JMUST Vol 6 Issue 2

Journal for Medicine, UST

Editor: Raymond L. Rosales

ISSN: 2546-1621

Volume 6  Issue 2

For our JMUST October 2022 issue, we have 14 articles, which are as follows: four articles on clinical research, four articles on case reports, two viewpoint articles, and one article each on meta-analysis, telemedicine research, medical education, and clinical trial application.

 

Cover page Credits: Personal painting by Dr Jose Leonardo V. Mejino, Jr., UST Medicine Batch 1981
Main Building, University of Santo Tomas, 2022 (Manila, Philippines)


Geriatric Medicine in the Medical Curriculum: A MUST in the Globally Aging World

Geriatrics is a branch of medicine concerned with diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases in older people and problems specific to aging. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that the number of people aged 65 or older is projected to grow from an estimated 524 million in 2010 to nearly 1.5 billion in 2050. The burden of diseases in the aging population will dramatically impact healthcare expenses in low- and middle-income countries and even developed ones. 

Cognitive Impairment Among HIV-positive Individuals in a Tertiary Infectious Disease Hospital in the Philippines

Disruption of neurocognitive functioning is one of the most frequent complications in patients infected with Human immunodeficiency virus. It manifests as a form of subcortical dementia characterized by psychomotor slowing, changes in mood and anxiety levels and deficits in memory, abstraction, information processing, verbal fluency, decision-making, and attention. The primary objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of neurocognitive impairment among HIV-positive individuals in the Philippines.

Effects of Aeroallergen Sensitization on Symptom Severity, Pulmonary Function, and Bronchodilator Response in Children With Bronchial Asthma

Allergen sensitization, symptom severity, pulmonary function test, and bronchodilator response are important in the diagnosis and treatment of asthma. However, the relationship between these factors remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between aeroallergen sensitization and asthma severity, pulmonary function, and bronchodilator response among pediatric patients with bronchial asthma.

Incidence of Urologic Disease Among 95 Consecutive Filipino Patients Presenting With Asymptomatic Microscopic Hematuria

One of the common clinical problems warranting urologic evaluation is asymptomatic microscopic hematuria (AMH). According to some studies, it has prevalence as high as 38% with a possibility of urologic disease or malignancy around 23%. The presence of AMH would be quite a dilemma to a urologist in terms of how aggressive urologic evaluation and follow up is recommended. The present study was to determine the incidence of significant urologic diseases among Filipino patients with AMH on initial evaluation and on follow-up. This study would also determine if there would be a significant difference in terms of incidence of urologic disease among patients less than 35 years old and more than 35 years old with AMH.

Efficacy of Myo-inositol in Improving Pregnancy Rate and Regulation of Menstrual Cycle for Patients With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common, reproductive endocrinopathy associated with ovarian dysfunction, cardiovascular disorders, obesity, and infertility. Myo-inositol is a novel treatment for women with PCOS that claimed to have improved fertility rate in this population. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effect of myo-inositol on pregnancy rate, menstrual cycle, and adverse effects from randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Telemedicine Screening of the Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy Among Type 2 Diabetic Filipinos in the Community

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of telemedicine screening for diabetic retinopathy in a community setting and to determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among Filipino patients with type 2 diabetes in the community.

The Difference in Risk Factors Between Adults With Early-Onset (<40 Years Old) Versus Late-Onset (≥40 Years Old) Type 2 Diabetes in a University Hospital From January 2015-December 2017

Diabetes will remain a threat to global health. No longer just a disorder of mature age, there is now a well-recognized trend towards the young. Early diagnosis leads to early intervention and prevention of complications in this susceptible but vital portion of the population.
The objective of this study is to compare the risk factors predisposing adults to early-onset (<40 years old) versus late-onset (≥40 years old) type 2 diabetes at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital from January 2015-December 2017.

Case Study: Use of Decentralized Clinical Technologies in Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

A clinical study with 49 participants was started and completed at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic with the use of decentralized clinical trial (DCT) methodologies. All participants and the study team remained safe and were able to conduct the study efficiently. Patients were able to provide consent electronically, received experimental supplements and were given the option to provide feedback through the system’s telemedicine feature.

Polyneuropathy, Organomegaly, Endocrinopathy, Monoclonal gammopathy and Skin abnormalities (POEMS) Syndrome in a Filipino Nurse Returning to Work Following Bortezomib Treatment: A Case Report

POEMS syndrome (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, skin changes) also known as Crow-Fukase syndrome or Takatsuki syndrome is a rare and disabling paraneoplastic syndrome. It frequently occurs in the fifth or sixth decade of life without a known standard first-line therapy. Bortezomib and dexamethasone were given which gave significant improvement in symptoms from the overall neuropathy limitation score of 5 to 1.

Leigh Syndrome in a Filipino Child: A Case Report

Leigh disease and Leigh-like syndrome are a heterogenous group of neurodegenerative disorders involving any level of the neuraxis and may present with a variety of clinical presentations, prominent among them is psychomotor regression. Despite the remarkable number of established disease genes and novel mutations being discovered, many cases of Leigh syndrome remain without a genetic diagnosis, indicating that there are still more disease genes to be identified.

Dupuytren’s Contracture in a Filipino Male: a Case Report and Review of the Literature

Dupuytren’s disease (DD) is a heritable, benign, chronic fibroproliferative process which affects the connective tissue of the palmar fascia. DD is rare among Asians with a prevalence of 0.004 to 0.032 percent. There are only 74 cases of DD among Asians identified in literature, and there are no published cases from the Philippines. We discuss a rare case of DD in a 60-year-old male Filipino presenting with bilateral loss of range of motion of the middle, ring, and little finger of both hands.

Dextrose Prolotherapy for Supraspinatus Partial Tear: A Case Report

Rotator cuff (RC) tears account for about 20% of RC disorders and presents with severe shoulder pain that can significantly impact activities of daily life. This is a case report of a 34-year-old male with a history of chronic right shoulder pain presents with tenderness at the lateral shoulder, positive subacromial impingement tests, painful end range of motion and pain score of 6.