Routine Medical Check-up Research Articles

Regular dental visits and changes in oral health among high school students during the coronavirus disease pandemic: A study using data from medical checkup at a school

Objective Continuous oral health care and regular dental visits are important for maintaining oral health. As a result of the high communicability of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), individuals are reluctant to visit medical institutions. It is as yet unclear how the oral health of the population has been affected by the interruption of regular medical services during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to examine the association between the status of regular dental visits and changes in oral health among high school students during the pandemic using data from routine medical checkups conducted at a school, as well as data obtained from a questionnaire-based survey conducted simultaneously with medical checkups.Methods This study included 878 participants (comprising freshmen and sophomores) during the 2019 academic year from a high school in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. Data on the frequency of dental checkups and anxiety related to dental visits during the pandemic was obtained through a questionnaire-based survey. Changes in dental health and gingival status between 2019 and 2020 were determined using data from routine medical checkups at the school. Poisson regression analysis with robust standard errors was used to evaluate the association between changes in dental health and gingival status and the status of regular dental visits.Results Of 878 participants, 417 (47.5%) did not have regular dental visits, 320 (36.4%) continued to have regular dental visits, and 141 (16.1%) had interrupted regular dental visits during the pandemic. In the interrupted regular dental visit group, 30.5% of participants were anxious about visiting a dental institution, which was a significantly higher proportion than other groups. Of the 521 participants who did not have gingival inflammation at the time of dental checkup in 2019, gingival inflammation at the time of dental checkup in 2020 was observed in 31.0% of participants having no regular dental visits, 20.2% participants having regular dental visits, and 38.2% participants having interrupted regular dental visits. The multivariable adjusted incidence rate ratios were 1.95 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.34-2.84] in the interrupted regular dental visit group and 1.50 (95%CI,1.07-2.10) in the no regular dental visit group. There was no significant association between interruption of regular dental visits and changes in dental health status.Conclusion The study results showed that there was a significant association between interruptions in regular dental visits and anxiety related to dental visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that a higher proportion of participants who had interruptions in regular dental visits had gingival inflammation at the time of the medical checkup at the school.

Stand-up test could be a helpful adjunct for screening elbow disorders in Little League baseball players

BackgroundThe purpose of this study is to justify the result of the modified Stand–Up test (MSUT) in Little League baseball players and to clarify the association with sports related disorders in the elbow. MethodsA total of 245 (240 boys and 5 girls) Little League baseball players aged 9 to 12 underwent physical examination, elbow ultrasonography and questionnaires during a routine medical checkup. In addition, the MSUT, based on the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA)'s original Stand–Up test to evaluate the risk of Locomotive syndrome, was performed. ResultsSeventeen osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of capitellum and 4 medial epicondylar fragmentation (MEF) cases were diagnosed with ultrasonography in 242 players. Based on the MSUT, five boys could not stand up from 40 cm platform with the single leg stance, two of whom complained of current elbow pain, three of whom diagnosed with a positive finding with ultrasonography. Odds ratio (95% confidence limits) of risk factors for failing to the 40 cm-MSUT with the single leg stance were: incidence of current elbow pain 5.7 (0.9–35.5); OCD (Grade 1b and 2) 8.2 (0.8–83); and MEF 19.5 (1.7–230). ConclusionTwo percent of Little League baseball players were unable to stand up from a 40 cm high platform/stool with the single leg stance by the MSUT and it was associated with an increase in MEF or OCD diagnosis by ultrasonography and presence of elbow pain. These results suggest that players who failed to the 40 cm-MSUT with the single leg stance are at risk of elbow disorders. Also, these results are consistent with previous research on throwing injuries that have associated poor control in the legs or trunk with pain and injury involving the upper extremities. MSUT, a relatively simple procedure, may be a helpful adjunct for screening to estimate readiness for resuming general physical activity in Little League baseball players.

P16‐104: A case of IgG4‐related lung disease diagnosed during a routine medical checkup

P16‐104: A case of IgG4‐related lung disease diagnosed during a routine medical checkup

Detection of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease by Medical Checkup at an Early Stage.

