Recall Type vs Problem-based Tests for Formative Assessment in Undergraduate Medical Students

We studied two types of formative assessment: recall type, andproblem-based questions, with summative scores and previousgrades in 77 fourth-year medical students. We found that theformative scores did not correlate well with the summativescores, but were associated with the Grade point average in thepreclinical period

Relationship between Enzyme Alanine Aminotransferase Level and Liver Histology in Chronic Hepatitis B

Abstract Relationship between Enzyme Alanine Aminotransferase Level and Liver Histology in Chronic Hepatitis B Supatsri      Sethasine                         MD* Somnuek    Jesdapatarakul              MD** Busaba       Supawattanabodee       MSc (biostatistics)*** * Department of medicine, BMA Medical College and Vajira Hospital ** Department of pathology, BMA Medical College and Vajira Hospital ***Clinical Epidemiology Unit, BMA Medical College and Vajira Hospital Objective: To study the relationship between enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level and liver histology in chronic hepatitis B patient (CHB). Study design: Cross-sectional study. Subjects: A total of 38 adult patients underwent percutaneous liver biopsy during January to December 2006 at liver clinic, BMA Medical College and Vajira Hospital were enrolled. Methods: Clinical and histological data were assessed from medical record and pathological report. Main outcome measures: Histological activity index score, portal inflammatory score, fibrotic score and level of enzyme ALT. Results: From 38 patients, 21 patients (55.3%) had ALT level of 3-5 times above the upper normal limit (ULN) and 5 patients (13.2%) had ALT level more than 5 time of the upper normal limit. 60% of patients had portal inflammation score ≥ 3 and 21% of patients had fibrosis score ≥ 3. Portal inflammatory score was increased according to increase level of ALT significantly (p-value \< 0.05). The study revealed that portal inflammatory score in CHB with fibrosis score ≥ 3 was significantly higher than non-fibrotic CHB (2.75 vs 1.64, p-value \< 0.05). ALT level and HBV DNA level between CHB with fibrosis score ≥ 3 and non-fibrotic CHB were not different (127 U/L vs 112 U/L), (1.1 x 106 cp/ml vs 1.2 x 106 cp/ml) (p-value \> 0.05). Conclusion: The level of alanine aminotransferase enzyme related well with the degree of portal necro-inflammatory score but did not relate with the degree of fibrosis. Vajira Med J 2007 ; 51 : 9- 17