Dyslipidaemia is one of the risk factors contributing to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This study was conducted to investigate the effect of wet cupping on lipid profile. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2012 at the School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia. Sixty-two healthy volunteers ranging from 30 to 60 years old were randomized into control and intervention groups. Subjects in the intervention group were assigned to two sessions of wet cupping at the beginning of the study and at the third month; individuals in the control group did not undergo any cupping procedure. Venous blood sample was collected for serum lipid profile: Total Cholesterol (TC), High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C), Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides; measured at baseline, first, third and fourth month. Results: Subjects in the cupping group had significant improvements from baseline to third and fourth month for TC (MD=-0.56, P=0.004), HDL-C (MD=-0.22, P<0.001) and LDL-C (MD=0.58, P=0.001). There was also a significant reduction from baseline to one month for triglycerides (MD=0.38, P<0.001). Subjects in the cupping group had significantly better values in HDL-C and LDL-C as compared with the control group at the third and fourth month. Significantly lower levels of TC and triglycerides in the cupping group of the fourth month. In the control group, there were no significant changes in any serum lipid profiles. Conclusion: After two sessions of wet cupping, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides were significantly improved by 8.2%, 13.7%, 16.4% and 20.8% respectively.

Klebsiella ozaenae is a Gram negative bacillus. It has been described as a colonizer of oral and nasopharyngeal mucosa and is a cause of atrophic rhinitis. Klebsiella ozaenae has seldom been isolated from serious infections. However, several reports have stated that Klebsiella ozaenae may cause invasive infections and even mortality. We report a 55-year-old man with Klebsiella ozaenae infection causing abscesses involving the right eye and left kidney and possibly also in the brain, lungs and prostate. The isolates were sensitive to ceftazidime, ciprofl oxacin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim but resistant to ampicillin. He responded well to 4 weeks of IV ceftazidime and IV amoxycillin-clavulanic acid. To our knowledge, such a multiorgan infection has not been reported previously for this organism.

Bisecting-angle-technique is a method used to improve patient comfort during periapical radiography. This technique is usually performed without X-ray beam aiming device and has been commonly associated with dental radiographic error. The use of external marker as a beam aiming device in bisecting-angle-technique is potentially effective to reduce the number of errors occurring during periapical radiography. In this study, 240 periapical radiographs were taken by undergraduate dental students. Periapical radiographs were taken using traditional method of bisecting-angle-technique (BAT), bisecting-angle-technique with the use of external marker (BAT-M) and the standard method in periapical radiography; paralleling technique (PT). All radiographic images were evaluated and errors were classified and tabled according to the type and number of errors. Chi-square test was used to compare the total number of radiographic errors made using these three techniques. One of the most common errors with BAT was cone cut error (13.8%). This error had been markedly reduced to 1.3% and 2.5% by implementation of BAT-M and PT, respectively. The total number of errors was also found to be significantly lesser for BAT-M compared to BAT, p< 0.05.