Urine phenol levels among Thai police, implications for occupational health

In this study, we study an at-risk occupation, the police. Forty-five urine samples were obtained from 45 Thai police working close to traffic in an urban area, for analysis of urine phenol levels. The average (mean +/- SD) urine phenol level in these police was 16.94 +/- 11.72 mg/g-Cr. Significantly higher urine phenol levels were found among police who had worked for longer durations (p < 0.05).     

Gnathostoma infective stage larvae in swamp eels (Fluta alba) at a metropolitan market in Bangkok,Thailand

A total of 1,788 livers from swamp eels (Fluta alba), purchased at a market in Bangkok, Thailand, from April to July 2002, were studied for the prevalence and intensity of Gnasthostoma third stage larvae (L3s). Of all livers, 466 were infected with Gnasthostoma L3s (infection rate = 26%). The larvae recovered averaged 0.43 +/- 0.51 larvae/liver. All larvae were identified as Gnasthostoma spinigerm by morphological criteria. The prevalence of G. spinigerum L3s in the eels was much higher in the rainy season (June and July, 74%) than during April and May (8%). Therefore, prevention programs for gnathostomiasis should be emphasized during the rainy season.     

A note on the prevalence of anti-HIV seropositivity in the Preadmission Clinic of the largest Thai Red Cross Society clinic

Clinical decision-making regarding operative procedures will be influenced when the patient is known to be anti-HIV, so his or her status should be discussed with the patient and clinician responsible for other aspects of his or her care. Here, we reviewed serology screening for anti-HIV in a 1-year period at the PreAdmission Clinic of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the largest Thai Red Cross Society hospital. A total of 463 patients, 215 males and 248 females, were investigated, and four cases (all males) were determined to have anti-HIV seropositivity. The infection rate was 0.86%, similar to that of previous surveys of the general population. According to our study, 75% of the HIV-seropositive patients did not know their HIV status before our screening, and most of the infected cases (50%) underwent sex change surgery. The patients who underwent elective surgery in our clinic were usually anti-HIV seronegative. The risk group of our patients seems to be the sexual dysphorian patients who underwent sex change surgery. Additional screening tests for other infectious agents such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus is recommended. However, in a setting where HIV infection is common, such as in Thailand, the physician should practice universal precautions since any serological test poses dangers during diagnosis.     

Screening for syphilis in pregnancy: which is the proper method?

Background Consequences of syphilis in mother, pregnancy, fetus and child are considerable, but preventable. Serological screening must be offered at the first prenatal visit. Presently, the diagnosis of syphilis is dependent mainly on serological tests. The most widely used screening tests for syphilis are the VDRL and the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and for confirmation the fluorescent treponemal antibody (FTA) and the treponema pallidum hemagglutination (TPHA) tests. Method The four alternative nodes for diagnosis of can be a) VDRL + FTA, b) VDRL + TPHA, c) RPR + FTA and d) RPR + TPHA. Here the author reports an evaluation of cost utility of those tests in obstetrical practice. According to this study, it can be shown that the cost per accurate diagnosis for VDRL + TPHA is the least expensive choice and for RPR + FTA is the most expensive choice. Conclusion Therefore, this alternative is the best method for serological diagnosis of syphilis, based on medical laboratory economics principles.