PENAFIAN:


Untuk pengetahuan sahaja. Sila dapatkan nasihat doktor / pakar perubatan bertauliah
mengenai kesihatan anda.

Maklumat perubatan dan penjagaan kesihatan dalam laman ini tidak bertujuan menggantikan jagaan profesional, khidmat nasihat, diagnosis atau rawatan doktor/pakar perubatan bertauliah. Laman ini tidak mempunyai jawapan kepada semua masalah kesihatan dan perubatan yang dialami. Jawapan kepada masalah umum mungkin tiada kaitan langsung dengan keadaan kesihatan anda. Sekiranya anda menyedari tanda/gejala penyakit atau jatuh sakit, sila hubungi doktor/pakar perubatan bertauliah untuk rawatan segera.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Kelantan sees alarming increase in HIV cases (The Star Online)

KOTA BARU: HIV cases transmitted via sex among teenagers and adults has shot up at an alarming rate, the Kelantan state assembly was told.

Women Development, Family and Health committee chairman Wan Ubaidah Omar added that based on updated statistics for new cases there was a 25% increase among Kelantanese aged from 20 to 29 while among the 30 to 39 age group the figure was higher at 42%.

A total of 749 HIV cases were recorded to date and this figure is much higher thanbefore.

“HIV infections through injections reached 70% but in 2008 it fell to 53% and now our latest worry is infection through sexual activity.

“In 2008 it was 27% compared to 19% the previous year,” Wan Ubaidah said in reply to Zulkifli Mamat (PAS-Pulai Chondong) at the state assembly sitting here yesterday.

She said the government has taken several steps to educate the public on HIV that included mandatory screening for those who intended to marry.

She also said that the government also took measures to prevent the spread of the influenza A(H1N1) virus following 346 positive cases with one death in Kelantan.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Awas puting bayi!

PENGGUNAAN puting bayi perlu dielakkan sejak peringkat awal lagi.


ADAKAH anak anda menggunakan puting bayi? Jika ya, anda mungkin perlu menghadapi kenyataan yang pahit hasil penemuan terkini bidang perubatan.

Kanak-kanak yang menggunakan puting bayi sebenarnya berisiko tiga kali ganda menghadapi kesukaran bercakap ketika usia mereka menjelang dewasa kelak. 

Kajian saintis mendapati kanak-kanak prasekolah yang menggunakan puting bayi sekurang-kurangnya selama tiga tahun lebih cenderung mempunyai kesukaran membuat ucapan berbanding kanak-kanak yang langsung tidak menggunakan alat tersebut. 

Penyelidikan tersebut turut membuktikan kanak-kanak yang menghisap jari juga menghadapi risiko lambat bercakap. 

Kajian yang dijalankan sebelum ini oleh The American and Chilean adalah bagi mengetahui hubung kait antara tabiat suka menghisap ibu jari, penyusuan ibu dan penggunaan puting bayi bagi menenangkan bayi terhadap 128 orang kanak-kanak yang berumur antara tiga hingga lima tahun. 

Mereka juga menggunakan ujian linguistik bagi mengenal pasti tahap normal perkembangan kebolehan bertutur dalam kalangan kanak-kanak tersebut terutama yang melibatkan sebutan dan bunyi huruf. 

Menurut ketua penyelidik dari Universiti Washington, Dr. Clarita Barbosa, kanak-kanak yang menghisap jari, ibu jari atau puting bayi untuk tempoh sekurang-kurangnya selama tiga tahun akan mengalami gangguan dari segi perkembangan bahasa dan pertuturan sehingga tiga kali ganda.

BOTOL susu juga berupaya mengganggu perkembangan kanak-kanak.


Berbanding kanak-kanak yang diberi susu ibu sehingga mencecah usia sembilan bulan dan langsung tidak menggunakan botol susu, risiko terhadap mereka amat rendah.
"Hasil ujian ini menjelaskan bahawa lebih lama penggunaan puting bayi, kesukaran untuk bertutur akan semakin meningkat," jelas Barbosa.
Tambahnya, walaupun keputusan ini memerlukan bukti yang lebih mendalam terutama melibatkan jangka masa penyusuan ibu, orang ramai harus melihatnya sebagai langkah berjaga-jaga.
Perdebatan mengenai penggunaan puting bayi tersebut telah lama merunsingkan ibu bapa kerana sesetengah kanak-kanak amat selesa menggunakan puting tersebut bagi menenangkannya.
Doktor gigi bagaimanapun berkata, penggunaan puting bayi pada keadaan tertentu berupaya mengubah pembentukan gigi apabila digunakan terlalu lama.
Kajian itu dilakukan oleh sebuah pasukan dari de Rehabilitacion Club De Leones Cruz del Sur dan Universiti Washington. Ia diterbitkan dalam jurnal BMC Paediatrics.
AMALAN menggunakan puting bayi boleh mengakibatkan gejala kerosakan gigi pada kanak-kanak. - Gambar hiasan


