P < 0.001). While most participants rated food intake to be a main determinant of health, this belief was more common in normal weight participants (P = 0.04). When asked about their own weight gain, obese participants more frequently believed genetic and metabolic factors to be important than normal and overweight participants (P = 0.01). While 51 (53%) believed that increasing activity was more important than dietary change to avoid weight gain, this was more commonly believed by obese and overweight participants (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Despite desiring and attempting to lose weight, obese people with symptomatic knee OA more commonly reported weight gain. Overweight and obese participants attributed weight gain to non-modifiable factors but believed physical activity is more important than dietary change in weight management. Thus, education regarding the importance of diet as compared with non-modifiable factors and physical activity may improve weight management in obese people with knee OA.

COVID-19: Four Paediatric Cases in Malaysia.

OBJECTIVE: This is a brief report of 4 paediatric cases of COVID-19 infection in Malaysia BACKGROUND: COVID-19, a coronavirus, first detected in Wuhan, China has now spread rapidly to over 60 countries and territories around the world, infecting more than 85000 individuals. As the case count amongst children is low, there is need to report COVID-19 in children to better understand the virus and the disease. CASES: In Malaysia, until end of February 2020, there were four COVID-19 paediatric cases with ages ranging from 20 months to 11 years. All four cases were likely to have contracted the virus in China. The children had no symptoms or mild flu-like illness. The cases were managed symptomatically. None required antiviral therapy. DISCUSSION: There were 2 major issues regarding the care of infected children. Firstly, the quarantine of an infected child with a parent who tested negative was an ethical dilemma. Secondly, oropharyngeal and nasal swabs in children were at risk of false negative results. These issues have implications for infection control. Consequently, there is a need for clearer guidelines for child quarantine and testing methods in the management of COVID-19 in children.

Nurses' knowledge, beliefs and practices regarding the screening and treatment of postpartum depression in maternal and child health clinics: A cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD) affects 10-15% of women worldwide, and screening is recommended by clinical guidelines. In Malaysia, nurses in maternal and child health (MCH) clinics provide postpartum care. AIM: To determine nurses' level of knowledge, beliefs and practices regarding PPD and factors associated with screening practices. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using universal sampling was conducted on nurses from seven government MCH clinics in Malaysia. Data was collected from March until April 2016 through a self-reported questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with having ever performed PPD screening. RESULTS: Of the 108 nurses, 55.6% scored above the median total knowledge score (17 out of 24 points). Despite a high proportion of nurses believing that they were responsible for PPD screening (72.2%), counselling depressed mothers (72.2%) and referring mothers for further treatment (87.0%), only 64.8% and 51.9% were confident in recognizing PPD and counselling depressed mothers, respectively. Only 25.9% had ever practiced PPD screening, which was associated with beliefs concerning screening taking too much time (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=0.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]= 0.02-0.74, P=0.022) and that screening is their responsibility (AOR=14.12, 95%CI=1.65-120.75, P=0.016). CONCLUSION: More than half of the nurses scored above the median total knowledge score and had positive beliefs towards PPD screening. However, PPD screening practices were poor, and this outcome was associated with their beliefs regarding time and responsibility.

The global prevalence of multidrug-resistance among Acinetobacter baumannii causing hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia and its associated mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this works was to assess the global prevalence of multidrug-resistance among A. baumannii causing hospital-acquired (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and describe its associated mortality. METHODS: We performed a systematic search of four databases for relevant studies. Meta-analysis was done based on United Nations geoscheme regions, individual countries and study period. We used a random-effects model to calculate pooled prevalence and mortality estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), weighted by study size. RESULTS: Among 6445 reports screened, we identified 126 relevant studies, comprising data from 29 countries. The overall prevalence of multidrug-resistance among A. baumannii causing HAP and VAP pooled from 114 studies was 79.9% (95% CI 73.9-85.4%). Central America (100%) and Latin America and the Caribbean (100%) had the highest prevalence, whereas Eastern Asia had the lowest (64.6%; 95% CI, 50.2-77.6%). The overall mortality estimate pooled from 27 studies was 42.6% (95% CI, 37.2-48.1%). CONCLUSIONS: We observed large amounts of variation in the prevalence of multidrug-resistance among A. baumannii causing HAP and VAP and its mortality rate among regions and lack of data from many countries. Data from this review can be used in the development of customized strategies for infection control and antimicrobial stewardship.

