The efficacy of intense pulse light among patients with skin type III-IV in acute facial acne: The Malaysian experience.

INTRODUCTION: Twenty-seven adult patients, skin type III -V with mild to moderate acne, were recruited. IPL at wavelengths range of 420 - 600nm with triple pulses was administered every two weeks for a total of 3 sessions. Assessment of acne severity and improvement of treatment was based on Global Acne Grading System (GAGS), scoring before and after treatment for each session and patient satisfaction's using a 5-item Likert scale range at the end of session three. RESULTS: Of the 27 patients, 77.8% were female. Their ages group ranged from 18 to 35 years, and all patients had skin type III or IV. There were 14 mild acne patients and 13 moderate ones. There was a statistically significant improvement in mean acne severity score from 18.1± 4.3 at baseline to 14.3 ± 4.6 after two weeks post-IPL and 12.3 ± 4.9 after four weeks post-IPL. The result on satisfaction level of patients showed 'satisfied' in 3 patients, "very satisfied" in 5 patients; and, half of the patients (11) answered "fair" at the end of the study. Most patients tolerated well the procedure, and only 5 patients developed either post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or skin hyperpigmentation. CONCLUSION: The IPL of wavelength of 400-600nm offers effective, safe, and well-tolerated treatment of mild to moderate acne lesions in Malaysians with skin types III-IV. The majority of subjects had a fair score on treatment satisfaction. It is recommended that reasonable expectations for clinical results be addressed with patients before hands to prevent over-expectation.

The implication of stigma on people living with HIV and the role of social support - A case report.

Despite the advancements made in the knowledge and treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) since it was first discovered, people living with HIV (PLWH) continue to be stigmatized. This paper presents the case of an HIV-infected patient who delayed the necessary treatment due to stigma and ultimately presented with AIDS. Through social support, however, he was able to overcome his internalized stigma; he was finally willing to start on antiretroviral treatment (ART). This case report addresses the effect of stigma on and the role of social support in the management of an individual with HIV.

A review of teenage pregnancy research in Malaysia.

OBJECTIVE: To summarise the published research on teenage pregnancy in Malaysia, discuss the impact of the findings on clinical practice, and identify gaps in teenage pregnancy research in Malaysia. METHODS: There were 31 articles related to teen pregnancy found after searching a database dedicated to indexing all original clinical research data published in Malaysia from year 2000 to 2014. Twenty-seven articles (including reports from the National Obstetrics Registry) were selected and reviewed on the basis of clinical relevance and future research implications. This literature review has been divided into eight sections: epidemiology, age at first marriage, adolescent fertility rate, unmarried childbearing, risk factors, maternal risks and neonatal outcome, future plan after delivery, and contraceptive use. RESULTS: More than 19,000 births to teenage mothers were recorded each year between 2009 and 2011. Adolescent fertility rates were recorded at 6 births per 1000 women ages 15-19 years in 2013. Many of these births were from unwed pregnancies, which accounted for 1.99% of total deliveries. A majority of young mothers were willing to take care of their baby, although some of them planned to put their baby up for adoption. Risk factors for teenage pregnancy were found to be similar to those published in studies worldwide. CONCLUSION: More research is needed to better understand the issue of teen pregnancy. For the best results, collaborative studies among nationwide hospitals and institutions should be the way forward.