Authors: Mini Rani Mary Beth, Shin Yan Low, Poh Yoke Chung.

ABSTRACT

Self-blood pressure monitoring (SBPM) at home creates greater awareness and patient participation in their treatment prevents hypertensive complications and helps facilitate doctors to make decisions on treatment. A study was conducted to assess the knowledge on self-blood pressure monitoring (SBPM) among hypertensive patients in selected wards of Hospital Lam Wah Ee, Malaysia. The results showed only 21 (32.3%) respondents monitored their blood pressure and 44 (67.7%) did not monitor their blood pressure at home. A total of 12 (18.4%) respondents reported that they monitored their blood pressure at home because they were aware of complications of hypertension. From those respondents who did not monitor blood pressure at home, only 13 (29.5%) respondents planned to carry out SBPM at home in the future. The overall knowledge score results for self-blood pressure monitoring showed that 6 (9.2%) subjects scored 8 and above, 42 (64.6%) scored 5-7, and 17 (26.1%) scored less than 4. The findings from the study will help the nurses understand the level of knowledge on SBPM among hypertensive patients, and include training and health education during hospitalisation reinforcing the importance and the technique of performing SBPM at home. It also helps to identify patients with poor control of blood pressure so that they can be referred to the physician for further treatment.

Keywords: Self-blood pressure monitoring, hypertension.

Citation: IeJSME 2012 6(2): 43-45

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.6.2.43

Authors: Kelly Ee Lu Ting, Maria Sau Sim Ng, Wei Fern Siew.

ABSTRACT

Surgeries are seen as stressors that trigger preoperative anxiety. Preparing the patients for surgery through preoperative teaching becomes crucial to allay anxiety level. In a cross sectional descriptive study conducted on eighty patients (age: 18–65 yr) who had undergone open abdominal surgery, 78.8% (n=63) stated that they experienced anxiety prior to surgery. Among these anxious respondents, 47.5% (n=38) experienced high state anxiety. Three of the top information that patients perceived as important to allay anxiety towards major surgery were: details of surgery, details of nursing care to surgery and information on anaesthesia. Nurses working in the surgical wards need to proactively address patients’ psychological concerns towards surgery and provide preoperative information based on patients’ needs to allay anxiety.

Keywords: anxiety, perception, preoperative information, preoperative nursing, preoperative teaching, major surgery.

Citation: IeJSME 2013 7(1): 29-32

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.7.1.29

Authors: Sangeetha Poovaneswaran, Anuradha Poovaneswaran, Thiruselvi Subramaniam.

ABSTRACT

With recent medical advances and the availability of newer sophisticated technologies, critically ill patients tend to survive longer. Thus, decisions to forgo life-sustaining medical treatment generate challenging issues that all doctors must face. The aim of this pilot study was to assess attitudes towards end-of-life care in ICU which included futile therapy (withholding and withdrawing therapy) among final year medical students who had received the same degree of clinical exposure and training in medical school. The results revealed varying attitudes and views towards end-of-life care in ICU suggesting other factors such as religion, ethnicity and culture may influence decision making.

Keywords: end of life care, education, medical students, ethics.

Citation: IeJSME 2014 8(1): 32-33

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.8.1.32

Authors: Sheila Rani Kovil George, Sivalingam Nalliah.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this prospective longitudinal study was to investigate the maternal cardiac haemodynamic and structural changes that occur in pregnancies with uncomplicated hyperemesis gravidarum in a selected Malaysian population. Nine women underwent serial echocardiography beginning at 12 weeks of gestation and throughout pregnancy at monthly intervals. Their echocardiograms were repeated at 6 and 12 weeks following delivery to reflect the pre-pregnancy haemodynamic state. Cardiac output was measured by continuous wave Doppler at the aortic valve. Interventricular septum thickness was determined by M- mode echocardiography and ventricular diastolic function by assessing flow at the mitral valve with Doppler recording. Cardiac output showed an increase of 32.9% at 36 weeks and maintained till 40 weeks of gestation. Heart rate increased from 79 ± 6 to 96 ± 8 beats/min at 36 weeks. Stroke volume increased by 16.4 % at 40 weeks of gestation when compared to the baseline value. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure did not appreciably change but showed a lower reading during the mid-trimester period. Early inflow velocity of left ventricle did not show a rise while peak atrial velocity showed an increasing trend; thus the ratio of early inflow to peak atrial transport showed a declining trend from early pregnancy to term. End diastolic dimension of left ventricle and interventricular septum thickness showed an increased value at term. Uncomplicated hyperemesis gravidarum did not alter the haemodynamic changes throughout pregnancy and concur with established data for normal pregnancy.

Keywords: Normal pregnancy, cardiac changes, echocardiogram, uncomplicated hyperemesis gravidarum.

Citation: IeJSME 2014 8(1): 34-43

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.8.1.34

Author: Peter Michael Barling

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the solution to a calculation of the pH of a very dilute solution of a weak acid, taking into account the effect of the hydroxonium ions generated from the ionization of the acid on the ionization of water, also a very weak acid. To be solved successfully, this calculation involves the concepts of conservation of charge, pH, equilibria and the application of the general solution to a cubic equation. Such an exercise requires the application of skills in algebra, and can provide a core of understanding that can prepare advanced students for many different sorts of calculations that represent real-life problems in the chemical sciences. A programme is presented in C++ which enables the work of students to be individualized 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 the application of complex algebra to problems related to equilibria and solution dynamics.

Keywords: pH, weak acid, conservation of charge, equilibria, cubic equation.

Citation: IeJSME 2014 8(2): 24-29

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.8.2.24

Authors: Wei Fern Siew, Davasooria Selvamani, Umais Memon, Xiaoxuan Liu, Sze Shian Wee.

ABSTRACT

Malaysia has enforced a nationwide smoking ban to the public at all eateries on the 1st of January 2019. A survey on the awareness and perception towards this ban among adults was carried out in Pedas, Negeri Sembilan. Preliminary findings were assuring. A total of 91.3% (n = 347, N = 380) of the respondents were aware of this ban. Among the respondents, a low percentage of them were smokers, 29.2% (n = 111). A median of 285.5 respondents (75.1%, IQR = 58.25), including the smokers, perceived that this ban brings about health benefits to self and their family when environmental tobacco smoke exposure is curbed.

Keywords: passive smoking; smoke exposure; legislation; adults; rural area.

Citation: IeJSME 2019 13(2): 27-31

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.13.2.27

Authors: Wei Fern Siew, Shawn Paul Fredrick, Nathan Yung Jiun Liew, Qiu Yii Kong, Nur Syahirah Yuan, Nurafyfa Abdul Halim.

ABSTRACT

The coronavirus disease has spared no country and has galvanised the general population into altering their behaviours amid fears of uncertainties. A survey on health information seeking and adherence to safe practices during this pandemic among the public was carried out in Malaysia. An assuring number of 96% of respondents (n= 412, N = 429) actively sought health information regarding COVID-19. Unfortunately, more than half of the respondents (n=242, 58.7%) had difficulties verifying the accuracy of the sourced information. There were differences between the sociodemographic factors and adherence to safe practices where it was identified that males, young-aged respondents, and the Malay ethnicity were less adherent to safe practices as compared to other groups.

Keywords: Coronavirus, safety measures, information needs, health literacy.

Citation: IeJSME 2021 15 (2): 29-34

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.15.2.29