Introduction: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common inherited renal disease. Although abdominal echography during medical checkup may be effective for the early detection of ADPKD, there are no reports of the early detection of ADPKD during medical checkup. We investigated whether there was a difference in renal function and total kidney volume (TKV) at the time of diagnosis due to differences in diagnostic triggers for ADPKD.Methods: A total of 34 patients diagnosed with ADPKD between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2020, at the Department of Nephrology, Shimane University Hospital, were included. The triggers for diagnosis of the renal cyst(s) were usually unintentional findings. These included findings observed upon routine medical checkups, computed tomography, or abdominal echography during examination for other diseases (incidental detection group) and cases referred to our department for renal dysfunction (renal dysfunction group), and “other” group. We compared the renal dysfunction group and the incidental detection group.Results: The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at diagnosis was significantly higher in the incidental detection group. The TKV was significantly lower in the incidental detection group than in the other group. The number of patients with eGFR > 45 mL/min/1.73 m2, for which tolvaptan was safe and effective, was significantly higher in the incidental detection group than in the renal dysfunction group.Conclusion: Our study shows that medical checkup enables early detection of ADPKD. This is important because ADPKD may have serious complications. The present study did not examine the age at which abdominal echography screening for the early detection of ADPKD was more useful or cost-effective; thus, further research is needed to ascertain this.

Significance of parenteral viral hepatitis laboratory diagnostics in the Republic of Guinea

Rationale. Countries of Africa, especially countries in sub-Saharan Africa, represent a region characterized by high incidence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Methods for detection of HBV and HCV in low and middle-income countries differ from those that are used in countries having access to high-cost technologies. The Republic of Guinea is a region with high prevalence of hepatotropic viruses, however, the information on HBV and HCV prevalence in the area is extremely limited, thus emphasizing the significance of this study.The purpose of the study is to evaluate the need for improving laboratory diagnostics of parenteral HBV and HCV infections in the Republic of Guinea.Materials and methods. A total of 2,616 samples of blood serum were tested, the samples were collected from apparently healthy residents of the Republic of Guinea during the routine medical checkup. The testing included qualitative detection of HBsAg, anti-HBs IgG, anti-HBcore IgG, anti-HCV IgG antibodies as well as HBV DNA and HCV RNA.Results. The detection frequency of serological markers of HBV and HCV infections was 80.77% and 18%, respectively. However, HBsAg was detected only in 16.01% of individuals. Tests for detection of HBV DNA were performed among seropositive patients and patients seronegative by other HBV markers, HBV DNA was detected in 22.36% of cases, including 6.07% of HBsAg-negative cases. HCV RNA was detected in 2.2% of cases. Both HCV RNA and HBV DNA were detected in 27 people, including 19 HBsAg-negative cases, thus accounting for 1.03% of the examined group.Conclusions. The markers that are currently used for laboratory detection of HBV and HCV in the Republic of Guinea are not efficient enough to diagnose reliably all cases. Undoubtedly, there is an urgent need to improve laboratory diagnostics for timely detection of parenteral viral hepatitis. Routine laboratory operations need assays for additional serological and molecular markers of HCV and HBV infections.

Obesity and Severity COVID-19 : Literature Review Study

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV 2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) has spread worldwide and infected more than 180 million confirmed cases and 3,9 million deaths. The clinical manifestations of COVID-19 range from asymptomatic or mild infection to severe. Previous reports identified that obesity is associated with the condition of a person infected with COVID-19 develop into severe. This study aims at examining the risk of severity COVID-19 associated with obesity Methods: This study was conducted a literature review method. There are ten articles obtained from online databases at Pubmed, Google Schoolar and the Wiley Online Library.Result: The results of various studies using cohort and cross-sectional study designs show that obesity has a statistically significant association with increasing risk for the severity of COVID-19. Obese individuals infected with COVID-19 suffer severe and critical symptoms that impact patients admitted to ICU, intubation and death.Conclusion : Obesity increase the risk for severity of COVID-19. Maintain healthy life style, including routine exercise, choice of healthy food and routine medical checkup may reduce the risk of severity of COVID-19

Assessment of the level of adherence of health care workers to workplace safety measures provided at the Enugu state university teaching hospital Enugu, Nigeria

