Aims: Herbal and medicinal plants bioactive compounds of Jatropha curcas, Piper nigrum and P. betle have been shown to possess therapeutic properties. This study investigates the presence and characterization of phytochemical compounds as well as to evaluate the antimicrobial activities of the methanolic crude extract of the leaves and seeds of J. curcas, P. nigrum L. and P. betle. Methodology and results: The study on antibacterial and antifungal efficacy of the crude extracts of leaves and seeds were carried out using standard disc diffusion method. The crude extracts were found to exhibit an average response of antimicrobial activity with the inhibition zones ranged from 3% to 28% for antibacterial and from 21% to 79% for antifungal activity. Among all extracts, the leaf extract of P. betle showed a good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and excellent antifungal properties against Aspergillus niger and A. flavus. The phytochemical screening analysis revealed the presence of saponin, tannins, glycosides, terpenoids, reducing sugar, flavonoid and anthraquinones. However, phlobatannins was not present. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were highly detected in the crude extract of P. betle and recorded as 13.33 mg of gallic acid equivalents, GAE (mg/ 100 mg sample) and 0.88 mg of RE (mg/100 mg sample), respectively. GC-MS analysis of the bioactive compounds reveals the presence of diethyl phthalate, 2-hexadecen-1-ol (Phytol), hexadecanoic acid, piperine, phenol and other minor compounds. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: The study suggested that P. betle has a potential as a source for antimicrobial agent from plants extracts. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to elucidate their precise mechanism of action.
Therapeutics

The randomized Controlled Trial is the standard design to prove the effectiveness of drugs or other forms of interventions. In this type of clinical research, individuals are randomly assigned (randomization) to either of the two or more groups, one with the intervention the other without the intervention being tested or another intervention. When done properly, it can provide the best evidence of effectiveness
Therapeutics

Study on 22 nonketonic hyperosmolar coma patients (13 males and 9 females) at the B¹ch Mai hospital during the period from 6/98 to 5/99. Patients were followed a volume replacement protocol using a normal saline during 3 first hours and a half - strength saline solution after that until the plasma osmolatty restores a preset value ((320 mOsmol/kg). Results shown that 17 patients (77%) were treated successfully and discharged. 5 deaths (23%) were seen in study: 1 patient died within the first 12 hours, when he had been presenting an uncontrolled hyperosmolar condition; 4 others died from different causes (such as septic shock, cerebral infarction...). Conclusion: fluid challenge with normal saline and half - strength saline solutions in our study shown a high efficiency in management of nonketotic hyperosmolar coma of NIDDM and did not evoke any serious complications
Coma ; therapeutics

Plication of horizontal recti with many advantages in the treatment of strabismus has been applied by many authors in the world, but not yet in Vietnam. Objectives: to evaluate the results of this surgery that applied in Vietnamese. Methods: Prescriptive, longitudinal prospective study that had been done in Hanoi National Institute of Ophthalmology from 9/2003 to 9/2004. Results: In postoperative period, 83.3% of cases with exotropia and 89.6% of cases with esotropia are well corrected after 6 months, 100% of operated eyes are well healed with a smooth conjunctive scars and 52.62 % of operated patients have got a full binocular vision after 3 months following up. The rate of the eyes with suspected amblyopia is reduced from 18.8% to 9.8%, with moderate amblyopia is also reduced from 8.8% to 2.4% by 6 months postoperatively, but the rate of the eyes with severe amblyopia is not significantly changed after surgery. Conclusion: Plication of horizontal recti is a safe, effective method for correction of strabismus, especially when it is necessary to do surgery on many extra-ocular muscles in the same eye.
Strabismus ; Therapeutics

Retrospective study from January 1999 to October 2003 on 90 patients of acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP) treated at Viet Due Hospital in which demonstrated: male patients represented 56.7%; alcoholism 18.9%. The interval between onset syndrome and operation was: less than 48 hours: 14.4%; from 2 to 14 days: 74.4%; more than 14 days: 11.2%. Surgical procedures were performed: resection for the necrotic tissue and ample drainage (86 cases), pancreatectomy of head part and main part was done on 2 cases, abscess drainage for 2 cases; jejunostomy: 67 cases; biliary: 53 cases; management of other lesions for 3 cases; postoperative complication was presenting 35.6%; the mortality was 18.9%. This study showed that necrotizing pancreatitis did not well respond to medical treatment. The best time to take operation is on the third day still onset the syndrome. The surgical procedures as resection for necrotic tissue and drainage is most often management. Ample pacreatectomy is not employed due to it cause high mortality, can be up to 100%. Regarding patient nutrition, the jejunostomy is more effective and it can control infection as well. The biliary drainage can be indicated if bile duct was obstructed.
Pancreatitis , Therapeutics

A study on the current status of malaria and the efficacy of interventions among migrants was carried out in one district with high malaria transmission in Central Highland - Vietnam from 2002-2004. The findings of the study showed that: The malaria prevalence of clinical and parasite were high in the migrant, especially among new comers (clinical rate: 5.2% and parasite rate:4.3%). These rates were higher than that in local people (clinical rate:5.0% and parasite rate: 3.1%) and were still high in the year 3 and decreasing after 3 years. The applied interventions for migrant were: strengthening of the health education, improvement of community health workers and they were effective. The prevalence and incidence of malaria were reduced from 3.9 to 0.65% and 45.3 to 28.1/1000 population, respectively, after 3 years. The malaria rate was reduced by 40-60% compared with that in the control group.
Malaria ; Therapeutics

Screening 142 marine organisms extracts with three human cancer cell lines which were experimental grew in laboratory showed that: the number of agent having cytotoxic activity was rather high. Among 142 samples, 37 samples (26.1%) have resistant activity to at least 1 cell line. Of the 37 samples, 19 samples (7%) have resistant activity to two cell lines, 8 samples (5.6%) have resistant activity to 3 cell lines. The samples with remarkable activity have been collected with large quantity for chemical studies according to cytotoxic activity and related information
Neoplasms ; Therapeutics

75 patients (75 eyes) with endogenous endophthalmitis were treated at Department of Glaucoma, National Hospital of Ophthalmology from 01 January 2004 to 31 December 2004. Results: Endogenous endophthalmitis occurred in 0.13% of all cases at Department of Glaucoma and approximately 1% of hospitalized patients. It is more common in male than in female (58.67% vs 41.33%). The mean age is 37.31± 20.14. Patients under 30 years old present a high rate (49.33%). The right eye infection is more often than the left eye (54.67% vs 45.33%). No case of bilateral involvement is detected. 57.3% of all cases are cultivator. Endogenous endophthalmitis is mostly detected from October to December (46.67%). Gram(+) bacteria are the most common pathogens (45.7%). Fungal infection is the least frequent cause. The outcome of treatment for endogenous endophthalmitis is limit, with 57.33% has visual acuity limited to light perception or totally blind. Retinal detachment appears in 10.67% of all cases. 2.67% has ocular atrophy and 18.67% require the necessity for enucleation
Endophthalmitis ; Therapeutics

Prospective study was carried out on 31 patients with severe hypertension treated in Vietnam Heart Institute. Those subjects were treated with intravenously LOXEN in the first 10 hours, measured blood pressure by the Holter. Results: nicardipin (LOXEN) is calci channel blocker with a good antihypertensive effect in treatment of severe hypertension. At initial dose 7.5 - 8.0 mg/hour, after the sixth minute, the drug had effect of antihypertention (p<0.05), at the 18th minute, blood pressure reduced by15%. At the normal dose 2-3 mg/hour by the time of 1, 4 and 10 hour, blood pressure gradually decreased and reached 16%, 22% and 24%, respectively compared to initial blood pressure. Nicardipin is easy to use and well tolerate, there was no patients with allergy or died of the medicament
Hypertension ; Therapeutics

This study comprised 9 eyes with severe myopia of 7 patients (4 male, 3 female) between 36 and 50 years, having phacoemulsification, intraocular lens implantation with suitable capacity. Follow up duration was 12 months. Results: the preoperative uncorrected visual acuity was < 1/10 in all patients. Postoperatively, 55.5% cases with uncorrected visual acuity and 66.7% cases achieved the best corrected visual acuity of 5/10 or better. The mean preoperative hyperopic spherical equivalent was +6,89 ± 1,67D reduced to +0,75±0,62D. Postoperative complications were low: 1 eye had posterior capsule opaque (11,1%), 1 eye had inflammatory membrane. No intraoperative complications
Hyperopia ; Therapeutics