Asthma Control in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan, Malaysia: A Cross-sectional Study

Various initiatives and medications have been introduced to achieve better control of bronchial asthma. However total control according to Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) remains elusive even at tertiary referral hospitals. Our study is to determine the level of asthma control (according to GINA 2009), Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores and the types of medications used among patients with bronchial asthma in a large tertiary hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study of all patients with bronchial asthma who attended the Chest Clinic at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA) from 2009 to 2011. Patient demographics, self-administered ACT scores, GINA-defined level of asthma control and medications were documented. Results: 208 patients were recruited. There were 23.2%, 46.3% and 30.5% of patients with controlled, partly controlled and uncontrolled asthma respectively. The median ACT scores was 19 [inter quartile range (IQR) 6]. The most frequently used preventer therapy was inhaled long-acting β-agonist/corticosteroids (LABA/ICS) fixed-dose combination (61.7%), and 9.6% were not on preventer therapy. 75% of patients with controlled asthma were on LABA/ICS compared to 58.5% of the partly controlled and uncontrolled groups (p=0.039). Conclusion: The majority of the asthmatic patients attending the Chest Clinic at HTAA did not have GINA-defined controlled asthma. Patients with higher ACT scores had better control of asthma. There were more patients with controlled asthma who were on LABA/ ICS combination.

Airway Y-stent Insertion in Tracheobronchomalacia: A New Experience

This case report describes a rigid bronchoscopy-assisted placement of a silicone airway Y-stent in a patient who developed tracheobronchomalacia following repeated dilatations for post-tuberculous airway stenosis. This is the first report of an airway Y-stent insertion in Malaysia.

Development of multiplex real-time PCR for the rapid detection of five bacterial causes of community acquired pneumonia

Establishing a microbial diagnosis for patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is still challenging and is often achieved in only 30-50% of cases. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been shown to be more sensitive than conventional microbiological methods and it could help to increase the microbial yield for CAP patients. This study was designed to develop, optimize and evaluate multiplex real-time PCR as a method for rapid differential detection of five bacterial causes of CAP namely Streptococcus pneumoniae, Burkholderia pseudomallei and atypical bacterial pathogens, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila. Duplex and triplex real-time PCR assays were developed using five sets of primers and probes that were designed based on an appropriate specific gene for each of the above CAP pathogens. The performance of primers for each organism was tested using SYBR Green melt curve analysis following monoplex realtime PCR amplification. Monoplex real-time PCR assays were also used to optimize each primers-probe set before combining them in multiplex assays. Two multiplex real-time PCR assays were then optimized; duplex assay for the differential detection of S. pneumoniae and B. pseudomallei, and triplex assay for the atypical bacterial pathogens. Both duplex and triplex real-time PCR assays were tested for specificity by using DNA extracted from 26 related microorganisms and sensitivity by running serial dilutions of positive control DNAs. The developed multiplex real-time PCR assays shall be used later for directly identifying CAP causative agents in clinical samples.

The use of multiplex real-time PCR improves the detection of the bacterial etiology of community acquired pneumonia

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality especially to children and compromised hosts, such as the old and those with underlying chronic diseases. Knowledge of pathogens causing CAP constitutes the basis for selection of antimicrobial treatment. Previous data have shown that etiological agents can be identified in only up to 50% of patients, but this figure can be improved by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This study was designed to evaluate multiplex real-time PCR as a method for rapid differential detection of five bacterial causes of CAP (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Burkholderia pseudomallei and atypical bacterial pathogens namely Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila) in CAP patients attending Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA)/ Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. Two previously developed multiplex real-time PCR assays, duplex for the differential detection of S. pneumoniae and B. pseudomallei and triplex for the atypical bacterial pathogens, were used to detect a bacterial cause of CAP in blood and respiratory samples. Thus, 46 blood and 45 respiratory samples collected from 46 adult CAP patients admitted to HTAA were analysed by multiplex real-time PCR assays and conventional methods. The microbial etiology of CAP could be established for 39.1% (18/46) of CAP patients by conventional methods and this was increased to 65.2% (30/46) with the additional use of real-time PCR. The most frequently detected pathogens were S. pneumoniae (21.7% - all by PCR alone), Klebsiella pneumoniae (17.3%), B. pseudomallei (13% - 83% of them positive by PCR alone and 17% by both culture and PCR), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6.5%), M. pneumoniae (6.5% - all by serology), C. pneumoniae (4.3% - all positive by both PCR and serology), L. pneumophila (2.1% - all by PCR alone), Escherichia coli (4.3%). Haemophilus infuenzae, Acinetobacter lwoffii and Acinetobacter baumannii were detected by conventional methods (2.1% for each).

Role of rigid bronchoscopy in massive haemoptysis

Massive haemoptysis can occur in lung abscess. Massive haemoptysis itself may be life threatening due to asphyxiation or respiratory failure secondary to acute large airway obstruction by blood clots. Prompt removal of the obstructing blood clots save life. We describe a case of lung abscess causing massive haemoptysis resulting in acute airway obstruction which required rigid bronchoscopy to remove the huge blood clot. (JUMMEC2010; 13(2): 107-110)