We report the case of a 33-year-old primigravida who presented at 37 weeks of gestation with symptoms suggestive of acute fatty liver of pregnancy, but was later diagnosed with leptospirosis (i.e. Weil’s disease or syndrome) on serological testing. Cardiotocography showed fetal distress, and an emergency Caesarean section was performed. A healthy neonate with no evidence of congenital leptospirosis was delivered. The patient was treated with intravenous ceftriaxone and discharged well 13 days after admission. Herein, we discuss the patient’s clinical presentation and the cardiotocography changes observed in leptospiral infection, and review the current literature.
Adult ; Cardiotocography ; Ceftriaxone ; therapeutic use ; Cesarean Section ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fatty Liver ; diagnosis ; Female ; Fetal Distress ; Humans ; Leptospira ; Leptospirosis ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Treatment Outcome ; Ultrasonography

INTRODUCTIONThe delivery of optimal and safe medical care is critical in healthcare. The traditional practice of "See one, do one and teach one" residency training programme is no longer acceptable.

MATERIALS AND METHODSIn the past, there was no structured residency training programme in our hospital. There were several cases of organ injuries from surgeries performed by the residents. In 2005, we conducted a pilot study to organise a structured teaching, education, surgical accreditation and assessment (TESA) residency programme for 15 residents in the Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital. We performed a written questionnaire survey of the residents on the new programme and patients' expectation (n = 2926) as subjective outcomes in the 1-year follow-up. We also studied the complication rates of all minor and major surgeries performed by the residents in 2004 and 2005 as an objective outcome.

RESULTSAll the residents (n = 15) surveyed supported the TESA programme. Patients' expectation improved significantly from 71% in 2004 (n = 1559) to 83% in 2005 (n = 1367) (P = 0.03). There were 10,755 surgeries in 2004 and 10,558 surgeries in 2005 performed by our residents, with 6 cases (5.6%) of organ injuries in 2004 compared to 3 cases (2.8%) in 2005. This reduction was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONThe TESA residency programme in our hospital has an impact on the delivery of optimal and safe medical care while ensuring the training of residents to be competent specialists.

Accreditation ; Clinical Competence ; Delivery of Health Care ; standards ; Educational Measurement ; General Surgery ; education ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; methods ; Pilot Projects ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Vulvo-vaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common infection among women. 5% of women with acute infection experience recurrent vulvo-vaginal candidiasis (RVVC). There is currently no optimal or recommended regime for RVVC. Although antifungal agents, such as imidazoles, have been successfully used as a first-line treatment for acute VVC, its effectiveness is limited in RVVC. This could be due to patient factors, drug application (such as leakage) or dosing factors. A sustained-release (SR) bioadhesive vaginal cream (2% butoconazole nitrate) has incorporated VagiSite technology, a topical drug delivery system that allows SR of the drug. We describe its efficacy and the successful use of a butoconazole-SR formulation in the treatment of two cases of RVVC.
Adult ; Antifungal Agents ; administration & dosage ; Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Imidazoles ; administration & dosage ; Middle Aged ; Pessaries ; Recurrence

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to compare the complication rates of two common breast reconstruction techniques performed at our hospital and the cost-effectiveness for each test group. METHODS: All patients who underwent deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap and transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap by the same surgeon were selected and matched according to age and mastectomy with or without axillary clearance. Patients from each resultant group were selected, with the patients matched chronologically. The remainder were matched for by co-morbidities. Sixteen patients who underwent immediate breast reconstruction with pedicled TRAM flaps and 16 patients with DIEP flaps from 1999 to 2006 were accrued. The average total hospitalisation cost, length of hospitalisation, and complications in the 2 year duration after surgery for each group were compared. RESULTS: Complications arising from both the pedicled TRAM flaps and DIEP flaps included fat necrosis (TRAM, 3/16; DIEP, 4/16) and other minor complications (TRAM, 3/16; DIEP, 1/16). The mean hospital stay was 7.13 days (range, 4 to 12 days) for the pedicled TRAM group and 7.56 (range, 5 to 10 days) for the DIEP group. Neither the difference in complication rates nor in hospital stay duration were statistically significant. The total hospitalisation cost for the DIEP group was significantly higher than that of the pedicled TRAM group (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Based on our study, the pedicled TRAM flap remains a cost-effective technique in breast reconstruction when compared to the newer, more expensive and tedious DIEP flap.
Breast ; Diclofenac ; Fat Necrosis ; Female ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Mammaplasty ; Mastectomy ; Perforator Flap ; Rectus Abdominis ; Surgical Flaps