Aim: To assess the level of adherence of healthcare workers to workplace safety measures provided at the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Enugu Nigeria. Method: A total of 350 health care workers of the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTTH) were used for the cross-sectional study which took place between February and August 2019. Basic information like age, sex and duration of work in the hospital were taken. Finally their levels of adherence to the safety measures provided in the hospital were assessed. Results: The greatest number of respondents fell within the age group 26-35years (40.9%) and the gender distribution showed that 54.6% were female workers. The greatest proportion of the respondents indicated that they have worked in the hospital between 1 -5years (31.1%). Lastly assessment of adherence indicated 67.2% comply with the instructions on hand-washing.70.3% use gloves when making physical contact with patients. 50.6% claimed that they have an occupational/environmental health policy in their departments. 80.9% use bleach/disinfectants to clean up spillages and other hazardous substances. 52% have knowledge of segregation of healthcare waste. 60.3% engage in routine screening for blood-borne diseases e.g. HIV, Hepatitis B and C. while 57.3% said that they undergo routine medical checkup annually. Conclusion: Most of the respondents were young adults 26-35years who had worked in the hospital between 1- 5years due to the fact that the teaching hospital had not been in existence for too long. Majority of the respondents (>50% in each case) have a good adherence to the safety measures i.e. hand-washing, use of disinfectants, segregation of hospital waste, and routine screening and regular medical checkups. This situation has been responsible for the maintenance of a very low rate of hospital transmitted (Nosocomial) infections in ESUT Teaching Hospital Enugu.

PREVALENCE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ROUTINE MEDICAL CHECKUP AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDING MASAKA REGIONAL REFERRAL HOSPITAL, UGANDA

Globally, Routine Medical checkup is known to be a preventive medicine that opens doors for assessment of well-being status of all individual and decreases the mortality and morbidity of different ailments in communities. attending health checkups may be one of the key reasons of controlling the predisposition and cause of much of the illness, suffering and early death related to chronic illnesses and condition. Its on this ground that this current study sought to elucidate further on factors determining the adherence of people to medical checkups. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 385 adult respondents attending Masaka regional referral hospital, in Uganda. A structured questionnaire involving open-ended and close-ended questionnaire was used and data was analyzed using SPSS version 26. Overall, 61.3% of study participants have ever heard of routine health check-ups citing hospitals (25.7%) as the most used source of the information. A prevalence of 43.4% represents the percentage of those who do routine health check-up and of which majority engage in only a general examination (14.5%). Overall, more than half of the respondents (56.6%) have never participated in routine health check-ups with their reported reasons of not feeling sick (25.97%). Factors like level of education, Employment, Occupational, exercise practices and level of awareness was statistically significant to uptake of routine heath checkup among the respondent at P< (0.005). Low health check-up rates may translate into inability to detect and intervene with early health challenges among respondents, and this is whereeffort is needed in ensuring that routine health check-up is encouraged especially during times when patients are healthy. There is need to strengthen government efforts and other concerned NGOs to put across specific sensitization programs about routine health check-ups on different media platforms and also utilize other social public means.

Assessing the effect of working conditions on routine medical checkup among artisanal goldminers in Ghana

The socio-economic impacts of unforeseen health challenges among mine workers cannot be overemphasized. Due to the nature of artisanal mining in Ghana, workers are responsible for their own health care. This, however, necessitates the need for insight into the dynamics of self-care among artisanal miners. A cross-sectional survey of 500 artisanal gold miners was conducted to explore the relationship between working conditions of artisanal miners and voluntarily going for routine medical checkup, even in the absence of the right support systems, using a nested binary logistic regression. All the working condition variables were robust in predicting routine medical checkup in all three models. In this case, goldminers who reported good health, safety and environmental conditions were more likely to go for routine medical checkup as compared to their co-workers who reported poor health, safety and environmental conditions. Contrariwise, miners who reported good economic conditions were less likely to go for routine medical checkup as compared to their counterparts who reported poor economic conditions. Also, routine medical checkup was less likely among artisanal miners who did not protect themselves at work and had experienced work related health challenges. For the compositional factors, miners who had senior high school education were more likely to go for routine medical checkup as compared to those with no formal education. Likewise, older miners were more probable to go for routine medical checkup as compared to their younger counterparts. At the contextual level, miners who worked on shift regime and miners who worked in non-production departments were more likely to go for routine medical checkup. The outcome of this study provides insight into the dynamics of self-care amongst artisanal miners and how best to possibly improve it in an attempt to maintain a healthy workforce and its cascading effects. To increase consciousness of self-health care in artisanal mining, there is the need for a national dialogue on how to improve the working conditions of artisanal miners in Ghana.

The Routine General Medical Checkup

The Routine General Medical Checkup

Impact of Neck and Shoulder Pain on Health-Related Quality of Life in a Middle-Aged Community-Living Population.

