exudates and Cough

Piper longum (family Piperaceae), commonly known as "long-pepper" or "Pippali" grows as a perennial shrub or as an herbaceous vine. It is native to the Indo-Malaya region and widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical world including the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka, Middle-East, and America. The fruits are mostly used as culinary spice and preservatives and are also a potent remedy in various traditional medicinal systems against bronchitis, cough, cold, snakebite, and scorpion-sting and are also used as a contraceptive. Various bioactive-phytochemicals including alkaloids, flavonoids, esters, and steroids were identified from the plant extracts and essential oils from the roots and fruits were reported as antimicrobial, antiparasitic, anthelminthic, mosquito-larvicidal, antiinflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, anticancer, neuro-pharmacological, antihyperglycaemic, hepato-protective, antihyperlipidaemic, antiangiogenic, immunomodulatory, antiarthritic, antiulcer, antiasthmatic, cardioprotective, and anti-snake-venom agents. Many of its pharmacological properties were attributed to its antioxidative and antiinflammatory effects and its ability to modulate a number of signalling pathways and enzymes. This review comprehensively encompasses information on habit, distribution, ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of P. longum in relation to its medicinal importance and health benefits to validate the traditional claims supported by specific scientific experiments. In addition, it also discusses the safety and toxicity studies, application of green synthesis and nanotechnology as well as clinical trials performed with the plant also elucidating research gaps and future perspectives of its multifaceted uses.

Topics: Cough; Ethnobotany; Humans; Malaysia

COVID-19 is a highly transmissible respiratory virus that has affected millions of people worldwide in the span of months. The burden of disease among healthcare workers (HCW) has not been well studied despite reports of infectivity and transmission around the world. Two HCW in Hospital Teluk Intan (HTI) contracted COVID-19 while attending a social event. They were in close proximity with colleagues upon returning to work, resulting in the spread of infection among other HCW in HTI.. The objectives of this paper are to gain a better understanding of the key presenting symptoms of COVID-19 in HCWs in a district specialist hospital, to establish the proportion of symptomatic COVID-19 cases among HCWs and its severity and to determine the time taken from onset of symptoms or perceived exposure to diagnostic testing.. This is a retrospective descriptive analysis of clinical characteristics of subjects infected with COVID-19 among HCW in HTI. Their demography and clinical characteristics were recorded.. There were 47 HCW in HTI who tested positive for COVID-19. The mean age of the patients was 37.5 years old. 7 patients (15.2%) had at least more than one comorbidity. Average duration of time from perceived close contact to onset of symptom was 4.5 days, while the mean duration of time from symptoms to first positive RT-PCR result was 3.4 days. Six patients (13.0%) were asymptomatic throughout, whereas 40 (87.0%) had at least one symptom prior to hospitalization. The most commonly reported symptoms were fever (65.2%), sore throat (39.1%) and cough (37.0%). In terms of severity of symptoms, the majority of patients experienced mild symptoms (Group 2, 52.2%). Two patients (4.3%) with multiple comorbidities had severe disease requiring ICU admission and mechanical ventilation. There were no mortalities, and the longest staying patient was hospitalized for 18 days. The high rates of infectivity among HCW in HTI can be attributed to working in close proximity while in the asymptomatic incubation phase, while no HCW directly involved in the care of COVID-19 positive patients were tested positive.. We report that HCW share similar clinical characteristics of COVID-19 infection as those of non HCW patients in earlier studies. The infection can spread rapidly within healthcare settings via close contacts among infected HCWs. As such, we advocate distancing when working and usage of personal protective equipment when treating patients with respiratory illness to reduce transmission of COVID-19.

Topics: Adult; Asymptomatic Infections; Comorbidity; Cough; COVID-19; COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing; Critical Care; Female; Fever; Hospitals, District; Humans; Length of Stay; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Exposure; Patient Acuity; Personnel, Hospital; Pharyngitis; Prodromal Symptoms; Retrospective Studies; SARS-CoV-2; Time Factors

Pulmonary hydatid cyst (PHC) in pregnancy is a very rare pathology. We report here a case of ruptured PHC during pregnancy in a 26-year old Syrian (refugee) woman who presented with complaints of productive cough with metallic taste and dyspnoea. PHC was suspected due to her clinical and radiological findings. Interestingly, the sputum examination confirmed the diagnosis as numerous protoscoleces were present. Serology for Echinococcus infection revealed positive at high titre. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment by providing care improves the patient outcome. Parasitological examination of the respiratory specimen in suspected ruptured PHC is desirable as a valuable detection tool.

