Parental Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Antibiotic Resistance in Children: A Review Article.

Antibiotic misuse among children continues to be one of the major critical public health issues worldwide, particularly in developing countries such as Jordan. Incorrect antibiotic use is hugely influenced by parents' knowledge and attitudes on the subject at hand. This review, therefore, seeks to establish the current state of parental knowledge and attitudes toward antibiotics in Jordanian children, with particular emphasis on those gaps in awareness and knowledge that underpin the inappropriate use of antibiotics.

Paediatricians' knowledge, perceptions, preparedness and involvement towards paediatric antimicrobial stewardship in Pakistan: findings and the implications.

Introduction: Antibiotics are frequently prescribed for neonates and children. However, this can be excessive with inappropriate prescribing leading to increased antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Paediatricians are key initiators of antibiotics.

A time-to-event modelling of sputum conversion within two months after antituberculosis initiation among drug-susceptible smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients: Implementation of internal and external validation.

Delayed sputum conversion has been associated with a higher risk of treatment failure or relapse among drug susceptible smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Several contributing factors have been identified in many studies, but the results varied across regions and countries. Therefore, the current study aimed to develop a predictive model that explained the factors affecting time to sputum conversion within two months after initiating antituberculosis agents among Malaysian with drug-susceptible smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients.

Semi-physiological Pharmacokinetic Model of Clozapine and Norclozapine in Healthy, Non-smoking Volunteers: The Impact of Race and Genetics.

Unlabelled: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Clozapine is the medication of choice for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. However, it has a complex metabolism and unexplained interindividual variability. The current work aims to develop a pharmacokinetic model of clozapine and norclozapine in non-smokers and assess the impact of demographic and genetic predictors.

Investigating the Association Between Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Pathological Responses Among Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Introduction: The relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and pathological responses after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is controversial. In this study, we aim to determine the association of pathological responses in breast cancer women with T2DM after receiving NACT.

Methods: Medical records of breast cancer women with T2DM who received NACT from January 2016 to January 2021 at the medical center in the Gujranwala Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy, Pakistan, were identified and retrieved retrospectively.

The Impact of an Educational Intervention on Enhancing Clinical Knowledge of Physicians and Pharmacists Regarding Statins and Monitoring Parameters: The Experience of a Tertiary Teaching Hospital.

Introduction: Understanding the latest guideline recommendations is crucial for healthcare professionals to apply statin therapy effectively. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an educational intervention in enhancing the awareness and understanding of physicians and pharmacists concerning risk assessment of Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and the role of statin therapy.

Methods: This pre- and post-intervention study was conducted in Sana'a, Yemen's capital city, at the University of Science and Technology Hospital.

Patterns of dyslipidemia and its associated factors among prediabetic subjects. A cross-sectional study at a primary care clinic.

Introduction: Diabetes is closely linked to cardiovascular diseases, with diabetic dyslipidaemia serving as an established marker of the acceleration of complications, contributing to an increased cardiovascular risk among patients. Timely detection and early characterization of lipid abnormalities can help clinicians in implementing effective preventive measures. This study aimed to determine the patterns and associated factors of dyslipidaemia among Malaysian subjects with borderline diabetes.

Perceptions and Knowledge of Public Towards Emerging Human Monkeypox in Yemen: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The spread of monkeypox (mpox) worldwide poses a severe threat to human life. This virus leads to a disease with symptoms similar to smallpox in humans. To combat this threat, improving public knowledge and perception toward mpox is vital for public health preventive measures.

Determinants of Inadequate Empiric Antimicrobial Therapy in ICU Sepsis Patients in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia: A Comparison of Artificial Neural Network and Regression Analysis.

In the management of sepsis, providing adequate empiric antimicrobial therapy is one of the most important pillars of sepsis management. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the adequacy of empiric antimicrobial therapy (EAMT) in sepsis patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) and to identify the determinants of inadequate EAMT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of empiric antimicrobial therapy in patients admitted to the ICU with sepsis or septic shock, and the determinants of inadequate EAMT.

Predictive model of recurrent ischemic stroke: model development from real-world data.

Background: There are established correlations between risk factors and ischemic stroke (IS) recurrence; however, does the hazard of recurrent IS change over time? What is the predicted baseline hazard of recurrent IS if there is no influence of variable predictors? This study aimed to quantify the hazard of recurrent IS when the variable predictors were set to zero and quantify the secondary prevention influence on the hazard of recurrent ischemic stroke.

Methods: In the population cohort involved in this study, data were extracted from 7,697 patients with a history of first IS attack registered with the National Neurology Registry of Malaysia from 2009 to 2016. A time-to-recurrent IS model was developed using NONMEM version 7.

Antibiotic Overprescribing among Neonates and Children Hospitalized with COVID-19 in Pakistan and the Implications.

