Journal/Magazine Articles
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This collection contains original research articles, review articles and case reports published in local and international peer reviewed journals by the staff members of the Faculty of Medicine
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Item Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a Sri Lankan perspective(The Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2022) Niriella, M.; Dassanayake, A.; de Silva, J.No Abstract availableItem Perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychiatric training among final-year medical undergraduates in Sri Lanka: an online survey of students from eight universities(American Psychiatric Press, 2022) Baminiwatta, A.; Dayabandara, M.; de Silva, J.; Gadambanathan, T.; Ginige, P.; Premarathne, I.; Rajapaksha, H.; Wickramasinghe, A.; Sivayokan, S.; Wijesinghe, C.Objective: This study aimed to assess the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on undergraduate psychiatry training in Sri Lanka and to explore several potentially associated factors. Methods: An online survey was distributed among students from eight medical schools who recently faced their final exam. Their perceptions on the impact of the pandemic on the psychiatry training and exam performance were rated on a 10-point scale. Resilience was assessed using a two-item scale. Results: A total of 644 students responded (69.5% female, mean age=27.5 years). Among them, 164 (25.5%) reported being quarantined; 25 (4%) reported becoming infected with COVID-19; and 170 (28.6%) reported ward closure for over a week during the clerkship. Greater impact was reported for patient availability (mean=7.08), mental status assessments (mean=6.3), developing rapport (mean=6.2), and diagnostic skills (mean=5.9), whereas the impact on peer-learning (mean=5.5) and self-study (mean=3.6) was relatively lower. Impact on clinical components of the final exam (mean=6) was rated higher than on theory components (mean=4.5). The majority (70.3%) reported that COVID-19-related stress affected their exam preparations. Higher resilience predicted lower perceived impact on all aspects of training/exam performance. Female gender and ward closure predicted greater impact on diagnostic skills, overall training, and clinical exam performance, whereas being quarantined predicted greater impact on peer-learning and self-study. Conclusion: The pandemic has significantly affected the undergraduate psychiatry training in Sri Lanka, particularly its clinical components. Increasing clinical exposure to patients, managing students' stress, and building their resilience should be key concerns for medical educators during the pandemic.Item Fifty liver transplants: a single centre experience of haemodynamic management in liver transplantation for cirrhosis [part 2](The College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka, 2021) Gunetilleke, B.; Ranamuni, R.; Jayaweera, D.; Welikala, N.; Kerner, V.; Hettiarachchi, D.; Munasinghe, N.; Withanage, R.; Wickremasinghe, N.; Hewage, S.; Fernando, M.; Hettiarachchi, D.; Niriella, M.; Dassanayake, A.; Thilakaratne, S.; Wijesuriya, R.; Liyanage, C.; Siriwardana, R.; Dissanayake, J.; Wijesuriya, N.; Rodrigo, U.; Rodrigo, U.; Mudalige, A.; de Silva, J.Globally, an estimated one million deaths occur annually due to complications of cirrhosis. Cirrhosis with end stage liver disease [ESLD] is a leading cause death due to non- communicable diseases in Sri Lanka. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD] and alcohol related liver disease [ARLD] are the principal causes of ESLD due to cirrhosis in Sri Lanka. Liver transplantation remains the only curative treatment for such patients. Multiorgan dysfunction and hemodynamic instability characteristic of ESLD adds to the complexity of perioperative care in liver transplantation. Maintenance of stable hemodynamics including optimal hemostasis forms the core of the anaesthetic strategy in liver transplantation.Item Fifty liver transplants: a single centre experience of haemodynamic management in liver transplantation for cirrhosis [part 1](College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka, 2021) Gunetilleke, B.; Ranamuni, R.; Jayaweera, D.; Welikala, N.; Kerner, V.; Munasinghe, N.; Withanage, R.; Wickremasinghe, N.; Hewage, S.; Wijesuriya, N.; Rodrigo, U.; Mudalige, A.; Fernando, M.; Hettiarachchi, D.; Dissanayake, J.; Niriella, M.; Dassanayake, A.; Thilakaratne, S.; de Silva, J.; Siriwardana, R.; WIjesuriya, R.; Liyanage, C.ABSTRACT: Cirrhosis with end stage liver disease (ESLD) is a leading cause of non-communicable disease related deaths in Sri Lanka. Liver transplantation is the only curative treatment for patients with ESLD. The complex multisystem involvement and unique cardiovascular profile characteristic of ESLD present formidable challenges during liver transplantation. Management of the rapid and varied hemodynamic changes during surgery requires an in depth understanding of the physiological effects of each intervention. Based on the current literature and the experience gained at our center during the management of 50 liver transplants, we present optimization strategies and perioperative hemodynamic interventions which we use to ‘Fast track’ recovery following liver transplantation. KEYWORDS: Liver transplantation, cirrhosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcohol related liver diseaseItem Barriers for cataract treatment among elderly in Sri Lanka(Hindawi Publication Corporation, 2019) Nishad, N.; Hewage, S.A.; Arulmoly, K.; Amaratunge, M.S.; de Silva, J.; Kasturiratne, K.T.A.A.; Abeysundara, P.K.; Wickremasinghe, A.R.Cataract is still the leading cause of blindness. Many government institutes and voluntary organizations in Sri Lanka are providing free treatment services to patients with cataract. Still people are not patronizing the available free services; thus they have to live with impaired vision or blindness. This paper describes the barriers for cataract treatment among the population over 60 years of age. Out of 470 elders, 379 were found to have some kind of cataract. This study demonstrated lack of awareness and knowledge, socioeconomic factors, and misconceptions as the main barriers for cataract treatment which has led to a lower cataract surgery rate irrespective of the high cataract prevalence reported. Findings of this study highlight the importance of cataract as a common health problem in elderly and need for removal of the barriers for its treatment which should be given due prominence in the formulation of public health policy in Sri Lanka at the earliest.Item Rickettsial infection among military personnel deployed in Northern Sri Lanka(BioMed Central, 2014) Premaratna, R.; Ariyaratna, N.; Attanayake, C.; Bandara, W.; Chandrasena, N.; de Silva, J.BACKGROUND: Military personnel deployed in field actvities report on frequent tick bites. Therefore they may run the risk of exposure to rickettsial organisms. METHODS: In order to assess the risk of exposure to rickettsial organisms, two groups of military personnel who were deployed in field activities of Nothern Sri Lanka were investigated. The first group was studied in order to assess the sero-prevalence of rickettsioses and consisted of soldiers who were admitted following injuries during field activities. The second group was studied to identify the incidence of acute rickettsioses during their acute febrile presentations. They were tested with IFA-IgG against spotted fever group rickettsioses (SFG), scrub typhus (ST) and murine typhus. RESULTS: In the first group, 48/57 (84%) military personnel had serological evidence of exposure to rickettsioses (in all, IFA-IgG titer ≥ 1:128): 33/50 (66%) to SFG rickettsioses, 1/50 (2%) to ST and 14/50 (28%) had mixed titers for both (in all, titers were higher for SFG). While all of them were in military uniform most of the time and frequently slept on scrub land, 35/57 (61.4%) had never used insect repellents and none were on doxycycline prophylaxis. 48/57 (84%) had experienced tick bites during field activity. In the second group, there were 49 who presented with acute febrile illness with a mean duration of 8.5 days (SD 3.2). 33/49 (67.3%) were serologically positive for acute rickettsioses (IgG ≥1:256); 26 (79%) due to ST and 7 (21%) due to SFG rickettsioses, CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to rickettsial disease was common among soldiers who were deployed in Northern Sri Lanka. Scrub typhus was the predominent species accounting for acute febrile illness. Further studies are needed to understand the reasons for very high sero-prevalence for SFG rickettsioses with no anticedent febrile illness. Use of preventive measures was not satisfactory. The high sero-prevelence of SFG rickettsioses is likely to interfere with serological diagnosis of acute SFG rickettsioses in this population.Item Classic polyarteritis nodosa associated with hepatitis C virus infection: a case report(BioMed Central, 2012) Rodrigo, D.; Perera, R.; de Silva, J.INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis C virus has been under-recognized as an etiologic factor for polyarteritis nodosa and the presence of hepatitis C antigenemia in patients with polyarteritis nodosa has been reported as insignificant. In the literature hepatitis C virus-associated polyarteritis nodosa is a rare and controversial entity. CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old Sri Lankan Tamil man presented to our facility with a two-week history of slow-resolving pneumonia of the right mid and lower zones. On physical examination he had panniculitic type tender skin nodules with background livedo reticularis. A skin biopsy was suggestive of a small and medium vessel vasculitis compatible with polyarteritis nodosa. He was tested positive for hepatitis C antibodies. A serum cryoglobulin test was negative but perinuclear antineutrophilic cytoplasmic antibody test was positive. Serum complement levels were reduced. He was diagnosed as having classic polyarteritis nodosa associated with hepatitis C infection. He later developed left-sided radiculopathy involving both upper and lower limbs and an ischemic cardiac event. His hepatitis C infection was managed with polyethylene glycol-interferon 2α combined with oral ribavirin. Simultaneously, his classic polyarteritis nodosa was treated with prednisolone and cyclophosphamide. He made a good recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatitis C virus infection is capable of inducing a fulminant form of vasculitis in the form of polyarteritis nodosa. It may be easily confused early in its course with mixed cryoglobulinemia, which is commonly known to be associated with hepatitis C virus. Awareness of hepatitis C virus-related polyarteritis nodosa helps in diagnosing the condition early so combined immunosuppressive and antiviral treatment can be started as soon as possible