Association between energy delivery from parenteral nutrition and refeeding syndrome in hospitalized adults: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Patients receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) may develop refeeding syndrome (RFS). This study determined RFS prevalence in hospitalized adults on PN and evaluated whether higher energy delivered by PN on day 1 of PN initiation was associated with RFS development. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of adult patients receiving PN at a Thai quaternary hospital from June 2019 to May 2022. RFS was defined based on the Nutrition Management Clinical Practice Recommendation by the Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition of Thailand. The association between PN energy delivery and RFS development was determined using a generalized estimating equation for multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for NICE guideline risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 547 patients was included (mean age 59.8 ± 17.2 years, mean body mass index 20.7 ± 4.8 ). The prevalence of RFS was 45%. Factors associated with RFS included energy from PN on the first day of PN initiation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.17; 95% CI 1.04-1.33; for every 5 kcal/kg/day increase), starvation >5 days prior to PN (aOR 1.54; 95% CI 1.04-2.26), concomitant diuretic use (aOR 1.81; 95% CI 1.25-2.64), low baseline potassium level (aOR 1.79; 95% CI 1.19-2.70), and individual compounding PN (aOR 1.61; 95% CI 1.04-2.51). CONCLUSION: RFS was common among hospitalized patients receiving PN. The amount of energy delivered on the first day of PN was independently associated with RFS, raising a concern regarding initiation of PN with higher energy.

Probability of successful inhaled corticosteroids cessation in preschool wheezers: a predictive score.

Nearly all asthma predictive tools estimate the future risk of asthma development. However, there is no tool to predict the probability of successful ICS cessation at an early age. Therefore, we aimed to determine the predictors of successful ICS cessation in preschool wheezers, and developed a simple predictive tool for clinical practice. This was a retrospective cohort study involving preschool wheezers who had undergone an ICS therapeutic trial during 2015-2020 at the University Hospital, Southern, Thailand. A predictive scoring system was developed using a nomogram to estimate the probability of successful ICS cessation. We calculated area under ROC curve and used a calibration plot for assessing the tool's performance. A total of 131 medical records were eligible for analysis. Most of the participants were male (68.9%). More than half of the preschool wheezers had successful ICS cessation after an initial therapeutic trial regimen. The predictors of less successful ICS cessation were perinatal oxygen use [OR 0.10 (0.01, 0.70), P = 0.02], allergic rhinitis [OR 0.20 (0.08, 0.56), P = 0.002], blood eosinophil count > 500 cell/mm3 [OR 0.20 (0.06, 0.67), P = 0.008], and previous ICS use > 6 months [OR 0.30 (0.09, 0.72), P = 0.009]. CONCLUSIONS: Predictors of less successful ICS cessation were the following: perinatal oxygen use, allergic rhinitis, blood eosinophil count > 500 cell/mm3, and previous ICS use > 6 months. A simple predictive score developed in this study may help general practitioners to be more confident in making a decision regarding the discontinuation of ICS after initial therapeutic trials. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Early allergic sensitization is associated with reduced chances of inhaled corticosteroid cessation at school age. • Prolonged ICS is associated with the emergence of adverse effect and discontinuing too early can result in recurrence symptoms. WHAT IS NEW: • Requirement of oxygen support within 7 days after birth in term neonate is a postnatal factor associated with less successful ICS cessation. • We propose a simple predictive tool with easily available clinical parameters (perinatal oxygen use, allergic rhinitis, blood eosinophil count, parental asthma history, and duration of previous ICS use) to determine the timing of inhalational corticosteroid cessation in preschool wheezers.

Epidemiology and burden of Haemophilus influenzae disease in Thai children before implementation of the routine immunisation programme: A National Health Data Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To conduct the first pre-Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) type b (Hib) immunisation programme-based epidemiological study using national health data. METHODS: We analysed National Health Security Office data, which cover 72% of the Thai population. The study population included children aged <18 years admitted for Hi disease from 2015 to 2019. Hi disease diagnosis and death were based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (10th revision) hospital discharge summary codes. We estimated the hospital cost per admission using diagnosis-related grouping with a global budget. RESULTS: A total of 1125 children aged <18 years were admitted for Hi disease. During the 5-year-study, the annual incidence of Hi disease varied from 1.5 to 1.9 per 100,000 children, with an overall case fatality rate (CFR) of 2%. Pneumonia was the most common clinical form, followed by meningitis and sepsis. The incidence, clinical forms and severity of Hi disease were age specific. Infant CFR was higher than that of other age groups. The incidence of Hi disease in children aged <5 years was 4.9 per 100,000 (CFR = 2.0%). Sepsis was the primary cause of infant death, whereas pneumonia was the cause of death in children aged >5 years. The hospital cost ranged from 25,000 to 30,000 THB per admission. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis provided epidemiological data of Hi in Thai children before the Hib routine immunisation programme. The incidence of Hi disease was lower than that previously speculated. Our results could facilitate an assessment of the impact of Hib immunisation programme in Thailand.

