Ann Acad Med Singap
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Dec 2009
The effect of temperature on illness severity in emergency department congestive heart failure patients.
Previous studies revealed fewer visits for congestive heart failure (CHF) to emergency departments (EDs) in New Jersey, USA and fewer admissions for CHF to a Southern Indian and an Israeli hospital during warmer months. Using hospital admission rate for CHF as a marker for illness severity, we hypothesized that CHF would also be less severe in warmer months. ⋯ Contrary to our hypothesis, we found a statistically significant increase in the percentage of CHF visits admitted to the hospital during the warmer months. This suggests that although there are less ED CHF visits in the warmer months, a greater percentage tend to be severe.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Dec 2009
Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants in urinary isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in a large Singapore hospital.
At the time of the study, 3 plasmid-borne qnr determinants (qnrA, qnrB and qnrS) and 1 plasmid-borne aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme determinant that confers quinolone resistance (aac(6')-Ib-cr) had been described in the literature. ⋯ A high prevalence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants [i.e., qnrS, qnrB and aac(6')-Ib-cr] was found in quinolone-resistant K. pneumoniae isolated in a large hospital in Singapore.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Dec 2009
Prevalence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis among female school children in Singapore.
Screening for scoliosis started in Singapore schools in 1982 and is currently being done for both boys and girls, as part of the annual school-based health screening programme in all primary and secondary schools. The screening levels in the current protocol were based on the 1997 prevalence study by Wong et al. In the study, it appeared that there was a significant increase in prevalence rates between 9- and 11-year-old girls (i.e. between Primary 4 and Primary 6) but there was no data on the prevalence rates of scoliosis in 10-year-old girls (Primary 5) and in 12-year-old girls (Secondary 1). In order to decide on whether to make changes to the screening levels, a review was conducted to determine the prevalence of scoliosis among the 10-year-old girls (in Primary 5) and 12-year-old girls (in Secondary 1). ⋯ The study showed a significant increase in the prevalence rates of scoliosis in the 10- to 11-year-old female students and again a significant increase in the prevalence rates in the 12- to 13-year-old female students. Since the prevalence rate for the 9-year-old females was quite low (0.27%), and there was a significant increase in the prevalence rates in the 10- to 11-year-old and 12- to 13-year-old females, it was recommended that screening for females be performed every year commencing at 10 years old (Primary 5) until 13 years old (Secondary 2).