Clinical prediction models for ESBL-Enterobacteriaceae colonization or infection: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: ß-Lactamase resistance among certain Gram-negative bacteria has been associated with increased mortality, length of hospitalization, and hospital costs. AIM: To identify and critically appraise existing clinical prediction models of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-EKP) infection or colonization. METHODS: Electronic databases, reference lists, and citations were searched from inception to April 2018. Papers were included in any language describing the development or validation, or both, of models and scores to predict the risk of ESBL-EKP infection or colonization. FINDINGS: In all, 1795 references were screened, of which four articles were included in the review. The included studies were carried out in different geographical locations with differing study designs, and inclusion and exclusion criteria. Most if not all studies lacked external validation and blinding of reviewers during the evaluation of the predictor variables and outcome. All studies excluded missing data and most studies did not report the number of patients excluded due to missing data. Fifteen predictors of infection or colonization with ESBL-EKP were identified. Commonly included predictors were previous antibiotic use, previous hospitalization, transfer from another healthcare facility, and previous procedures (urinary catheterization and invasive procedures). CONCLUSION: Due to limitations and variations in the study design, clinicians would have to take these differences into consideration when deciding on how to use these models in clinical practice. Due to lack of external validation, the generalizability of these models remains a question. Therefore, further external validation in local settings is needed to confirm the usefulness of these models in supporting decision-making.

The views and experiences of Malaysian primary care doctors in managing patients with chronic low back pain: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common and often difficult to treat condition in the primary care setting. Research involving in-depth exploration on the views and experiences faced by primary care doctors in managing patients with CLBP in Malaysia is limited. OBJECTIVE: To explore the primary care practitioners' views and experiences in managing patients with CLBP. STUDY DESIGN: A qualitative approach was employed using focus group discussions (FGD) at an academic primary care clinic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Twenty-three primary care doctors were purposively selected. Data were collected through audio-recorded interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and checked for accuracy. Data saturation was reached by the third FGD. An additional FGD was included to ensure completeness. A thematic approach using the one sheet of paper (OSOP) method was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Participants view managing patients with CLBP as challenging. This is mainly due to the difficulty in balancing the doctors' expectations with the patients' perceived expectations during consultation. Barriers identified include lack of awareness and conflicting views regarding the usefulness of the local clinical practice guideline (CPG) in clinical practice. Other barriers include time constraints and perceived lack of support from multidisciplinary teams in managing these patients. CONCLUSION: Managing patients with CLBP is still a challenge for Malaysian primary care doctors. Any intervention should target identified barriers to improve the management of patients with CLBP.

Pneumoperitoneum or Chilaiditi's sign.

Chilaiditi's sign describes the incidental radiographic finding of the bowel positioned between the right diaphragm and the liver. This is often misdiagnosed as pneumoperitoneum or free air under the diaphragm, which may lead to unnecessary investigations or surgical procedures. Here, we report two incidental chest radiograph findings of air under the diaphragm in patients who were being screened for pulmonary tuberculosis. This case series highlights the importance of awareness of the diagnosis of Chilaiditi's sign to avoid unnecessary hospital referrals.

Depression, anxiety and stress among patients with diabetes in primary care: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of diabetes mellitus is ever increasing. Individuals with diabetes mellitus may have concurrent mental health disorders and are shown to have poorer disease outcomes. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress (DAS) in diabetes patients aged 20 years or more in the primary care setting. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving the use of self-administered questionnaire conducted in eight primary care private and government clinics in Pulau Pinang and Melaka, Malaysia. The validated DASS-21 questionnaire was used as a screening tool for the symptoms of DAS. Prior permission was obtained from the patients and, clearance from ethical committee was obtained before the start of the study. Data analysis was done using SPSS statistical software. RESULTS: A total of 320 patients with diabetes from eight centres were enrolled via convenience sampling. Sample size was calculated using the Kish's formula. The prevalence of DAS among patients with diabetes from our study was 26.6%, 40% and 19.4%, respectively. Depression was found to be significantly associated with marital status and family history of DAS; anxiety was significantly associated with monthly household income, presence of co-morbidities and family history of DAS; and stress was significantly associated with occupation and family history of DAS. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of DAS was higher in patients with diabetes compared with the general community. We recommend to routinely screen all patients with diabetes using the DASS-21 questionnaire because it is easy to perform and inexpensive.