Penggunaan secara berlebihan

Penggunaan puting bayi secara berlebihan, secara salah atau terlalu lama sehingga melangkaui zaman persekolahan boleh membawa kepada masalah mulut dan gigi.

Gejala-gejalanya ialah:
* Gigi beralih posisi - Gigi tertolak ke depan menyebabkan gigi bawah dan atas bahagian depan tidak bertemu dengan baik.
* Kerosakan gigi (bahagian depan) - Berlaku jika puting bayi dicelup ke dalam bahan manis sebelum dihisap.
* Bernafas melalui mulut - Anak anda mungkin akan lebih cenderung untuk bernafas melalui mulut berbanding hidung. Keadaan ini boleh menyebabkan anak mengalami masalah air liur meleleh berpanjangan.
* Masalah pertuturan dan bahasa - Anak anda mungkin tidak dapat menggunakan sepenuhnya pergerakan lidah yang diperlukan untuk menghasilkan semua sebutan dan peluang mereka mungkin lebih tipis untuk menggunakan bunyi bagi tujuan berkomunikasi.
* Menggalakkan anak berhenti menggunakannya - Kebanyakan kanak-kanak berhenti menghisap puting bayi, jari atau ibu jari pada umur antara dua dan empat tahun. Bagaimanapun, menghisapnya terlalu lama melebihi enam atau tujuh tahun (ketika gigi kekal sedang tumbuh) boleh mengakibatkan masalah gigi dan mulut.

Health and Safety - Don't Leave It Open To Interpretation

By Shiona Oldham

Migration can be a positive issue for a country and especially for business. Due to migration from Poland for example, UK businesses have had access to additional skilled workers and cheaper labour. Some companies state that after cost effectiveness, the main reason they prefer employing migrant workers to their British counterparts is that the migrant workers have a better attitude towards work. All of this makes for good business sense when it comes to employing staff.

Recently though companies are beginning to discover the measures which they must take to protect their new workforces and the risks they may be taking if they don't. For example an Uxbridge based company Ethos Recycling Ltd were recently fined £35,000 and ordered to pay £3000 in costs after one of their Romanian employees who spoke little English lost a leg in a tragic accident at work after having only worked there a couple of weeks, the company pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Zameer Bhunnoo, HSE investigating inspector said: "With the increase of foreign workers in Britain, it is essential that companies who need their skills take care to ensure workers fully understand what is required of them, and how to avoid risks in the workplace'.

Increasing pressure for employer's responsibility towards employees is The Corporate Manslaughter Act (in England and Wales) and The Corporate Homicide Act (in Scotland) which were recently Introduced by the Government. In addition, the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) have issued a warning to employers to ensure that each member of staff must fully understand health and safety policies and procedures, regardless of whether they speak English or not. Employees must be able to understand policies and procedures fully, if they do not 100% understand written English then these policies and procedures must be provided in a language that they do understand fluently. These new policies reinforce your duty of care toward employees because senior management can be held responsible if it is found that health and safety has been overlooked in any way after an accident.

So which industries are most affected by these new laws? It is the higher risk industries in particular that will have to take note of the warnings, for example the construction industry has seen an increase in the number of overseas workers entering the British labour market. Often these workers will not understand your written health and safety documents and operations manuals. David Bentley-Miller, Managing Director of the national Employment law and Health & safety specialists Bentley Miller Ltd comments that 'It is astonishing how often you see companies who have a state of the art health and safety system which is written in English, then a full Polish workforce who are unable to understand a word!' It is the employer's responsibility to make sure that they receive the necessary training and understand fully.

There are ways that you can ensure that your non fluent-English speaking staff can understand your health and safety documents and one of these is translation, this could be especially useful if you have migrant workers from many different countries in one organisation.

