Evaluating the Impact of Intensifying Treatment from Human to Analogue Insulin on Glycaemic Control and Insulin Expenditure in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Achieving good glycaemic control is essential to reducing the risk of diabetes complications. Insulin is the most effective therapy for achieving good glycaemic control; however, it is associated with a higher risk of hypoglycaemia, especially with human insulin. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of intensification from human to analogue insulin and its added cost. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM). Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who underwent intensification for at least 3 months from human to analogue insulin were included in this study. The patients' medical records, haemoglobin A1c (Hba1c) and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were retrieved. The total cost pre- and post-intensification of insulin was obtained from the pharmacy database. Differences in HbA1c, FBS and total insulin cost pre- and post-intensification were analysed. Results: A total of 163 patients with T2DM who had intensification from human to analogue insulin were included in this study. HbA1c and FBS levels were significantly lower in analogue insulin. However, the differences were not clinically significant, as the mean reduction in HbA1c was less than 0.5%. Meanwhile, the total costs of analogue insulin for 3 months were higher. Conclusion: There were no clinically significant improvements in patients' HbA1c and FBS after the intensification of insulin, despite the extra costs spent. Hence, it is vital to choose the right group of patients to receive an insulin analogue to maximise its benefit but at the most optimal cost.

The Zurkurnai ECG Pattern: A Novel ECG Pattern of the High-Risk Features of Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

Acute pulmonary embolism is an important differential diagnosis in patients presenting with acute shortness of breath. However, the overlapping clinical presentation between acute coronary syndrome, aortic dissection, pneumonia, and heart failure made the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism very challenging in a limited resources center. We present a case of acute pulmonary embolism with an uncommon ECG pattern that was initially misdiagnosed as acute coronary syndrome. The authors made the appropriate diagnosis using the Zurkurnai ECG pattern in acute pulmonary embolism, which is defined as the presence of right axis deviation, deep symmetrical T wave inversion in V1 to V5, II, III, and AVF with the maximum at V3-V4 and poor R wave progression, which indicates the high-risk features of acute pulmonary embolism.

Adverse Cardiovascular Events Associated With Kopi Jantan.

Energy drinks (EDs) are widely accessible worldwide. In Malaysia, it is common for EDs to be premixed with sexual stimulants. ED consumption has been shown to have an association with cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, spontaneous coronary artery dissection, and coronary vasospasm. In addition to this, EDs are associated with arrhythmias, which significantly prolong the QTc interval. Myocardial infarction with no obstructive coronary artery disease (MINOCA) is defined as a patient presenting with myocardial infarction with no obstructive coronary artery disease or ≤50% stenosis. It is a challenging and complex pathophysiology compared to obstructive coronary artery disease. MINOCA is more frequently associated with younger patients and women. Here, we report two cases related to a Malaysian local energy drink Kopi Jantan, which presented with atrial flutter and MINOCA.

Posterolateral Premature Ventricular Complex Manifest as Posteroseptal Premature Ventricular Complex: A Case Report.

Premature ventricular complex (PVC) is one of the most common arrhythmias detected in young patients. We report a case of a young patient with symptomatic high-burden PVC suspected to originate from the posterior right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) who underwent an electrophysiology study (EPS) and was subsequently successfully ablated with markedly reduced PVC burden. The following day, it was noted that there was a change in PVC morphology. A repeat 3D electroanatomical mapping localized the second PVC morphology to posterolateral RVOT and abolished it with radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

Managing a Pseudo-Mobitz Type II Atrioventricular (AV) Block Intrapartum: A Case Report.

Atrioventricular (AV) block in pregnancy is rare, but it is a serious arrhythmia that needs to be carefully managed in pregnancy. However, as of now, there are no clear guidelines or consensus for intrapartum management. Most of the time, an intrapartum AV block is secondary to hypervagatonic sinus node dysfunction and is treated conservatively. Hypervagatonic sinus node dysfunction has a heterogeneous presentation of AV block, and pseudo-Mobitz type II in labor is rarely reported. We report a case of pseudo-Mobitz type II AV block during pregnancy due to labor pain, which is successfully managed conservatively.

The Unusual Cause of Cardiac Tamponade.

We present a previously healthy young man with cardiac tamponade. He underwent emergency pericardiocentesis. The pericardial fluid was exudative, and Salmonella sp. was grown on both pericardial and blood cultures. Further investigations revealed that this patient had classical Hodgkin lymphoma, which explains his immunocompromised state predisposing him to this infection. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).