Purpose Neck and shoulder pain (NSP) is very common in the general population. However, scarce information exists on the relationship between NSP and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes in this population. The present study described NSP prevalence and its impact on the HRQOL of middle-aged and older persons undergoing a routine medical checkup. Methods This study recruited 318 subjects (125 males and 193 females; average age, 63.4 years) in good health, collected underwent anthropometric measurements, physical function examinations, and blood testing. This study defined NSP as the presence of muscle tension, stiffness, pressure, or dull pain in areas between the neck and the arch of the scapular. Study subjects were divided into two groups (NSP (+) and NSP (−) groups). The subjects completed questions on the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) and the EuroQol 5-dimension, 5-level version (EQ-5D-5L) tool. Results Of the patients, 150 and 168 were NSP (+) and NSP (−), respectively. The NSP complaint rate was 47.2%. The NSP (+) group had younger and more female participants than the NSP (−) group. In the multivariate regression analysis, the NSP (+) group had lower physical QOL based on the SF-36 physical component summary (odds ratio (OR), 2.45) and lower mental QOL based on the SF-36 mental component summary (OR, 2.05). Overall, the NSP (+) group had a higher risk of having low QOL scores (EQ-5D-5L index; OR, 1.76). Conclusions The NSP (+) rate in healthy middle-aged and older persons was 47.2%. Furthermore, NSP (+) status was directly related poor HRQOL. NSP is a predictor of suboptimal physical and mental QOL. Therefore, NSP prevention or intervention for NSP may improve middle-aged and older adults' QOL.

Lifestyle Habits and Wellbeing Among Physicians in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

IntroductionPhysicians’ attitude towards a healthy lifestyle is important as it determines their extent of acceptance of these habits leading to overall well-being. Physicians with healthy lifestyle habits are more confident in advocating the same to their patients and their patients are keener in adopting lifestyle modifications. This study aimed to evaluate the lifestyle habits, wellbeing, and mental health of physicians in Pakistan.MethodsA multi-center, cross-sectional survey was conducted with physicians across Pakistan from August to October 2020. A total of 1406 participants were gathered by the non-probability convenient sampling technique. Data were collected physically from the participants. A semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire comprising socio-demographic information, lifestyle habits, mental well-being, and well-being, in general, was filled. Mental wellbeing was assessed using the Warwick Edinburg Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) comprising 14-positive items scored on a 1-5 point Likert scale where 1 corresponds to “none of the time” and 5 corresponds to “all of the time.” The score ranges from a minimum of 14 to a maximum of 70 points. Higher scores are associated with higher levels of mental wellbeing. Data were stored and analyzed using IBM-SPSS v.23 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY).ResultsIn this survey, there were 1284 (91.3%) males and 122 (8.7%) females with a mean age of 44.09 ± 11.18 years. More than half (n=768; 53.0%) of the physicians reported their general health as “good," 1045 (73%) were satisfied with their work-life balance, 206 (14%) had seen a physician for their health in the last six months, and 358 (25%) never had a routine medical checkup. When WEMWBS was applied, participants ≤40 years scored significantly higher than the older age group (p<0.01). Male physicians also scored significantly higher on WEMWBS (52.35 ± 8.78) as compared to their female counterparts (p<0.01). WEMWBS scores also varied significantly across various levels of expertise - with consultants scoring the highest (52.67 ± 9.02) and others scoring the lowest (48.63 ± 8.58; p=0.02). Physicians practicing in the public hospitals only (53.05 ± 9.02), scored higher on WEMWBS as compared to those in the private hospitals (51.28 ± 8.12) as well as those practicing in private clinics only (49.57 ± 8.82; p<0.01). Physicians who perceived their health as excellent scored highest on WEMWBS (53.55 ± 9.31), than those who considered their health good (51.68 ± 8.40), poor (50.71 ± 9.27), or fair (48.70 ± 8.15; p<0.01). The correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation of WEMWBS scores with health in general (2.5% variation) and age (0.92% variation; p<0.01).ConclusionPhysicians in our study were mostly satisfied with their general health and work-life balance. Nevertheless, their mental health well-being was not satisfactory, as assessed by WEMWBS. There is a dire need for lifestyle modifications among the medical practitioners who may improve their mental and physical well-being subsequently allowing them to cater to their patients more effectively. It is recommended that physician-patient-specific interventions should be developed to target the health status and mental well-being of a physician and to encourage the physicians especially the fresh medical graduates and young doctors to indulge in healthy activities.

