IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia (IMJM)
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Guttaflow Bioseal as Monocone Obturation Technique: A Scanning Electron Microscopy Study
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: This study compared the obturated surface area, the extrusion of root filling material beyond the apical foramen and the duration of obturation procedure in single-rooted mandibular premolar using monocone obturation technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The root canal of twenty single-rooted mandibular premolars were prepared, and then divided into two groups; Group 1 (GuttaFlow Bioseal (GFB) and a gutta-percha (GP) cone) and Group 2 (RoekoSeal Automix root canal sealer and a GP cone). The obturation procedure was timed and the obturation radiograph was taken after the procedure. The roots were sectioned perpendicularly and the surfaces were observed under scanning electron microscope. The images were transferred to the SketchAndCalc Area Calculator software for evaluation of the obturated surface area. RESULTS: The median score of obturated surface area in Group 1 and 2 at the apical was 86.51 and 83.00, at the middle was 90.48 and 87.35 and at the coronal was 93.00 and 83.39, respectively. The extrusion of root filling material between two groups did not show statistically significant difference. The mean duration of obturation in Group 1 and 2 was 149.50 and 137.60, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The obturated surface area at the apical and middle root regions in Group 1 and 2 was comparable but at the coronal region, Group 1 showed 11.5% better coverage. The extrusion of root filling material in Group 1 and 2 was equivalent. Obturation procedure in Group 1 took 8.6% longer than in the Group 2
Prevalence of Depression and its Associated Factors among Medical Students in International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)
Get PDFIntroduction: Globally, depression is one of the serious problems reported among medical students. Various studies reported that the prevalence of depression among medical students was high due to multiple risk factors. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among medical students in International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 medical students in IIUM Kuantan. A validated self-reported questionnaire using Depression Anxiety Stress Score 21 was distributed during the second semester of the 2018/2019 session. Descriptive statistics were used to measure the prevalence of depression. Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, independent sample T-test, and multiple logistic regression were used to determine the association between risk factors and depression. Result: The prevalence of depression was 39% with 10.5% of them were having severe and extremely severe level of depression. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed regular physical activity (AOR=0.64, 95% CI: 0.42-0.98) and Tahajjud prayer practice (AOR: 0.76, 95% CI 0.66-0.88) are two protective factors against depression among medical students. Conclusion: About two out of every five IIUM medical students had depression. Regular physical activity and Tahajjud prayer practised may reduce the risk of depression and should be encouraged
Insight of Mechanism and Signaling Pathway in Pathogenesis of Diabetic Neuropathy: A Review: Pathogenesis of Diabetic Neuropathy
No full textDiabetic neuropathy (DN) is a common chronic microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus. The features of DN include allodynia, hyperalgesia, abnormal or loss of sensation of nerve fibers. The clinical features will contribute to poor quality of life, disrupt sleep, lead to depression, and increases mortality. Current drug treatments have been shown to alleviate the symptoms of DN but failed to treat the underlying causes of DN. Therefore, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and progression of DN is needed for early diagnosis and intervention and understanding the failure of existing treatments. Identification of potential mechanisms is critical for better prediction of progression and for designing preventive therapies. DN's exact pathogenesis is incomplete, although it is understood that its multifunctional dysfunction involving many signaling pathways. This review summarized the common deterioration of signaling pathways and mechanisms involved in DN pathogenesis. 
Clinical Significance of Caseating Granulomas Detected on Transrectal Ultrasound Biopsy of Prostate Gland: The Recommended Management
Get PDFIntroduction: The histopathological examination (HPE) findings of caseating granulomas from the transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) of prostate biopsy are rare. A high index of suspicion is necessary to diagnose a tuberculosis infection. Here, we present the clinical outcomes of patients and the practical management steps when encounter these findings. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of three cases in a tertiary care centre and reviewed the available literature on the topic. Results: All patients were aged less than 55 years and were considered young adults. One patient presented with neurogenic systemic symptoms, and two patients presented with lower urinary tract symptoms. All patients had abnormal digital rectal examination findings that warranted a TRUS biopsy of the prostate. All biopsies reported caseating granuloma with multinucleated giant cells. Additional investigations led to the diagnosis of tuberculosis infections in two patients, and one patient was diagnosed as having non-specific granulomatous prostatitis. All patients were treated according to their specific diagnosis and recovered fully. Conclusion: The detection of caseating granuloma on prostate biopsy may lead to diagnoses of several conditions, either infective or non-infective in origin. Further investigation is mandatory to provide appropriate treatment
Depression Among Non-Cancer Chronic Pain Patients at a Tertiary Hospital in Malaysia
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Pain is as important public health concern. Chronic pain patients most frequently present with depression, and this needed to be treated. The aim of the study was to find the prevalence of depression among non-cancer chronic pain patients attending a Pain Clinic in Malaysia, and discuss possible treatment methods to help these patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Inclusion criteria were all non- cancer chronic pain patients who visited the Pain Clinic of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah from 2013 till 2017. All patients were required to fill a PainDetect form and a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-four patient’s case notes were analysed. The results show that 29.6 % patients had mild depression, with 34.4% of patients had moderate to severe depression. There was a significant correlation between pain scores and depression. There was also a significant correlation between PainDetect scores and depression. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of depression among non-cancer chronic pain patients. This study shows that psychological treatment for all chronic pain patients is needed