Prognostic factors and clinical nomogram predicting survival in high-grade glioma.

BACKGROUND: Genomic-based tools have been used to predict poor prognosis high-grade glioma (HGG). As genetic technologies are not generally available in countries with limited resources, clinical parameters may be still necessary to use in predicting the prognosis of the disease. This study aimed to identify prognostic factors associated with survival of patients with HGG. We also proposed a validated nomogram using clinical parameters to predict the survival of patients with HGG. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted in patients who were diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma (WHO III) or glioblastoma (WHO IV). Collected data included clinical characteristics, neuroimaging findings, treatment, and outcomes. Prognostic factor analysis was conducted using Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Then, we used the significant prognostic factors to develop a nomogram. A split validation of nomogram was performed. Twenty percent of the dataset was used to test the performance of the developed nomogram. RESULTS: Data from 171 patients with HGG were analyzed. Overall median survival was 12 months (interquartile range: 5). Significant independent predictors included frontal HGG (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.40-0.60), cerebellar HGG (HR: 4.67; 95% CI: 0.93-23.5), (HR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.03-2.32; reference = total resection), and postoperative radiotherapy (HR: 0.18; 95% CI: 0.10-0.32). The proposed nomogram was validated using nomogram's predicted 1-year mortality rate. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, accuracy, and area under the curve of our nomogram were 1.0, 0.50, 0.45, 1.0, 0.64, and 0.75, respectively. CONCLUSION: We developed a nomogram for individually predicting the prognosis of HGG. This nomogram had acceptable performances with high sensitivity for predicting 1-year mortality.

Binge Drinking and Drunk Driving Among Current Drinkers in Thailand: Analysis of Cigarette Smoking and Alcohol Drinking Behavior Surveys From 2007 to 2017.

This study aimed to evaluate the association between binge drinking and drunk driving among the Thai population. Data in 2007, 2011, and 2017 of the Thai National surveys on Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption were analyzed. The household surveys collected information from the population, aged >15 years, using a face-to-face interview. There were 89 002 current drinkers from the 3 waves of surveys. About 40% reported drunk driving in the past 12 months. Binge drinking accounted for 17.3%, 17.8%, and 42.8% of the current drinkers in 2007, 2011, and 2017, respectively. The prevalence of drunk driving also increased from 36.6% to 57.7% over the 10-year period. Both occasional binge drinkers and regular binge drinkers showed about twice the risk of drunk driving (range of odds ratios [ORs] from 1.81; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.71-1.92 to OR 2.96; 95% CI = 2.64-3.31), compared with non-binge drinkers, and these OR increased by drinking frequency.

Prognostic Factors and Nomogram Predicting Survival in Diffuse Astrocytoma.

Background Prognosis of low-grade glioma are currently determined by genetic markers that are limited in some countries. This study aimed to use clinical parameters to develop a nomogram to predict survival of patients with diffuse astrocytoma (DA) which is the most common type of low-grade glioma. Materials and Methods Retrospective data of adult patients with DA from three university hospitals in Thailand were analyzed. Collected data included clinical characteristics, neuroimaging findings, treatment, and outcomes. Cox's regression analyses were performed to determine associated factors. Significant associated factors from the Cox regression model were subsequently used to develop a nomogram for survival prediction. Performance of the nomogram was then tested for its accuracy. Results There were 64 patients with DA with a median age of 39.5 (interquartile range [IQR] = 20.2) years. Mean follow-up time of patients was 42 months (standard deviation [SD] = 34.3). After adjusted for three significant factors associated with survival were age ≥60 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 5.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.09-15.91), motor response score of Glasgow coma scale < 6 (HR = 75.5; 95% CI: 4.15-1,369.4), and biopsy (HR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.21-0.92). To predict 1-year mortality, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, accuracy, and area under the curve our nomogram was 1.0, 0.50, 0.45, 1.0, 0.64, and 0.75, respectively. Conclusions This study provided a nomogram predicting prognosis of DA. The nomogram showed an acceptable performance for predicting 1-year mortality.

