Profile of various idiopathic inflammatory myopathies at two university hospitals in Yangon, Myanmar

@#Objective: to determine the distribution of various idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) and their profile at the largest university hospitals in Yangon, Myanmar. Method: It was a hospital based prospective study recruiting IIM patients admitted to Neurology and Rheumatology ward over a 1.5 year period from September 2017 to February 2019. Results: Among total 51 IIM patients recruited, 62.7% presented to Neurology ward and 37.3% to Rheumatology ward. Overlap myositis (OM) was the commonest (43%), followed by immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) 27%, dermatomyositis (DM) 24%, polymyositis (PM) 6%. Among OM, anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS) was 23%, and among IMNM, anti-SRP positive was 79%. IMNM and PM patients presented more to neurologists while OM/ASS and DM more to rheumatologists; 82% were females (F:M= 4.6:1). Mean age of onset of myositis was 40.2 + 17.8 years, and duration of symptoms before presentation was 10-3,600 days (shortest in anti-SRP and longest in anti-HMGCR myopathy). Myositis antibodies were positive in 67%. CK range was 40-25,690 U/l, highest in IMNM and lowest in DM. Associated connective tissue diseases among OM in order of descending frequency were 47% systemic lupus erythematosus, 24% Sjogren syndrome, 41% scleroderma and 12% rheumatoid arthritis. Associated cancer identified were one lung cancer in DM, one breast cancer in OM, one buccal cancer in IMNM cases. Conclusions: With recent availability of myositis antibody panel and MHC staining in Myanmar, we have applied current updated classification to describe the first Myanmar data on IIM cases.

User Acceptance of Electronic Medical Record System: Implementation at Marie Stopes International, Myanmar / 대한의료정보학회지

Objectives@#This study assessed the technical feasibility and aimed to determine the factors influencing intention to use Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) at Marie Stopes International, Myanmar (MSI-M). @*Methods@#A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 112 participants who were working at the clinics and head office of MSI-M. Demographic information, type of office, technical feasibility, information communication technology knowledge, computer usage, and user acceptance towards the proposed system were obtained from the participants. @*Results@#The results indicated low health information technology usage and network availability at MSI-M clinics. Positive perception of EMRs was found among the staff members of MSI-M, which was reflected by positive responses regarding perceived usefulness (average score of 4.15), perceived ease of use (average score of 4.03), and intention to use (average score of 4.10) on a 5-point Likert scale. Statistically, staff from the head office expressed less desire to implement an EMR system (odds ratio = 0.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.01–0.97), especially when they do not perceive the usefulness of the system (odds ratio = 5.05; 95% confidence interval, 2.39–10.69). @*Conclusions@#Since health information technology usage and network availability were low in MSI-M, it is important to strengthen the information and communication technology infrastructure and introduce a policy for capacity building at MSI-M. Adequate training and strong leadership support are recommended for the successful initial implementation and sustainability of an EMR system at MSI-M.

Peripheral neuropathy induced by drinking water contaminated with low-dose arsenic in Myanmar

BACKGROUND@#More than 140 million people drink arsenic-contaminated groundwater. It is unknown how much arsenic exposure is necessary to cause neurological impairment. Here, we evaluate the relationship between neurological impairments and the arsenic concentration in drinking water (ACDW).@*PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS@#A cross-sectional study design was employed. We performed medical examinations of 1867 residents in seven villages in the Thabaung township in Myanmar. Medical examinations consisted of interviews regarding subjective neurological symptoms and objective neurological examinations of sensory disturbances. For subjective neurological symptoms, we ascertained the presence or absence of defects in smell, vision, taste, and hearing; the feeling of weakness; and chronic numbness or pain. For objective sensory disturbances, we examined defects in pain sensation, vibration sensation, and two-point discrimination. We analyzed the relationship between the subjective symptoms, objective sensory disturbances, and ACDW.@*RESULTS@#Residents with ACDW ≥ 10 parts per billion (ppb) had experienced a "feeling of weakness" and "chronic numbness or pain" significantly more often than those with ACDW  50 ppb). These data suggest a threshold for the occurrence of peripheral neuropathy due to arsenic exposure, and indicate that the arsenic concentration in drinking water should be less than 10 ppb to ensure human health.