ABSTRACT
Background: Physical fitness has a strong relationship with health and academic achievement. This study aims to identify the health-related physical fitness level among Form Six Sports Science students in the State of Kedah by gender. Methods: 225 students (107 male and 118 female) were purposively selected to participate in this descriptive study. This study was conducted using the Prudential FITNESSGRAM® test battery instrument, which introduced by Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research, (1992). Researchers determine the physical fitness level of the subjects using five test items: cardiovascular endurance, muscle endurance, muscle strength, flexibility, and body mass index (BMI). Results: The findings use descriptive statistical analysis to identify the physical fitness level based on health components using the norms developed by Elumalai et al. (2019). The overall fitness analysis showed that almost 50% of boys and girls were in the range of a good level. Around 20% were in the range of moderate and very good respectively. Meanwhile, less than 5% were excellent in both genders. Analysis based on separate components showed most of the subjects, around 80% were in the range of moderate to very good. Conclusion: This study indicates that Form Six Sports Science student's physical fitness should be tested and evaluated before enrolling in Form Six sports Science program. This will ensure that they are healthy and have the quality as expected for future sports personals towards the development of the Malaysian sports industry.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to assess outcome of decompressive craniectomy in severe head injury. During period of June 2004 - June 2008 consecutive patients with severe head injury having subdural haematoma, midline shift and brain oedema underwent decompressive craniectomy along with intracranial pressure [ICP] monitoring with removal of clot to control [ICP] or to reverse the dangerous brain shifts. Total 80 cases were included in the study. Diffuse injury was demonstrated in 12 cases in which decompressive craniectomy has been performed. Decompressive craniectomy was performed urgently in 65 patients and in 15 patients the procedure was performed after ICP had become unresponsive to conventional medical management. Survivors were followed-up for at least 3 months post-treatment to determine the Glasgow outcome scale [GOS] score. Decompressive craniectomy lowered ICP to less than 20 mmHg in 85% of cases. Twelve of 80 patients died and 18 remained in vegetative state. Thirty patients were severely disabled and 20 patients had good recovery. Outcome was unaffected by abnormal pupillary response to light, timing of decompressive craniectomy, brain shift [as seen on CT scan] and patient age, possibly because of the small number of patients in each of the subsets. Complications included septicaemia [3 cases], extradural haematoma on the other side of craniectomy [1 case] and hydrocephalus [9 cases]. Decompressive craniectomy was associated with a better than expected functional outcome in patients with medically uncontrollable ICP and brain herniation, compared with outcome in other control cohorts reported on in the literature