MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study employs a crosssectional study design and utilises self-reported data obtained from locally validated personal stress inventory questionnaires. The data collection period spanned from August 1 to 31, 2020. The study sample consisted of 163 healthcare drivers affiliated with the Negeri Sembilan State Health Department. The Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were the first used to determine the association between variables prior to conducting multiple logistic regression to predict the relationship between dependent and independent variables.
RESULTS: In COVID-19's first year, 7.4% (n = 12) of healthcare drivers reported perceived stress with ambulance drivers reporting more stress (10.6%; n = 5) than non-ambulance drivers (6.0%; n = 7). Simple statistical analysis identified perceived stress significantly associated with household income, smoking status and performing on-call. Further analysis by multiple logistic regression found that perceived stress was significantly related to smoking (aOR 19.9, 95% CI: 1.86-213.90), and performing on-call (aOR 8.69, 95% CI 1.21-62.28). Nevertheless, no association was found between perceived stress and age, ethnicity, marital status, education, household income, co-morbidities, driving assignment, employment duration, needing a part-time job or motor vehicle accident history.
CONCLUSION: The study found that the perceived stress amongst Malaysian healthcare drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic was relatively low. This could be due to fewer lifethreatening tasks, emergencies, assigned tasks and increase income due to overtime during the COVD-19 pandemic. The OSH team's efforts to provide consistent safety and health training, including stress management, may have contributed to the healthcare driver's ability to effectively manage the stressful circumstances encountered during the pandemic. In order to enhance salary competitiveness, employers should provide financial management education alongside subsidised housing and childcare provisions. Healthcare drivers who smoke should be taught different stress reduction techniques so that they can handle their stress in a healthy way.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The database PubMed, Web of Science and Science Direct were searched to identify the relevant literatures concerning mortality due to snakebites mortality in Asia. All the articles chosen were critically appraised for its quality using a mixed-method assessment tool by two independent reviewers with discrepancies sorted by a third person.
RESULTS: A total of 7 studies were included in the final analysis which was 3 cross-sectional studies, 2 case reports, 1 observation prospective study and 1 randomized control trial study. Two studies were conducted in India and two studies in Sri Lanka while one study was conducted in Taiwan, Vietnam and Nepal respectively. The cases of snakebite victims were retrieved from the year of 1987 until 2017. In total, there were 762 cases of snakebite victims recorded, with 61 of those victims succumbed to death. From the final total of 7 studies, 4 of the studies showed snakebites mortality were related to delayed treatment access and 3 studies due to suboptimal care.
CONCLUSION: Mortality and morbidity can be reduced if there is a quick access for victims to emergency medical care, rapid transfer time to hospital and receiving immediate optimal medical treatment from trained medical staff once in the hospital or dispensary.