OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to determine the motivating and hindering factors affecting the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices of Muslim mothers in select municipalities of Maguindanao.

A pretested questionnaire was administered through face-to-face interviews conducted among 320 randomly selected Muslim mothers with a child aged 6-23 months.

Results revealed that prelacteal feeding was practiced by 16.6% of the Muslim mothers, giving mostly plain water. Solid/semi-solid foods were introduced at a mean age of 6.1 ± 1.4 months, with home-cooked lugao (porridge) (55.0%) and commercial baby food (31.3%) as the top foods introduced. The majority of Muslim mothers (82.5%) fed processed foods as complementary food to their children, including instant noodles (85.2%) and canned goods (51.5%). These processed foods were mostly obtained from sari-sari stores, with TV as the top source of information. More than 80% of the Muslim mothers cited food availability, economic reasons, and convenience in food preparation as the top three motivating factors in the practice of complementary feeding (CF). In addition, almost all the Muslim mothers (~97%) mentioned seeing their children grow healthy as the top reason for improving their food preparation practices, followed by positive feedback from their families. Meanwhile, household duties, low milk output, and a new pregnancy make it difficult to continue breastfeeding, while high complementary food costs, a limited budget, and a lack of food make it difficult to provide complementary food. The preparation of food for infants and young children is hindered by an increased workload and a lack of understanding.

The results revealed suboptimal practices in prelacteal feeding and the reliance on processed foods among Muslim mothers, with economic factors, availability, and convenience as motivating factors in complementary feeding practices. Challenges such as household duties, low milk output, and financial constraints hinder breastfeeding and nutritious food provision for infants and young children. The study reinforced the necessity for holistic strategies in IYCF promotion among Muslim mothers.

OBJECTIVES

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated burnout among medical students, impacting their academic performance and well-being. Resilience, a protective factor against burnout, remains understudied in the context of blended learning for medical students. This study aimed to examine the correlation between resilience and burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and academic efficacy) among first- to third-year medical students at a private medical institution during the 20222023 academic year.

A correlational design was employed, utilizing the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 (CDRISC-10) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey for Students (MBI-GS (S)). Sixty participants were randomly selected from the first-year to third year medical students .

High levels of emotional exhaustion (63.33%) and cynicism (56.67%) were observed, while 55% of students exhibited low resilience. Significant correlations included a negative low correlation between cynicism and resilience in first-year students (r = -0.480; p = 0.018), a negative moderate correlation between emotional exhaustion and resilience in second-year students (r = -0.571; p = 0.026), and a positive moderate correlation between academic efficacy and resilience in second-year students (r = 0.566; p = 0.028). Overall, a positive low correlation was found between academic efficacy and resilience (r = 0.375; p = 0.003).

Resilience mitigates burnout, particularly emotional exhaustion and cynicism. Targeted interventions to enhance resilience may improve academic efficacy and well-being in medical students under blended learning.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the motivating and hindering factors affecting the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices of Muslim mothers in select municipalities of Maguindanao. Methods: A pretested questionnaire was administered through face-to-face interviews conducted among 320 randomly selected Muslim mothers with a child aged 6-23 months. Results : Results revealed that prelacteal feeding was practiced by 16.6% of the Muslim mothers, giving mostly plain water. Solid/semi-solid foods were introduced at a mean age of 6.1 ± 1.4 months, with home-cooked lugao (porridge) (55.0%) and commercial baby food (31.3%) as the top foods introduced. The majority of Muslim mothers (82.5%) fed processed foods as complementary food to their children, including instant noodles (85.2%) and canned goods (51.5%). Conclusion The results revealed suboptimal practices in prelacteal feeding and the reliance on processed foods among Muslim mothers, with economic factors, availability, and convenience as motivating factors in complementary feeding practices. Challenges such as household duties, low milk output, and financial constraints hinder breastfeeding and nutritious food provision for infants and young children. The study reinforced the necessity for holistic strategies in IYCF promotion among Muslim mothers.
breast feeding, Islam, malnutrition