Routine Medical Check-Up and Self-Treatment Practices among Community-Dwelling Living in a Mountainous Area of Northern Vietnam.

This study was conducted to evaluate the routine medical check-up and self-treatment behaviors of people living in a remote and mountainous setting in Northern Vietnam and identify their associations. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 175 people in August 2018 in Cao Son commune, Da Bac district, Hoa Binh. Information regarding routine medical check-ups and self-treatment behaviors was collected by using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the associations. Results show that 24% of the mountainous people had routine medical check-ups in the last 12 months. The rate of self-treatment in the past three months was 33.7%. The number of chronic diseases (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0‐2.3), health information sources from radio/television (OR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.2‐9.5), or social media (OR = 24.8, 95% CI = 1.2‐512.4) was related to routine medical check-up. People who did not have routine medical check-up were more likely to have self-treatment practice (OR = 6.3, 95% CI = 1.9‐21.1) than those who had a regular health check. Promoting health education and communication through mass media to raise people's awareness about regular health check-ups is a promising way to improve people's self-treatment status.

Changes in health-related quality of life and the associated factors among Myanmar migrants with tuberculosis: a cohort study

BackgroundMigrants are known to be predominantly poor population which are predisposing to social and health problems, particularly infectious diseases including tuberculosis (TB). TB itself and effect of treatment may further result in substantial morbidity and lowering the quality of life. This study aimed to assess the changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) within six months of anti-TB treatment initiation, and the associated factors in Myanmar migrants under anti-TB treatment within this border area.MethodsThis was a prospective cohort study of adult Myanmar migrants with new TB who were within two months of treatment initiation in two TB clinics in Mae Sot, a Thai-Myanmar border area between September 2019 and July 2020. Eight individual domain scores of the HRQOL and Physical and Mental Component Summary (PCS and MCS) scores measured by SF-36 were calculated at month-2 (T1) as baseline, and at the month-4 (T2) and month-6 follow-up visits (T3). Generalized estimation equation models were used to assess the longitudinal changes in PCS and MCS scores of HRQOL.ResultsOf the 155 patients recruited, 93 (60.0%) and 65 (69.9%) completed the month-4 and month-6 follow-ups, respectively. Both the PCS (+ 6.1) and MCS (+ 6.3) scores significantly improved between T1 and T3, with the lowest scores being general health, with the least improvement in social function (+ 1.5) compared with the other domains. Migrants with ethnic origin of Burmese or other were associated with higher PCS and MCS. Those living with family and having higher numbers of initial TB symptoms were associated with lower PCS and MCS scores. Those diagnosed during routine medical checkup were positively associated with PCS scores, whereas patients diagnosed during active case findings were negatively associated with MCS scores. Patients who received residential TB care had higher PCS scores than those with OPD-based TB care.ConclusionsContinuous improvement in quality of life was found among Myanmar migrants with TB during treatment but their quality of life is still low. Patients with low mental health, especially in the social domain, requires further attention. Active screening policy and supportive strategies during treatment are essential to TB migrants.

Telemedicine for detecting Brugada Syndrome in eastern Indonesia: A multi-center prospective observational study

BackgroundThe incidence of Brugada syndrome has been reported to occur mostly in Asian countries. However, key countries such as Indonesia, the largest-populated Southeast Asian country, have yet to report any existing data regarding the incidence of Brugada syndrome among its population. Detecting these patients has been challenging, especially in primary healthcare settings, which generally have limited resources. Telemedicine may represent an ideal solution for initial diagnosis to determine if a patient may have this condition. MethodsWe collected and analyzed numerous 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECG) of patients who visited various healthcare centers in Makassar for routine medical check-up between June 2017–April 2018. Electrocardiograms from these centers were sent to the Cardiac Center at Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital in Makassar via telemedicine. ResultsDuring the period, we successfully obtained 9558 ECGs. While none of the patients were initially suspected of Brugada Syndrome, we found 102 (1.07%) among them to have a Brugada ECG pattern (BrEP). BrEP was more commonly found in males compared to females (67.6% vs. 32.4% of the cases found). There were significant differences in the number of confirmed cases among the types of BrEP for male and female patients. The number of confirmed cases of BrEP in male and female patients were significantly different (p < 0.05), where the number of cases for male vs. female was 8 vs. 4 for type 1, 17 vs. 1 for type 2, and 44 vs. 28 for type 3. ConclusionBrugada syndrome is a disease that is at grave risk of being frequently underdiagnosed. Our study indicates that telemedicine can become an appropriate tool that can assist physicians in detecting suspected patients. Future efforts should also be directed at studying the possible use of telemedicine for detecting other similarly rare conditions.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, Perception and Practices on Rabies Disease in the GA East Municipality, Ghana

