Multicenter validation of fully automated capillary electrophoresis method for diagnosis of thalassemias and hemoglobinopathies in Thailand.

Thalassemias and hemoglobinopathies are highly prevalent in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. Accurate and precise separation of hemoglobin types, together with reliable quantitation, are essential for differential diagnosis of these diseases. Presented in this study is a multicenter validation of a fully automated capillary electrophoresis (CE) method for hemoglobin separation and quantitation involving four reference laboratories in Thailand.

Impact of pandemic influenza (H1N1) virus-associated community-acquired pneumonia among adults in a tertiary hospital in Thailand.

In July 2009, a pandemic influenza (H1N1) (pdm H1N1) virus epidemic emerged rapidly in Phitsanulok, Thailand. Adult cases of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) were prospectively examined for pdm H1N1 virus infections by real-time PCR in a tertiary hospital in Phitsanulok from July to November 2009. Twenty-four cases of pdm H1N1 virus-associated CAP were confirmed, and their clinical features including bacterial infection, severity of disease, course of admission, treatment, and outcome were investigated.

Prognostic factors associated with severe leptospirosis.

To determine the prognostic factors associated with severity and death of leptospirosis, the authors conducted a hospital based cross sectional study by collecting data of adult patients that were admitted to Phrae Hospital for leptospirosis from 1998 to 2001. The serology was confirmed with a microscopic agglutination test (MAT). The variables obtained from the history, examination, behavioral risks, investigations, and initial treatment especially the data of the first day of admission were examined for association with severity.