Prevalence trend of youth smoking in 29 Townships of Bago, Magwe and Mandalay Divisions, September 1999

In 1999 September a cross-sectional analytic study was conducted in 29 townships of Mandalay. Magwe and Bago divisions of Myanmar. Randomly selected 2074 urban and 1781 rural 15-24 year old youths from 4808 households were interviewed. 5.6 per cent of females and 67.6 per cent of male youths reported as current smokers. At age 14, 37 per cent of the boys smoked. At age 17, more than half of males smoked, and, at age 22 and older, nearly 80 per cent of them were already smoking. Girls started smoking later than boys. Only 1 per cent of 15-year-old girls smoked. When the females reached age 22-24, approximately 10 per cent of them smoked. Comparing different youth cohorts, the younger started smoking earlier than the older youths. Median age of starting tobacco smoking for the 16 year old males was 16; that was approximately 3 years earlier than the median age of smoking for the 24 years old males.

Role of amniotic fluid index assessment in postdate pregnancy

The objective was to determine the significance of amniotic fluid volume with regard to pegnancy outcome in postdate pregnancy with the amniotic fluid index (AFI) assessment and to define the optimal cut-off level where adverse pregnancy outcome can occur. Ninety-eight pregnant women under 35 years of age with over 40 weeks' completed gestational age and no other complications admitted to Central Women's Hospital during the study period of 6 months beginning in April 1994 were selected for AFI assessment by using real time linear array B-scan. Pregnancy outcomes were correlated with AFI in cases of delivery within 3 days of AFI assessment. analysis revealed an inverse relationship between AFI and incidence of adverse pregnancy outcome and the optimal cut-off point was AFI 8.0 cm with sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of 72.8 per cent, 71 per cent, 42 per cent and 90 per cent respectively for adverse fetal outcome. In conclusion, amniotic fluid volume assessment was an effective method in predicting adverse pregnancy outcome and AFI of 8.0 cm was shown statistically to be an appropriate cut-off level to identify the fetus at risk.

Hormone levels in Russell's viper bite follow-up patients

Studies of cliniccal features of hypopituitarism and/or any endocrine daficiency and hormone levels were carried out in systemic envenomed Russell's viper bite victims of more than one year duration. Eighteen follow-up patients with history of post viper bite ranging from one to seven years were studied. Serum cortisol were assayed in all but serum ACTH, HGH and urinary cortisol and HGH were made in four patients. Eight were found to have clinical evidence of endocrine deficiency and their hormone levels were on the low side, although statistically not significant. Symptomless patients also have abnormal pituitary function. Chronic ill-health with vague clinical presentation in post viper bite cases should always raise the possibility of chronic pituitary dysfunction.

Circulating and urinary cortisol, ACTH & HGH levels of normal Myanmar subjects

Cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), human growth hormone (HGH), overnight urinary cortisol and HGH levels were measured in 31 apparently normal healthy volunteers (21 males and 10 females) at the Thayawady Township Hospital. Measurement of circulating hormonal levels was performed by using commercial radioimmunoassay kits. All volunteers were admitted to the hospital for a period of 48 hours and cortisol, ACTH, HGH were measured four times in 24 hours (9:00 hr, 12 noon, 18 hr and 24 hr) consecutively for 48 hours. Overnight urinary cortisol and HGH levels were also measured after a protein load was given on the second night. Serum ACTH level was 15.82 uU/L (range 0.02 to 150.0 uU/L) and the average 24 hour serum HGH level was 7.55 mU/L (range 0.01 to 37.0 mU/L). Serum cortisol was found to be in the range of 21.0 nmol/L to 700.0 nmol/L with a 24 hr average of 227.95 nmol/L. Overnight urinary cortisol and HGH ranged from 0.089 to 27.7 ug and 4.0 to 230 uU respectively.

Clinical trial of intramuscular anti-snake venom administration as a first aid measure in the field in the management of Russell's viper bite patients.

Efficacy of intramuscular anti-snake venom administration immediately after bite as a first aid measure in the field followed by standard hospital management versus standard hospital management alone in the therapy of Russell's viper bite patients was studied. There was a definite reduction in the number of patients with systemic envenomation, complications following disseminated intravascular coagulation and in fatality rate of Russell's viper bite victims who had received first aid intramuscular anti-snake venom prior to hospitalization when compared with those who had not.

Intestinal ascariasis in medical students and comparative evaluation of treatments

A study of the prevalence of ascariasis in the hostel students of the Institute of Medicine 2, Rangoon was undertaken. Stool from 407 students (267 males and 140 females) were examined using hypersaturated saline concentration method, The prevalence was 47.19 per cent in male students and 52.14 per cent in the female students, the mean being 48.89 per cent + and - 0.05. The efficacies of piperazine citrate as a single dose of 4 g, as a daily dose of 4 g on two consecutive days and laevo-tetramisole 120 mg as a single dose were compared. Statistical analysis showed that, the efficacy of the three methods of treatments may be the same.