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Biomedical subjects

H F Chiu

Publications and source records attributed to H F Chiu.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Anorexia nervosa in Hong Kong. Why not more in Chinese?

Anorexia nervosa is a geographically distinct psychiatric disorder; it is rapidly increasing in incidence in Western countries, while being virtually unreported in China, or in the Chinese community of Hong Kong. This is surprising when the Chinese preoccupation with food and their reported readiness to somatise dysphoria are considered. Three Chinese anorectics born and living in Hong Kong and exhibiting mostly typical clinical features are reported. The rarity of the disorder in the East could be related to protective biological and socio-cultural factors specific to the Chinese, and while it may become more common, anorexia nervosa is unlikely to reach Western proportions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Pisa syndrome in a Chinese patient.

A Chinese female with 10 years' history of a special form of tardive dystonia (Pisa syndrome) is described. Mild improvement has occurred after 5 months' treatment with tetrabenazine despite the long duration of dystonia and the presence of secondary structural changes.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Tardive dystonia.

Unlike tardive dyskinesia (TD) which is much better known by clinicians, tardive dystonia is a more recently recognised complication of neuroleptic use. It refers to chronic dystonia related to the use of neuroleptic drugs and may be an even more disabling condition than TD. This article reviews its epidemiology, clinical features and treatment aspects, and suggests that it should be separated from TD as a distinct entity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Psychosis in sleep apnoea.

A 30-year-old man presenting with intellectual impairment and recurrent psychotic episodes was subsequently found to have suffered from a chronically untreated obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. Polysomnography revealed sleep fragmentation, slow wave sleep deprivation and abnormal arterial oxygen desaturation. Tonsillectomy led to complete resolution of sleep apnoea and remission of psychosis at 2 years' follow-up, but his apparent intellectual impairment persisted. The limited literature on psychosis associated with sleep apnoea is briefly reviewed.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Kleine-Levin syndrome 15 years later.

A Chinese man with Kleine-Levin syndrome showed evidence of hypothalamic disturbance and damage to the limbic system. He has been free from symptoms of hypersomnia and hyperphagia for 15 years, but now suffers from ejaculatory impotence which is discussed in the light of aetiological theories of this puzzling disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Tardive dystonia in Chinese.

Three Chinese patients with the under-recognized condition of tardive dystonia are described. This is a physically and socially handicapping complication of neuroleptic treatment. A past history of acute dystonia does not appear to predict the future development of tardive dystonia. The need for judicious indication of neuroleptics is emphasised.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Sleep apnea--an overview.

Though distressing and potentially dangerous, sleep apnea may be an under-recognized disease in many countries. The obstructive type, which usually presents with loud snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness, is by far the commonest form. It causes a great deal of medical, social and psychological morbidity as well as an increased mortality. Doctors of different specialties have an important role in detecting and referring suspected patients for early assessment and treatment. Multidisciplinary management in a general hospital and accurate assessment with polysomnography are essential as modern and sometimes effective methods of treatment are becoming available.

Humans↗
PubMed1988

The pharmacological and pathological studies on several hepatic protective crude drugs from Taiwan (I).

This study is to investigate the hepatic protective effect of several Taiwan crude drug extractions on the carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. The pharmacological and pathological effects of Bupleurum chinense, Phellodendron wilsonii, Clematis chinensis and Hedyotis corymbosa were analyzed by liver enzyme function test and pathological studies. However, the results of amine transferase SGOT and SGPT have shown a significant hepatic protective effect after treatment with Bupleurum chinense (P less than 0.005), Phellodendron wilsonii (P less than 0.001), Clematis chinensis (P less than 0.005) and Hedyotis corymbosa (P less than 0.005, SGPT only). The fatty degeneration around the central vein area and necrosis of the central lobule can be significantly improved by P. wilsonii and moderately changed by B. chinense or C. chinensis. Although fatty metamorphosis has been affected by H. corymbosa, various inflammatory cell infiltrations in the cytoplasm were noted.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Edema formation and degranulation of mast cells by Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus snake venom.

Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus venom, carrageenin, compound 48/80, trypsin and bovine serum albumin were injected s.c. into the plantar muscle to induce edema formation in the hind paw of rats. The venom was the most potent, and it and compound 48/80 induced the maximum swelling rate of edema within 15 - 30 min after injection. The edema volume induced by the venom was dose-dependent between 2.5 and 10 micrograms. Hydrocortisone, phenylbutazone, indomethacin and diphenhydramine inhibited edema induced by the venom and other inflammatory agents. Diphenhydramine was the most effective inhibitor of edema and increased vascular permeability induced by the venom. Injection of the venom i.p. caused exocytosis and degranulation of mesentery mast cells with a decreased electron density of released granules. Systemic administration of diphenhydramine inhibited the venom-induced exocytosis. Diphenhydramine and pyrilamine inhibited the contraction of guinea-pig ileum caused by venom or compound 48/80. It is concluded that histamine released from mast cells plays an important role in the causation of the edema induced by Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus snakebites.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Pathogenesis of Dupuytren's contracture: a correlative clinical-pathological study.