Background: Rabies is one of the neglected tropical zoonotic diseases caused by a virus. It belongs to the Rhabdoviridae [1]. It is a disease that is commonly found in animals but can easily effect human [2]. Where there are animal reservoirs, rabies is commonly spread. The general objective of this study to evaluate differences in knowledge, attitude and perception about rabies, among the residence in Ga East.&#x0D; Methods: A cross-sectional study was used in this study using purposive sampling technique. Data was collected by interviewing study participants using OKD Collection and also STATA version14.2 was used for data analysis&#x0D; Results: A total of 475 respondents were involved in the study with 354 (74.53%) males and 121(25.47%) as females. Of this, majority of the participants (93.47%) own a dog against 6.53% who did not own a dog. Dog is own in the community basically for security purposes (77.25%). Few own dog for leisure. The study document less than 50% of the respondents [186 (39.16%)] resort to local drug stores drug store for first aid following a dog bit. Seeking veterinary attention (12.84%) and properly clearing of wound (8.84%) was not a common practice. Participants were of the opinion that tetanus vaccination should be done first (29.05%). Most of the participants have heard about rabies (96.42%) and showed various degree of knowledge on source of rabies, common animals associated with rabies, symptoms of rabies. Among some other practices, any identified rabid dog is killed as indicated by majority of the participants (52.63%). Most participants (71.58%) knew that rabies vaccination serves as preventive measures against rabies and further perceived all dogs must be vaccinated (38.32%). Of the total respondents, most (63.74%) never sent their dog for routine medical check-up nor vaccinated their dogs (70.95%).&#x0D; Conclusion: The study revered that dog owners do not provide adequate care for their dogs. In addition to low coverage of dog vaccination and human anti rabies vaccination in the community which poses a greater threat to the lives community, the potential for increased spread of the diseases is high due to inadequate level of knowledge, poor perceptions, and attitudes towards rabies.

Utilization of Routine Medical Checkup and Factors Influencing Use of Routine Medical Checkup among Saudi Students Studying in the USA in 2019

Introduction: The few studies that have investigated patterns of routine checkup (hereafter routine checkups) among Saudis have found overall low rates of use. Those studies focused mainly on understanding the influence of individual characteristics on use of routine checkup. Aims: The main purpose of this study was to consider a wider array of factors beyond individual characteristics, including system-based factors, beliefs, attitudes, and satisfaction, and to examine their influence on use of routine checkup among Saudi students studying in the United States. Methods: A cross-sectional survey targeting Saudi students studying in the United States aged 19 years or older was conducted to gather information about their sociodemographic characteristics, needs for healthcare, use of routine checkup and satisfaction with access to primary care services. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were conducted to determine factors influencing use of routine checkup among Saudis. Results: 381 surveys were eligible to be included in the analyses. Among the included participants, only 25.5% had a routine checkup after the age of 18 years. The likelihood of having routine checkup after the age of 18 was significantly higher among those who trusted provided primary care, believed in the importance of routine checkup, had health insurance, had chronic conditions and were physically active, and was significantly lower among married individuals. Conclusions: The use of routine checkup is low among Saudis and this study has laid the foundation for future research that can inform policy and decision-making related to improving use of routine care in Saudi Arabia.

Malaria and intestinal parasite co-infection and its association with anaemia among people living with HIV in Buea, Southwest Cameroon: A community-based retrospective cohort study

