BACKGROUND/IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

At present, there is not much data on the prevalence of cancer in the young adult population in the local setting, in addition to prevalence and determinants of distress in this population. The findings of this study may help to understand the current situation of this young population, and it may also provide a reference for further improving outcomes among these patients who have a distinct set of needs compared to the older counterparts, in addition to a long life expectancy ahead of them.

This study employed an observational cross-sectional design that included young adult cancer patients, aged 19 to 39 years old, seen at the hospital outpatient clinics and Cancer Center from October 2023 to December 2023. Demographic and clinical data were collected. The participants were also asked to fill out the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Distress Thermometer (DT) Screening Tool and Problem List after signing the written informed consent. Data were collated and analyzed per clinical variable.

The mean age of the participants was 34.55 years (SD=3.97), with most of them being 36 to 39 years old (51.67%). Comparative analyses of different demographic and clinical characteristics indicated that none of the characteristics were significantly different between those without and with significant distress levels (p >0.05). The mean distress score was 4.11 (SD=2.60) and categorizing these scores using the established cut-off score showed that 58.33% (95% CI = 44.88% to 70.93%) had distress. Time from cancer diagnosis significantly predicted distress development, specifically between 6 and 12 months from cancer diagnosis (aOR = 0.03, p = 0.042). Factors significantly contributing to distress are concerns on changes in eating, loss or change of physical abilities, worry or anxiety, sadness or depression, loss of interest or enjoyment, loneliness, changes in appearance, feelings of worthlessness or being a burden, relationship with friends, ability to have children, taking care of oneself, finances, access to medicine, issues on sense of meaning or purpose, and on death, dying and afterlife (pCONCLUSION

Significant distress is present in more than 50% of young adult cancer patients seen in a private tertiary institution in the Philippines. The time from cancer diagnosis significantly predicted distress development. Emotional and practical concerns significantly contributed to distress in this population.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine if selenium supplementation for a period of six months can decrease signs and prevent worsening of mild Graves’ ophthalmopathy among Filipino patients.

We conducted an open-label, assessor-masked, randomized controlled trial involving adult patients diagnosed with mild Graves’ ophthalmopathy. Participants were divided into two groups: one group received standard care (eye drops) alone (control group), while the other group received an additional 200 mcg/day oral selenium supplementation alongside standard care. Inclusion criteria encompassed adult patients with Graves’ hyperthyroidism presenting at least one sign of mild ophthalmopathy and a disease duration of less than 18 months. Statistical analyses were performed using independent sample t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher’s Exact/Chi-square test to compare means, ranks and frequencies between the two intervention groups. Paired sample t-test, Wilcoxon signed rank test and McNemar test were employed to assess changes from baseline to the third and sixth month observations.

A significant difference in clinical activity score (CAS) was observed between the selenium supplementation group and the control group. Initially, 14 eyes (33.33%) in the selenium group exhibited a CAS score of 0, which increased to 27 eyes (64.29%) at the third month of treatment and slightly decreased to 26 eyes (61.9%) at the sixth month. Conversely, the control group had 11 eyes with a CAS score of 0 at baseline, which increased to 16 eyes (38.1%) at three months and decreased to 14 eyes (33.33%) at the sixth month. The improvement in CAS was significantly associated with reductions in caruncle and plica swelling (p = 0.040). Further analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in CAS between the treatment and control groups (p = 0.017) at the sixth month mark.

Selenium supplementation provided significant benefit in reducing the signs and preventing deterioration of mild Graves’ ophthalmopathy, as indicated by improved CAS scores. Future research exploring baseline and end of treatment selenium concentrations in the Philippines is recommended to further substantiate these findings.