There are concerns with excessive antibiotic prescribing among patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Most studies have been conducted in adults with limited data on neonates and children, including in Pakistan. A retrospective study was conducted among four referral/tertiary care hospitals, including the clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, the prevalence of bacterial co-infections or secondary bacterial infections and antibiotics prescribed among neonates and children hospitalized due to COVID-19.

Treatments and Predictors of Mortality for Carbapenem-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacilli Infections in Malaysia: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

This study evaluated the treatments, mortality rate and patient-related factors associated with mortality. This is a retrospective study involving hospitalised patients with infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (CR-GNB) in a tertiary hospital in Malaysia from January 2018 to June 2020. A clinical pharmacist reviewed patients' electronic records and collected the data according to a pre-designed form.

Survival Trend of Tuberculosis Patients and Risk Factors Associated with Mortality and Developing Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Hospital Pulau Pinang, Malaysia: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Multidrug resistance TB (MDR-TB) has emerged as a public health issue worldwide, and the mortality rate is worrying. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the factors related to MDR-TB occurrence and the survival experience of TB patients.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at Hospital Pulau Pinang in Malaysia.

Pharmacometric modeling of drug adverse effects: an application of mixture models in schizophrenia spectrum disorder patients treated with clozapine.

Clozapine has superior efficacy to other antipsychotics yet is underutilized due to its adverse effects, such as neutropenia, weight gain, and tachycardia. The current investigation aimed to introduce a pharmacometric approach to simultaneously model drug adverse effects, with examples from schizophrenia spectrum patients receiving clozapine. The adverse drug effects were represented as a function of time by incorporating a mixture model to describe individual susceptibility to the adverse effects.

Abstinence Rate, Adverse Events and Withdrawal Symptoms after Varenicline Use and Predicting Factors of Smoking Abstinence: A Multicentre Single-State Study in Malaysia.

(1) Background: Varenicline is a widely prescribed agent in smoking cessation. However, the abstinence rate, the incidence of adverse events and withdrawal symptoms, have not been widely studied locally. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of smoking abstinence, adverse events and withdrawal symptoms associated with varenicline use, as well as possible factors contributing to successful smoking abstinence.

COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy: A Review of the Literature and Recommendations.

Vaccines are important to improve immunity against pathogens and diseases. The current COVID-19 disease is rapidly evolving and spreading among people; therefore, it is important to utilize a proper vaccination strategy against it. Currently, many approved vaccines are available and accessible; however, there is a reported hesitancy against taking them among the public and even the health care workers.

Pharmacometrics Approaches and its Applications in Diabetes: An Overview.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the most prevalent and progressive in nature. As the time progress, the multifaceted complications and comorbidities associated to diabetes worsen in the form of macrovascular or microvascular or both. Pharmacometrics modeling is a step forward in minimizing the risk or at least understanding the factors associated to its progression with the passage of time.

Can Newer Anti-Diabetic Therapies Delay the Development of Diabetic Nephropathy?

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is progressive in nature and leads to hyperglycemia-associated microvascular and macrovascular complications. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most prominent microvascular complication induced by T2DM and is characterized by albuminuria and progressive loss of kidney function. Aggressive management of hyperglycemia and hypertension has been found effective in delaying the development and progression of DN.

Population pharmacokinetics analyses of rifampicin in adult and children populations: A systematic review.

Aims: Rifampicin has become an essential component as the first-line therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Several population pharmacokinetic (PK) studies on rifampicin in adult and child populations have been studied previously, therefore the aims of the systematic review were (i) to summarize the relevant published studies and significant covariates that influence the PK of rifampicin across different populations, and (ii) to identify any knowledge gap that requires additional research in the future.

Methods: A total of 121 relevant population PK articles were systematically identified using PubMed and Scopus from inception to October 2021.

Health-related quality of life and its association with sociodemographic, economic, health status and lifestyles among HIV-positive patients in northern Malaysia.

Sociodemographic status and medical problems were widely reported as the major factors in people living with HIV (PLHIV) with lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, lifestyles and cultural changes are rarely studied. A multicentred cross-sectional study was conducted among 137 virally suppressed PLHIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in northern Malaysia by face-to-face interviews and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF questionnaire.

A Repeated Time-to-Positive Symptoms Improvement among Malaysian Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Treated with Clozapine.

Clozapine remains the drug of choice for resistant schizophrenia. However, its dose-response relationship is still controversial. The current investigation aimed to develop a repeated time-to-positive symptoms improvement following the onset of clozapine treatment in Malaysian schizophrenia spectrum disorder patients.

Metformin Use in Gestational Diabetes: Awareness, Attitude, and Practice among Healthcare Professionals in Malaysia.

Background: Metformin has been added in the Malaysian clinical practice guideline (CPG) as one of the first-line options in the management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM); however, the uptake on this practice among healthcare professionals is unknown.

Objective: The objective of the study is to determine the awareness, attitude, and practice and their predictors on the use of metformin for GDM among healthcare professionals in Malaysia.

Materials And Methods: This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study in three tertiary hospitals in Malaysia.