Leelavathi Muthupalaniappen

Background: Identifying knowledge gaps regarding antibiotic use and resistance is important for future interventional strategies. There is limited information on Malaysia's general public's knowledge and expectations on antibiotic use. Purpose: To assess the knowledge of antibiotic use and resistance, expectations from antibiotic prescription, a...

Antibiotics are commonly prescribed among older adults, and inappropriate use of antibiotics has been noted. However, there is limited information about their knowledge and expectations for antibiotics. This study aimed to assess older adults’ knowledge of antibiotic use and resistance, their expectations for antibiotics and the relationship betwee...

E-cigarettes have rapidly gained worldwide popularity. Since its use still poses a health risk to the users, it is important to assess their intention to quit this habit. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of e-cigarette use, its effect on cigarette smoking and users' intention to quit vaping and smoking. A total of 377 e-cigarette u...

ABSTRAK Terdapat peningkatan bilangan orang yang hidup dengan HIV dan AIDS terutama dalam kumpulan usia muda. Ini akan memberi impak besar apabila mereka inginkan cahaya mata. Perancangan proses mengandung di kalangan pasangan yang berlainan status HIV (serodiscordant) adalah rumit terutama dalam isu mengurangkan risiko penularan penyakit. Kami mel...

Background: Obesity in pregnancy causes both maternal and foetal complications hence adequate knowledge of obesity related pregnancy risks would ensure better outcomes. This study aims to determine the knowledge of obesity related pregnancy risks among pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women from four ant...

Leprosy reactions are a major cause of nerve damage, morbidity and disability. We present case of lepromatous leprosy with T1R and pulmonary tuberculosis. We reviewed the literature to determine the relationship between co infection and tuberculosis therapy with leprosy reactions. Case report A 69 year old man with type II diabetes mellitus and hyp...

Introduction: Our country is fast becoming a developed country with improved life expectancy. The healthcare system should be prepared to manage medical conditions which are prevalent in the older age group. Skin diseases are commonly observed in the geriatric population. We seek to characterize the dermatological conditions affecting patients at t...

Traditional or herbal medications are generally perceived as safe since it is derived from natural or plant sources. A rise in number of adverse reactions are being reported with the use of traditional medications including localized cutaneous reactions. The diagnosis of contact dermatitis is often quite straight forward based on its appearance, pa...

Background: Dermatology is a minor module in internal medicine undergraduate curriculum. Limited time is allocated for its teaching. Most graduates are inadequately prepared to diagnose and manage skin diseases. We aimed to identify the core content of a more effective dermatology module. Methods: A modified Delphi method was used to reach a con...

Extramammary Paget’s disease (EMPD) is a rare malignant disorder of the skin, which was described in as early as the nineteenth century. EMPD usually occurs as a single lesion in the apocrine sweat gland-bearing skin with abundant hair follicles. Here, we present an elderly man who suffered from a non-resolving chronic genital pruritus for 8 months...

Background: Shared decision-making (SDM) is an important component of patient-centred care. However, there is limited information on its implementation in Malaysia, particularly in chronic diseases such as hypertension. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine perceived involvement and role preferences of patients with hypertension...

Background: Patients with adverse cutaneous drug reactions (ACDRs) are frequently referred from primary care to tertiary centres for further management. This causes a loss of information regarding ACDRs as these patients discontinue primary care follow-up upon referral to tertiary care. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and chara...

Background: Patients with adverse cutaneous drug reactions (ACDRs) are frequently referred from primary care to tertiary centres for further management. This causes a loss of information regarding ACDRs as these patients discontinue primary care follow-up upon referral to tertiary care. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and chara...

Prevalence of dermatomycoses varies from one centre to another due to many factors. Knowledge of local prevalence is useful to aid clinical diagnosis and treatment. Due to lack of data in Malaysia, this study aimed to look at the causes of dermatomycoses in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Dermatological specimens including skin scrapings, hair and nail cli...