The tissue from 38 patients with Dupuytren's contracture was submitted for light and electron microscopy. The clinical and pathological data were correlated so that three stages of disease were recognized: early, active, and advanced. The cell of early disease was the perivascular fibroblast; whereas, the cell of active disease was the myofibroblast. Because the myofibroblasts have cell-to-cell and cell-to-stroma attachments, the collagen not only becomes oriented as it is formed, but it also is subjected to a contractile force.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Screening for postnatal depression using the double-test strategy.

OBJECTIVE: Postnatal depression affects 10% to 15% of women after childbirth. Self-report rating instruments, such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), have been developed and administered to postpartum women to facilitate early detection. Most postnatal depression screening scales, however, focus solely on depressive symptomatology. We hypothesized that applying two complementary rating scales of symptoms and functioning as a double test would significantly enhance the positive predictive value of screening. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted at the postnatal clinic of a university teaching hospital. One hundred forty-five Chinese women completed the EPDS and 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) 6 weeks after delivery. They were then interviewed by a psychiatrist, who used the Structured Clinical Interview for third revised edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, nonpatient version (SCID-NP), to validate the diagnoses. RESULTS: The positive predictive value of the EPDS and GHQ, when administered independently, was 44% and 52%, respectively, at their respective optimal cutoff scores. When the EPDS-GHQ double test was administered, the positive predictive value was significantly increased to 78%. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous administration of the EPDS and GHQ can substantially improve identification of women with postnatal depression. This can potentially reduce unnecessary referrals to general practitioners and psychiatrists and may enhance the overall cost-effectiveness of population-wide screening.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Antepartum depressive symptomatology is associated with adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine if depressive symptomatology in pregnancy is associated with adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes. METHOD: In a prospective observational study, 959 women were followed up longitudinally from early pregnancy to postpartum. The level of depression was measured at baseline (first antepartum visit) and in late pregnancy using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes were recorded at delivery. RESULTS: Depression in late pregnancy was associated with increased risk of epidural analgesia (33% vs. 19%, p =.01, adjusted RR = 2.56, 95% CI 1.24-5.30), operative deliveries (caesarean sections and instrumental vaginal deliveries) (39% vs. 27%, p =.02, adjusted RR = 2.28, 95% CI 1.15-4.53), and admission to neonatal care unit (24% vs. 19%, p =.03, adjusted RR = 2.18, 95% CI 1.02-4.66). These effects remained significant even when controlled for potential confounders, such as antepartum complications. CONCLUSION: Previous studies have shown that antepartum anxiety or stress was associated with growth retardation, premature delivery, and epidural analgesia. Our findings add to this body of evidence, which together suggest an adverse impact of antepartum psychological morbidity on maternal and neonatal well-being.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The Zung Self-rating Depression Scale: screening for depression among the Hong Kong Chinese elderly.

Two studies were conducted respectively to examine the reliability and validity of the standard Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and a 10-item shorter version of the same test. In particular, the scale's usefulness as a screening instrument for depression among the Hong Kong Chinese elderly was investigated. In addition to the SDS, the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Chinese Hamilton Depression Scale were used to assess the convergent validity of the SDS. Data were collected from 113 nondepressed community-dwelling and 80 depressed elderly subjects. The findings showed that both the original and the shorter version of the SDS were highly reliable and valid. Both versions were appropriate for use as screening instruments for geriatric depression in Hong Kong. When compared with the original scale, the shorter version appeared to be slightly superior in its sensitivity and specificity in discriminating between the depressed and nondepressed subjects.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Poststroke psychosis.

A patient with poststroke psychosis is reported. This is rare but is readily amenable to treatment. Heightened awareness is necessary for early detection and intervention.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Progressive supranuclear palsy presenting with psychiatric features.

A patient with progressive supranuclear palsy who presented with psychiatric features is reported. His case illustrates the difficulty of early diagnosis of this condition. Associated psychiatric symptoms are common and may precede the occurrence of gaze palsy. Our patient's behavioural problems responded to fluoxetine.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Life-threatening tardive dyskinesia.

We present the case of a patient with severe tardive dyskinesia that led to dehydration. Clinicians need to recognise that tardive dyskinesia is a potentially life-threatening condition, and familiarise themselves with its management.

Adult↗