Dear Editor, The Academy of Medicine, Singapore (AMS) guideline on the use of sedation by non-anaesthesiologists during gastrointestinal endoscopy in the hospital setting and an accompanying editorial were published in the January 2022 issue of the Annals.1,2 An evidence-based approach was used with reference made to relevant published literature. The...

Alagille syndrome (AS) or arteriohepatic dysplasia is a genetic disorder transmitted in an autosomal dominant inheritance. The chromosomal abnormality has been identified to the short arm of chromosome 20. This article is available only as a PDF. Please click on “Download PDF” on top to view the full article.

There is a trend in Asia towards a greater application of psychotherapeutic approaches in multidisciplinary settings to emotional and behavioural disturbances. The inaugural issue of Asian Psychologist announced landmarks in the education and training of clinical psychology in two major Asian communities. This article is available only as a PDF....

“A properly planned and executed clinical trial is a powerful technique for assessing the effectiveness of an intervention”. While each new clinical trial involves unique issues relevant to a particular condition or disease, overarching common guidelines for all studies provide the framework for obtaining meaningful results. This article is available...

The clinical behaviour of phyllodes tumours (PTs) of the breast is difficult to predict.1-5 While histological features have been traditionally used as predictors of clinical outcome, specific parameters that define recurrent likelihood are still not universally agreed upon.2 Though grade,6,7 stromal overgrowth,8,9 tumour necrosis and heterologous stromal elements,10 or...

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a spectrum of diseases ranging from primary snoring to obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). A recent review suggested that the prevalence of childhood OSA diagnosed by varying criteria was 1% to 4%. This article is available only as a PDF. Please click on “Download PDF” on...

Despite apparent similarities to adult sleep medicine, the disorders of paediatric sleep medicine have a distinct epidemiology and pathophysiology. During childhood, the physiology of sleep develops and matures, resulting in changing patterns of normal behaviours and of sleep disorders. This article is available only as a PDF. Please click on...

The prevalence rates of myopia, including high myopia (spherical equivalent at least –6.0 diopters), are rising to epidemic proportions in Asia. Singapore has one of the highest rates of myopia in the world.1-3 To address this huge public health problem, the national disease control plan for prevention and control...

Scorpion stings represent an important and serious public health problem worldwide due to their high incidence and potentially severe and often fatal clinical manifestations, especially among children. The severity of the envenomation is related to haemodynamic and cardiorespiratory alterations, with cardiac failure and cardiogenic pulmonary oedema being the major...

Bacteraemia refers to the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream. The presence or absence of toxicity differentiates occult bacteraemia, which is relatively asymptomatic, from bacteraemia and sepsis, which is accompanied by findings of serious systemic illness. This article is available only as a PDF. Please click on “Download PDF” on...

The prevalence of asthma ranges from 1% to 18% worldwide and it remains a significant cause of morbidity and economic burden despite advances in its knowledge, detection and treatment. Asthma is very common in Singapore and it consumes a considerable amount of healthcare service resources. This article is available only...

Sepsis in children is a global health issue. The Global Health Observatory estimates that 58% of deaths in children under 5 years old are caused by infectious diseases. Mortality increases as sepsis progresses to septic shock. The implementation of childhood vaccination programmes and the advent of vaccines such as...

Dear Editor, We presented recommendations for neuromuscular monitoring during anaesthesia, which were approved by the Council of the College of Anaesthesiologists, Singapore in September 2019 and the Council of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore in May 2021. Neuromuscular blocking drugs (NMBDs) are used to facilitate tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation;...

There has been growing interest in the use of dietary supplementation to treat psychiatric disorders. In particular, supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids has been researched as a potential means of preventing and managing psychopathology. These fatty acids are ingested through dietary sources (e.g. fish), with inadequate concentrations implicated in...

Head injuries are common childhood injuries that present to paediatric emergency departments. Falls are the most common cause in young children, while contact sports and road traffic injuries are common causes in school-going children. Majority of paediatric head injury cases are mild traumatic brain injuries, defined as a Glasgow...