Topics: Adult; Cough; Echinococcosis, Pulmonary; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Pregnancy; Refugees; Syria

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cough; Diagnosis, Differential; Fever; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Malaysia; Male; Melioidosis; Middle Aged; Neoplasms; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; Weight Loss

Topics: China; Coronavirus Infections; Cough; COVID-19; Female; Fever; Humans; Malaysia; Middle Aged; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Travel

Currently very little is known about the prevalence or magnitude of caregiver dependence in Singapore and thus, there is a need to fill this gap in this multiethnic ageing population. This study aims to determine the prevalence and risk factors of caregiver dependence among older adults in Singapore.. Data were used from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study, a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey among Singapore residents aged 60 years and above. Caregiver dependence was ascertained by asking the informant (the person who knows the older person best) a series of open-ended questions about the older person's care needs.. The older adult sample comprised 57.1% females and the majority were aged 60 to 74 years (74.8%), while 19.5% were 75 to 84 years, and 5.7% were 85 years and above. The prevalence of caregiver dependence was 17.2% among older adults. Significant sociodemographic risk factors of caregiver dependence included older age (75 to 84 years, and 85 years and above,. Various sociodemographic and health-related conditions were significantly associated with caregiver dependence. Dependent older adults will put greater demands on health and social services, resulting in greater healthcare expenditures. Hence, effective planning, services and support are crucial to meet the needs of dependent older adults and their caregivers.

Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Asthma; Caregivers; Cough; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dementia; Depression; Educational Status; Ethnicity; Female; Humans; India; Logistic Models; Malaysia; Male; Marital Status; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Neoplasms; Occupations; Paralysis; Prevalence; Retirement; Risk Factors; Singapore; Stroke; Vision Disorders

To investigate the impact of chronic suppurative lung disease (CSLD) on growth and lung function in the child as well as quality of life of the child and parent.. Cross-sectional study in 60 children with CSLD, bronchiectasis (including cystic fibrosis) and bronchiolitis obliterans. Thirty-five parents were interviewed while the remaining patients' data were collated from medical notes. Anthropometric measurements at first diagnosis and at interview were compared. The most recent lung function was also collected. The Parent Cough-Specific Quality of Life (PC-QOL) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS21) questionnaires were administered to parents.. The median (range) age at diagnosis was 1.3 (0.2-11) years. The median (IQR) duration between anthropometric measurements was 35 (15, 59) months. Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) had improvements both in weight and BMI, whereas children with non-CF CSLD had no improvements in any growth parameter. Seventy-eight percent of children who performed spirometry had values <80% of normal predicted value. PC-QOL scores were low. Frequent exacerbations (more than twice in the past 6 months) and cough (more than 2 days/week) were not associated with significantly lower PC-QOL scores. Seventy-seven percent of interviewed parents had abnormal DASS21 scores with 54% being stressed and 51% being depressed. Mental health was better in parents of children with CF.. CSLD had a negative impact on growth, lung function, and quality of life. Children with CF had a better outcome in growth as well as better parental mental health compared to children with other etiologies. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2014; 49:435-440. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Topics: Adolescent; Anxiety; Bronchiectasis; Bronchiolitis Obliterans; Child; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Cough; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cystic Fibrosis; Depression; Developing Countries; Female; Humans; Infant; Malaysia; Male; Parents; Quality of Life; Spirometry; Stress, Psychological; Surveys and Questionnaires