Tuberculosis in Malaysia: predictors of treatment outcomes in a national registry.

OBJECTIVES: To determine treatment outcomes and associated predictors of all patients registered in 2012 with the Malaysian National Tuberculosis (TB) Surveillance Registry. METHODS: Sociodemographic and clinical data were analysed. Unfavourable outcomes included treatment failure, transferred out and lost to follow-up, treatment defaulters, those not evaluated and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: In total, 21 582 patients were registered. The mean age was 42.36 ± 17.77 years, and 14.2% were non-Malaysians. The majority were new cases (93.6%). One fifth (21.5%) had unfavourable outcomes; of these, 46% died, 49% transferred out or defaulted and 1% failed treatment. Predictors of unfavourable outcomes were older age, male sex, foreign citizenship, lower education, no bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination scar, treatment in tertiary settings, smoking, previous anti-tuberculosis treatment, human immunodeficiency virus infection, not receiving directly observed treatment, advanced chest radiography findings, multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extra-pulmonary TB. For all-cause mortality, predictors were similar except for rural dwelling and nationality (higher mortality among locals). Absence of BCG scar, previous treatment for TB and MDR-TB were not found to be predictors of all-cause mortality. Indigenous populations in East Malaysia had lower rates of unfavourable treatment outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: One fifth of TB patients had unfavourable outcomes. Intervention strategies should target those at increased risk of unfavourable outcomes and all-cause mortality.

Cervical deformity: rationale for selecting the appropriate fusion technique (anterior, posterior, and 360 degree).

This article examines cervical deformities and their treatments, such as iatrogenic deformities, posttraumatic deformities, ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative subaxial spondylolisthesis, myopathy, infectious spondylitis, and tumors. Congenital scoliosis and kyphosis and torticollis and rotatory atlanto-axial subluxation also are discussed.

Thoracic and lumbar deformity: rationale for selecting the appropriate fusion technique (Anterior, posterior, and 360 degree).

The rationale of anterior versus posterior, or combined fusion is discussed with regards to different clinical diagnoses and situations. Factors involved in the decision-making process include stability, magnitude of deformity, rigidity of deformity, neurologic considerations, bone quality, and medical/metabolic factors. Careful preoperative assessment and planning are required as well as consideration for the patient's overall well being.

DNA fingerprinting of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE): comparison of strains from 2 Malaysian hospitals.

AIM OF STUDY: To determine and compare the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns of endemic MRSA strains in 2 major Malaysian hospitals and to compare the PFGE patterns with antibiotypes of the strains studied. METHODS: Fifty-six MRSA strains selected randomly between September 1997 and July 1998 from Hospital Queen Elizabeth (HQE) and Hospital Umum Sarawak (HUS) were tested for antimicrobial resistance and DNA fingerprinting was carried out by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) technique. RESULTS: Seven PFGE types were recognised (A, B, C, D, E and F). All 7 PFGE types were observed in HQE while only 2 PFGE types (B, C) were noted in HUS strains. There is a predominance of a single PFGE pattern (type B) in both hospitals, as seen in 46% of HQE strains and 89% of HUS strains. Subtype B2 was the commonest subtype in HQE while subtype B1 predominated in HUS. Strains resistant to fusidic acid and rifampicin exhibited PFGE type F that is unique to HQE. All strains were resistant to penicillin, erythromycin, cotrimoxazole, tetracycline and gentamicin. Strains with the same antibiotic susceptibility pattern can be different PFGE types. CONCLUSION: Molecular typing of the MRSA by PFGE is a useful tool in the study of endemic strains present in an institution. Strains in HQE were found to be more heterogeneous than HUS strains. Common PFGE types can also be seen in both hospitals suggesting that some of the strains was genetically related and has propagated within and between the 2 hospitals. Our findings also indicate that the relationship between antibiotic susceptibility and PFGE patterns was not close and antibiograms should not be relied upon for typing strains in epidemiological studies. By knowing the DNA fingerprints of the isolates endemic in each hospital, the spread of MRSA with a particular PFGE type can be monitored within and between hospitals.

