Background: Buxus latistyla Gagnep. (Buxaceae) has been used as a remedy for treating malaria, haemoptysis, amoebic dysentery etc. However, its chemical constituents are still unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify phytochemicals isolated from this plant. Materials and method: Aerial parts of B. latistyla were collected from Quang Tri province. Pure compounds were isolated using the combination of chromatographic methods. Structures of isolated compounds were identified by analyzing spectral data of nuclear magnetic resonance as well as by comparing with reported data. Results & Conclusion: Five triterpenes were isolated and identified including lupeol (1), lupenone (2), betulin (3), 20(29)-lupene-2α,3α-diol (4), 20(29)-lupene-2α,3α,28-triol (5). This is the first report about those phytochemicals of B. latistyla collected in Vietnam.

Backgrounds: Fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) is commonly used in colorectal cancer screening programs. Many studies have compared different FOBT methods, but the correlation between traditional red cell microscopy and FOBT remains unclear. Objectives: 1) To evaluate the rate of positive FOBT in patients with different disease groups; 2) To compare the sensitivity and specificity of red blood cells detection in fresh stool by microscopy technique and FOBT. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 120 patients from Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital who requested a stool test from 4/2021 to 4/2022. Fresh stool samples were examined for the presence of red blood cells using traditional microscopy and FOBT technique. Results: The overall positivity rate of FOBT was 20%, and in the group of gastrointestinal diseases (n = 24), clinical anemia (n = 21), hepatobiliary diseases (n = 26) and other diseases (n = 49), it was 37.5%, 23.8%, 11.5% and 14.3%, respectively. In comparison with the FOBT technique, microscopic RBC detection had a sensitivity of 33.3% and a specificity of 100%. Conclusions: A high rate of fecal occult blood tests was observed in patients with gastrointestinal disorders. Microscopic erythrocyte detection has low sensitivity and many disadvantages compared to the rapid test. This rapid test should be widely used in clinical practice to aid in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal bleeding

Background: This study was conducted on 93 volunteers with type 2 diabetes to investigate the ability of acetylated wheat starch cake containing 32.1% resistant starch to control postprandial blood glucose levels. Material and methods: The study was designed using a crossover, double-blind trial method. During each testing day, after a minimum of 12 hours of overnight fasting, each participant consumed two identical cakes containing either 80 g of acetylated wheat starch or 80 g natural wheat starch with 330ml of water within 15 minutes. Blood glucose levels were measured at baseline, 60 mins (G1), and 120 mins (G2) after ingestion. The predictive value of factors that contribute to the ability of resistant starch to control postprandial blood glucose was determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve based on the combined effect of the cake weight-to-BMI ratio (g/m²BMI) and HbA1c. Results: 60 mins and 120 mins postprandial capillary glucose levels after consuming acetylated wheat starch cake (10.4 ± 1.2 và 9.2 ± 1.2 mmol/L, respectively) were significantly lower compared with natural wheat starch cake (13.3 ± 1.8 và 11.2 ± 1.8 mmol/L, respectively) (p < 0.05). For good control of postprandial blood glucose levels, a maximum of 80 g of acetylated wheat starch can be used per serving for patients with type 2 diabetes with HbA1c ≤ 7.25 without blood glucose-lowering medication is required. Conclusion: acetylated wheat starch has better ontroled of postprandial blood glucose compared with natural wheat starch in patients with type 2 diabetes. This is very suitable in the processing of diets including resistant starch for patients with type 2 diabetes for the purpose of both supporting treatment and improving quality of life.

Backgroud: The aim of this study is to update on antibiotic resistance of common pathogenical bacteria isolated in Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital (Hue UMP Hospital). Methodology: Use of the agar disk diffusion method to test the susceptibility to antimicrobial agents of 3709 bacterial strains from infected patients hospitalized in Hue UMP Hospital in 2020 - 2022. Results: Among 3709 strains of pathogenical bacteria isolated, S.aureus was found with the rate of 29.9%, followed by E. coli (24.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginasa (17.8%), Enterococcus spp. (11.8%), Klebsiella spp (9.7%) and Acinetobacter spp (4.1%). The proportion of bacterial isolates has changed, but Staphylococcus aureus is still highest rate. S.aureus is resistant to many antibiotics, but MRSA strains have decreased significantly, from 73.3% in 2020 to 62.5% in 2022. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was resistant to some of the group A recommended antibiotics such as ceftazidime, piperacillin-tazobactam with the rate of 56.6% and 48.7%. The percentage of E. coli with ESBL strains (+) was at 28.2% - 30.3%. Enterococus spp strains are still sensitive to vancomycin (83.1% - 91.9%). The rate of Klebsiella ESBL (+) is only 6.9% to 8.2%. The strains of Acinetobacter spp were highly resistant to Piperacillin (100%) and Ceftriaxone (96.5%) but they are still sensitive to imipenems 70 - 71%, highly sensitive to Doxycillin (95.2%) and Cefotaxime (88.4%). Conclusion: Many bacterial strains are resistant to many commonly antibiotics. Providing timely, regular, and effective management of antibiotic resistance patterns for common pathogenic bacteria in hospitals, will help reduce the risk of bacterial resistance.

Background: Hypertension is one of the dangerous chronic diseases. In the treatment of hypertension, controlling blood pressure to achieve treatment target is paramount to prevent dangerous complications and death. The study was conducted to identify the percentage of hypertensive patients who do not achieve treatment target among outpatients at the internal medicine clinic, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, and explore some related factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 403 hypertensive patients treated as outpatients at the internal medicine clinic. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify the related factors. Results: 46.4% of hypertensive patients did not reach the treatment target. Factors related to uncontrolled hypertension were male, non-religion, comorbidities, no reduction in salt intake, the use of coffee/tea, and non-compliance with medication (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The rate of patients with uncontrolled hypertension was still high. The health sector should consider establishing an outpatient management team; strengthening communication activities and advice on diet and drug use in parallel with medical examination and treatment.

Objectives: Asymptomatic infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and test re-positivity after a negative test have raised concerns about the ability to effectively control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of COVID-19 asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic infections during the second wave of COVID-19 in Viet Nam, and to better understand the duration of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the dynamics between the evolution of clinical symptoms and SARS-CoV-2 test positivity among confirmed COVID-19 cases. Methods: We conducted a cohort analysis on the first 50 confirmed cases during the second COVID-19 wave in Viet Nam using clinical, laboratory and epidemiological data collected from 9 March to 30 April 2020. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to assess time to clearance of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and log-rank tests were used to explore factors related to time to SARS-CoV-2 infection clearance. Results: Most cases (58%) had no typical signs or symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of diagnosis. Ten cases (20%) were re-positive for SARS-CoV-2 during infection. Eight cases (16%) experienced COVID-19 symptoms after testing negative for SARS-CoV-2. The median duration from symptom onset until clearance of infection was 14 days (range: 6–31); it was longer in re-positive and older patients and those with pre-existing conditions. Conclusion Asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic infections were common during the second wave of COVID-19 in Viet Nam. Re-positivity was frequent during hospitalization and led to a long duration of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Four Trichoderma strains (CH2, SH16, PQ34, and TN42) were isolated from soil samples collected from Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue provinces in Vietnam. The strains exhibited high chitinolytic secretion. Strain PQ34 formed the largest zone of chitinase-mediated clearance (> 4 cm in diameter) in agar containing 1% (w/v) colloidal chitin. Analysis of the internal transcribed spacer regions of these strains indicated that they were Trichoderma asperellum. The molecular weights of the chitinases were approximately 42 kDa. Chitinase genes (chi42) of T. asperellum strains TN42, CH2, SH16, and PQ34 were 98~99% homologous to the ech42 gene of T. harzianum CB-Pin-01 (accession No. DQ166036). The deduced amino acid sequences of both T. asperellum strains SH16 and TN42 shared 100% similarity.
Agar ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Chitin ; Chitinase ; Colloids ; Molecular Weight ; Soil ; Sprains and Strains ; Trichoderma ; Vietnam

Background: Secondary injuries are frequent in stroke patients at the acute phase. The early rehabilitation for these patients currently still hasn't received enough attention. Thus it may increase the rate of the secondary disorders. Objectives: To describe the common secondary injuries in stroke patients at the acute phase. Subjects: 90 stroke patients over 18 years old that had experienced hemiplegia less than 30 days, and were treated at Neurology Department, Bach Mai Hospital. Method: Cross-sectional study. Data was analyzed by SPSS software, version 13.0. Results: The rate of the secondary injuries in these patients had reached 80.0%. Among them, the rate of pneumonia is the highest with 30.0%, then urological infections with 17.8%, followed by muscular atrophies, contracture of muscles, stress ulcer, and orthostatic hypotension. There is a close relation between pneumonia and perception impairment: the rate of pneumonia in perception impairment patients was 5.25 folds higher than that in patients without perception impairment (67.9% vs. 12.9%, p< 0.001). Similarly, pneumonia rate in patients with nasogastric tube was 4.2 folds higher than that of patients without nasogastric tube (90.9% vs. 21.5%, p< 0.001). Conclusion: The rate of the secondary injuries in acute stroke patients is high. It is necessary to carry out intensive nursing and rehabilitation for these patients.
secondary injuries ; stroke