Knowledge on the action to be taken and recognition of symptoms of stroke in a community: findings from the May Measurement Month 2017 blood pressure screening Programme in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: Information regarding the knowledge on the action to be taken during stroke and good recognition of stroke symptoms is mandatory in helping to plan out educational strategies to deliver health education to the community. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of adults aged 18 and above attending a blood pressure screening program in community in conjunction with May Measurement Month 2017 in Malaysia. A structured self-administered questionnaire was given to the participants who gave verbal consent. Data analysis was done using SPSS v. 23 and multiple logistic regression was used to identify the determinants of knowledge on actions to be taken during stroke and recognition of stroke symptoms. RESULTS: Out of 4096 respondents, 82.9-92.1% of them able to recognise the common stroke symptoms. and 74.2% of the study respondents will go to hospital within 4.5 h of stroke onset. According to binomial logistic regression analyses, adults aged 45 years old and above (OR 1.39 95%CI 1.01-1.92), being Malay (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.27-2.40), being non-smokers (OR = 2.491, 95% CI: 1.64-3.78), hypertensives (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.02-2.42)and diabetics (OR: 2.54, 95% CI:1.38-4.69) are determinants of right actions to be taken during stroke. Meanwhile, respondents aged 45 years old and older (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.39-2.03), being Malay (OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.24-1.79), hypertensive (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.04-1.66) and those who had a previous history of stroke (OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.01-5.00) are determinants of good recognition of stroke symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The overall knowledge of stroke in our study population was good. Older age, being Malay, non-smokers, hypertensives and diabetics are determinants of right actions to be taken during stroke. Meanwhile, older age, being Malay, hypertensive and those who had a previous history of stroke are determinants of good recognition of stroke symptoms.

A Malaysian ex-smoker with cough, breathlessness and nonresolving bronchospasm.

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Early Onset of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising From Tuberculosis Verrucosa Cutis.

A 72-year-old man presented with a chronic scaly verrucous plaque over his right knee for nine months. The lesion was preceded by a well healed scar sustained five years back from a road traffic accident. He was given multiple courses of systemic antibiotic and antifungal medications but to no avail. A skin biopsy confirmed cutaneous tuberculosis. The area of plaque subsided significantly with antituberculosis treatment. However, during the second month of treatment, a new onset of a red fleshy granulating growth developed on the pre-existing site. A repeat skin biopsy revealed squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). He was subsequently referred for surgical excision. This is presumably the first reported case of SCC arising from tuberculosis verrucosa cutis. While most malignant transformations from tuberculosis has been thought to develop after a long period of time (usually more than twenty-five years), this case report showed that it may also occur within a short period of time. Awareness on this condition is important because any delay in diagnosis and treatment may have detrimental consequences.