Background and aims: Acne is a common skin disorder which can cause physical scaring and impact the quality of life. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence, severity and the risk factors for developing acne among medical students in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Materials and methods: A cross sectional study among UKM medic...

Fungal infection of the nail is a common condition that causes much concern because of its disfiguring appearance. Although specific treatment is available for this condition, treatment outcome is variable and persistent nail dystrophy post-treatment may cause distress to both the patient and the physician. This article describes the current availa...

Many Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients refuse insulin therapy even when they require this modality of treatment. However, some eventually accept insulin. This study aimed to explore the T2DM patients' reasons for accepting insulin therapy and their initial barriers to use insulin. This qualitative study interviewed twenty-one T2DM patients a...

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate caregiver's health seeking behaviour for children with pneumonia and to determine the associated factors. Design: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Hospital Semporna, East Malaysia from September 2009 to January 2010. Materials and Methods: Children diagnosed with pneumonia between ages 2 mo...

Animal inflicted wounds, left untreated may result in chronic bacterial or fungal infection. Clinical features of these infections may overlap leading to a delay in diagnosis and treatment. We report a case of chronic non-healing cat bite wound treated with several antibiotics without improvement. Later patient developed the classical "sporotrichoi...

Onychomycosis increases the risk of developing secondary bacterial infection and cellulitis if left untreated. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of onychomycosis among diabetics and its associated factors. A cross sectional study using universal sampling of all type 1 and 2 diabetic patients attending a primary care facility of...

Diabetic patients are susceptible to infections due to compromised immune system. Among common infections include fungal infection of the nail, also known as onychomycosis. A cross sectional study was done to determine the prevalence and the common fungal element responsible of onychomycosis among patients with types 1 and 2 diabetes at the Pusat P...

Diabetic patients are susceptible to infections due to compromised immune system. Among common infections include fungal infection of the nail, also known as onychomycosis. A cross sectional study was done to determine the prevalence and the common fungal element responsible of onychomycosis among patients with types 1 and 2 diabetes at the Pusat P...

We carried out a cross sectional study to detect emotional and behavioral problems among adolescents who smoke and their help-seeking behavior. This study was conducted in Sarawak, East Malaysia, between July and September 2006. Emotional and behavioral problems were measured using the Youth Self-Report (YSR/11-18) questionnaire; help seeking behav...

Kerion is an inflammatory type of tinea capitis which can be mistaken for bacterial infection or folliculitis as both conditions display similar clinical features. It occurs most frequently in prepubescent children and rarely in adults. We report a 26-year-old woman who presented with multiple tender inflammed nodules on her scalp. Her condition wa...

A 67-year-old man of Chinese descent presented with a painless nodular lesion that had been present on his right forearm for the previous 3 months. A single, well-defined, dome-shaped, firm nodule with a central keratin plug surrounded by erythema was noted. Keratoacanthoma with secondary bacterial infection was suspected and the patient underwent...

Onychomycosis is the infection of nail apparatus by dermatophytes, yeasts or non-dermatophyte moulds and is responsible for 50% of all nail disorders. A five year retrospective study was conducted at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia to identify the common pathogens responsible for onychomycosis and to describe the epidemiology of the affected patient...

Body weight of children is affected by many factors including food habits which are influenced by their parents. Studies in the West have shown that parents tend to control child feeding in response to their child's weight status. The aim of this study was to assess Malaysian parental concerns about child weight and the control they exert on child...

Cat flea bite in humans results in extremely pruritic skin lesions. It has been reported to occur among those living in domiciliary accommodation. However, nosocomial infestation with cat flea has not been reported. We hereby report a case of nosocomial infestation of cat flea in a hospital facility. Identification of the parasite, its appropriate...

Myocardial infarction (MI) is known to be common in adults. Interestingly, we report a case of a 15-year-old boy who presented with typical chest pain secondary to myocardial infarct attributable to a combination of familial hyperlipidemia and possible episode of Kawasaki disease in the past. The patient failed treatment and follow-up care, and die...

