Use of probiotics in clinical practice with special reference to diarrheal diseases: A position statement of the Malaysian Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Probiotics comprise a large group of microorganisms, which have different properties and thus confer different benefits. The use of probiotics has shown promising results in the management of diarrheal diseases. While the availability of probiotic products has flourished in the marketplace, there is limited guidance on the selection of probiotics for clinical use.

Appropriateness, endoscopic findings and contributive yield of pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Aim: To determine the predictability of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) guideline with regard to appropriate endoscopic practice in children, positive endoscopic findings and contributive yield in clinical practice.

Methods: This was a descriptive, retrospective analysis, conducted at the Department of Paediatrics, University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia. All children who had esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and colonoscopy from January 2008 to June 2011 were included.

Impact on parents during hospitalisation for acute diarrhoea in young children.

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the emotional impact on parents of young children who require hospitalisation for acute diarrhoea (AD), and the disruption of daily activities experienced and costs incurred by them.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted on children below two years of age with AD admitted to two urban hospitals in Malaysia. Parents were interviewed on the emotional impact and disruption of daily activities experienced by them, as well as the extra costs incurred as a result of the hospitalisation of their child.

Rotavirus genotypes in Malaysia and universal rotavirus vaccination.

Group A rotavirus (RV-A) genotypes isolated in Malaysia was studied to estimate the effectiveness of a universal RV-A vaccination in Malaysia. A simple mathematical model was used, with input from a two-year, two-center, prospective study on hospitalization of RV-A gastroenteritis (RVGE) in young children, published data on RV-A hospitalizations and genotypes, mortality on childhood GE and published genotype-specific efficacy data on two RV-A vaccines. Assuming a 95% vaccine coverage, the overall projected effectiveness was 75.

Self-reported level of and factors influencing the compliance to desferrioxamine therapy in multitransfused thalassaemias.

Aim: To analyse the self-reported degree of and factors influencing the compliance to desferrioxamine (DFO) therapy in children with transfusion-dependent thalassaemia major in Malaysia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on all children with thalassaemia major on DFO attending Likas Hospital, Sabah, in September 2008. Patients or carer-providers were interviewed to report on the degree of compliance as either highly (administering >90% of DFO), moderately (51-90%), poorly (1%-50%) or non-compliant (0%) to DFO in the preceding month.

Clinical features differentiating biliary atresia from other causes of neonatal cholestasis.

Introduction: This study determined any clinical features which may help to differentiate biliary atresia (BA) from other causes of neonatal cholestasis (NC).

Materials And Methods: A prospective and observational study was conducted on consecutive infants with NC referred to the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia, between November 1996 and May 2004.

Results: The 3 most common causes of cholestasis among the 146 infants with NC studied were idiopathic neonatal hepatitis (n = 63, 43%), BA (n = 35, 24%) and congenital cytomegalovirus hepatitis (n = 13, 9%).

Childhood autoimmune liver disease: indications and outcome of liver transplantation.

Background: Graft rejection and disease recurrence are well-recognized complications of liver transplantation (LT) for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and autoimmune sclerosing cholangitis (AISC). We describe indications and outcome of LT for childhood AIH and AISC.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-year retrospective review of a cohort of children (n = 101) with AIH, AISC, or AIH/sclerosing cholangitis overlap syndrome from a single center.

Outcome of biliary atresia in Malaysia: a single-centre study.

Aim: This study aimed to determine the outcome of the operation of children with biliary atresia (BA) at a tertiary paediatric referral centre in Malaysia.

Methods: A prospective study on all patients with BA referred to the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur, from 1996 to 2005 was conducted. Survival with native liver, liver transplantation (LT) or death at 2 years of age was determined.