Abstract:

Pain assessment and management has been widely practiced in emergency departments all over the world. As proper pain management is directly related to improvement in patient satisfaction, health care officers have to be effective in dealing with pain related chief complaints daily. A common chief complaint of patients presenting to the emergency departments all over the world including Malaysia is headache. The aim of this study is to determine the missed pain assessment and management of headache at the Emergency Department (ED) in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia and the factors that were influencing them. The factors associated with missed pain assessment and treatment among patients with headache presenting to the emergency department were investigated. A cross sectional retrospective observational study was performed from December 2017 to May 2018 among all patients presenting with headache to the emergency department of Hospital University Sains Malaysia (HUSM). A total of 94 patients were enrolled in this study and 77 patients met the inclusion criteria. There was a statistically significant association (p-value<0.05) between pain reassessment and triage zone (x² =6.858) and patient’s arrival time (x² =5.773). A significant association (p-value<0.05) between missed pain treatment and triage zone, and patient’s arrival time was noted. The chi square value (x²) for triage zone and patient arrival were 7.428 and 4.807 respectively. Whereas, there was no significant association between pain treatment and attending physician. Triage zone and arrival time of patients are the factors influencing missed assessment and management of pain among patients with headache presenting to ED. A proper action plan and more intervention studies are warranted in order to overcome the above mentioned issues and optimize pain management for headache.

Abstract:

Bleeding is a common expected complication during surgery, but more so in advanced sarcoma resection surgery owing to the tumour’s angiogenesis. As surgery is potentially curative for primary nonmetastatic extremity soft tissue sarcoma – hence surgery is necessitated. In this case, we have a patient with significant bleeding intraoperatively requiring several methods and techniques to control the hemorrhage. The management of bleeding involves multiple assessment and strategies to ensure appropriate care for the patients. The management is perioperative involving all stages: preoperative risk identification and optimization to intraoperative surgical options and techniques to postoperative care. The objective of this review is to establish a guideline on factors and options that surgeons should to be aware, going into surgery from preoperative to postoperative management when bleeding ensues. Latest updates and recent evidence help ensure improved clinical management for sarcoma patients undergoing surgery.

Summary:

Myelomatous pleural effusion is a rare cause of pleural effusion in patients with multiple myeloma, with an incidence rate of 1-2%. The diagnosis is best appreciated on cytological examination. Visualisation of atypical and immature plasma cells in large numbers in the pleural fluid is characteristic, however may be easily missed in smears. We reported a case of a 61 years old gentleman of Malay ethnicity, with underlying refractory multiple myeloma, presented with worsening shortness of breath and found to have a left-sided pleural effusion. Pleural fluid from pleural tapping procedure was submitted for cytological examination. The pleural fluid showed singly scattered atypical plasmacytoid cells in close admixture with mesothelial cells and lymphocytes, which were more apparent on the cell block. Immunohistochemically, the plasmacytoid cells were positive for CD138 while scattered cells consistent with mesothelial cells were positive for calretinin. The patient was diagnosed with a myelomatous pleural effusion. The rarity of this finding and use of cell block to enhance the detection of the cells is highlighted.

Abstract:

Teeth are a much neglected part of most people. They care for their whole body except teeth. In this regard, they suffer many dental problems, especially in their mixed dentition stages. After checking the teeth of the students of a Cantonment School of Bangladesh with a registered physician and medical assistant, the result showed many teeth-related problems as well as the dental cavity. In addition, their feeding habit and the education of their parents at home were observed. Proper knowledge of health, food habit and exercise should be increased in most families.

Abstract:

Patients presenting to the emergency departments who turn out to be COVID-19 positive long length of stay is associated with more exposure to health care staff and other patients. The objective of this study was to use routinely collected daily data of patients to add to the literature on long waiting times of COVID-19 positive patients in the emergency department. An observational study and case series study was performed for a period of time observing patients presenting to the ED who turn out to be COVID-19 positive, time of exposure and waiting time for admission. The results showed that mean time of a COVID-19 patient’s stay in the emergency department is 13.88 hours. These results show that the patients waiting time for the results of COVID-19 test and waiting time for admission to the wards is long and thus poses high risk of exposure to the health care workers in the emergency department and neighboring patients in the ED.