In this retrospective study, we investigated 263 foreign patients who were diagnosed as having tuberculosis at the National Tuberculosis Center (NTBC) from January 2001 to December 2002. The age range was 14-72 years, with a mean of 33.3 +/- 9.95 years. The study subjects were predominantly males (60%) and females comprised 40%, where the greater impact of tuberculosis was observed in the young and active ones (up to 34 years of age), than middle-age (up to 54). A significantly higher percentage of these patients were from the Southeast Asian countries (87%) and particularly occurred in single male (47.5%) and married female (71.4%) patients (p<0.05). We also found that tuberculosis was significantly higher in female (50.5%) and male (64%) with smoking laborers (p<0.05). Fever (70%), cough (90.5%) and BCG vaccination status showed a significantly higher percentage in male patients (p<0.05), whereas lymphadenopathy (22%) was found in a significantly higher percentage in females (p<0.05). Overall, pulmonary disease (94.3%) occurred more commonly in males and the pleura (3.2%) was the most common site of disseminated tuberculosis. By contrast, the lymph node (11.4%) and miliary (4.8%) forms were the more common extrapulmonary tuberculosis in females. More males had higher percentage of treatment completed at > or = 6 (38%) and > or = 9 (13.3%) months in pulmonary tuberculosis, whilst, more females showed higher percentage of treatment completed (8.7%) in extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Surprisingly, more women showed non-compliance to the anti-tubercular therapy than their counterpart in this study.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Antitubercular Agents; Cough; Emigration and Immigration; Female; Fever; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Patient Compliance; Registries; Risk Factors; Sex Distribution; Smoking; Sputum; Treatment Outcome; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

While many studies of the prevalence of wheeze have been conducted in schoolchildren, there have been few in pre-school children. Most children with asthma develop symptoms before the age of 5 years and many pre-school wheezers continue to wheeze in the early school years. Among the latter, those children who continue to wheeze at school age have poorer lung function than those who don't. It is thus appropriate to enquire more fully about wheeze in this age-group where its incidence is high and its relation with asthma less well defined. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalences of wheeze, night cough and doctor diagnosed asthma in pre-school children. A cross-sectional study was conducted in five primary health clinics in the district of Kota Bharu from April to October 1998. Nurses from these clinics distributed Bahasa Malaysia questionnaires containing questions on asthma symptoms to preschool children aged 1-5 years during their home visits. The respondents were parent(s) or carer(s) of the child. The response rate was 100% and a total of 2,878 responses were analysed. The prevalence of symptoms and doctor diagnosed asthma were as follows: ever wheezed 9.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 8.3-10.4%); current wheeze 6.2% (95% CI 5.2 to 7.0%); night cough 10.2% (95% CI 9.1 to 11.4%); and doctor diagnosed asthma 7.1% (95% CI 6.2 to 8.0%). There were no significant differences in prevalence between males and females, or among age groups. The prevalence of night cough in children with no history of wheeze was 6.9%. The cumulative and current prevalences of wheeze were similar to, and those of night cough and doctor-diagnosed asthma significantly lower than, those reported for Kelantan schoolchildren. These findings provide a baseline for assessing future symptoms trends, and perhaps also the validity of diagnosing asthma in this age group.

Topics: Asthma; Child, Preschool; Cough; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Infant; Malaysia; Male; Respiratory Sounds; Surveys and Questionnaires

The aim of the study was to determine the clinical profile, aetiology and radiological categories in children diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans (BO).. We undertook a review of the medical records and radiological studies of 14 children with BO.. Unresolving cough and wheeze after a short respiratory illness was the commonest presentation. A viral pneumonitis was identified as the initial respiratory event prior to the development of BO in six children and Mycoplasma pneumoniae was the cause in another three children. Chest X-ray findings could be divided into four distinct patterns that were hyperinflation (n=5), mixed pattern of atelectasis, hyperlucency and bronchial thickening (n=4), unilateral small hyperlucent lung (n=3) and unilateral collapse of one lung (n=2). High resolution computed tomogram (HRCT) chest showing areas of hyperaeration and mosaic ground glass patterns with bronchial thickening were commonly found in patients whose chest X-ray showed bilateral changes. Patients with bilateral lung changes were more likely to have failure to thrive and persistent respiratory symptoms on follow up.. A diagnosis of BO can be made from typical clinical features combined with an understanding of the different chest X-ray categories and HRCT of the chest. A viral aetiology was the commonest cause for BO in our series.

Topics: Adolescent; Bronchiolitis Obliterans; Child; Child, Preschool; Cough; Failure to Thrive; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Infant; Malaysia; Male; Pneumonia; Respiratory Sounds; Retrospective Studies; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Bronchitis; Child; Child, Preschool; Cough; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent; Dyspnea; Edema; Ethnicity; Female; Fever; Humans; Infant Nutrition Disorders; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Radiography; Sex Factors