Are routine checkups necessary?: The Shinawatra's employee study.

The authors performed a survey in 3,615 Shinawatra employees aged 18-60 years to determine the abnormalities found with routine checkup. The annual checkup included: history taking. anthropometric measurement, physical examination, complete blood count, urine analysis, chest roentgenography, blood chemistry (fasting blood glucose, BUN, creatinine, uric acid, AST/ALT, cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol). The prevalence of abnormalities with management change detected by complete blood count, urine analysis was low and we did not recommend the routine use of complete blood count and urine analysis. The prevalence of hypertension was more common in males and the prevalence increased sharply after the age of 25 years in males and 40 years in females. The prevalence of abnormalities of BUN, creatinine (both males and females) and uric acid (in females) was very low. There was high prevalence of high AST/ALT which suggested hepatitis in our population, and the prevalence was more common in males beginning at a young age. Diabetes mellitus was more common in males especially after the age of 45 years. Chest roentgenography abnormalities were found in 9.4 per cent and the prevalence of abnormalities increased with age and was common after the age of 44 years. Most of the abnormalities found by chest roentgenography were pulmonary infiltration and cardiomegaly. The authors' findings did not recommend the routine use of complete blood count, urine analysis, fasting BUN and creatinine. We recommend routine blood pressure measurement in males aged 25 years or more and in females aged 40 years or more. We suggest routine blood cholesterol measurement in both sexes, blood triglyceride measurement in males aged 25 years or more and fasting blood sugar tests in males aged more than 44 years, chest roentgenography in males and females after the age of 45 years.

Results of rapid two-stage arterial switch operation in patients with transposition of the great arteries: one-year postoperation.

The rapid two-stage arterial switch operation is an alternative therapy for patients with simple transposition of the great arteries who present beyond the neonatal period and have low left ventricular pressure. It provides normal ventricular function compared to the atrial switch operation. Between July 1994 and February 1997, there were 13 such infants who had rapid two-stage arterial switch operation performed at Siriraj Hospital. There was 1 late death (11 months after the operation). All 12 survivors (mean age 22.4 +/- 5.7 months) were clinically evaluated and had echocardiography performed at 14.8 +/- 4.9 months after the operation. All were asymptomatic. Echocardiogram revealed a residual small atrial septal defect (1 case), small ventricular septal defect (1 case), mild supravalvar neopulmonary stenosis (2 cases), bicuspid neoaortic valve without stenosis (2 cases), dilated neoaortic sinus of Valsalva (6 cases, 50%) and mild neoaortic insufficiency (11 cases, 91.7%). The left ventricular function was hyperdynamic after pulmonary artery banding and significantly decreased to normal level at the time of study (shortening fraction of 43.8 +/- 10.7 vs 29.2 +/- 3.8%, respectively, p = 0.0005). The wall thickness was significantly increased after pulmonary artery banding and decreased overtime (0.48 +/- 0.08 vs 0.32 +/- 0.05 cm, respectively, p < 0.0005). The left ventricular dimension was significantly increased both after pulmonary artery banding and at the time of study (2.06 +/- 0.42 vs 3.32 +/- 0.30 cm, respectively, p < 0.0005). The left ventricular mass was significantly increased after pulmonary artery banding and at the time of study (21.79 +/- 7.79 vs 33.08 +/- 7.40 g/m2, respectively, p = 0.0005). The mortality and morbidity of rapid two-stage arterial switch operation are low. However, long-term follow-up should be monitored.