Professional translation companies should only use native speakers to translate their documents, this is to make sure that there are no grammatical or language mistakes or errors that could lead to confusion or misunderstanding. Roy Allkin, Managing Director of leading language services company Wolfestone Translation Ltd adds 'At Wolfestone Translation we only use professionally qualified translators who translate into their mother tongue. So if you need an English health and safety document translated into Polish one of our native speaking Polish translators experienced in this area would carry out the translation. This ensures accuracy across your documents and also ensures full comprehension throughout your work force'.

British law constitutes that once somebody has signed a document the signature confirms that they have read it, having a document translated into your workers native language would give you extra piece of mind that the employee has read and understood.

Translation can be used to translate your website, all of your health and safety documents and training videos. If you cannot 100% guarantee that your employee understands your Health and Safety documents in English then get them translated, It is much cheaper then the alternative of potentially huge fines and the associated legal expenses.

Shiona Oldham

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shiona_Oldham

Friday, October 9, 2009

Bahana virus Rota

DR. KHOO PHAIK CHOO (kiri) dan Francis Del Val melancarkan kempen Operation Diaper di Kuala Lumpur baru-baru ini.


TAHUKAH anda, hampir setiap kanak-kanak akan dijangkiti virus Rota sekurang-kurangnya sekali sebelum mencecah usia lima tahun?
Sedar akan hakikat itu, satu kempen pendidikan, Operation Diaper telah dilancarkan oleh syarikat Farmaseutikal, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical Malaysia (GSK) di Kuala Lumpur baru-baru ini bagi meningkatkan kesedaran tentang kadar kelaziman jangkitan virus Rota. Kempen itu juga bertujuan menekankan kepentingan pencegahan sebagai sebahagian daripada komitmen bagi memperbaiki kehidupan.
Operation Diaper ingin meningkatkan tahap sensitiviti ibu bapa terhadap simptom-simptom jangkitan virus Rota dan kesannya terhadap anak mereka.
Virus Rota merupakan salah satu punca utama masalah cirit-birit dalam kalangan bayi dan anak-anak kecil. Menurut statistik global, kira-kira 440,000 kanak-kanak meninggal dunia akibat jangkitan virus Rota setiap hari.
Antara simptom jangkitan itu termasuk demam panas, muntah dan diikuti cirit-birit. Lazimnya, masalah demam panas dan muntah akan berlanjutan sehingga sembilan hari. Cirit-birit bagaimanapun boleh berterusan sehingga tiga minggu.
Muntah yang berlanjutan dan cirit-birit membawa kepada masalah yang lebih besar iaitu dehidrasi.
"Dehidrasi adalah satu masalah besar apabila dijangkiti virus Rota. Percaya atau tidak, dehidrasi tahap serius boleh membawa maut. Satu kajian telah dijalankan di Asia iaitu melalui Rangkaian Pemantauan Virus Rota Asia oleh Pusat Pengawalan dan Pencegahan Penyakit (CDC), Amerika Syarikat (AS).
"Hasil kajian menunjukkan kira-kira 57 peratus kemasukan ke wad akibat kes cirit-birit di Malaysia berpunca daripada jangkitan virus Rota," menurut seorang perunding dan pakar pediatrik dari Pusat Perubatan Sime Darby, Dr. Khoo Phaik Choo.
Sebagai penyakit yang mudah berjangkit, virus Rota boleh tersebar menerusi najis ke mulut. Penyakit ini biasanya berpindah daripada manusia kepada manusia menerusi barangan mainan serta objek-objek yang tercemar.
Virus tersebut sangat lasak memandangkan ia boleh hidup selama berjam-jam di atas tangan atau sehingga lima hari dalam persekitaran biasa.
"Biarpun membasuh tangan sangat penting, ia tidak bermakna bilangan virus yang ada akan berkurangan. Sebabnya, sabun biasa tidak boleh membunuh virus itu.
"Jadi, penting bagi ibu bapa berbincang dengan doktor tentang langkah-langkah yang boleh diambil bagi mencegah anak mereka daripada terkena jangkitan," tambah Dr. Phaik Choo.

Bentuk virus Rota dilihat melalui mikroskop.


Bayi berusia antara tiga bulan hingga 24 bulan paling cenderung terdedah kepada virus Rota. Kira-kira 71 peratus daripada kesemua kes virus Rota berlaku dalam tahun pertama kehidupan seorang bayi.

Oleh itu, langkah-langkah pencegahan seperti pemberian susu ibu dan pembasmian kuman di kawasan bermain atau pada barangan mainan secara kerap harus dilakukan.