Intracranial Hemorrhage in Childhood Acute Leukemia: Incidence, Characteristics, and Contributing Factors.

BACKGROUND: Among all cancers, hematologic malignancy has the highest rate of intracranial hemorrhage. However, there are limited data on intracranial hemorrhage in childhood acute leukemia. We aimed to determine the incidence, characteristics, and factors associated with intracranial hemorrhage in children with acute leukemia. METHODS: We reviewed a database of patients aged one month to 15 years diagnosed with acute leukemia during 2003 to 2016 at a hospital in Thailand. Characteristics of patients with intracranial hemorrhage were compared with those of patients without intracranial hemorrhage. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the associated factors. We performed survival analyses to compare survival and hazard ratios between groups. RESULTS: There were 494 children with acute leukemia (acute lymphoblastic leukemia 367, acute myelogenous leukemia 127). Median age was 4.9 years (interquartile range 3.0 to 9.2). Follow-up duration was 2.1 years. Intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 12 patients whose median age was 12.5 years (interquartile range 7.5 to 13.3). Incidence rate of intracranial hemorrhage was 6.2 (acute lymphoblastic leukemia 5.1, acute myelogenous leukemia 12.9) per 1000 person-years. Case fatality rate of intracranial hemorrhage was 75%. Patients with early intracranial hemorrhage had prolonged international normalized ratio and higher white blood cell count, whereas patients with late intracranial hemorrhage had more concurrent systemic infections. Most cases of intracranial hemorrhage were intraparenchymal with perihematomal edema. Median survival was 24 days in the intracranial hemorrhage group compared with four years in the non-intracranial hemorrhage group. Risk of death from intracranial hemorrhage was 3.2 times higher than that of the non-intracranial hemorrhage group. Age at diagnosis, initial white blood cell count, and lactate dehydrogenase were associated with increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: Intracranial hemorrhage was common and often fatal in children with acute leukemia. Potential contributing factors differed by intracranial hemorrhage timing. Older age, white blood cell count, and lactate dehydrogenase were associated with high risk of intracranial hemorrhage.

Association of HLA-A and HLA-B Alleles with Lamotrigine-Induced Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions in the Thai Population.

Background: Lamotrigine (LTG) is commonly used for treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder. It is one of the common cause of cutaneous adverse drug reactions (CADR). Clinical symptoms of LTG-induced CADR range from maculopapular exanthema (MPE) to severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR). This study aimed to determine the association of the LTG-induced CADR with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles in Thai patients. Methods: Fifteen patients with LTG-induced CADR [10 MPE; 4 Stevens-Johnson syndrome; and 1 drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms] and 50 LTG-tolerant controls were included in the study. HLA-A and HLA-B genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific oligonucleotides probes. Results: The proportion of HLA-A∗02:07 and HLA-B∗15:02 allele carriers were significantly higher in the LTG-induced CADR group than in the tolerant controls [odds ratio (OR): 7.83; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.60-38.25; P = 0.013, and OR: 4.89; 95% CI: 1.28-18.67; P = 0.014]. In addition, subjects with HLA-A∗33:03, HLA-B∗15:02, and HLA-B∗44:03 were significantly higher in the LTG-induced MPE group than in the tolerant controls (OR: 8.27; 95% CI: 1.83-37.41; P = 0.005, OR: 7.33; 95% CI: 1.63-33.02; P = 0.005; and OR: 10.29; 95% CI: 1.45-72.81; P = 0.029). In contrast to the LTG-induced MPE group, there were no significant differences between HLA alleles and LTG-induced SCAR group. Conclusion:HLA-A∗02:07 and HLA-B∗15:02 were associated with LTG-induced CADR in Thai patients. We also identified an association between HLA-A∗33:03, HLA-B∗15:02, and HLA-B∗44:03 and LTG-induced MPE in this population. These results suggest that these alleles could be useful screening markers for preventing CADR before LTG treatment in Thai patients, but further replication studies with larger sample sizes are needed.

Tonic seizures of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome: periictal single-photon emission computed tomography suggests a corticopontine network.

