Medicine
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This repository contains the published and unpublished research of the Faculty of Medicine by the staff members of the faculty
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Item Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: confronting the global epidemic requires better awareness(Wiley-Blackwell, 2009) de Silva, H.J.; Dassanayake, A.S.No Abstract availableItem Compliance with the mass chemotherapy program for lymphatic filariasis(Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2001) Kasturiratne, K.T.A.A.; Premaratna, B.A.H.R.; Pathmeswaran, A.; de Silva, N.R.; de Silva, H.J.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate compliance with the single dose mass chemotherapy program for control of filariasis, and to determine factors influencing compliance in the Gampaha district. DESIGN: A prospective study employing a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. METHODS: Four groups comprising individuals over one year old with residence in the Gampaha district for over one year were surveyed. Data collection was started two weeks after the mass chemotherapy program. RESULTS: 2300 questionnaires were distributed, 1983 (86.2 percent) were returned, and 1935 (84.1 percent) were sufficiently complete for analysis (857 males; mean age 39 years, SD equal 19.5). Over 96 percent had heard of filariasis and the mass chemotherapy program, but only 60.3 percent of those over 11 years of age were aware of asymptomatic carriage of the parasite. 1289 (66.6percent) out of the total sample surveyed (1935 individuals) had obtained the diethylcarbamazine tablets, and 1221 (63.1 percent) had taken the drug. Of the possible demographic factors that could have influenced compliance only educational level seemed to play an independent significant role, compliance being lowest at both extremes of educational level. The main problem with compliance was obtaining the drug from distribution centres. CONCLUSIONS: Compliance with the mass chemotherapy program to control filariasis needs improvement. Strategies should include a better system for distributing the drug, and altering the content of the publicity material used by the program to target less compliant groups, and improve aspects of knowledge regarding filariasis that seem inadequate at present.Item Driving and epilepsy in Sri Lanka(Elsevier-W.B. Saunders, 1998) Seneviratne, S.L.; Gunatilake, S.B.; Adhikari, A.A.D.N.W.; de Silva, H.J.Regulations regarding driving for patients with epilepsy vary from country to country. They are well implemented in developed countries, but this is not the case in countries such as Sri Lanka. The aims of this study were to study characteristics of a cohort of patients with epilepsy who were driving or riding a vehicle at present, and study the attitudes of a representative sample of doctors, patients with epilepsy and the general population regarding aspects of driving by patients with epilepsy. Patients with epilepsy attending the medical clinics at the Colombo North General Hospital, Ragama, who were driving, were given a questionnaire and interviewed in order to assess their seizure characteristics. Another questionnaire was administered to epileptic patients visiting the clinics, a sample from the general population (relatives visiting in-patients at the University Medical Unit selected randomly), doctors working at the General Hospital in Ragama and the Base Hospital in Negombo, and general practitioners in the Gampaha district, where these two hospitals are situated, which was designed to assess their views regarding driving by persons with epilepsy. Of the patients with epilepsy interviewed 24.8% were presently driving a vehicle, of them 51% were riding a motorcycle. The attitudes of the general public and patients to driving by epileptic patients were at opposite ends of the spectrum; 97% of the general public being opposed to driving by persons with epilepsy, while epileptics themselves being of the view that the rules should be lax. Doctors thought that there should be some regulations against driving by epileptic patients. These facts must be considered when setting implementable regulations regarding driving by epileptics in developing countries.Item Use of early aspirin in suspected acute myocardial infarction by General Practitioners in Sri Lanka(Elsevier, 1997) Seneviratne, S.L.; Gunatilake, S.B.; de Silva, H.J.Early low dose aspirin therapy is beneficial in myocardial infarction (MI). This study investigated the use of early aspirin therapy in patients with suspected MI by General Practitioners (GP). Patients with MI who were referred to our unit by GPs were studied to see whether aspirin therapy had been initiated before referral. A questionnaire was sent to GPs to test their attitudes and practices regarding early aspirin therapy in suspected MI. Our results indicate that few patients with MI had been given early aspirin therapy. Only a minority of GPs were aware of the benefits of early aspirin therapy in MI, and very few prescribed it. Even when it was prescribed, the dose and route of administration were wrong in most instancesItem Reporting notifiable diseases: methods for improvement, attitudes and community outcome(Oxford University Press, 1997) Seneviratne, S.L.; Gunatilake, S.B.; de Silva, H.J.Notification is an important source of health information. However, it suffers from the serious limitation of under-reporting, especially in 'third world' countries. The aims of this study were to assess the impact of a special notification nurse and ward notification register on the rate of notification from a general medical unit, the knowledge and attitudes of intern medical officers regarding notification, and the community outcome of notification in a Sri Lankan setting. Overall, appointment of a special nurse improved notification rates from 9.7 percent to 62.1percent, and the addition of a special ward notification register further improved the rate to 95.1 percent The results also indicated that, although a majority of intern medical officers were aware of notifiable diseases and the importance of notification, only a few of them always notified notifiable diseases. One of the main reasons given for this was that the majority of them felt that no useful action was taken on notifications by the preventive health authorities, a view that was held because there was no feedback information regarding the notifications. However, during the period of this study nearly 80 percent of all notifications were successfully investigated by the relevant medical officer of health office. The appointment of a nurse dedicated to notification and introduction of a ward notification register could greatly improve notification rates. Better communication between curative and preventive health sectors would improve attitudes of doctors regarding notification.