Both malaria and intestinal parasites are endemic in Cameroon, and their co-infection can be of great impact on anaemia among people living with HIV (PLWH). This community-based retrospective cohort study determined the prevalence and association of infections with anaemia in PLWH and HIV-negative individuals in Buea, Cameroon from March to August 2019. The study population comprised of 190 PLWH and 216 consenting HIV-negative individuals from the Buea community. Participants were examined clinically, the collected blood sample was used for malaria parasite (MP) detection, HIV diagnosis and haemoglobin (Hb) measurement while stool samples were examined for the detection of intestinal parasites (IPs). Proportions were compared using Pearson's Chi-square test and association of anaemia with independent variables was evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Out of the 406 participants, MP, IPs and MP/IP co-infection prevalences were 15.5%, 13.0% and 3.0% respectively. PLWH had a higher prevalence of MP (16.3%, P = 0.17), IPs (23.7%, P ˂ 0.001) and MP/IPs co-infection (3.7%, P = 0.04) when compared with HIV-negative participants. Similarly, PLWH had significantly lower mean haemoglobin value (11.10 ± 1.54 g/dL) than their HIV-negative counterparts (12.45 ± 2.06 g/dL). Also, PLWH co-infected with MP and IPs were observed to have a significantly lower mean haemoglobin value (10.6 ± 1.21 g/dL). PLWH had a significantly (P ˂ 0.001) higher prevalence of mild (56.8%), moderate (18.4%) and severe (1.6%) anaemia when compared with HIV-negative counterparts. The significant risk factors associated with anaemia included being febrile (P = 0.03), MP-infected only (P = 0.001), HIV-infected only (P < 0.001), having dual (P < 0.001) or triple-infections (P = 0.03). Malaria and intestinal parasites remain public health concerns among PLWH and anaemia as a serious haematological abnormality gets exacerbated even with the viral load suppression. Hence, routine medical check-ups among PLWH are recommended.

Periodontal Disease as a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease - A Questionnaire Survey among Physicians

Introduction: Periodontal infections have been documented to influence coronary heart diseases such as angina, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis and other systemic conditions like stroke, diabetes mellitus and preterm low birth weight babies. Over the last two decades, several studies have reported associations between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The association is now a part of the dental school curriculum and periodontology. However, in contrast, this important aspect is missing in the medical school curriculum and not many physicians are aware of the role periodontal disease plays in CVD.&#x0D; Aim: To assess the knowledge and practices of physicians of Mangalore City, South India, on periodontal disease as a risk factor in Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD).&#x0D; Methodology: A questionnaire survey was carried out to assess physicians’ knowledge and practices in the city of Mangalore, South India. The physicians were divided into four groups as follows: Group I - Physicians associated with medical colleges; Group II – Sole private practitioners; Group III - Physicians associated with medical colleges and having their private practice; Group IV - Post-graduate students. A Chi-square test was applied to test the difference between knowledge and practices among the groups.&#x0D; Results: Out of a total of 106 physicians, 56 (52.3%) participated in the survey. Periodontal disease was considered to be a risk factor in CVD by 87.5% (n=47) respondents and 96.4% (n=54) respondents stated that bleeding/enlargement of the gingivae was a sign of periodontal infection. Only 40% (n=23) of the respondents asked about oral problems during general check-up.&#x0D; Conclusions: The knowledge regarding the periodontal disease as a risk factor in CVD was high, however, the application of the knowledge in routine medical check-ups was observed to be less.&#x0D; J MEDICINE JAN 2021; 22 (1) : 7-11

Bilateral Ectopic Kidneys Presenting as Lower Abdominal Pain

Background: Bilateral Ectopic Kidney is uncommon and usually diagnosed during a routine medical checkup. It could be misdiagnosed as an abdominopelvic mass. In-depth knowledge of its presentation will aid in its management. A poor anatomical relation of the kidneys with other abdominopelvic organs could lead to renal complications and surgical errors. This is of gynaecological importance and worthy of discussion for a lady of her reproductive age. Case presentation: A 20-year-old nulliparous lady of African descent presented with a long-standing history of dull lower abdominal pain. The pain has been intermittent and occasionally associated with a sensation of movement in the lower abdomen. She has a regular and normal menstrual cycle and has no lower urinary tract symptoms. Physical examination was unremarkable with intact secondary sexual characteristics. The abdomen was soft, non-tender and without any organomegaly. Abdominal ultrasonography, renal pyelogram and urinalysis were carried out after her consent was sought in accordance with the institution’s protocol. Urine analysis was normal and culture was negative. However further imaging revealed a bilateral pelvic ectopic kidney. Conclusion: Most of the cases reported are usually unilateral ectopic kidneys. It is, therefore, our belief that this information will be useful to medical practitioners such as surgeons, urologists, radiologists and gynaecologists. Such a diagnosis will enable clinicians to follow up with the client and preserve the renal function whiles preventing iatrogenic injuries during surgical procedures.