Oesophageal perforation is a not uncommon condition, yet it carries a high mortality rate and has been observed as the most grievous trauma to the digestive tract. Common causes include iatrogenic instrumentation, foreign-body swallowing, and physical injury. This report highlighted a case of oesophageal perforation complicated by formation of proximal descending aorta pseudoaneurysm as a result of okra ingestion. The patient was successfully treated with conservative treatment. The possible mechanism of oesophageal rupture, diagnosis, treatment, and other complica- tion will be further discussed.
Introduction: Malaysia is an intermediate tuberculosis burdened country as classified by WHO. There was a recent rise in TB incidence. Healthcare providers, especially in secondary or tertiary centers, were constantly exposed to TB infected patients, which is a hazard source for TB infection. Thus, assessment of behavior towards TB is paramount through knowledge, attitude, health-seeking practice, and stigma domains. Method: A cross-sectional survey was carried out between November 2014 and February 2015 among healthcare providers in Medical Department, Hos- pital Ampang. Data were analyzed using SPSS ver 21. Results: Despite overall good knowledge on TB, only 20% of the correspondence knew which patient’s population is at risk of TB infection. Almost all perceived TB as a health threat and willing to seek medical care if they developed TB symptoms. However, a small proportion (5.3%) will keep it a secret if they contracted TB. This is contrasted by the majority that perceived TB patients will not be accept- ed by the community. Conclusion: Knowledge and attitude towards TB was adequate within the healthcare providers in Medical Department, Hospital Ampang despite the presence of some knowledge gaps. However, there was high perceived stigma that needed to be addressed in order for them to deliver the best medical care.
Introduction:Tropical herbs are used as a medicine long before the introduction of modern medicine, especially by traditional healers. However, its’ scientific benefits are not widely investigated. There is a belief that the use of tradi-tional herbs potentially causing health deterioration due to its unknown mechanism of actions and interactions, and the nature of its unregulated processing as a health supplement. Parkia speciosa (local: petai) and Pithecellobium jir-inga (local: jering) are two tropical herbs from the Leguminosae family that are widely used raw as salads with many perceived health benefits and harms. We reviewed both species, looking into scientific pieces of evidence supporting the belief. Methods: The databases of MEDLINE, PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholars were systematically searched for both in vitro and in vivo effects of both species with no language restriction. Data were extracted using standardised fashioned. Results:P speciosa has pharmacological properties including antioxidant and anti-inflam-mation. It has shown to have antibacterial properties and glucose-lowering activity. P jiringa contains known an-tioxidant metabolites such as flavonoids, phenolics and terpenoids. It also contains antiangiogenic properties with potential use in retinopathy, cancer, and Rheumatoid arthritis. However, both herbs have potentially harmful effects which include liver injuries. Large consumption of P jiringa leads to acute kidney injury. Conclusion: Consumption of both P speciosa and P jiringa has medicinal properties as well as health harm. If taken as a supplement, rigorous clinical trials are needed to delineate benefit vs harm effect of both herbs.