INTRODUCTION: Paediatric patients admitted to the inpatient units from the emergency department (ED) are increasing, but the mean length of stay has fallen significantly. We aimed to determine the reasons behind paediatric one-day admissions in Singapore and to assess their necessity. METHODS: A retrospective study involving paediatric patients who were admitted from a general ED of an adult tertiary hospital to a paediatric tertiary hospital between 1 August 2018 and 30 April 2020. One-day admission was defined as an inpatient stay of less than 24 h from the time of admission to discharge. An unnecessary admission was defined as one with no diagnostic test ordered, intravenous medication administered, therapeutic procedure performed or specialty review made in the inpatient unit. Data were captured in a standardised form and analysed. RESULTS: There were 13,944 paediatric attendances - 1,160 (8.3%) paediatric patients were admitted. Among these, 481 (41.4%) were one-day admissions. Upper respiratory tract infection (62, 12.9%), gastroenteritis (60, 12.5%) and head injury (52, 10.8%) were the three most common conditions. The three most common reasons for ED admissions were inpatient treatment (203, 42.2%), inpatient monitoring (185, 38.5%) and inpatient diagnostic investigations (32, 12.3%). Ninety-six (20.0%) one-day admissions were unnecessary. CONCLUSION Paediatric one-day admissions present an opportunity to develop and implement interventions targeted at the healthcare system, the ED, the paediatric patient and their caregiver, in order to safely slow down and perhaps reverse the trend of increased hospital admissions.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore ; Child ; Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data* ; Patient Admission/statistics & numerical data* ; Female ; Male ; Child, Preschool ; Length of Stay/statistics & numerical data* ; Infant ; Adolescent ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data* ; Infant, Newborn ; Gastroenteritis/therapy* ; Respiratory Tract Infections

INTRODUCTION: Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a common paediatric emergency. While guidelines exist for urgent intervention, less is known of the natural progress of FBs passing through the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). We reviewed these FB transit times in an outpatient cohort. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on all children (≤18 years) treated for radiopaque FB ingestion at two major tertiary paediatric centres from 2015 to 2016. Demographic data, FB types, outcomes and hospital visits (emergency department [ED] and outpatient) were recorded. All cases discharged from the ED with outpatient follow-up were included. We excluded those who were not given follow-up appointments and those admitted to inpatient wards. We categorised the outcomes into confirmed passage (ascertained via abdominal X-ray or reported direct stool visualisation by patients/caregivers) and assumed passage (if patients did not attend follow-up appointments). RESULTS: Of the 2,122 ED visits for FB ingestion, 350 patients who were given outpatient follow-up appointments were reviewed (median age 4.35 years [range: 0.5-14.7], 196 [56%] male). The largest proportion (16%) was aged 1-2 years. Coins were the most common ingested FB, followed by toys. High-risk FB (magnets or batteries) formed 9% of cases ( n =33). The 50 th centile for FB retention was 8, 4 and 7 days for coins, batteries and other radiopaque FBs, respectively; all confirmed passages occurred at 37, 7 and 23 days, respectively. Overall, 197 (68%) patients defaulted on their last given follow-up. CONCLUSION This study provides insight into the transit times of FB ingested by children, which helps medical professionals to decide on the optimal time for follow-up visits and provide appropriate counsel to caregivers.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Eating ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Foreign Bodies/diagnostic imaging* ; Gastrointestinal Tract/diagnostic imaging* ; Gastrointestinal Transit ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore ; Tertiary Care Centers

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant mental distress in populations globally. At the frontline of the pandemic, emergency departments (EDs) are the prime setting to observe the effects of the pandemic on the mental health of the population. We aimed to describe the trend of mental health-related ED attendances at an acute hospital in Singapore before and during the various stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This is a retrospective, descriptive study of patients who presented to the ED between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020. Patients diagnosed with mental health-related systematised nomenclature of medicine who visited the ED during this period were identified and were placed into mental health diagnosis categories for analysis. A comparison was made between patients who presented before the pandemic (2019) and during the pandemic (2020). RESULTS: During the study periods, we identified 1,421 patients, of whom 27 were excluded due to non-mental health-related diagnoses, leaving 1,394 patients for analysis. There was a 36.7% increase in mental health-related ED presentations from 2019 to 2020. The proportion of higher-acuity mental health-related ED attendances and number of suicide attempts also increased. CONCLUSION Our study described an increase in the proportion of high-acuity mental health-related ED attendances during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergency physicians must be cognisant of the effects of the pandemic on mental health. Further research should be conducted to better equip the healthcare system for handling all aspects of the pandemic.
Humans ; COVID-19/psychology* ; Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data* ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Mental Disorders/diagnosis* ; Mental Health ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Pandemics ; Aged ; Suicide, Attempted/statistics & numerical data* ; Young Adult ; Adolescent