Pengambilan suntikan vaksin adalah kaedah pencegahan terbaik terhadap jangkitan virus Rota, lebih-lebih lagi pada awal usia seseorang bayi.

"Orang ramai perlu tahu impak penyakit yang dihidapi oleh seseorang anak ke atas ibu bapanya, sama ada dalam bentuk tekanan emosi atau bebanan kewangan. 

"Secara puratanya, kos kemasukan ke wad untuk satu kes jangkitan virus Rota adalah sekitar RM750 di sebuah hospital bandar di Malaysia. Ini belum lagi termasuk kos lawatan pesakit luar atau perubatan serta kos-kos lain seperti lampin, penjagaan kanak-kanak dan sebagainya," jelasnya.

Selain itu, masalah muntah dan cirit-birit yang serius juga akan menjurus kepada kegagalan fungsi buah pinggang, kejutan dan kerosakan otak.

Anak yang telah dijangkiti virus Rota harus segera mendapatkan rawatan bagi menggantikan kehilangan air di dalam badan. Pada kebanyakan masa, penggantian air itu perlu dilakukan menerusi intravena. Apapun mencegah lebih baik daripada mengubati. Suntikan vaksin perlu diberikan kepada anak sebagai pencegahan terbaik.

"Virus Rota boleh berlaku kepada hampir semua kanak-kanak. Namun, apa yang dikesalkan tahap kesedaran orang ramai terhadap penyakit ini dan cara-cara mencegahnya masih di tahap rendah.

"Jadi, Operation Diaper ingin mengubah keadaan ini menerusi kerjasama dengan golongan profesional dalam bidang penjagaan kesihatan. Kami ingin mendidik ibu bapa tentang penyakit ini dan cara mencegahnya," ujar Naib Presiden dan Pengarah Urusan (Serantau) GSK Pharmaceutical, Francis Del Val.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Seven Killed In Thai Passenger Train Accident (BERNAMA)

BANGKOK, Oct 5 (Bernama) -- At least seven people are feared dead and more than 100 injured when a passenger train derailed in Hua Hin, South of Bangkok, early Monday.

The Nation online reported that the dead were all women.

During the 4.45am incident at the Khao Tao station which happened during heavy rain, 10 of the 15 compartments had derailed.

The train had left Trang at 5.20pm on Sunday and was scheduled to arrive in the capital at 8.25am today.

-- BERNAMA

Aggressive breast cancer meets its match

Joseph Masilamany
Dr.Martin... new hope for breast cancer
patients.
AN
aggressive form of breast cancer, known in medical circles as HER2-positive metastatic tumour can now be stopped in its tracks – and its progression delayed or even “starved”, say researchers.

Studies have established that HER2-positive (HER2-P) breast cancer, which is usually treated with the hormonal therapy, letrozole, can now be better contained when administered together with lapatinib – a drug that specifically targets HER2-P cancer cells.

In the study, participated by 200 women with metastatic HER2-P (that had not been previously treated), the results were more than promising, with some tumours seen to have shrunk to stage 1 settings.

There are four stages in cancer with stage four being terminal.

In the study, revealed at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in Texas last year – half of the women were treated with letrozole alone – while the other half received a combo-therapy of both, letrozole and lapatinib.

About 38% of the HER2-P patients treated with the combo-cocktail had a partial or complete response to treatment, compared to 15% of the cancers treated with a single dosing of letrozole.

It was also noted, that in the combo-cocktail group, the cancers had stopped growing 29% longer
– while 50% of the tumours treated with the lapatinib-letrozole combination were stable (no change in tumour size and pathology) as compared to 30% of those treated with letrozole only.

HER2-P spreads insidiously and it accounts for one in four of all breast cancers reported worldwide.

Speaking to theSun recently, clinical oncologist, Dr Martin Melor, of the Subang Jaya Sime Darby Medical Centre, said that HER2-P breast cancers have too many copies of the HER2/neu gene which over expresses the HER2 protein.

Martin, who attended the San Antonio symposium, issued an upbeat note on this new area of research. He said with further “positive findings” on this potential combo-therapy, oncologists may be able to better manage and treat their patients afflicted with the HER2-P type of breast cancer.

Lapatinib, which is available in the country, is developed by pharmaceutical giant, Glaxosmithkline.

It has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to be used in combination with the chemotherapy drug, capacitabine.

Updated: 11:11AM Thu, 07 May 2009
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