Drone versus ambulance for blood products transportation: an economic evaluation study.

BACKGROUND: Medical transportation is an essential step in health care services, and includes ground, air and water transportation. Among the important uses of medical transportation is the delivery of blood products in the event of a clinical emergency. Drone technology is the latest technological advancement that may revolutionize medical transportation globally. Nonetheless, its economic evaluation is scant and insufficient, whilst its cost-effectiveness remains controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the cost-effectiveness of drone transportation versus the ambulance. METHODS: The setting of the study was within a developing nation. An economic evaluation study of drone versus ambulance for emergency blood products transportation between the Sabah Women and Children Hospital (SWACH) and the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital (QEH2) on Borneo Island was conducted using the Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) technique. The total cost of each mode of transportation was calculated using the Activity Based Costing (ABC) method. Travel time was used as a denominator to estimate the Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio (ICER). RESULTS: For one clinical emergency in SWACH, a round trip of blood products transportation from SWACH to QEH2 costs RM1,266.02 (USD307.09) when using the ambulance, while the drone costs RM1,313.28 (USD319.36). The travel time for the drone was much shorter (18 min) compared to the ambulance (34 min). The Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (CER) of ambulance transportation was RM37.23 (USD9.05) per minute whilst the CER of drone transportation was RM72.96 (USD17.74) per minute. The ICER of drone versus ambulance was - 2.95, implying an increase of RM2.95 in cost for every minute saved using a drone instead of an ambulance. CONCLUSION: Although drone transportation of blood products costs more per minute compared to the ambulance, the significantly shorter transport time of the drone offset its cost. Thus, we believe there is good economic potential for drone usage for blood products transportation in developing nations particularly if the drone price decreases and its operational lifespan increases. Our limitation of a non-clinical denominator used in this study leads to the recommendation for use of clinical outcomes in future studies.

Correction to 'Genotyping of Malaysian G6PD-deficient neonates by reverse dot blot flow-through hybridisation'.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Genotyping of Malaysian G6PD-deficient neonates by reverse dot blot flow-through hybridisation.

G6PD deficiency is the commonest enzyme deficiency found in humans. Current diagnostic methods lack sensitivity to detect all cases of G6PD deficiency. We evaluated the reverse dot blot flow-through hybridisation assay designed to detect simultaneously multiple known G6PD mutations in a group of Malaysian neonates. Archival DNA samples from 141 G6PD-deficient neonates were subjected to reverse dot blot flow-through hybridisation assay using the GenoArray Diagnostic Kit (Hybribio Limited, Hong Kong) and DNA sequencing. The method involved PCR amplification of 5 G6PD exons using biotinylated primers, hybridisation of amplicons to a membrane containing oligoprobes designed for G6PD mutations known to occur in the Malaysian population and colour detection by enzyme immunoassay. The assay detected 13 of the 14 G6PD mutations and genotyped 133 (94.3%) out of 141 (102 males, 39 females) cases. Among the 39 female G6PD-deficient neonates, there were 7 homozygous and 6 compound heterozygous cases. The commonest alleles were G6PD Viangchan 871G > A (21%) and G6PD Mahidol 487G > A(20%) followed by G6PD Mediterranean 563C > T, (14%), G6PD Vanua Lava 383T > C (12%), G6PD Canton 1376G > T (10%), G6PD Orissa 131C > G (6.3%) G6PD Coimbra 592C > T (5.6%) plus 6 other mutations. DNA sequencing of remaining cases revealed 6 cases of intron 11 nt 93C > T not previously reported in Malaysia and two novel mutations, one case each of nt 1361G > T and nt 1030G > A. We found the reverse dot blot assay easy to perform, rapid, accurate and reproducible, potentially becoming an improved diagnostic test for G6PD deficiency.

FISH versus real-time quantitative PCR for monitoring of minimal residual disease in chronic myeloid leukaemia patients on tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy.

INTRODUCTION: BCR-ABL fusion gene, the oncogenic driver of CML, results from a translocation between short arms of chromosome 9 and 22. Monitoring of CML patients during treatment is essential, not only for tailoring the treatment but also to detect early relapse to enable timely intervention. Commonly used methods for detection of residual disease are conventional karyotyping, FISH and molecular methods. In this study, we compared FISH with QRT-PCR for detection of residual disease in CML. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CML patients on tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy and on regular follow up at University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center (UKMMC) were selected. A comparative study was conducted between FISH and QRT-PCR for BCR-ABL transcripts at diagnosis and during follow-up. RESULTS: There was good correlation between FISH and QRT-PCR for BCR-ABL. At 6th month of follow-up post diagnosis, FISH had a sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 65.2% (k >0.339, p<0.033). At 12th month, the sensitivity of FISH was 83% and the specificity was 59.1% (k >0.286, p <0.065). Similarly, at the 24th month, FISH had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 68.8% (k >0.642, p<0.000). DISCUSSION: Early achievement of major molecular response (MMR) and complete cytogenetic remission (CCyR) were reliable predictors of long-term maintenance of molecular remission.

Myelodysplastic syndrome with fibrosis and complex karyotype arising in a patient with essential thrombocythaemia.

