RESUMEN
SETTING: The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines have not been implemented effectively in primary care settings in Viet Nam. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the proportion of patients with controlled asthma and the direct health care costs of managing asthma according to GINA guidelines at four out-patient clinics in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Viet Nam. METHODS: One hundred and six patients with asthma were treated and followed up according to GINA guidelines for 12 months. Clinical and pulmonary function responses and direct health care costs were evaluated every 3 months during the study. RESULTS: The proportion of patients with controlled asthma rose from 1.0% at the start of the study to 36.8% by the end of the study (P < 0.0001). The proportion of patients who had at least one hospitalisation per year decreased significantly, from 32.1% to 5.7% (P < 0.0001). The annual per patient median direct health care cost was US$169. Using asthma controllers continuously gave better asthma control than using them intermittently (OR 12.9, 95%CI 4.7-35.7). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of GINA guidelines at out-patient clinics in HCMC, Viet Nam, improved asthma control with modest direct health care costs.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: In South-Central Asia, 80% of head and neck cancers are found in the oral cavity and oropharynx. In Vietnam, oral cancer is often not being detected until people experience debilitating circumstances to normal oral function. The aims of the study were to explore the patterns of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its risk indicators, the structure of oral health care in Vietnam and trends in prevalence of cultural risk habits in southern Vietnamese patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective clinical study was performed from 1 July 2005 to 1 April 2006 at Ho Chi Minh City Oncology hospital in Vietnam. Of the 161 cases, 147 subjects were diagnosed with OSCC, including 100 male and 47 female adults aged 24-85 years. Data were collected by a structured interview and clinical examination. RESULTS: Over 40% of the women with OSCC reported chewing betel quid and the most prevalent risk habit in males was smoking (91.0%). Daily alcohol use was reported by 79.0% of males and 2.1% of females. Two-thirds of the cases of OSCC were diagnosed at the 2nd and 3rd stage of cancer. The more advanced stages of cancer were observed in males than in females. The prevalence of tobacco and alcohol use in males with OSCC was higher in this study than in the previous Vietnamese studies. CONCLUSION: High frequency of risk habits in both genders was reported in OSCC Vietnamese patients. A trend of increased tobacco and alcohol use was observed in male OSCC patients. A lower prevalence of later staging in Vietnam was observed in this study than in earlier studies.