PURPOSE: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is a severe epileptic disorder with characteristic electroclinical features but diverse etiologies. The shared electroclinical characteristics suggest that common cerebral networks are involved in generating seizures. We sought to reveal these networks by comparing ictal and interictal single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). METHODS: We identified 10 ictal-interictal SPECT pairs from seven patients with LGS (median age 11 years; range 1-38) who were studied during video electroencephalography (EEG)-confirmed tonic seizures. We performed a voxel-wise comparison of ictal and interictal SPECT studies across the group. The evolution of blood flow changes was explored by examining early and late injection groups. KEY FINDINGS: Median duration of tonic seizures was 10 s (range 6-29 s), and injection latency from seizure offset was -8 to 48 s. In the early injection group (<10 s; three studies), there was hyperperfusion over pons and cerebellar hemispheres (p < 0.05 cluster corrected family wise error), and hypoperfusion bilaterally over the pericentral region, with a trend toward hyperperfusion over bilateral superior and middle frontal gyri, and lateral parietal cortex. In the late injection group, there was hyperperfusion over midline and lateral cerebellar regions, with hypoperfusion widely over bilateral frontal regions. SIGNIFICANCE: This study suggests that the tonic seizures of LGS result from activity in a network, containing bilateral frontal and parietal association areas and the pons. We postulate that tonic seizures recruit the corticoreticular system, which connects frontal attentional areas to the pontine reticular formation, and is normally responsible for postural tone and orienting behavior.

Effect of television viewing on social-emotional competence of young Thai children.

Exposure time, program content and cultural context may affect the impact of television (TV) on the social-emotional competence (SEC) of children. This study examined the effects of TV viewing on the SEC of Thai infants. The study was based on a Thai birth cohort study from which duration and content of TV viewing and data from the Modified Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment instrument at 1 and 3 years of age were available. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine whether scores below the 10th national percentile were associated with TV viewing duration. The relationship between viewing duration and SEC risk was quadratic rather than linear. Viewing duration of 30-120 min/day was associated with a decreased risk of low overall SEC compared to non-viewers after adjustments for confounding factors. However, the beneficial effect diminished when the duration exceeded 120 min/day. Viewing educational programs was associated with a risk reduction of having low overall SEC compared to non-educational programs. These results suggest that a short period of TV viewing may be beneficial for the SEC of Thai infants, especially if the programs are educational.

Duration and practices of television viewing in Thai infants and toddlers.

BACKGROUND: Television viewing is discouraged in infants; however its magnitude and pattern in Thailand is still unknown MATERIAL AND METHOD: Data on magnitude of TV viewing and viewing practices from 4,157 children in Prospective Cohort of Thai Children were obtained between 2001 and 2005. RESULTS: At 1, 2, 2.5, and 3 years of age, the percentage of children watching TV was 77%, 90%, 92%, and 95%, respectively. Viewing duration also increased with age from 10 minutes/day at 1 year to 60 minutes/day at 3 years. Bangkok children spent double the screen time than children in other provinces. The most popular programs were cartoons and entertainment while 4% to 7% watched children programs. CONCLUSION: Most children in this cohort were exposed to TV by three years of age.

Mutation screening of the CDKL5 gene in cryptogenic infantile intractable epilepsy and review of clinical sensitivity.

PURPOSES: To perform CDKL5 mutation screening in Thai children with cryptogenic infantile intractable epilepsy and to determine the clinical sensitivity of CDKL5 screening when different inclusion criteria were applied. METHODS: Children with cryptogenic infantile intractable epilepsy were screened for CDKL5 mutation using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and DNA sequencing. The clinical sensitivity was reviewed by combining the results of studies using similar inclusion screening criteria. RESULTS: Thirty children (19 girls and 11 boys) with a median seizure onset of 7 months were screened. Almost a half had infantile spasms and one fifth had stereotypic hand movements. A novel c.2854C>T (p.R952X) was identified in an ambulatory girl who had severe mental retardation, multiple types of seizures without Rett-like features. Her mother had a mild intellectual disability, yet her grandmother and half sister were normal despite having the same genetic alteration (random X-inactivation patterns). The pathogenicity of p.R952X identified here was uncertain since healthy relatives and 6 female controls also harbor this alteration. The clinical sensitivity of CDKL5 mutation screening among females with Rett-like features and negative MECP2 screening was 7.8% while the clinical sensitivity among females having cryptogenic intractable seizures with an onset before the ages of 12, 6 and 3 months were 4.7, 11.6 and 14.3%, respectively.

Tetramethylenedisulfotetramine contaminated milk powder induced status epilepticus in two siblings and two dogs.

