Background: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia has emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen, capable of causing a wide spectrum of infections. Treatment is difficult because it is resistant to many antimicrobial agents, thus reducing the treatment options. The aims of this study were to describe the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and synergistic effect of selected antimicrobial combinations against S. maltophilia isolates. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study undertaken in the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia from April 2011 to March 2012. S. maltophilia isolated from various clinical specimens were included in the study. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done using the epsilometer test (E-test) and interpreted according to the guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. In the synergy test, the isolates were tested against six different antimicrobial combinations. Results: In total, 84 S. maltophilia isolates were collected and analysed. According to the E-test, the antimicrobial susceptibility of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), tigecycline, and ciprofloxacin was 100%, 91.1%, and 88.9% respectively. The antimicrobial combination of TMP-SMX and ceftazidime showed the highest synergistic effect. Conclusion: TMP-SMX remains the antimicrobial of choice to treat S. maltophilia infection. TMP-SMX and ceftazidime was the most effective combination in vitro.

Background: Depression is one of the common post-menopausal symptoms. In addition to estrogen deficiency, social instability stress may contribute as an additional underlying factor in the development of depressive behaviour in females. Therefore, this study was aimed at examining the influence of social instability stress on depressive behaviour in ovariectomized rats. Methods: The rats were divided into four groups (n = 5 per group); (i) sham-operated control without stress, (ii) sham-operated control with stress, (iii) ovariectomized without stress, and (iv) ovariectomized with stress. These rats were subjected to social instability stress procedures for 15 days prior to an enforced swimming test. Struggling, immobility, and swimming times were recorded promptly. Results: The results were analysed using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a P value of < 0.05 was considered as significant. The mean durations of struggling, immobility, and swimming behaviour were significantly distinct among the four groups. Ovariectomized rats exhibited a substantial decrease in struggling and swimming behaviour, and an increase in immobility behaviour in comparison with the sham-operated controls (P < 0.05). Ovariectomized rats with stress displayed a supplementary decrease in struggling and swimming behaviour as well as an advanced increase in immobility behaviour, compared to sham-operated controls with or without stress (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In summary, these findings suggest that ovariectomized rats encountered an augmented amount of depressive behaviour following social instability stress.

Vibrio cholerae infection is mainly caused acute diarrhoea disease. Bacteraemia due to non-O1 V. cholerae is rare and mainly reported in liver cirrhotic patients. We report one case of non-O1 V. cholerae bacteraemia in splenectomised thalassaemic patient who presented with septic shock secondary to abdominal sepsis. She had undergone emergency laporatomy and was managed in the intensive care unit for nine days. She was treated with meropenem and doxycyline and discharged well after fourteen days of admission. The V. cholerae was identified by API 20NE, serotype and polymerase chain reaction showed as non-O1, non-O139 strain. Besides known cholera-like toxin and El Tor hemolysin, with increasing reported cases of V. cholerae bacteraemia, there is possibility of other virulence factors that allow this organism to invade the bloodstream.

This study describes the prevalence of Clostridium difficile toxin (CDT) in loose stool samples from inpatients aged more than two years of a tertiary hospital. A total of 175 samples that had been examined were from stool samples that were sent to the Medical Microbiology & Parasitology Laboratory for various clinical indications. The toxin was detected by a commercial immunochromatograhic test, and the patients’ demography, clinical features, treatment and outcomes were analyzed from their medical records. Clostridium difficile toxin was positive in 24 (13.7%) of the stool samples. Male and female were 11 (45.8 %) and 13 (54.2 %) respectively, with the majority of them aged more than 50 years. Most were from medical wards (n=21, 87.5%), with the rest from surgical wards (n=2, 8.3%) and intensive care units (n=1, 3.4%). All the CDT positive patients had history of prior antibiotic usage within 6 weeks before the detection of the toxin. The mean duration of antibiotics usage was 17.75 (±13.75) days, while the mean duration of diarrhea was 5.21((± 5.85) days. Eighteen patients had underlying medical illnesses that were diabetes mellitus, chronic renal disease, hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and malignancy; with seven of them being CDT positive while on chemotherapy. Stool occult blood test was positive in 15 patients whereas presence of pus cells in the CD positive stool samples were detected in 21 patients. The duration of hospitalization among the patients was 27.96 (± 23.22) days.

Objective: Cataract is the leading cause of blindness inMalaysia. There is an alarming backlog of cataractextraction surgery as the majority believes they did notrequire surgery. This study aimed to explore the barriersat the primary care level to cataract surgery from theperspective of patients with severe cataract blindness.Methods: Eleven participants were involved in thisqualitative research which utilised the interpretativephenomenological analysis approach more renowned inhealth psychology research. All interviews conducted attheir home. The interviews were recorded, typedverbatim, and the transcripts were analysed using NVivosoftware version 8.0.Results: The main barriers identified at the primary carelevel were 1) nondisclosure of their visual problemsoriginated from their belated needs for better sight,delayed awareness of their visual status and socialstigma and 2) patient-provider-related issues namelymiscommunication and delayed referral. The first maintheme explains their belief for not requiring surgery. Thishas led to their delayed awareness and impededdisclosure of their visual problems to family members orprimary care providers. The second main theme reflectsthe provider-patient-related issues which retardedcataract detection and referral process required for earliercataract extraction surgery.Conclusion: Thus, the appropriate approach targeting thesespecific barriers at primary care level will be able to detect,motivate and assist patients for early uptake of cataractextraction surgery to improve their vision and prevent severeblindness.

