Knowledge, Perception, and Antibiotic Prescribing Practice in the Intensive Care Unit: Findings from the Malaysian Public Setting.

Introduction: Approach to managing infection in the intensive care unit (ICU) often varies between institutions and not many readily adapt to available local guidelines despite it was constructed to suite local clinical scenario. Malaysia already has two published guidelines on managing infection in the ICU but data on its compliance are largely unknown.

Objectives: A cross-sectional survey was carried out and sent to a total of 868 specialists working primarily in the ICU.

Pitfalls in diagnosis and management of suspected urinary tract infection in an urban tropical primary care setting.

Introduction: Diagnosis and management of urinary tract infection (UTI) are complex, and do not always follow guidelines. The aim of this study was to determine adherence to the 2014 Malaysian Ministry of Health guidelines for managing suspected UTI in a Malaysian primary care setting.

Methodology: We retrospectively reviewed computerized medical records of adults with suspected UTI between July-December 2016.

The higher prevalence of extended spectrum beta-lactamases among Escherichia coli ST131 in Southeast Asia is driven by expansion of a single, locally prevalent subclone.

The ST131 multilocus sequence type (MLST) of Escherichia coli is a globally successful pathogen whose dissemination is increasing rates of antibiotic resistance. Numerous global surveys have demonstrated the pervasiveness of this clone; in some regions ST131 accounts for up to 30% of all E. coli isolates.

Loss of Transfected Human Brain Micro-Vascular Endothelial Cell Integrity during Herpes Simplex Virus Infection.

Objective: Herpes simplex virus infection through the neuronal route is the most well-studied mode of viral encephalitis that can persists in a human host for a lifetime. However, the involvement of other possible infection mechanisms by the virus remains underexplored. Therefore, this study aims to determine the temporal effects and mechanisms by which the virus breaches the human brain micro-vascular endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier.

Relapse of chronic melioidosis in a paediatric cystic fibrosis patient: first case report from Malaysia.

Background: Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, which is a potentially life threatening disease endemic in Southeast Asian countries. In Malaysia, cystic fibrosis (CF) is an uncommon condition. The association between CF and B.

Suppression of ERK1/2 and hypoxia pathways by four Phyllanthus species inhibits metastasis of human breast cancer cells.

Chemotherapies remain far from ideal due to drug resistance; therefore, novel chemotherapeutic agents with higher effectiveness are crucial. The extracts of four Phyllanthus species, namely Phyllanthus niruri, Phyllanthus urinaria, Phyllanthus watsonii, and Phyllanthus amarus, were shown to induce apoptosis and inhibit metastasis of breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7). The main objective of this study was to determine the pathways utilized by these four Phyllanthus species to exert anti-metastatic activities.

Decrease of CD69 levels on TCR Vα7.2CD4 innate-like lymphocytes is associated with impaired cytotoxic functions in chronic hepatitis B virus-infected patients.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease that may progress to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Host immune responses represent the key determinants of HBV clearance or persistence. Here, we investigated the role of the early activation marker, CD69 and effector cytokines, granzyme B (GrB) and IFN-γ in the exhaustion of innate-like TCR Vα7.

Genomic Analyses of Cladophialophora bantiana, a Major Cause of Cerebral Phaeohyphomycosis Provides Insight into Its Lifestyle, Virulence and Adaption in Host.

Cladophialophora bantiana is a dematiaceous fungus with a predilection for causing central nervous system (CNS) infection manifesting as brain abscess in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. In this paper, we report comprehensive genomic analyses of C. bantiana isolated from the brain abscess of an immunocompetent man, the first reported case in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

Candida species epidemiology 2000-2013: a laboratory-based report.

Objective: To describe a prospective laboratory-based surveillance of Candida species that were collected from different anatomical sites of patients admitted to the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia, from the year 2000 to 2013.

Methods: Conventional (culture, microscopic examination and carbohydrate assimilation test) and molecular (PCR amplification and DNA sequencing) techniques were used to identify Candida species.

Results: A total of 16 Candida species isolated from 34 392 clinical samples were from the oral cavity (oral swabs and throat swabs), blood, respiratory tract (sputum, tracheal secretions, nasopharyngeal aspirates, bronchoalveolar lavage), high vaginal swab, pus and urine.

First report of cervicofacial lymphadenitis due to Mycobacterium haemophilum in an immunocompromised adult patient.

We report the first case of an immunocompromised adult patient presenting with cervicofacial lymphadenitis due to Mycobacterium haemophilum, confirmed using hsp65 gene sequencing and line-probe assays. In resource-limited settings, especially in developing countries, appropriate culture methods and rapid molecular diagnostic tools such as hsp65 gene sequencing for identification of this organism may not be readily available. This may cause M.

Severe Plasmodium falciparum infection mimicking acute myocardial infarction.

This case report describes a case of presumed acute myocardial infarction in a returned traveler who was later diagnosed to have severe malaria. Emergency coronary angiography was normal and subsequent peripheral blood film was positive for Plasmodium falciparum.