The advances of modern medicine have inadvertently led to a globally ageing population plagued primarily with non-communicable diseases. In addition to traditional medical approaches, nature-based therapy is becoming an increasingly attractive option, with its potential to holistically address physical and mental facets of health and well-being, and to complement 'preventive' and 'population health' strategies, both of which form the bedrock of sustainable healthcare. However, at present, there is vast heterogeneity in the implementation of nature-based therapy, limiting its widespread and sustainable use. The aim of this review is to practically examine and provide a focussed summary of the current evidence with a view to identifying existing gaps and limitations, and to propose directions for future research and implementation within the healthcare setting.
Humans ; Singapore ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Hospitals, Public ; Delivery of Health Care ; Nature ; Complementary Therapies/methods* ; Medicine, Traditional/methods*

BACKGROUND: Valvular heart disease (VHD) has become increasingly common with the aging in China. This study aimed to evaluate regional differences in the clinical features, management strategies, and outcomes of patients with VHD across different regions in China. METHODS: Data were collected from the China-VHD Study. From April 2018 to June 2018, 12,347 patients who presented with moderate or severe native VHD with a median of 2 years of follow-up from 46 centers at certified tertiary hospitals across 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in Chinese mainland were included in this study. According to the locations of the research centers, patients were divided into five regional groups: eastern, southern, western, northern, and central China. The clinical features of VHD patients were compared among the five geographical regions. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality or rehospitalization for heart failure. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare the cumulative incidence rate. RESULTS: Among the enrolled patients (mean age, 61.96 years; 6877 [55.70%] male), multiple VHD was the most frequent type (4042, 32.74%), which was mainly found in eastern China, followed by isolated mitral regurgitation (3044, 24.65%), which was mainly found in northern China. The etiology of VHD varied significantly across different regions of China. The overall rate of valve interventions was 32.67% (4008/12,268), with the highest rate in southern China at 48.46% (205/423). In terms of procedure, the proportion of transcatheter valve intervention was relatively low compared to that of surgical treatment. Patients with VHD in western China had the highest incidence of all-cause mortality or rehospitalization for heart failure. Valve intervention significantly improved the outcome of patients with VHD in all five regions (all P  <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that patients with VHD in China are characterized by significant geographic disparities in clinical features, treatment, and clinical outcomes. Targeted efforts are needed to improve the management and prognosis of patients with VHD in China according to differences in geographical characteristics. REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03484806.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Heart Valve Diseases/therapy* ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: Road traffic accidents (RTA), assaults, falls, and sports-related injuries are the leading causes of maxillofacial trauma. Due to quite different geographical environment and fast urbanization, the use of various protective equipment is restricted in India. Thus, compared to other countries, there might be a significant difference in the pattern and frequency of associated injuries among subjects with maxillofacial trauma. The present study was conducted to identify the causes and pattern of various maxillofacial fractures and the frequency of other related injuries among subjects with maxillofacial trauma. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional retrospective study recording 2617 subjects with maxillofacial trauma from October 2017 to October 2022. The patient demographics, causes of trauma, types of maxillofacial injury, and associated soft and hard tissue injuries were recorded. The types of maxillofacial and associated injuries were diagnosed from details of clinical examinations and the interpretation of various radiographs available in the file. The associated injuries were divided into head injury, other bony injuries, and soft tissue and vital structure injuries. Descriptive statistics and the test of proportion were used. A p value < 0.05 was considered as a level of significance. RESULTS: The maxillofacial injuries were significantly common in patients aged 16 - 45 years (66.7%) than in patients aged ≤ 15 and > 46 years (33.3%) (p < 0.001). The RTA was the most common cause of maxillofacial injury (n = 2139, 81.7%), followed by fall (n = 206, 7.9%), other causes of injury (n = 178, 6.8%), and assaults (n = 94, 3.6%). The maxillofacial injury by 2-wheel vehicle accidents was significantly higher than that by 4-wheel vehicle and other vehicle accidents (p < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between alcohol and RTA (p < 0.001). The head injury (n = 931, 61.1%) was the most common associated injury, followed by soft tissue and vital structures injuries (n = 328, 21.5%) and other bone injuries (n = 264, 17.3%). DISCUSSION Head injury was the most common associated injury followed by soft tissue and vital structures and bone injuries among subjects with maxillofacial trauma. Clavicle fracture and injury to the lower extremities were the most common hard and soft tissue-associated injuries.
Humans ; Maxillofacial Injuries/etiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; India/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Middle Aged ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Accidents, Traffic/statistics & numerical data* ; Child ; Aged ; Multiple Trauma/epidemiology* ; Child, Preschool

