Publications by authors named "Amir H Abdullah"
Knowledge and Perception of Facial Candling for Allergic Rhinitis among University Staff and Students.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
August 2020
Introduction: Facial candling is a traditional method used for relieving symptoms of allergic rhinitis (AR). This study aims to investigate the knowledge and perception of facial candling in a sample of staff and students in a public university in Malaysia.
Methods: An online questionnaire survey method was used.
Aims: Facial candling is one of the traditional treatments that is claimed to be able to help in curing or reducing various allergy and inflammation conditions such as allergic rhinitis. We aimed to explore the perceptions of participants with allergic rhinitis toward their disease conditions and facial candling treatment.
Materials And Methods: The study used a qualitative exploratory design, comprising 12 in-depth interviews.
Article Synopsis
- Asian countries have diverse ethnic groups with traditional health care practices, including facial candling, which is believed to alleviate symptoms of allergic rhinitis and sinus issues despite limited evidence on its effectiveness.
- A randomized controlled trial will be conducted with 66 allergic rhinitis patients, dividing them into a group receiving facial candling treatment and a control group with no treatment, measuring changes in inflammatory markers and symptom severity.
- The study has received ethical approval and is registered with the Australia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry, ensuring proper oversight and outlining the research methods.
Article Synopsis
- Recent clinical trials indicate that bivalirudin has similar efficacy to heparin for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), but provides a better safety profile.
- The analysis included data from 12 randomized controlled trials with over 44,000 subjects, comparing bivalirudin to heparin in patients with angina and acute coronary syndrome.
- While bivalirudin did not significantly reduce all-cause mortality or myocardial infarction compared to heparin, it was associated with a lower risk of major bleeding but a higher risk of stent thrombosis.
Article Synopsis
- There is limited evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of drug use in neonates, yet medications are widely used in this population, prompting a systematic review of drug utilization in hospitalized infants.
- The literature review, covering studies published until August 2016, included 20 drug utilization studies from various countries, with a focus on different drug classes, particularly antimicrobials.
- The findings revealed considerable variability in study design and reporting methods, with anti-infectives being the most commonly reported drugs, particularly ampicillin and gentamicin as the leading antimicrobials prescribed for hospitalized neonates.