Early predictors of health-related quality of life outcomes in polytrauma patients with spine injuries: a level 1 trauma center study.

Study Design Retrospective review on clinical-quality trauma registry prospective data. Objective To identify early predictors of suboptimal health status in polytrauma patients with spine injuries. Methods A retrospective review on a prospective cohort was performed on spine-injured polytrauma patients with successful discharge from May 2009 to January 2011. The Short Form 12-Questionnaire Health Survey (SF-12) was used in the health status assessment of these patients. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were applied to investigate the effects of the Injury Severity Score, age, blood sugar level, vital signs, brain trauma severity, comorbidities, coagulation profile, spine trauma-related neurologic status, and spine injury characteristics of the patients. Results The SF-12 had a 52.3% completion rate from 915 patients. The patients who completed the SF-12 were younger, and there were fewer patients with severe spinal cord injuries (American Spinal Injury Association classifications A, B, and C). Other comparison parameters were satisfactorily matched. Multivariate logistic regression revealed five early predictive factors with statistical significance (p ≤ 0.05). They were (1) tachycardia (odds ratio [OR] = 1.88; confidence interval [CI] = 1.11 to 3.19), (2) hyperglycemia (OR = 2.65; CI = 1.51 to 4.65), (3) multiple chronic comorbidities (OR = 2.98; CI = 1.68 to 5.26), and (4) thoracic spine injuries (OR = 1.54; CI = 1.01 to 2.37). There were no independent early predictive factors identified for suboptimal mental health-related qualify of life outcomes. Conclusion Early independent risk factors predictive of suboptimal physical health status identified in a level 1 trauma center in polytrauma patients with spine injuries were tachycardia, hyperglycemia, multiple chronic medical comorbidities, and thoracic spine injuries. Early spine trauma risk factors were shown not to predict suboptimal mental health status outcomes.

Epidemiological trends of spine trauma: an Australian level 1 trauma centre study.

Knowledge of current epidemiology and spine trauma trends assists in public resource allocation, fine-tuning of primary prevention methods, and benchmarking purposes. Data on all patients with traumatic spine injuries admitted to the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne between May 1, 2009, and January 1, 2011, were collected from the Alfred Trauma Registry, Alfred Health medical database, and Victorian Orthopaedic Trauma Outcomes Registry. Epidemiological trends were analyzed as a general cohort, with comparison cohorts of nonsurvivors versus survivors and elderly versus nonelderly. Linear regression analysis was utilized to demonstrate trends with statistical significance. There were 965 patients with traumatic spine injuries with 2,333 spine trauma levels. The general cohort showed a trimodal age distribution, male-to-female ratio of 2:2, motor vehicle accidents as the primary spine trauma mechanism, 47.7% patients with severe polytrauma as graded using the Injury Severity Score (ISS), 17.3% with traumatic brain injury (TBI), the majority of patients with one spine injury level, 7% neurological deficit rate, 12.8% spine trauma operative rate, and 5.2% mortality rate. Variables with statistical significance trending toward mortality were the elderly, motor vehicle occupants, severe ISS, TBI, C1-2 dissociations, and American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) A, B, and C neurological grades. Variables with statistical significance trending toward the elderly were females; low falls; one spine injury level; type 2 odontoid fractures; subaxial cervical spine distraction injuries; ASIA A, B, and C neurological grades; and patients without neurological deficits. Of the general cohort, 50.3% of spine trauma survivors were discharged home, and 48.1% were discharged to rehabilitation facilities. This study provides baseline spine trauma epidemiological data. The trimodal age distribution of patients with traumatic spine injuries calls for further studies and intervention targeted toward the 46- to 55-year age group as this group represents the main providers of financial and social security. The study's unique feature of delineating variables with statistical significance trending toward both mortality and the elderly also provides useful data to guide future research studies, benchmarking, public health policy, and efficient resource allocation for the management of spine trauma.