A cluster of patients with tetramethylenedisulfotetramine (TETS) intoxication was reported in Thailand. Two siblings, a-six-month-old boy and a-four-year-old girl, and their domestic dogs presented with status epilepticus within 10 minutes after ingesting milk prepared from the same tin container of milk powder. Although the cases showed normal neurodevelopment at one-year follow-up, physicians should be informed of this lethal neurotoxic agent, especially in an era of terroristic activity.

Epidemiology, clinical presentations and burden of rotavirus diarrhea in children under five seen at Ramathibodi Hospital, Thailand.

BACKGROUND: To be able to monitor the impact of rotavirus vaccines in the future, the authors designed the present study along with the Rotavirus Surveillance Project-Thailand. OBJECTIVE: To examine the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and direct medical cost of rotavirus-caused diarrhea in Thailand MATERIAL AND METHOD: Clinical presentations of all diarrhea cases during the study period were analyzed Rotavirus diarrhea was confirmed with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Serological typing was characterized by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Between April 2001 and March 2002, 239 under 5-year-old diarrhea cases admitted in Ramathibodi Hospital, Thailand were identified Clinical presentations and laboratory results were analyzed from 85 cases. Rotavirus was identified in 48.2% of the specimens. The most common serotypes were G9 (67%), G4 (23%), and GI (2%) respectively. The most common age of rotavirus diarrhea was 12-17 months. The seasonal peak was during November 2001 to January 2002 (the cool and dry season in Thailand). The predominant symptoms were watery diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Rotavirus diarrhea tended to have more dehydration and metabolic acidosis than other causes. The G4 serotype was associated with the most severe presentations. CONCLUSION: The proportion of rotavirus diarrhea in the present study was 48%. The mean direct medical cost per episode of rotavirus diarrhea per child was 2,101 baht (approximately 52 US $).

Hospitalized infant morbidity in the Prospective Cohort Study of Thai Children Project.

BACKGROUND: Infant morbidity causes a substantial resource burden, however, its magnitude and pattern in developing countries is still unknown. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The authors prospectively followed a cohort of 2,739 children over a one-year period in three rural areas of Thailand to detect the hospitalized infant morbidity. RESULTS: The incidence of morbidity was 454.9/1,000 live births. The top five morbidities were perinatal conditions, respiratory diseases, pneumonia, infectious diarrhea, and disorders related to short gestation/ low birth weight, and had an incidence of 88.7, 35.4, 34.3, 30.3, and 23.0 diagnoses/1,000 live births, respectively. They accounted for 1,973 days (76.6%) of hospital stay Of all morbidities, 34.8% occurred in the early neonatal period and 3.1% occurred in the late neonatal period. CONCLUSION: The present study confirmed that perinatal conditions in the early neonatal period and pneumonia and diarrhea in the post neonatal period are still an important health problem. Further attempts for prevention and control will be needed.

Epidemiology and burden of rotavirus diarrhea in Thailand: results of sentinel surveillance.

Diarrhea remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality among children in Thailand, with >1 million cases reported in 2002. In anticipation of the development of vaccines against rotavirus, we evaluated the disease burden associated with rotavirus infection in Thai children and evaluated the rotavirus serotypes now circulating in Thailand. Diarrhea surveillance was conducted at 6 Thai hospitals in different geographic areas. Community-based surveillance was conducted in Huaykrajao District, Kanchanaburi Province. During the 24 months of surveillance, 4057 children were admitted to the 6 participating hospitals, and 1950 stool samples were collected. Of these stool samples, 43% (838) were positive for rotavirus. All rotavirus-positive stool samples were evaluated to identify their serotypes; 54.8% of samples were of serotype G9, which was predominant each year. Other identified rotavirus serotypes included G2, G4, G1, and G3 (17.2%, 5.3%, 0.8%, and 0.1% of isolates, respectively). Approximately one-half of the children hospitalized with rotavirus diarrhea were <1 year old. Community surveillance showed the proportion of cases of rotavirus diarrhea in the community to be much lower than that in the hospitalized population (12.2% vs. 43.0%).

Mother-to-child transmission of cryptococcus neoformans.

Cryptococcal meningitis was diagnosed in a 92-day-old boy who was not HIV-1-infected and who survived after treatment, although with hydrocephalus. The mother was HIV-1-infected, delivered prematurely, had peripartum cryptococcal meningitis and died 14 days postpartum. There was no other possible source for cryptococcal infection in this infant. This is believed to be a case of mother-to-child transmission of cryptococcosis.