Methods: Patients diagnosed with cervical degenerative spondylolisthesis were identified from a hospital’s medical records. Demographic and surgical characteristics were collected through a structured query language search and manual chart review. Radiographic measurements were made on preoperative MRIs for all vertebral levels diagnosed with spondylolisthesis and adjacent undiagnosed levels between C3 and C6. The facet fluid index was calculated by dividing the facet fluid measurement by the width of the facet. Bivariate analysis was conducted to compare facet characteristics based on radiographic spondylolisthesis and spondylolisthesis stability. Results: We included 154 patients, for whom 149 levels were classified as having spondylolisthesis and 206 levels did not. The average facet fluid index was significantly higher in patients with spondylolisthesis (0.26±0.07 vs. 0.23±0.08, p <0.001). In addition, both fluid width and facet width were significantly larger in patients with spondylolisthesis (p <0.001 each). Cervical levels in the fusion construct demonstrated a greater facet fluid index and were more likely to have unstable spondylolisthesis than stable spondylolisthesis (p <0.001 each). Conclusions Facet fluid index is associated with cervical spondylolisthesis and an increased facet size and fluid width are associated with unstable spondylolisthesis. While cervical spondylolisthesis continues to be an inconclusive finding, vertebral levels with spondylolisthesis, especially the unstable ones, were more likely to be included in the fusion procedure than those without spondylolisthesis.

Background: Malnutrition is a condition of imbalances in the intake of nutrients and fluids which may translate to poor health outcomes. Based on the Expanded National Nutrition Survey in 2018, eight percent of Filipino adults were found to have chronic energy deficiency (undernutrition), and is most prevalent among the elderly population, residents of the rural area and poorest quintile. Currently, there are no available local guidelines for malnutrition in Filipino adults. Objective: The general objective of this pathway is to improve the quality of health care of the Filipino family through proper recognition and management of malnutrition. Method The PAFP Nutrition Pathway Working Group reviewed published medical literature to identify, and summarize, the clinical content of clinical indicators, diagnostics, interventions, and outcomes to develop an evidence-based clinical pathway in family practice. The group developed a time-related representation of recommendations on patient-centered processes in terms of history and physical examination, laboratory tests, pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, as well as family-focused interventions and community strategies to properly recognize and treat adults with malnutrition.

Background: Among the various glycemic indices in current use, glycemic variability has the greatest contribution in the development of microvascular and macrovascular complications in Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Most metrics that are currently used to measure glycemic variability are derived from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data. However, CGM is burdensome to the patient due to its relatively high cost as well as the need for multiple visits with the health care provider. With the use of serum 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) as a biomarker of glucose fluctuations, physicians and patients alike could have an easier surrogate measure of glycemic variability thus aiding in achieving target glucose control. This study aims to determine the diagnostic accuracy of 1,5-AG as compared to the glycemic variability metrics derived from CGM as a surrogate measure of glycemic variability among adult Filipinos with T2DM. Methods: Retrospective analysis of data of adult patients aged 20 years old and above diagnosed with T2DM referred for CGM at the Diabetes, Endocrine, Metabolic, and Nutrition Center of Cardinal Santos Medical Center from January 2017 to October 2021 who underwent serum 1,5-AG level determination within 2 weeks of CGM were collected. Diagnostic accuracy was obtained by computing the sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV), and Youden index. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the correlation of 1,5-AG and the different metrics. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to check for statistical significance with 99% confidence interval and a p < 0.05 considered as statistically significant. Results: This study involving 37 subjects showed a good diagnostic accuracy of serum 1,5-AG levels with the different measures of glycemic variability derived from CGM namely mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (MAGE), continuous overlapping net glycemic action at 1-hour intervals (CONGA-1), and mean of daily differences (MODD) with significant correlation among patients with HbA1c ≤ 7%. Subjects were on CGM for approximately 6 ± 1 day with statistically significant difference between the good and poor glucose control group (p<0.05). Determination of diagnostic accuracy between 1,5- AG and MAGE showed good accuracy (Sensitivity = 95.3%, Specificity = 100%, PPV = 100%, NPV = 75.43%, Diagnostic accuracy 96%, and a Youden Index of 92.3) with a statistically significant correlation among subjects with HbA1c level ≤ 7% (p=0.021). There is likewise good diagnostic accuracy between CONGA-1 and 1,5-AG level (Sensitivity = 99%, Specificity = 75.29%, PPV = 89.1%, NPV = 97%, Accuracy = 89.50% and Youden index of 58.41) with a statistically significant correlation among subjects with HbA1c ≤ 7% (p=0.038). Comparison with interday glycemic variability showed fair diagnostic accuracy between MODD and 1,5-AG (Sensitivity = 79.17%, Specificity = 78%, PPV = 97%, NPV = 32%, Accuracy = 76.89%, and Youden index of 49.07) and a statistically significant correlation among subjects with HbA1c ≤ 7% (p=0.009). Conclusion There is good diagnostic accuracy of serum 1,5-AG levels with the different measures of glycemic variability derived from CGM namely MAGE, CONGA-1, and MODD with significant correlation among patients with HbA1c ≤ 7%. Among diabetics with HbA1c ≤7%, 1,5-AG could be used as a surrogate measure of glycemic variability and excursions.
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2

