Dataset Information

Patch testing in Lao medical students.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Dermatological services in Laos, South East Asia are limited to the capital and patch testing is currently not available, so no data exists regarding the common cutaneous allergens in this population. OBJECTIVES:The aim of this study was to document positive patch tests in medical students without evidence of contact dermatitis in Laos. PATIENTS/MATERIALS/METHODS:One hundred and fifty medical students were patch tested using TRUE Test® panels 1 to 3 (35 allergens). Readings were taken at Days 2 and 4. RESULTS:Thirty-eight students (25.3%) had a positive reaction to at least one allergen, accounting for 52 reactions in total. The proportion of the students with positive patch test reading was significantly higher in the female [33/96 (34%)] than in the male [5/54 (9%)], p<0.001. The most common allergens were: nickel (10%), gold (6.6%), thiomersal (6.6%), cobalt dichloride (2%) and p-tert-Butylphenol formaldehyde resin (2%). Balsam of Peru (0.66%), black rubber mix (0.66%), Cl+Me-Isothiazolinone (0.66%), fragrance mix 1 (0.66%), quinolone mix (0.66%), methyldibromo glutaronitrile (0.66%), mercapto mix (0.66%), epoxy resin (0.66%), paraben mix (0.66%), thiuram (0.66%) and wool alcohols (0.66%) accounted for all of the other positive reactions. CONCLUSION:This study represents the first documented patch test results in Lao medical students and in the adult Lao population. The results of this study will inform any future research into contact allergy in Laos and give an insight into the background level of contact sensitivity in this population.

SUBMITTER: Wootton CI

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6964850 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Patch testing in Lao medical students.

Wootton Catriona I CI Soukavong Mick M Kidoikhammouan Sonexai S Samountry Bounthome B English John S C JSC Mayxay Mayfong M

PloS one 20200116 1

<h4>Background</h4>Dermatological services in Laos, South East Asia are limited to the capital and patch testing is currently not available, so no data exists regarding the common cutaneous allergens in this population.<h4>Objectives</h4>The aim of this study was to document positive patch tests in medical students without evidence of contact dermatitis in Laos.<h4>Patients/materials/methods</h4>One hundred and fifty medical students were patch tested using TRUE Test® panels 1 to 3 (35 allergens ...[more]

PMID: 31945067

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundThe dearth of health workers in rural settings in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) and other developing countries limits healthcare access and outcomes. In evaluating non-wage financial incentive packages as a potential policy option to attract health workers to rural settings, understanding the expected costs and effects of the various programs ex ante can assist policy-makers in selecting the optimal incentive package.MethodsWe use discrete choice experiments (DCEs), costing analyses and recent empirical results linking health worker density and health outcomes to estimate the future location decisions of physicians and determine the cost-effectiveness of 15 voluntary incentives packages for new physicians in Lao PDR. Our data sources include a DCE survey completed by medical students (n = 329) in May 2011 and secondary cost, economic and health data. Mixed logit regressions provide the basis for estimating how each incentive package influences rural versus urban location choice over time. We estimate the expected rural density of physicians and the cost-effectiveness of 15 separate incentive packages from a societal perspective. In order to generate the cost-effectiveness ratios we relied on the rural uptake probabilities inferred from the DCEs, the costing data and prior World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that relate health outcomes to health worker density.ResultsRelative to no program, the optimal voluntary incentive package would increase rural physician density by 15% by 2016 and 65% by 2041. After incorporating anticipated health effects, seven (three) of the 15 incentive packages have anticipated average cost-effectiveness ratio less than the WHO threshold (three times gross domestic product [GDP] per capita) over a 5-year (30 year) period. The optimal package's incremental cost-effectiveness ratio is $1454/QALY (quality-adjusted life year) over 5 years and $2380/QALY over 30 years. Capital intensive components, such as housing or facility improvement, are not efficient.ConclusionConditional on using voluntary incentives, Lao PDR should emphasize non-capital intensive options such as advanced career promotion, transport subsidies and housing allowances to improve physician distribution and rural health outcomes in a cost-effective manner. Other countries considering voluntary incentive programs can implement health worker/trainee DCEs and costing surveys to determine which incentive bundles improve rural uptake most efficiently but should be aware of methodological caveats.

Project description:ObjectivesTo investigate the prevalence of and attitudes to smoking among third year medical, pharmacy, dentistry and nursing students in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR).DesignA cross-sectional survey conducted among third year university level, health professional students. The survey used a self-administered questionnaire which was originally developed by WHO, and modified to suit the setting.SettingThe setting was the University of Health Sciences in Vientiane, the capital of Lao PDR. Participants were recruited from the Faculties of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Nursing. At the time of the survey, 521 third year students were enrolled.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome measure was prevalence of current cigarette smoking and other tobacco use. Smoking status was categorised as: current smoker, ex-smoker and non-smoker with current smokers defined as those who had smoked cigarettes or used other tobacco on one or more days during the previous 30 days.ResultsIn total, 506 respondents completed the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 97.1% to 98.5% across the different faculties. Overall smoking prevalence was 5.07% (95% CI 3.2% to 7.1%), which is lower than previously reported national prevalence rates. Women reported smoking less than men did (OR=0.56, 95% CI=0.013 to 0.242; p=0.003). The majority of students supported tobacco control measures. The number of people who reported receiving formal training in tobacco cessation counselling ranged from 10.9% (95% CI 5.3% to 19.1%) among nursing students to 51.1% (95% CI 40.4% to 61.7%) among medical students.ConclusionsSmoking prevalence among this cohort was relatively low. Students were supportive of tobacco control policies. Further research is needed to understand what is working in this context, in order to apply lessons learnt in similar settings. In the meantime, health professional students should be provided health education to discourage tobacco use. Information on tobacco control policies needs to be more widely disseminated.

Dataset Information

Patch testing in Lao medical students.

Publications

Patch testing in Lao medical students.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets