1.The anesthetic management of a pediatric patient for drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE): A case report.
Acta Medica Philippina 2026;60(1):88-91
Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) is used for directly visualizing sites of obstruction among patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Owing to the scarcity of data, there is still no consensus on the anesthetic regimen for conducting pediatric DISE.
This paper presents a 5-year-old patient who underwent DISE using an opioid-sparing regimen with dexmedetomidine and propofol infusion.
Simultaneous dexmedetomidine and propofol infusion is a promising opioid-sparing regimen for pediatric DISE.
Human ; Male ; Child Preschool: 2-5 Yrs Old ; Endoscopy ; Propofol ; Dexmedetomidine ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Anesthetics ; Apnea ; Consensus ; Paper ; Patients ; Pharmaceutical Preparations ; Research Report ; Sleep ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; World Health Organization
2.Clinical profile and outcomes of patients with chronic kidney disease on chronic hemodialysis hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome in a tertiary public hospital in the Philippines.
Jerahmeel Aleson L. Mapili ; Cecileen Anne M. Tuazon ; Paul Anthony O. Alad ; John Christopher A. Pilapil ; Bianca M. Velando ; Azel Paolo T. Bondoc ; Lloyd Christopher S. Lim ; Marie Aisen Kathrina B. Cabujat-Bumanglag ; Vincent Anthony S. Tang ; Janice Jill K. Lao ; John C. Anonuevo
Acta Medica Philippina 2026;60(4):24-34
INTRODUCTION
Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are both prevalent globally. The diagnosis and management of ACS in ESRD is difficult because the interplay of cardiovascular and renal disease is complicated. The guidelines for ACS may not be applicable to the ESRD population because the trials from which these are drawn mostly excluded ESRD patients.
OBJECTIVETo determine the clinical profile and outcomes of CKD patients on dialysis admitted for ACS in the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
METHODSWe did a retrospective cohort study and employed a retrospective review of electronic medical records among ESRD patients presenting with ACS in PGH from May 2021 to November 2023. The collected data was analyzed using univariate and bivariate statistics using PRISM software.
RESULTSA total of 48 patients with ESRD were admitted for ACS in this study – 8 with STEMI and 40 with NSTEMI. The mean age was 61 years old and 33 (68.8%) were male. Among those with STEMI, six (75%) presented with Kilip II or more. While among those with NSTEMI, 17 (42.5%) had a GRACE score >140 and 27 (67.5%) had an NSTEMI TIMI risk score >2. On average, the patients were on hemodialysis for 31 months prior to admission. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (91.7%) and heart failure (83.3%). On admission, 18 (37.5%) presented with SBP >160, 7 (14.6%) patients presented with shock, and 4 (8.3%) patients presented with cardiac arrest. 38 (79.2%) patients had anemia on admission. 21 (43.8%) patients had left ventricular hypertrophy on electrocardiogram while 34 (70.8%) patients had cardiomegaly on chest radiography. The average left ventricular ejection fraction on echocardiogram was 46% and 27 (90%) patients had segmental wall motion abnormalities. The most common angiographic finding was 3-vessel coronary artery disease seen in 50% of patients. Almost all patients received dualantiplatelet therapy, high dose statin, and beta-blocker. The mortality rate was high at 43.8% with cardiovascular causes being the most common cause of death.
CONCLUSIONThis study demonstrates the high mortality rate among patients with ESRD presenting with ACS. Our study portrays that patients with ESRD present with higher risk features including abnormalities in vital signs, laboratories, imaging, high prognostications score, and high in-hospital morbidity.
Human ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; End-stage Renal Disease ; Acute Coronary Syndrome ; Myocardial Infarction
3.A qualitative program evaluation study on the perceived impact of health and nutrition programs among beneficiaries of a civil society organization in the Philippines.
Kim Leonard G. DELA LUNA ; Alvin Duke R. SY ; Raycha Lei Concess M. RAMA-SABANDAL, ; Carlos Bernard K. JACINTO ; Rowel C. MALIMBAN ; Bernardyn Eliza G. SALES ; Ryann A. MAROLLANO ; Alberto C. MARIN
Acta Medica Philippina 2026;60(8):23-36
BACKGROUND
Undernutrition remains a public health concern in the Philippines despite multitude of government efforts using different nutrition specific and sensitive interventions. Hence, the role civil society organizations play is important in augmenting the health and nutrition programs in the country. Community feedback is important as they are the receiving end of these programs.
OBJECTIVEThe study aimed to know the perceived impact and community insights on the implemented health and nutrition programs in the four selected sites in the Philippines.
METHODSQualitative program evaluation was used, and 50 discussants were recruited through purposive sampling. Semi-structured interview guide for focus group discussion was utilized to determine the perceived impact of the programs among the discussants, and thematic analysis was used to generate codes and themes.
RESULTSThe implemented health and nutrition programs were found to be a source of hope for the family and community and beyond basic necessities. However, there remain barriers in successful acquisition of new information such as a lack of resources and environmental influences. There are also learned opportunities such as continued support from the Civil Society Organization (CSO), and impact capacity building that are not sponsor-driven.
CONCLUSIONOverall, the participants see the health and nutrition programs as helpful for their children as these programs foster proper child rearing. The programs also empower the parents and the community through capacity building. However, there is a need to revisit implementing rules and guidelines to further maximize the benefits and resources of the programs.
Program Evaluation ; Public Health ; Play And Playthings ; Residence Characteristics ; Evaluation Studies As Topic ; Malnutrition ; Nutritional Status
4.Use of exam wrapper in internal medicine residency training in two tertiary private hospitals: A pre-experimental study.
Janice Jill K. Lao ; Erlyn A. Sana
Acta Medica Philippina 2026;60(6):51-70
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Self-assessment and metacognition can be practiced with an exam wrapper (EW). EW is a structured, metacognitive, and self-regulated learning strategy that involves guided self-reflection on an exam already taken to improve study habits. This research describes how internal medicine (IM) residents at two tertiary private hospitals performed in written examinations using an EW. The relationship between the residents' metacognition, the exam wrapper, and exam performance was also determined.
METHODSThis study employed a pre-experimental pre- and post-test design. The EW was constructed and tested for validity and reliability. It included (1) a description of study habits, (2) accuracy in self-efficacy perception and exam score prediction, (3) perceived reasons for exam mistakes, and (4) future study plans of residents. A complete enumeration of 24 IM residents was conducted. Respondents completed the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) at the beginning of the study. The intervention consisted of (1) residents taking Exam 1: Gastroenterology, followed by EW; (2) Exam 2: Endocrinology and EW; then (3) Exam 3: Oncology, EW, and MAI. Scores were compared using a paired t-test or analysis of variance (ANOVA). The relationships between metacognition scores, the EW, and exam performance were determined using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05.
RESULTSThe final EW comprises 16 items, with overall indices of content validity ratio of 0.72 and item-rated content validity of 0.8. The internal consistency coefficient is 0.65 (Kuder-Richardson 20). Nineteen out of 24 residents (79.17%) completed the study. Mean exam percentage scores were 57.97%, 42%, and 51.16% for Exams 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Exam 2 differed significantly from the other two exams (p = 0 and p = 0.04). EWs for the first two exams were not significantly different and revealed: (1) top study habits included studying right before an exam and skimming the textbook; (2) 68.42% vs. 63.16% accuracy of selfefficacy perception; (3) 26.32% vs. 31.58% accuracy of grade estimation; (4) 31.58% vs. 26.32% accuracy of error analysis; (5) most errors were due to not reading about the topic, and (6) most planned to “read more." Mean MAI scores were 36.79 ± 9.10 (pretest) and 36.05 ± 9.44 (post-test) (p = 0.81). All correlations were not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONResidents performed poorly during exams, crammed their studies, preferred low-impact learning strategies, and lacked self-reflection skills and metacognition monitoring. Time issues related to reading or studying were common. There is no significant relationship between metacognition score and exam wrapper use or exam performance in IM residency trainees.
Human ; Metacognition ; Self-control ; Self-regulation
5.A qualitative program evaluation study on the perceived impact of health and nutrition programs among beneficiaries of a civil society organization in the Philippines.
Kim Leonard G. DELA LUNA ; Alvin Duke R. SY ; Raycha Lei Concess M. RAMA-SABANDAL, ; Carlos Bernard K. JACINTO ; Rowel C. MALIMBAN ; Bernardyn Eliza G. SALES ; Ryann A. MAROLLANO ; Alberto C. MARIN
Acta Medica Philippina 2026;60(8):23-36
BACKGROUND
Undernutrition remains a public health concern in the Philippines despite multitude of government efforts using different nutrition specific and sensitive interventions. Hence, the role civil society organizations play is important in augmenting the health and nutrition programs in the country. Community feedback is important as they are the receiving end of these programs.
OBJECTIVEThe study aimed to know the perceived impact and community insights on the implemented health and nutrition programs in the four selected sites in the Philippines.
METHODSQualitative program evaluation was used, and 50 discussants were recruited through purposive sampling. Semi-structured interview guide for focus group discussion was utilized to determine the perceived impact of the programs among the discussants, and thematic analysis was used to generate codes and themes.
RESULTSThe implemented health and nutrition programs were found to be a source of hope for the family and community and beyond basic necessities. However, there remain barriers in successful acquisition of new information such as a lack of resources and environmental influences. There are also learned opportunities such as continued support from the Civil Society Organization (CSO), and impact capacity building that are not sponsor-driven.
CONCLUSIONOverall, the participants see the health and nutrition programs as helpful for their children as these programs foster proper child rearing. The programs also empower the parents and the community through capacity building. However, there is a need to revisit implementing rules and guidelines to further maximize the benefits and resources of the programs.
Program Evaluation ; Public Health ; Play And Playthings ; Residence Characteristics ; Evaluation Studies As Topic ; Malnutrition ; Nutritional Status
6.The Impact of Aerobic Training on Exercise Tolerance and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) in Obese People
Manoranjitham R ; Ishwarya Vardhini C ; Thiruppathi A ; Deepa I ; Saraswathi K
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences 2026;22(No. 1):1-5
Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is characterised by recurrent pharyngeal collapses that occur five or more times per hour of sleep or more and reduce or completely block airflow for at least 10 seconds. Obesity predis-poses individuals to and potentiates OSA. Materials and methods: As a pre- and post-training activity measure, 30 obese people between the ages of 25 and 45 were asked to complete the STOP-BANG questionnaire and a 6-minute walk test. After that, they engaged in aerobic activity. Results: The scores for the six-minute walk test and the stop-bang questionnaire were 0.0005 and 0.0003, respectively with a “p” value- ≤0.001 (significant). In our investigation, the effects of aerobic exercise on exercise tolerance and obstructive sleep apnoea were significantly different. Con-clusion: Aerobic exercise is a better intervention for increasing exercise tolerance and obstructive sleep apnoea in obese patients. This intervention may be a significant contributor to cardiorespiratory fitness and can be considered a useful tool for enhancing quality of life.
7.Accuracy of machine electrocardiogram interpretation and implementation of a de-prioritization protocol in the emergency department
World Journal of Emergency Medicine 2025;16(5):486-487
Computer analysis of electrocardiograms (ECGs) was introduced more than 50 years ago, with the aim to improve efficiency and clinical workflow.[1,2] However, inaccuracies have been documented in the literature.[3,4] Research indicates that emergency department (ED) clinician interruptions occur every 4-10 min, which is significantly more common than in other specialties.[5] This increases the cognitive load and error rates and impacts patient care and clinical efficiency.[1,2,5] De-prioritization protocols have been introduced in certain centers in the United Kingdom (UK), removing the need for clinician ECG interpretation where ECGs have been interpreted as normal by the machine.
9.Association of NLRP3 genetic variant rs10754555 with early-onset coronary artery disease.
Lingfeng ZHA ; Chengqi XU ; Mengqi WANG ; Shaofang NIE ; Miao YU ; Jiangtao DONG ; Qianwen CHEN ; Tian XIE ; Meilin LIU ; Fen YANG ; Zhengfeng ZHU ; Xin TU ; Qing K WANG ; Zhilei SHAN ; Xiang CHENG
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(21):2844-2846
10.The application effect of Generative Pre-Treatment Tool of Skeletal Pathology in functional lumbar spine radiographic analysis.
Yilizati YILIHAMU ; K ZHAO ; H ZHONG ; S Q FENG
Chinese Journal of Surgery 2025;63(10):936-941
Objective: To investigate the application effectiveness of the artificial intelligence(AI) based Generative Pre-treatment tool of Skeletal Pathology (GPTSP) in measuring functional lumbar radiographic examinations. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study,reviewing the clinical and imaging data of 34 patients who underwent lumbar dynamic X-ray radiography at Department of Orthopedics, the Second Hospital of Shandong University from September 2021 to June 2023. Among the patients, 13 were male and 21 were female, with an age of (68.0±8.0) years (range:55 to 88 years). The AI model of the GPTSP system was built upon a multi-dimensional constrained loss function constructed based on the YOLOv8 model, incorporating Kullback-Leibler divergence to quantify the anatomical distribution deviation of lumbar intervertebral space detection boxes, along with the introduction of a global dynamic attention mechanism. It can identify lumbar vertebral body edge points and measure lumbar intervertebral space. Furthermore, spondylolisthesis index, lumbar index, and lumbar intervertebral angles were measured using three methods: manual measurement by doctors, predefined annotated measurement, and AI-assisted measurement. The consistency between the doctors and the AI model was analyzed through intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and Kappa coefficient. Results: AI-assisted physician measurement time was (1.5±0.1) seconds (range: 1.3 to 1.7 seconds), which was shorter than the manual measurement time ((2 064.4±108.2) seconds,range: 1 768.3 to 2 217.6 seconds) and the pre-defined annotation measurement time ((602.0±48.9) seconds,range: 503.9 to 694.4 seconds). Kappa values between physicians' diagnoses and AI model's diagnoses (based on GPTSP platform) for the lumbar slip index, lumbar index, and intervertebral angles measured by three methods were 0.95, 0.92, and 0.82 (all P<0.01), with ICC values consistently exceeding 0.90, indicating high consistency. Based on the doctor's manual measurement, compared with the predefined label measurement, altering AI assistance, doctors measurement with average annotation errors reduced from 2.52 mm (range: 0.01 to 6.78 mm) to 1.47 mm(range: 0 to 5.03 mm). Conclusions: The GPTSP system enhanced efficiency in functional lumbar analysis. AI model demonstrated high consistency in annotation and measurement results, showing strong potential to serve as a reliable clinical auxiliary tool.
Humans
;
Female
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Male
;
Lumbar Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging*
;
Middle Aged
;
Aged
;
Aged, 80 and over
;
Artificial Intelligence
;
Radiography
;
Spondylolisthesis/diagnostic imaging*


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail