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Biomedical subjects

Y H Leow

Publications and source records attributed to Y H Leow.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

UV-protective sunglasses for UVA irradiation protection.

BACKGROUND: Eye protection with UVA-blocking solar shields is recommended on the day of PUVA treatment and the following day for our patients; however, many patients found this eyewear cosmetically unacceptable. METHOD: We investigated 34 pairs of sunglasses to determine their suitability for providing adequate protection. The method used was modified from the technique used by Moseley et al. in 1988. RESULTS: We found that 21 (61.8%) of the 34 pairs of sunglasses and only 9 (53%) of the 17 pairs of sunglasses used by our patients were "satisfactory." Expensive brands and polarizing sunglasses do not guarantee optimal UVA protection. CONCLUSION: We recommend that all patients should use wrap-around solar shields for optimal eye-protection, while undergoing PUVA treatment. The availability of more cosmetically acceptable glasses will encourage better patients' compliance to protect their eyes with optical aids.

Eye↗
PubMed1995

Comparing the efficacy of pefloxacin and ciprofloxacin in the treatment of acute uncomplicated gonococcal urethritis in males.

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of single-dose pefloxacin 400 mg and ciprofloxacin 250 mg in the treatment of acute uncomplicated gonococcal urethritis in males. One hundred and twenty male patients with uncomplicated gonococcal urethritis were assigned alternately to receive single oral doses of either pefloxacin 400 mg or ciprofloxacin 250 mg. Forty-one out of 43 patients (95.3%) of the pefloxacin group and 46 of 47 (97.9%) of the ciprofloxacin group were cured of gonorrhoeae. The rates of post-gonococcal urethritis were 57.7% and 53.3% in the pefloxacin and ciprofloxacin groups respectively. There was a high incidence of penicillinase-producing gonococci (34.2%). High level resistance to pefloxacin (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] >1.0 mg/l) resulting in clinical failure on 400 mg stat dose was noted in 1 isolate. It also showed decreased susceptibility to ciprofloxacin (MIC 0.25 mg/l). Another isolate showed high-level resistance (MIC 0.06 mg/l) to ciprofloxacin 250 mg stat dose with concomitant decreased susceptibility to pefloxacin (MIC >1.0 mg/l). Ciprofloxacin 250 mg stat dose is still useful for the treatment of uncomplicated gonococcal urethritis in males. The cure rate of 95.3% with pefloxacin at 400 mg stat dose is acceptable, but needs to be monitored with caution. The emergence of a more resistant strain of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to fluoroquinolones calls for vigilance in the monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

Correlation between saliva and serum for human immunodeficiency virus 1 and 2 antibodies using a rapid test system.

Currently, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) tests are almost totally serum based. In situations where blood is difficult or inconvenient to obtain, a substitute to venepuncture offers an attractive alternative. The prototype OraScreen saliva dipsticks were tested on 278 samples comprising 100 normals, 100 samples from persons attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic and 78 samples from persons confirmed to have HIV. The specificity and the sensitivity of the diagnostic test for saliva was 99.5% and 94.7% respectively, when compared to a routine solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test on serum samples and Western blot test when indicated. The prototype OraScreen dipstick test shows potential for saliva testing in situations where it would be inconvenient to use blood. Further evaluation of saliva testing is warranted on a large sample population with a low prevalence of HIV infection.

Adult↗