Association of dengue serotypes and its complications: a retrospective cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Dengue fever is an arthropod-borne disease and has a wide clinical spectrum. It is hypothesised that dengue serotypes could be a possible factor for such phenomena and therefore be a possible predictor for the development of severe dengue.

METHOD

A retrospective cohort study was done to explore the association between dengue serotypes and the various complications. All patients who underwent dengue serotyping from 1st January to 31st December 2018 in Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital were selected. Serotypes were randomly done for admitted dengue patients. Notes were then retrieved for data collection. Secondary outcomes like length of stay and highest lactate level were also studied. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20.

RESULT

A total of 193 patient records were included in the analysis. Chi-square test for independence indicated that the proportion of dengue complications between male and female were significantly different (χ²(1) = 11.37, p = 0.001). Dengue serotype was not associated with the development of dengue complications, total number of dengue complications, length of admission, lactate level and survival among the serotypes. Results of the binary logistic regression showed that men have thrice the odds (AOR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.6 6.7) for developing dengue complications. One patient was found to be co-infected with serotype 2 and 3.

CONCLUSION

Our study did not reveal any association between the different dengue virus serotypes and its complications. Therefore, all dengue infection should be approached with equal meticulousness. There are possibilities that apart from serotype, dengue genotype and lineage would determine clinical outcome. However, more studies are required to study such associations.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Body Constitutions and Psychological Determinants of Depression among University Students in Malaysia: A Pilot Study

Depression is commonly observed in university students, who are a high risk group for developing psychiatric disorders during adulthood. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and its traditional Chinese medicine body constitutions and psychological determinants among university students in Malaysia. A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted between 9 and 28 September 2020 among 80 university students in Malaysia. Participants completed online survey questionnaires, including the validated Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire (CMCQ), Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) stress subscale, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), which assess depression, body constitution, dysfunctional attitude, stress, perceived stress, and self-esteem. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to determine the associated risk factors for depression. The overall prevalence of depression among university students was 33.8%. The multiple regression analysis showed a significant relationship between depression and qi-stagnation constitution (B = 0.089, p = 0.011), balanced constitution (B = -0.077, p = 0.049), and self-esteem (B = -0.325, p = 0.001). Our findings suggest that some traditional Chinese medicine body constitutions and self-esteem are significant risk factors affecting depression among university students. Identifying risk factors of depression is vital to aid in the early detection of depression among university students.

Lansium domesticum: skin and leaf extracts of this fruit tree interrupt the lifecycle of Plasmodium falciparum, and are active towards a chloroquine-resistant strain of the parasite (T9) in vitro

Malaria remains a global problem in the light of chloroquine-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. New compounds are needed for the development of novel antimalarial drugs. Seed, leaf, and fruit skin extracts of Lansium domesticum, a common fruit tree in South-East Asia, are used by indigenous tribes in Sabah, Malaysia for treating malaria. The skin and aqueous leaf extracts of the tree were found to reduce parasite populations of the drug sensitive strain (3D7) and the chloroquine-resistant strain (T9) of P. falciparum equally well. The skin extracts were also found to interrupt the lifecycle of the parasite. The data reported here indicate that extracts of L. domesticum are a potential source for compounds with activity towards chloroquine-resistant strains of P. falciparum.

A comparison in vitro of two ultrasonic root canal preparation techniques

Two ultrasonic techniques were compared for their ability to clean and shape root canals in extracted human teeth. One technique was recommended by the manufacturer (Cavi-Endo, Dentsply), while the other was a modification by the authors of the stepdown technique. Mesiobuccal root canals of molars were instrumented using these techniques, after which a silicone impression material was injected into the prepared canals. The roots were then split longitudinally and one half was stained for debris scoring while the silicone impressions were assessed for shape. The results showed that the modified technique produced significantly cleaner canals than the recommended technique. The shaping ability of both techniques was difficult to evaluate because of the complex morphology of molar root canals. The final shape of the prepared canal depended more on the initial shape than on the instrumentation technique.