Sekolah Menengah Sains Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra (SMSTMFP) and Sekolah Kebangsaan Kubang Kerian (3) (SKKK3) were selected by the Department of Neurosciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), in 2011 to be a 'school-based Neuroscience Club' via the 'Knowledge Transfer Programme (KTP) - Community' project. This community project was known as "The Brain Apprentice Project". The objectives of this project were to promote science and the neurosciences beyond conventional classroom teachings whilst guiding creativity and innovation as well as to assist in the delivery of neuroscience knowledge through graduate interns as part of the cultivation of neuroscience as a fruitful future career option. All of the planned club activities moulded the students to be knowledgeable individuals with admirable leadership skills, which will help the schools produce more scientists, technocrats and professionals who can fulfil the requirements of our religion, race and nation in the future. Some of the activities carried out over the years include the "My Brain Invention Competition", "Mini Brain Bee Contest", "Recycled Melody" and "Brain Dissection". These activities educated the students well and improved their confidence levels in their communication and soft skills. The participation of the students in international-level competition, such as the "International Brain Bee", was one of the ways future professionals were created for the nation. The implementation of Neuroscience Club as one of the organisations in the school's cocurriculum was an appropriate step in transferring science and neuroscience knowledge and skills from a higher education institution, namely USM, to both of the schools, SMSTMFP and SKKK3. The club members showed great interest in all of the club's activities and their performance on the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) or Primary School Achievement Test and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or Malaysian Certificate of Education examinations improved tremendously.
Aim: To explore the safety and feasibility of coronary angioplasty and stenting via the radial artery in a heterogenous group of patients and to report the immediate and 3-month clinical follow-up.
Background: The use of the transradial approach for coronary angiography was first described by Lucien Campeau in 1989. Based on the favorable initial results, this technique has gained widespread acceptance worldwide. Ferdinand Kiemeneij’s work in transradial angioplasty and stenting has taken invasive cardiology into the exciting new era of “minimally invasive coronary intervention”.
Methods and results: Fifty consecutive patients underwent Transradial Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) with or without stenting from mid March 98 – December 98. The right radial approach was utilized in 41 patients (80%) while the left in 9 patients. Ninety percent of the procedures was done on an adhoc basis. Diabetes mellitus was present in 38% of patients. Eighty percent of the patients had unstable angina pectoris and 60% had a prior history of acute myocardial infarction. The commonest vessel involved was the LAD (41%) and type B lesions predominated (54%). PTCA was successful in 96%. One patient had a total LAD occlusion, which could not be wired, and another developed severe spasm during catheter manipulation. The latter ad successful PTCA via the right femoral route Stents were utilized in 57% of patients. The commonest indication for stenting was suboptimal PTCA results (89%) and dissection (14%). There was no stent embolization and all stents were successfully deployed (100%). One patient developed acute stent thrombosis necessitating repeat PTCA and another patient sustained an acute anteroseptal myocardial infarction 5 days post procedure as a result of subacute stent thrombosis and died. Two patients had successful primary PTCA. There was no bleeding or vascular complications. 60% of patients were treated on an outpatient basis. At 3-months follow up 1 patient required CABG’s for disease progression. Three patients had absent radial pulses without adverse consequence. No patient required repeat PTCA at follow up.
Conclusion: In summary, adhoc PTCA and stenting is safe and feasible in our patient population. A study on the cost effectiveness of the procedure compared to conventional femoral PTCA is warranted.