INTRODUCTION: The impact of sex and diabetes mellitus (DM) on patients with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) is not well elucidated. This study aims to evaluate sex differences in the clinical profile and outcomes in Asian HFmrEF patients with and without DM. METHODS: Patients admitted nationally for HFmrEF (ejection fraction 40-49%) between 2008 and 2014 were included and followed up until December 2016. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included cardiovascular (CV) death and/or heart failure (HF) rehospitalisations. RESULTS: A total of 2,272 HFmrEF patients (56% male) were included. More women had DM than men (60% versus 55%, P=0.013). Regardless of DM status, HFmrEF females were older, less likely to smoke, had less coronary artery disease, narrower QRS and lower haemoglobin compared to men. The odds of having DM decreases in smokers who are women as opposed to men (P_interaction =0.017). In multivariate analysis, DM reached statistical analysis for all-cause mortality and combined CV mortality or HF rehospitalisation in both men and women. However, the results suggest that there may be sex differences in terms of outcomes. DM (vs non-DM) was less strongly associated with increased all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [adj HR] 1.234 vs adj HR 1.290, P_interaction <0.001] but more strongly associated with the combined CV death/HF rehospitalisation (adj HR 1.429 vs adj HR 1.317, P_interaction =0.027) in women (vs men). CONCLUSION Asian women with HFmrEF had a higher prevalence of DM, with differences in clinical characteristics, compared to men. While diabetes conferred poor outcomes regardless of sex, there were distinct sex differences. These highlight the need for sex-specific management strategies.
Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology* ; Female ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Male ; Prognosis ; Stroke Volume ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/epidemiology* ; Ventricular Function, Left

Background: and Purpose Recent studies suggested an increased incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We evaluated the volume of CVT hospitalization and in-hospital mortality during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the preceding year. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study of 171 stroke centers from 49 countries. We recorded COVID-19 admission volumes, CVT hospitalization, and CVT in-hospital mortality from January 1, 2019, to May 31, 2021. CVT diagnoses were identified by International Classification of Disease-10 (ICD-10) codes or stroke databases. We additionally sought to compare the same metrics in the first 5 months of 2021 compared to the corresponding months in 2019 and 2020 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04934020). Results: There were 2,313 CVT admissions across the 1-year pre-pandemic (2019) and pandemic year (2020); no differences in CVT volume or CVT mortality were observed. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT volumes compared to 2019 (27.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 24.2 to 32.0; P<0.0001) and 2020 (41.4%; 95% CI, 37.0 to 46.0; P<0.0001). A COVID-19 diagnosis was present in 7.6% (132/1,738) of CVT hospitalizations. CVT was present in 0.04% (103/292,080) of COVID-19 hospitalizations. During the first pandemic year, CVT mortality was higher in patients who were COVID positive compared to COVID negative patients (8/53 [15.0%] vs. 41/910 [4.5%], P=0.004). There was an increase in CVT mortality during the first 5 months of pandemic years 2020 and 2021 compared to the first 5 months of the pre-pandemic year 2019 (2019 vs. 2020: 2.26% vs. 4.74%, P=0.05; 2019 vs. 2021: 2.26% vs. 4.99%, P=0.03). In the first 5 months of 2021, there were 26 cases of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), resulting in six deaths. Conclusions During the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic, CVT hospitalization volume and CVT in-hospital mortality did not change compared to the prior year. COVID-19 diagnosis was associated with higher CVT in-hospital mortality. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT hospitalization volume and increase in CVT-related mortality, partially attributable to VITT.

Facial feminization surgery (FFS) refers to a set of procedures aimed at altering the features of a masculine face to achieve a more feminine appearance. In the second part of this twopart series, assessment and operations involving the midface, mandible, and chin, as well as soft tissue modification of the nasolabial complex and chondrolaryngoplasty, are discussed. Finally, we provide a review of the literature on patient-reported outcomes in this population following FFS and suggest a path forward to optimize care for FFS patients.