Pisa syndrome or pleurothotonus is the persistent flexion of the body and head to one side giving the appearance of the leaning tower of Pisa. It is most commonly caused by typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs. We report a case of Pisa Syndrome caused by prolonged use of high dose cholinesterase inhibitor, rivastigmine. Symptoms subsided when r...

Background: Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) is the gold-standard to measure hearing impairment however; it is less suitable for mass-screening due to lack of availability and cost. The aim of this study was to detect the prevalence of hearing impairment using Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-Screening (HHIE-S) and comparing its precision to Pu...

The clinical suspicion of onychomyosis based on appearance of the nails, requires culture for confirmation. This is because treatment requires prolonged use of systemic agents which may cause side effects. One of the common problems encountered is improper nail sampling technique which results in loss of essential information. The unfamiliar termin...

Adolescent smoking is an emerging health concern in the developing countries. A cross-sectional study is conducted to determine the prevalence and smoking behaviour of adolescents in Sarawak. The prevalence of smoking is 32.8% with mean age of initiation at 12.8±1.9 years. Most (67.2%) adolescents are experimental smokers and the majority (67.9%) d...

Topical antiseptics are commonly used in the management of minor wounds, burns, and infected skin. These agents are widely used by health professionals and are often self-prescribed by patients as they are easily available over-the-counter. This case illustrates a 73 year old man who presented with a non-healing wound on his right forearm for 4 wee...

A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients attending a primary care facility to determine the prevalence of self reported hearing loss using a single question, “Do you have hearing loss?” Pure tone audiometry was performed to compare the accuracy of the self report. A total of 111 patients were recruited. The prevalence of self reported hear...

A 24-year-old lady presented with four days history of fever, non-pruritic rash, ankle pain and swelling. She had consumed herbal supplement five days before the onset of symptoms. Examinations revealed erythematous maculo-papular lesions of varying sizes on sun exposed areas. Patient was suspected to have Drug Induced Lupus Erythematosus (DILE) an...

Fam Med), A Zaitun 3 MMed (Fam Med), VKM Lee 4 MMed (Fam Med), MN Azimah 2 MMed (Fam Med), SH Majmin 2 MMed (Fam Med), KA Mohd 5 MS (ORL-HNS) ABSTRACT A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients attending a primary care facility to determine the prevalence of self reported hearing loss using a single question, "Do you have hearing loss?" Pure...

Dementia is a condition that is frequently associated with ageing. However, many fail to recognise that dementia is a treatable condition if detected early. This case report illustrates a 64-year-old man who was initially presented in a primary health care (PHC) centre in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, with gradual changes in his behaviour. Initial assessm...

Cutaneous vasculitis presents with a variety of clinical morphologies and causes significant morbidity. A total of 85 patients with cutaneous vasculitis at Hospital Kuala Lumpur were retrospectively reviewed. Palpable purpura was seen in 49.4% and frequently involved the lower limbs (50.6%). Identifiable causes include drugs (28.2%), infections (20...

Background Premenstrual symptoms affect about 40% of women of reproductive age. In an effort to alleviate premenstrual symptoms, affected women practice various remedial approaches. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of premenstrual symptoms experienced by women, the associated factors and the remedial approaches practi...

Worldwide the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children is escalating. Parents' recognition of overweight or obesity in their own children is very important for a successful intervention in these children. This study examined parental perception of their children's weight status, and its association with their knowledge on nutrition and obes...

A healthy 27 year old Para 3 presenting with abnormal menstruation without a period of amenorrhoea was diagnosed to have left tubal ectopic pregnancy after vaginal examination and abdominal ultrasonography. The case illustrates the need for careful history taking and the need for considering ectopic pregnancy in women in the reproductive age group,...

A healthy 27 year old Para 3 presenting with abnormal menstruation without a period of amenorrhoea was diagnosed to have left tubal ectopic pregnancy after vaginal examination and abdominal ultrasonography. The case illustrates the need for careful history taking and the need for considering ectopic pregnancy in women in the reproductive age group,...