Abstract:

Consumption of energy drinks is on the rise among all age groups, especially young adults. These drinks contain taurine and caffeine as their main ingredients. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the effects of energy drinks on choice reaction time in comparison to mineral water among healthy young adults. A randomized controlled trial was done in a private medical college in Malaysia in October 2016. Participants were divided into 2 intervention groups; energy drink (n=18) and placebo (n=16) and were given the intervention drink (250ml). Their choice reaction time was assessed using Deary-Liewald Reaction Time and cardiology parameters (systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate) were recorded before and after the intervention. After a 7-day washout period, the test was repeated with a crossover of the groups. The change in response and parameters were analyzed using independent T-test. There was a significant decrease in the choice reaction time after consumption of energy drink along with slight increase in blood pressure and heart rate as compared with placebo. Energy drink can improve the choice reaction time with slight changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate as compared to placebo.

Abstract:

Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) may occur following vaccinations which may range from mild to severe. A new vaccination program for Covid-19 was started in Malaysia and thus the presentation of persons to the emergency response clinic with AEFI after the first dose of covid-19 vaccination program was studied. The objectives of this study were to use collected daily data of persons presenting to the Emergency Response Clinic with AEFI following the first dose of covid-19 vaccination to know the incidence of AEFI, its presentation and severity. An audit was performed throughout the first dose of Covid-19 vaccination program in a single tertiary center observing patients presenting to the Emergency Response Clinic who turn out to have symptoms post vaccination. The results showed that AEFI incidence was low among those vaccinated and out of these, majority had mild symptoms and only a few had moderate side effects with no one developing severe effects post vaccination. These results show that the vaccine is considered safe because the percentage who had seek treatment was low, and mostly had only mild symptoms. The establishment of an Emergency Response Team will ensure better recognition, monitoring, treatment and referral process for a COVID-19 vaccination program which will identify early and improve the outcomes in patients post vaccination.

Abstract:

As the world continues its battle with Covid-19, with some countries going into recoveries and some in resurgence of cases, we should not forget that different types of hazards still are a threat to our hospitals and emergency departments. A well-known hazard to the hospitals in Malaysia is fires and we should be prepared for it even with the ongoing pandemic. To conduct a fire drill in the hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure awareness of fires as a threat and a type of hazard in the hospitals, and also to modify the evacuation pathways taking into count the presence of Covid positive and Severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) within the hospitals. A fire drill was conducted in the emergency department of a single tertiary center hospital observing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) as set by the Ministry of Health (MOH). The alertness, activation, evacuation pathways and disposition of the patients and staff were observed. Referees consisting of all levels including support staff, doctors, specialist and invites from the fire unit, administration RADICARE services, security forces, PBSM were present to provide a feedback. The results showed that the alertness of a fire was still present among the staffs amidst the pandemic and new routes of evacuation pathways for COVID-19 and Covid-19 suspected patients were implemented and was an important part of the drill to ensure adequate distancing and prevention of spread of the covid-19 virus. These results show that even though we are in a pandemic, the other forms of disasters with its types and hazards cannot be ignored. An awareness of fire as a hazard must still be present during this time of crisis and new evacuation pathways separating the covid-19 positive and suspected patients is important to prevent its spread during a fire without compromising the care of the patients.

Abstract:

Otorrhea in preschool children is most often infective and benign in nature. Temporal bone tumours presenting with persistent otorrhea often have associated features such as raised intracranial pressure, temporal bone swelling and facial nerve palsy. We describe an infant with temporal bone Ewing sarcoma presenting with isolated chronic otorrhea and review the clinical features of the four commonest paediatric temporal bone tumours over the last 50 years.

Abstract:

Takayasu Arteritis is one of the two large vessel vasculitis according to 2012 revised International Chapel Hill Consensus Conference definition of vasculitis. Disseminated Takayasu Arteritis in a male patient presented as intestinal gangrene is very rare and potentially fatal. Here, we have a case of a 40-year-old male of Asian ancestry with disseminated Takayasu Arteritis, came with acute abdomen and acute renal failure. No associated hemoptysis and no prior history of limb claudication. He was hypertensive with absent bowel sounds. Clinically he was hypertensive with raised acute phase reactants. No bruits were present. CT angiography showed total occlusion of abdominal aorta. Histopathogical analysis of resected bowel showed involvement of small vessels as well. Absence of history of ischemic symptoms of upper and lower limb ischemia is unique in this case. Early diagnosis is important for early targeted therapy to avoid further ischemic events and even mortality.