Does the attire of a primary care physician affect patients' perceptions and their levels of trust in the doctor?

Introduction: With increasing evidence of disease transmission through doctors' white coats, many countries have discouraged doctors from wearing their white coats during consultations. However, there have been limited studies about patients' preferences concerning doctors' attire in Malaysia. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate patients' perceptions of doctors' attire before and after the disclosure of information about the infection risk associated with white coats.

Natural history of asymptomatic gallstones: differential behaviour in male and female subjects.

Objective: The natural history of asymptomatic (silent) gallstones has been inadequately studied. Existing information derives from studies based on oral cholecystography or relatively small sample sizes. We planned a retrospective cohort study in subjects with gallstones to determine conversion rates from asymptomatic to symptomatic.

Acute oral toxicity studies of Swietenia macrophylla seeds in Sprague Dawley rats.

Background: Swietenia macrophylla King. (Meliaceae) seeds (SMS); commonly known as sky fruit and locally known in Malaysia as Tunjuk Langit; have been used in traditional Malay medicine for the treatment of diabetes and hypertension. The people eat only a tiny amount of raw seed, weighing not more than 5 mg.

Congenital vallecular cyst with polydactyly - A rare cause of stridor and failure to thrive.

Congenital vallecular cyst is an uncommon, benign but potentially dangerous condition causing respiratory distress and stridor. It is associated with sudden upper airway obstruction resulting in death due to its anatomical location in neonates and infants. We reported a rare case of 2 months old male infant presented with respiratory obstruction with failure to thrive with polydactyly (rarest finding) and managed timely with appropriate surgical marsupialization.

Gender difference in academic performance of nursing students in a Malaysian university college.

Purpose: To examine differences in academic performance between male and female nursing students, and to identify whether professional identity and language usage were explanatory factors of academic performance.

Background: Although the numbers of men entering the nursing profession are increasing, societal stereotypes and the lack of male role models in nursing may have a negative impact on motivation, and hence, academic performance.

Methods: A total of 147 students who were enrolled in an undergraduate nursing programme in Peninsula Malaysia were surveyed in January 2011.