INTRODUCTION: Essential thrombocythaemia (ET) is a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) characterised by persistent thombocytosis. It is an indolent disorder but transformation to myelofibrosis (MF), acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) or myelodyplastic syndrome (MDS) has been reported. CASE REPORT: We described a patient with ET whose disease evolved into MDS with fibrosis and complex karyotype after 15 years of stable disease. She was asymptomatic and was on hydroxyurea (HU) treatment until recently when she presented with worsening anaemia. Physical examination showed mild splenomegaly. Full blood picture showed leukoerythroblastic picture with presence of 3% circulating blasts and background of dysplastic features such as hypogranular cytoplasm and nuclear hyposegmentation of neutrophils. The bone marrow aspiration was haemodiluted but revealed presence of 6% blast cells, trilineage dysplasia and predominant erythroid precursors (60%). Trephine biopsy showed no excess of blast cells and normal quantity of erythroid precursors, but there was increased in fibrosis (WHO grade 2) and presence of dysmegakaryopoeisis such as nuclear hypolobation, multinucleation and micromegakaryocytes. Cytogenetic study showed complex karyotype; monosomy of chromosome 2, chromosome 5, chromosome 18 and presence of a marker chromosome (42~44, XX,-2,-5,-18,+mar). Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) showed 5q deletion (CSF1R and EGR1). CONCLUSION: The findings were consistent with transformation of ET to MDS with fibrosis and complex karyotype. ET progression to MDS is considered rare. The presence of complex karyotype and fibrosis in MDS are associated with unfavourable outcome.

Primary imatinib resistance in chronic myeloid leukemia patients in a developing country: BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations or BCR-ABL independent mechanisms?

Clinical resistance to imatinib (IM) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) carries adverse consequences. We investigated 22 CML patients who developed IM-resistance for BCR-ABL kinase domain (KD) mutations. The median follow-up for this study was 101.9 months (range: 22.2 to 176.5 months) and the estimated mean overall survival was 150.87 months (95% CI: 130.0 to 171.0). Five out of 22 patients tested positive for BCR-ABL KD mutations: 2 had T315I, 2 had E255K and 1 had V289F mutations. Of the remaining 17 patients who did not harbor BCR-ABL KD mutations, 11 patients received nilotinib while the rest continued on IM. All 17 achieved haematological remission but only 5 patients achieved complete cytogenetic remission, 4 of whom did so after switching to nilotinib. Our study shows that most of our IM-resistant patients do not test positive for BCR-ABL KD mutations by available testing methods and the role of second generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors remains undetermined. A critical analysis of the BCR-ABL KD mutations and the underlying mechanisms/ pathways of BCR-ABL independent IM-resistance along with potential treatments in the horizon will be discussed.

Prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia and thalassaemia trait among undergraduate medical students.

BACKGROUND: Anaemia is a global health problem including Malaysia. In adults, anaemia may affect work productivity. Iron deficiency anaemia and thalassaemia are common causes of anaemia in Malaysia. However, there is scarcity of data on national prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia and thalassaemia, especially in young adults. This cross sectional study was performed to determine the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia and thalassaemia among medical students of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples collected in EDTA tubes were analyzed for haemoglobin level and red cell parameters such as MCV, MCH and red cell counts. Samples with abnormal red cell indices were sent for analysis of RBC morphology, iron status, haemoglobin analysis and DNA analysis. RESULTS: A total of 400 samples were available for this study. Fifty-eight (14.5%) students had hypochromic microcytic red cell indices in which 44 (11%) showed thalassaemia red cell indices while 14 (3.5%) had iron deficiency red cell indices which were finally confirmed by serum iron/TIBC analysis. Amongst those suspected to have thalassaemia, 12 (27.3%) were confirmed as alpha thalassaemia trait (αα/--(SEA)), 11 (25%) as Haemoglobin-E trait, 8 (18.2%) as beta thalassaemia trait and 2 (4.5%) as Haemoglobin Constant Spring (αα/α(CS)α). However, eleven students (25%) with thalassaemia red cell indices could not be confirmed with the common thalassaemia primers available, thus causes have yet to be established. CONCLUSION: Our prevalence of thalassaemia was high and thus we opine that better screening methods should be adopted.

G6PD enzyme activity in normal term Malaysian neonates and adults using a OSMMR2000-D kit with Hb normalization.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is one of the commonest causes of neonatal jaundice in Malaysia. Screening of cord blood for G6PD deficiency by the semiquantitative fluorescent spot test (FST) is performed in Malaysia but this test can miss cases of partial G6PD deficiency. The OSMMR-D kit assay measures G6PD activity and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, allowing direct expression of results in U/gHb. We evaluated this method and established the normal range for G6PD activity in normal term neonates and adults. EDTA blood from 94 neonates and 295 adults (age 15-59 years old) with normal Hb and FST were selected. The normal means for G6PD activity for neonates and adults were 12.43 +/- 2.28 U/gHb and 9.21 +/- 2.6 U/gHb, respectively; the reference ranges for normal G6PD activity in neonates and adults were 10.15-14.71 U/gHb and 6.61-11.81 U/gHb respectively. There were no significant differences in mean normal G6PD activity between the Malays and Chinese racial groups or between genders. The upper and lower limit cut-off points for partial deficiency in neonates were 7.4 U/gHb (60% of the normal mean) and 2.5 U/gHb (20% of the normal mean), respectively. For adults, the upper and lower limit cut-off points for partial deficiency in adults were 5.52 U/gHb (60% of the normal mean) and 1.84 U/gHb (20% of the normal mean), respectively. The quantitation of G6PD enzymes using this OSMMR-D kit with Hb normalization was simple since the Hb was analyzed simultaneously and the results were reproducible with a CV of less than 5%.