Preliminary Findings on a Newly Developed Malaysian Multilingual Sentence Repetition Task for Multilingual Chinese Children in Malaysia
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Even though multilingualism is the basic fabric of linguistic diversity of mainstream communities in Malaysia, there is generally a lack of assessment tool to assess the language abilities of multilingual children at risk of language impairment. This study is aimed at developing a Malaysian Multilingual Sentence Repetition (MMSR) task which can be used to assess the morphosyntactic abilities of multilingual Chinese children speaking three languages i.e., English-Mandarin-Malay. MATERIALS AND METHOD: 10 typically developing Chinese children within the ages of 4 years until 6 years and 11 months old were recruited. Each child was presented with sentences auditorily using a laptop with a microphone headset. The child was then asked to repeat verbatim the sentences they just heard. RESULTS: Findings showed that the subjects performed equally well in English and Mandarin but lower in Malay (p < 0.01). Correlation analyses revealed that the older children performed better for English (p < 0.05) and Mandarin (p < 0.01) sentence repetitions (SRs). Performance on SR tasks decreased with the increase in sentence length and complexity. CONCLUSION: The newly developed multilingual SR task proved reliable and valid as a tool and has the potential to be developed into a standardized test to assess multilingual Malaysian children at risk of language impairment
In Vitro and in Vivo Cytotoxic Effects of Chlorella Against Various types of Cancer
Get PDFChlorella is one of the microalgae that had been studied intensively owing to its rapid growth and easily cultured at a large scale compared to other microalgae and valuable nutrient compositions. Numerous studies have observed that Chlorella possess various health benefit including antioxidant, anti-cholesterol, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative effect against many types of cancer. In this review paper, the effects of various Chlorella species against cancer cells and animal induced cancer are discussed and an overview on Chlorella is briefed. The Chlorella deleterious effect on cancer through various mechanisms such as enhancement of immune system and apoptosis; improving lipid peroxidation; synthesis and expression of the protein-degrading matrix; and preventing the formation of new blood vessels are elaborated as well. Based on the findings of many studies reported in this article, it can be suggested that Chlorella has the potential in supporting cancer therapy and may develop to become an anti-cancer agent
The Use of Breast Cancer Survivor Patients as Part of Patient-Centred Education in the Training of Breast Cancer Care Nurses
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. Patients diagnosed with breast cancer face many psychological and social distress that might affect their quality of life and indirectly might affect the disease outcome. Patient-centred education has been found to have a positive influence on the quality of management and anxiety reduction. A one-day workshop involving breast cancer survivor patients was designed as a preliminary step to improve the quality of care provided by oncology nurses in University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). The objectives of the workshop were to train the nurses in providing patient-centred education using breast cancer survivor patients and to implement the breast cancer Malaysian Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) recommendation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One-day workshop was designed to meet specific learning outcomes. The patient education program was introduced with special emphasis on a patientcentred approach through the involvement of breast cancer survivor patients. Twenty-one staff nurses and two breast cancer survivor patients have participated in this workshop. The workshop was conducted by a breast cancer surgeon, oncologist, dietitian, family physician, and medical educators. RESULT: Overall, all participants found the workshop was very useful, particularly with the involvement of breast cancer survivor patients. Sixty – two percent of the participants agreed that the objectives of the workshop were met and 76 % of them found the workshop relevant to their work. CONCLUSION: The involvement of breast cancer survivor patients in this workshop was a valuable learning experience that enhanced the patient-centred approach in medical education
Menstrual Suppression Practice among Female Malaysian Pilgrims
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Performing the Hajj or pilgrimage is obligatory for all Muslims. Certain Hajj religious rites cannot be performed during menstruation. Hence, it is common for female pilgrims to seek a doctor’s advice on methods of menstrual suppression during Hajj. This exploratory study aimed to determine the prevalence and usage profile of menstrual suppression practices among Malaysian women performing Hajj and their associated factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational cohort study involved 437 women aged 18-55 years old who attended compulsory pre-Hajj courses in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The self-administered questionnaires contained sociodemographic information, and biomedical characteristics were obtained. A follow-up call was made after their return from Hajj to obtain information regarding practice, medication is taken, and their intended duration of menstrual suppression. Descriptive and inferential analysis were done. RESULTS: Post Hajj, about 81.3% (347/437) of women were contactable and completed their menstrual calendar and 17.6% (62/347) of female pilgrims practiced menstrual suppression. The mean duration of hajj was 44 days and 77.4% (48/61) intended to suppress their menstruation throughout the whole of their Hajj travel. Previous use of contraception was associated with menstrual suppression practice (p<0.001). The commonest method of menstrual suppression was combined oral contraceptive pills (53.2%) followed by oral progestogens only pill (35.5%). CONCLUSION: Almost one-fifth of Malaysian female Hajj pilgrims practiced menstrual suppression. Previous use of contraception was associated with menstrual suppression practice. Combined oral contraceptive pills were the commonest method used and the method was chosen was based on the individual desired duration of menstrual suppression. ><0.001). The commonest method of menstrual suppression was combined oral contraceptive pills (53.2%) followed by oral progestogens only pill (35.5%). CONCLUSION: Almost one-fifth of Malaysian female Hajj pilgrims practiced menstrual suppression. Previous use of contraception was associated with menstrual suppression practice. Combined oral contraceptive pills were the commonest method used and the method was chosen was based on the individual desired duration of menstrual suppression