BACKGROUND: Burn infliction techniques are poorly described in rat models. An accurate study can only be achieved with wounds that are uniform in size and depth. We describe a simple reproducible method for creating consistent burn wounds in rats. METHODS: Ten male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and dorsum shaved. A 100 g cylindrical stainless-steel rod (1 cm diameter) was heated to 100degrees C in boiling water. Temperature was monitored using a thermocouple. We performed two consecutive toe-pinch tests on different limbs to assess the depth of sedation. Burn infliction was limited to the loin. The skin was pulled upwards, away from the underlying viscera, creating a flat surface. The rod rested on its own weight for 5, 10, and 20 seconds at three different sites on each rat. Wounds were evaluated for size, morphology and depth. RESULTS: Average wound size was 0.9957 cm2 (standard deviation [SD] 0.1845) (n=30). Wounds created with duration of 5 seconds were pale, with an indistinct margin of erythema. Wounds of 10 and 20 seconds were well-defined, uniformly brown with a rim of erythema. Average depths of tissue damage were 1.30 mm (SD 0.424), 2.35 mm (SD 0.071), and 2.60 mm (SD 0.283) for duration of 5, 10, 20 seconds respectively. Burn duration of 5 seconds resulted in full-thickness damage. Burn duration of 10 seconds and 20 seconds resulted in full-thickness damage, involving subjacent skeletal muscle. CONCLUSIONS: This is a simple reproducible method for creating burn wounds consistent in size and depth in a rat burn model.
Animals ; Burns* ; Erythema ; Extremities ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Animal* ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin ; Viscera ; Water ; Wounds and Injuries*

Combined oral contraceptive pills (COCs) remain one of the most popular forms of contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancy in women. While it is known that COCs can cause sexual dysfunction in women, there is currently no recommendation to screen for sexual function before and after initiation of COCs. We propose that, based on the evidence available, assessment of sexual function should be done at initiation of COCs, as well as at regular intervals thereafter. This would allow COC-related sexual dysfunction to be managed early, such as by switching the patient to newer-generation COCs or other forms of contraception.

INTRODUCTIONThe present study aimed to assess the demographic, socioeconomic, medical and lifestyle factors associated with the progression of a threatened miscarriage to a complete miscarriage in the first trimester.

METHODSA prospective cohort study was conducted on 157 women who presented with vaginal bleeding in the fifth to tenth week of gestation. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors for progression to a complete miscarriage within 16 weeks of gestation.

RESULTSOf the 139 women included for data analysis, 36 (25.9%) had a miscarriage, mostly within two weeks of presentation. The results of our study showed that women aged ≥ 34 years were more likely to miscarry (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.95). Compared to women whose partner was 20-30 years of age, women whose partner was ≥ 41 years of age also had a higher likelihood of experiencing a miscarriage (HR = 8.33). However, the presence of nausea (HR = 0.33) and a high stress score (i.e. ≥ 17) on the Perceived Stress Scale (HR = 0.49) were associated with a reduced likelihood of miscarriage.

CONCLUSIONOlder pregnant women experiencing a threatened miscarriage should be counselled about their higher risk of miscarriage, especially if they have an older partner.

Abortion, Spontaneous ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Demography ; Female ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Life Style ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Socioeconomic Factors

Aedes ; Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Microcephaly ; epidemiology ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ; epidemiology ; therapy ; Public Health ; Zika Virus ; Zika Virus Infection ; epidemiology ; therapy ; transmission

BACKGROUND: The combination of polycaprolactone and hyaluronic acid creates an ideal environment for wound healing. Hyaluronic acid maintains a moist wound environment and accelerates the in-growth of granulation tissue. Polycaprolactone has excellent mechanical strength, limits inflammation and is biocompatible. This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of bio-conjugated polycaprolactone membranes (BPM) as a wound dressing. METHODS: 16 New Zealand white rabbits were sedated and local anaesthesia was administered. Two 3.0x3.0 cm full-thickness wounds were created on the dorsum of each rabbit, between the lowest rib and the pelvic bone. The wounds were dressed with either BPM (n=12) or Mepitel (n=12) (control), a polyamide-silicon wound dressing. These were evaluated macroscopically on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th postoperative days for granulation, re-epithelialization, infection, and wound size, and histologically for epidermal and dermal regeneration. RESULTS: Both groups showed a comparable extent of granulation and re-epithelialization. No signs of infection were observed. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in wound size between the two groups. BPM (n=6): 8.33 cm2, 4.90 cm2, 3.12 cm2, 1.84 cm2; Mepitel (n=6): 10.29 cm2, 5.53 cm2, 3.63 cm2, 2.02 cm2; at the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th postoperative days. The extents of epidermal and dermal regeneration were comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: BPM is comparable to Mepitel as a safe and efficacious wound dressing.
Bandages* ; Granulation Tissue ; Hyaluronic Acid ; Inflammation ; Membranes* ; Pelvic Bones ; Rabbits ; Re-Epithelialization ; Regeneration ; Ribs ; Skin ; Wound Healing ; Wounds and Injuries*