Publications by authors named "Ngu P"
Introduction: Acute otitis media is a common disease in children under the age of 5 years due to their primitive ear anatomy. One of its consequences is otitis media with effusion (OME), which is a condition wherein serous secretion accumulates in the middle ear due to Eustachian tube dysfunction. OME results in conductive hearing loss, impacting children's learning and development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report a case of 'tennis racket sign' in the chest radiograph of a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). This graphic but relatively unknown sign helped us pinpoint the diagnosis. Our patient, a 24-year-old male migrant worker, presented with a five-month history of a racking cough with expectoration of blood-streaked sputum.
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- Binge drinking can trigger atrial fibrillation (AF), but the exact reasons for this relationship are not well understood; this study aimed to explore the effects of alcohol on heart rhythm and structure using advanced imaging and monitoring techniques.* -
- Involving 50 participants, the study found that binge drinking led to an increased heart rate during consumption and a higher than baseline number of atrial ectopic beats during the hangover phase, along with a decrease in heart rate variability.* -
- Findings indicate that binge drinking causes sympathetic nervous system activation followed by a rebound parasympathetic response, leading to mechanical dysfunction in the heart's atria, which may help explain the link between binge drinking and AF episodes.*
Objective: To assess the impact of elevated heart rate (HR) on the diagnostic accuracy and image quality of second-generation 320-detector computed tomography coronary angiography (320-CTCA).
Methods: Consecutive patients with suspected coronary disease referred for invasive coronary angiography (ICA) were prospectively recruited and underwent 320-CTCA. Pre-scan beta-blockers were administered if native HR>80 bpm and post-scan cohorts stratified by traditional (HR ≤60 bpm) and elevated HR (61-80 bpm).
Background: Emergency medical services (EMS) transport to hospital is recommended in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) guidelines, but only half of patients with ACS currently use EMS. The recent Australian Warning Signs campaign conducted by the Heart Foundation addressed some of the known barriers against using EMS. Our aim was to examine the influence of awareness of the campaign on these barriers in patients with ACS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic cardiac dysfunction in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) in the absence of alcohol consumption or other cardiac disease is well described. Whilst functional and morphological features of this condition remain unclear, diastolic dysfunction has been implicated by echocardiography. We aimed to evaluate myocardial structure, function and tissue composition with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in patients with hepatitis C and histological evidence of liver disease on biopsy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of this study was to examine the awareness of a recent mass media campaign, and its influence on knowledge and prehospital times, in a cohort of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients admitted to an Australian hospital.
Methods And Results: We conducted 199 semistructured interviews with consecutive ACS patients who were aged 35 to 75 years, competent to provide consent, and English speaking. Questions addressed the factors known to predict prehospital delay, awareness of the campaign, and whether it increased knowledge and influenced actions.
Background And Aims: To investigate the association between vitamin D levels, angiographic severity of coronary artery disease, arterial stiffness and degree of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) as assessed by ankle brachial index (ABI).
Methods And Results: 375 patients undergoing coronary angiography from November 2012 to September 2013 were recruited. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels were measured as were ABI and pulse wave velocity (PWV).