Non-secretory multiple myeloma with diagnostic challenges.

Non-secretory multiple myeloma (NSMM) is a rare variant of the classic form of multiple myeloma (MM). In NSMM, no monoclonal gammopathy can be detected in serum or urine by conventional techniques, making the diagnosis more difficult. We describe a 71-year-old man who had been diagnosed and treated for granulocytic sarcoma one year prior to his recent problems of progressive low-back pain of two months duration. Skeletal X-rays showed diffuse osteolytic lesions with multiple pathological fractures but there was no monoclonal gammopathy in the serum or urine. The biopsy of the lytic lesion on the upper part of the femur showed infiltration by abnormal plasma cells. A diagnosis of NSMM was made and he was treated with chemotherapy. The early diagnostic difficulty and the challenges faced regarding the case are discussed.

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia: a case series.

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML), previously known as juvenile chronic myeloid leukaemia (JCML) is a rare, myelodysplastic - myeloproliferative disease typically presenting in early childhood. This disorder is difficult to distinguish from other myeloproliferative syndrome such as chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) because of the similarities in their clinical and bone marrow findings. However, because of its unique biological characteristics such as absolute monocytosis with dysplasia, absence of Philadelphia chromosome or BCR-ABL fusion protein, hypergammaglobulinaemia and raised fetal haemoglobin level, this disorder does not satisfy the criteria for inclusion in the CML or chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML) group, as seen in adult patients. We describe a series of three patients with JMML, who had almost similar clinical and laboratory findings, and discuss the difficulty in the classification and treatment of the disease.

Transient abnormal myelopoeisis in newborns with Down syndrome.

Transient abnormal myelopoeisis (TAM) is a haematological phenomenon commonly seen in newborns with Down syndrome. Although the majority show spontaneous resolution, this condition should not be dismissed too readily as there have been associated fatalities. Furthermore, even for those who do show spontaneous resolution, a significant percentage will develop acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia within the next few years of life. We report a series of four patients with TAM who presented with hepatosplenomegaly and leucocytosis detected on preliminary investigations.

Assessing donor chimerism using flow cytometry in paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria after stem cell transplantation--a case report.

Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) is an acquired haemopoietic stem cell disorder arising from somatic mutation of the X-linked PIG-A gene which leads to deficiency of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GP1) membrane anchor proteins such as CD 59 (MIRL: membrane inhibitor of reactive lysis) and CD 55 (DAF: decay accelerating factor). Allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT) is a curative mode of treatment in symptomatic PNH patients. Assessment of donor chimerism for PBSCT can be performed by various methods including short tandem repeat loci (STR) and variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR). Flow cytometry, which is much cheaper and faster, also can be used to assess engraftment in patients with PNH. Engrafted patients will show the presence of CD 55 and CD 59 on their red cells and white cells. We describe here the usefulness of flow cytometry in the assessment of donor chimerism following allogeneic PBSCT, in a case of PNH.

Complex karyotypic abnormalities in a case of acute myeloid leukaemia--M4Eo.

A 25-year-old man was referred to Hospital UKM with a 2-week history of fever, productive cough and loss of appetite. Physical examination revealed an ill-looking, tachypnoeic young man. No obvious lymphadenopathy or organomegaly was noted. Examination of the respiratory system revealed right pleural effusion. Full blood picture demonstrated leukocytosis with 90% blasts, and bone marrow examination confirmed the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) French-American-British (FAB) classification of M4 with eosinophilia. His chromosome karyotyping showed complex karyotypic abnormalities. Cytological examination of the pleural fluid demonstrated numerous blast cells indicating leukemic infiltration of the lungs, which is a rare presentation in AML. He was then started on induction chemotherapy with intravenous daunorubicin and cytarabine. In the midst of treatment, he developed an episode of seizure and cerebro-spinal fluid cytology confirmed central nervous system (CNS) leukaemic infiltration. Additional intrathecal methotraxate was given. Repeat bone marrow examination done on day 15 of chemotherapy showed persistence of excess blasts indicating refractory AML. He was then reinduced with high dose cytarabine but to no avail. The disease progressed and he succumbed about 8 weeks after the initial diagnosis was made. We highlight here a case of AML-M4Eo with complex karyoyptic abnormalities presenting with leukaemic infiltration of the lungs and CNS which had imparted a bad prognosis for this subtype of AML, AML-M4Eo.