Isolated male epispadias typically presents with preputial defects and dorsal urethral dehiscence. A less common subtype, known as concealed epispadias, is distinguished by an intact prepuce. Despite its clinical relevance, there is limited literature on this variant. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 86 pediatric patients with isolated male epispadias treated in Beijing Children's Hospital (Beijing, China) from May 2004 to July 2023, including 19 cases of concealed epispadias and 67 of nonconcealed epispadias. We compared clinical characteristics, preoperative diagnostics, surgical techniques, postoperative outcomes, and sexual function during follow-up between the concealed and nonconcealed groups. No significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding surgical methods, postoperative complications, or rates of urinary incontinence. However, notable distinctions were found in the age at initial diagnosis, timing of surgery, frequency of incontinence, location of the urethral meatus, and postoperative urinary incontinence scores (all P < 0.05). Given the absence of penopubic epispadias in concealed cases, we categorized glans and penile epispadias within nonconcealed epispadias as distal epispadias ( n = 40) and subsequently compared them with concealed epispadias cases. The postoperative urinary incontinence scores did not differ significantly between the concealed and distal epispadias groups. These findings suggest that concealed epispadias represents a relatively milder form of the condition, characterized by the absence of penopubic involvement, lower rates of urinary incontinence, and favorable surgical outcomes. However, the intact prepuce in concealed cases underscores the need for careful identification and early diagnosis.
Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Epispadias/classification* ; China ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology* ; Urinary Incontinence/epidemiology* ; Urethra/surgery* ; Infant ; Penis/surgery* ; Adolescent ; Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male/methods* ; East Asian People

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Inpatient physical therapy (PT) care entails careful provision of service for individuals across a spectrum of disorders needing evidence-based physical rehabilitation during their hospital admission. The main difficulty is identifying adequate time allocation for safe patient service within an eight-hour working time frame. At a selected tertiary teaching government-run hospital, an arbitrary personnel-population ratio method is used for human resource allocation which may lead to issues in service delivery and healthcare workforce wellness. Apart from patient care, physical therapists also assume non-clinical roles revolving on administration, clinical education, and research. This highlights the importance of identifying the duration of tasks to assess work efficiency and manage time constraints posed by the limitations of the work shift. Practice guidelines may help improve staff workload scheduling, however, there is a lack of available guidelines regarding physical therapy practice in the hospital or acute care setting for developing countries. The purpose of this study was to determine the duration of care for inpatients with musculoskeletal and neurological conditions and administrative tasks, and to determine the relationship of duration of care with months of experience.

A continuous observation time motion study of a typical workday of all physical therapists in an in-patient setting of a tertiary teaching hospital was conducted. An external observer will time the tasks done by the PT. The external observer kept distance from the direct patient encounter to minimize interference that may affect timing. Patients with conditions of different etiologies and functional levels were included.

Nineteen physical therapists with a mean experience of 54.63 months were observed. There were no adverse events during the implementation of this study. The total mean time in minutes of management of neurological patients is 37:32, and musculoskeletal patients is 28:30. Time for administrative tasks took an average of 20:33 minutes. There was also a low positive correlation on months of experience and treatment duration for patients with neurologic conditions (p=0.0471). Results showed that the allocated treatment duration is determined to be sufficient for performing PT activities. The optimal number of patients to be decked can also be appropriately determined to optimize resource allocation.

Our pilot study attempted to quantify the duration of PT care in an inpatient setting that caters to patients with different diagnosis and varying needs for PT management. Although descriptive statistics and a weak to insignificant correlation was seen in most of the variables, there may be some benefit in gathering more duration data across different acute care settings within the country. Our pilot time and motion study can contribute to the limited evidence of duration of inpatient care that may inform human resource allocation, deliverables prioritization, and employee wellness and development. Figures have been presented which could be the basis for future policy research for management science and resource allocation studies.