Objective: High temperatures can trigger cellular oxidative stress and disrupt spermatogenesis, potentially leading to male infertility. We investigated the effects of retinoic acid (RA), chitosan nanoparticles (CHNPs), and retinoic acid loaded with chitosan nanoparticles (RACHNPs) on spermatogenesis in mice induced by scrotal hyperthermia (Hyp). Methods: Thirty mice (weighing 25 to 30 g) were divided into five experimental groups of six mice each. The groups were as follows: control, Hyp induced by a water bath (43 °C for 30 minutes/day for 5 weeks), Hyp+RA (2 mg/kg/day), Hyp+CHNPs (2 mg/kg/72 hours), and Hyp+RACHNPs (4 mg/kg/72 hours). The mice were treated for 35 days. After the experimental treatments, the animals were euthanized. Sperm samples were collected for analysis of sperm parameters, and blood serum was isolated for testosterone measurement. Testis samples were also collected for histopathology assessment, reactive oxygen species (ROS) evaluation, and RNA extraction, which was done to compare the expression levels of the bax, bcl2, p53, Fas, and FasL genes among groups. Additionally, immunohistochemical staining was performed. Results: Treatment with RACHNPs significantly increased stereological parameters such as testicular volume, seminiferous tubule length, and testicular cell count. Additionally, it increased testosterone concentration and improved sperm parameters. We observed significant decreases in ROS production and caspase-3 immunostaining in the RACHNP group. Moreover, the expression levels of bax, p53, Fas, and FasL significantly decreased in the groups treated with RACHNPs and RA. Conclusion RACHNPs can be considered a potent antioxidative and antiapoptotic agent for therapeutic strategies in reproductive and regenerative medicine.

Background: Foot infection is a major complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and its agents are usually polymicrobial. This study aims to describe the agent and determine the association between polymicrobial infections and the severity of diabetic foot infections (DFI) and their outcomes. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted during one year and it involved 104 patients. Their records were reviewed and assessed. The causative agents and its sensitivity pattern were noted. The results were presented as descriptive statistic and analysed. Results: A total of 133 microorganisms were isolated with 1.28 microorganisms per lesion. The microorganism isolated were 62% (n = 83) GN (Gram-negative) and 38% (n = 50) GP (Grampositive). GN microorganisms include Pseudomonas spp (28%), Proteus spp (11%), Klebsiella spp (8%) and E. coli (4%). Staphylococcus aureus (54%) was predominant among GP, followed by Group B Streptococci (26%) and Enterococcus spp (6%). Thirty patients (28.8%) had polymicrobial infections. The association between the quantity of microorganisms and severity of DFI was significant. Among severe DFI cases, 77.8% with polymicrobial microorganisms underwent amputation compared to 33.3% with monomicrobial infection. Conclusion: GN microorganisms were predominantly isolated from DFIs and remained sensitive to widely used agents. Polymicrobial infections were associated with DFI severity.

Laboratory practices in a laboratory have changed worldwide due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes occur concerning specimen collection, handling, transportation, processing, and disposal. Infection control practices are applied in all aspects, starting from specimen collection until the clinician gets the results. A retrospective review of laboratory practices used in a tertiary teaching hospital laboratory from microbiologists’ perspectives was performed, and the practices were compared with previously published articles.

algorithm for mobile application and perform a pilot study todetermine its validity and reliability as a tool for vision testin the community.Methods: A simple visual acuity test algorithm in the form ofa single letter E display was designed as the optotype fordevelopment of a mobile application. The standardisedoptotype is presented at random to test visual acuity forcorresponding level of 3/60, 6/60, 6/18, and 6/12. The finalresult is auto-generated based on the classification of theWHO for visual impairment and blindness. The Snellen chartwas used as the gold standard to determine its validity whilefive different users were involved to determine its inter-raterreliability. A pilot study was performed between April tillNovember 2019, in the Universiti Sultan Zainal AbidinMedical Centre (UMC) at Kuala Nerus and MoorisOptometrist Centre at Marang, Terengganu. A total of 279participants aged four years old and above were involved inthis study. Results: The highest sensitivity was found at the vision levelcut-off point of 6/12 with the percentage of 92.7% and 86.8%for the right and left eye, respectively. The specificity wasmore than 89% for all vision levels in both eyes. TheKrippendorff’s alpha value for the inter-rater reliability was0.87 and 0.83.Conclusion: The relatively high level of validity andreliability obtained indicate the feasibility of using thedesigned optotype to develop a valid and reliable mobile appfor vision test. The app can be used to screen vision by non-medical persons, at anytime and anywhere to help improvepublic awareness and capability to correctly determine theirvisual status.

Knowledge on surface anatomy enables medical students and graduates to locate anatomical structures exteriorly, improve their clinical and procedural skills and interpret ultrasonographic and radiographic images. Hence, a standard surface anatomy knowledge is essential for attainment of clinical skill competency. Nevertheless, there is lack of attention given on surface anatomy in the medical curriculum as it is usually delivered didactically or during selfstudy by the students. Owing to limitations in cadaveric dissection in many institutions, lecture-based instruction, e-learning materials, living anatomy models, radiological imaging and anatomy software are used in teaching surface anatomy; however, none of these methods proved to be effective over the others. Furthermore, some of these teaching resources lack clinical relevancy, possibly impeding students’ appreciation on learning surface anatomy. Hence, integrating clinical input during surface anatomy teaching by involving patients in an actual clinical environment is pertinent. This article demonstrates the benefits and challenges of teaching surface anatomy in the clinical setting to medical students and highlights the need to design an evidence-based framework of work-based surface anatomy learning.