Effect of Stress on Medical Students

Posted Posted in Research Note

Author: Jagmohni Kaur Sidhu

ABSTRACT

Stress amongst medical students is often overlooked. Intelligent students are not always the most composed. This study aimed to look at both male and female students of three different ethnic groups and the effects of stress in areas such as academic, social, financial and their everyday life. The Chinese students reported significantly less “academic stress” than the Malay students, and the Malay students reported significantly less “financial stress” compared to the Chinese and Indian students. Medical education can be a health hazard for medical students.

Keywords: stress, medical students, ethnic.

Citation: IeJSME 2007: 1 (1): 52-53

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.1.1.52

Efficacy Of Anti-Tuberculosis Treatment Alone On Resolution Of Tuberculosis Pleural Effusions

Posted Posted in Research Note

Authors: V S Selvarajah, S Samudram, L T Chua, D Siti Yuhana, B K Lim, S Wan Yusuf, L C Loh.

ABSTRACT

To determine the degree of resolution in pleural effusions treated with anti-tuberculosis treatment alone without thoracentesis, 62 eligible adult cases [mean age (SD), 46 (17) yrs; 77% male] of tuberculosis pleural effusions treated in two urban-based university teaching hospitals were retrospectively reviewed for changes in effusion size at 2, 6 and 12 months after initiation of treatment. The proportions of patients in whom resolution were complete, partial and unchanged were 64.5%, 27.4% and 8.1%. Effusions with size smaller than three tenth of hemithorax were at three-fold increased likelihood of complete resolution, compared with those with larger effusions [Odds ratio (95% CI): 3.295 (1.033 to 10.514); p=0.04]. Consideration for thoracentesis is therefore still important in certain patients.

Keywords: Tuberculosis, pleural effusions, chemotherapy,  Malaysia.

Citation: IeJSME 2007: 1 (2): 83-86

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.1.2.83

Dietary Supplements: Usage And Opinions Among Health Sciences Students

Posted Posted in Research Note

Authors: Cheong Lieng Teng, Kim Kuan Tey, Pek Hong Lim, Shian Feng Cheng, Mohd Safwan Nordin, Ching Mun Ng, Wan Nurzahiah Wan Zakaria, Khung Ying Wong.

ABSTRACT

This is a questionnaire survey of dietary supplement usage among students in the International Medical University. Just over two-fifths of these students reported using dietary supplements daily. This high usage of dietary supplements is in contrast their expressed ambivalence about these products.

Citation: IeJSME 2008: 2 (2): 30-32

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.2.2.30

Role of Ampicillin-Sulbactam: A District Hospital’s Experience in Treating Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Posted Posted in Research Note

Authors: Ng C S, Vadivelu M, Chan K Y.

ABSTRACT

Ampicillin-sulbactam combination is the most frequently prescribed antibiotic in diabetic foot ulcers. We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the antibiotic sensitivity of bacteria isolated to this antibiotic. In 33 patients with diabetic foot ulcer (September 2008-March 2009), 67% were culture positive in which Citrobacter spp accounted for 36% of these isolates. The rest isolated included Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22%), Proteus spp (18%), Acinetobacter spp (9%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (5%), Escherichia coli (5%) and Staphylococcus aureus (5%). These isolates were more likely to be ampicillin-resistant (n=18) than were ampicillin-sensitive isolates (n=4). Ampicillin resistance has raised our concern about current practice of prescribing ampicillin/ sulbactam as monotherapy for majority of our patients with such ulcers.

Keywords: Diabetic foot ulcers, Ampicillin-sulbactam, District hospital.

Citation: IeJSME 2009: 3 (2): 28-30

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.3.2.28

Self-Measured Bed-Time, Arising and Day Blood Pressures of Normotensive Young Male and Female Adults

Posted Posted in Research Note

Authors: Nyunt Wai, Sze Wei Thing, Ting Ngiik Liing.

ABSTRACT

Morning surge in blood pressure is an independent cardiovascular risk factor in the middle-aged and the elderly. Whether such a surge occurs in young subjects is not known. Eighty normotensive subjects (age: 21.8 ± 1.3 yr) measured their own blood pressure (BP) using an automatic device (Omron HEM-7080,) on going to bed and on waking up, for 2 consecutive days. In contrast to large morning BP surges reported for older age groups, there was much smaller but significant (P<0.002) rise only in the DBP (1.9 ± 5 mm Hg) on waking up on day 2 in young subjects. The duration of sleep and the time the subjects slept influence the sleep-wake BP change.

Keywords: bed-time vs. arising blood pressure, self-measured, normotensive, young adults.

Citation: IeJSME 2011: 5 (1): 31-33

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.5.1.31

Prevalence of Sarcocystis spp. in rodents in Peninsular Malaysia

Posted Posted in Research Note

Authors: Stephen Ambu, Evelyn Yin Synn Yeoh, Joon Wah Mak, Srikumar Chakravarthi.

ABSTRACT

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of Sarcocystis infection in wild and peri-urban rodents in some states in Peninsular Malaysia. The thigh muscle from these rodents were formalin preserved, sectioned and stained with hematoxylin and eosin and examined under light microscopy. Of the 146 muscle tissue examined only 73 were positive for Sarcocystis infection. Morphological identification showed the presence of some new morphological types to be present. Different species of Sarcocystis were seen in the sections but more extensive studies are needed to identify them to species level.

Keywords: Sarcocystis, animal, rodents.

Citation: IeJSME 2011: 5 (2): 29-38

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.5.2.29

Concept of professional socialization in nursing

Posted Posted in Research Note

Authors: Pei Kuan Lai, Pek Hong Lim.

ABSTRACT

Each nursing student comes to nursing with a lay image of nursing portrayed by nurses they have seen. This lay perception of nursing that a nursing student holds is transformed to a more professional understanding that is acquired in nursing schools. This process is known as professional socialization. It is a process of learning the norms, attitudes, behaviours, skills, roles, and values of the profession. It involves the internalization of the values and norms of the profession in the individual’s own behaviour and self-concept. The ultimate goal of professional socialization is to internalize a professional identity of the profession. Professional socialization sets in to reduce the tension from the scenario of reality shock and facilitate adaptation during the transition process. This paper serves as a concept paper with the main purpose of introducing and explaining the concept of professional socialization in nursing to help the readers in gaining further understanding of the concept, especially within the local context. The first author has also incorporated her own personal reflections with regards to her socialization process to nursing.

Keywords: Nurse, nursing education, profession, values, socialization.

Citation: IeJSME 2012 : 6(1) 31-35

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.6.1.31

Evaluating a weekly face-to-face informal discussion forum for final year medical students

Posted Posted in Research Note

Authors: Samuel Easaw, Toh Peng Yeow, Li Ching Lee, Wai Sun Choo, Tow Shung Tan, Amir Sharifuddin Mohd Khir, Li Cher Loh.

ABSTRACT

Realising possible unmet needs of final year medical students we initiated a weekly informal face-to-face discussion forum between them and the teaching faculty of the department of medicine. Various academic and non-academic topics, as dictated by the students, were discussed in 19 weekly sessions. Evaluation by the students was subsequently done by means of an on-line questionnaire after the final examinations. The aim of this study was to evaluate this forum, undertaken for the first time in our institution, by assessing student feedback. We conclude that although the number of attendees and responders were small, feedback was generally positive. This type of forum can be improved upon and serve as another portal for benefitting students.

Keywords: medical students, unmet needs, academic and non-academic topics, informal face-to-face discussion.

Citation: IeJSME 2012 : 6(1) 36-37

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.6.1.36

The pH of very dilute solutions of strong acids – a calculation for a medical or biomedical class involving the application of simple numerical skills

Posted Posted in Research Note

Author: Peter Michael Barling

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the solution to a calculation of the pH of a very dilute solution of a strong acid or base, taking into account the effect of the hydronium or hydroxyl ions generated from the ionisation of the strong acid or base on the ionisation of water, as a second very weak acid. To be solved successfully, this calculation involves the concepts of conservation of charge, pH and the application of the general solution to a quadratic equation. Such an exercise involves the application of skills in basic numeracy, and can provide a core of understanding that can prepare students for many different sorts of calculations that represent real-life problems in the medical and biological sciences. A programme is presented in C++ which enables the work of students to be individualised so that each student in a class can work through a slightly different pH calculation, in such a way that a class supervisor can quickly check each student’s result for accuracy. This exercise is presented as a potential means of enabling students to undertake and master similar types of calculations involving simple or more complex equilibria.

Keywords: pH, numerical skills, dilute solution, ionisation.

Citation: IeJSME 2012 6(2): 32-38

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.6.2.32

Importance of a standardized oncology curriculum in Malaysia

Posted Posted in Research Note

Authors: Sangeetha Poovaneswaran, Rumi Khajotia, Thiruselvi Subramaniam.

ABSTRACT

The incidence of cancer in Malaysia is rising alarmingly and newly qualified doctors will be expected to be competent in the basic management of cancer patients. However, the opportunity to gain experience in oncology management will remain limited unless these students are stationed in an oncology unit which is solely dedicated to the treatment of such patients. Therefore, it is essential that undergraduate medical school training equips students with a sound knowledge-base, so that they can confidently manage basic oncological conditions appropriately. With the many private and local medical universities across the country, it is important that oncology training be standardized and reflective of the local resources available, and government health policies. As a result, having a standardized curriculum would help create a framework whereby competencies in cancer management would be accurately assessed.

Keywords: oncology, curriculum, medical education.

Citation: IeJSME 2012 6(2): 39-42

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.6.2.39