Letter to the Editor
Gaps in primary care management of urinary tract infections in Singapore
Dear Editor,
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common presentation in primary care, but gaps of care have not been well established in Singapore. UTIs are one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide,1 constituting around 1% of all ambulatory clinic visits.2 The healthcare burden of UTIs remains highly significant,...
Original Article
Poorer outcomes following COVID-19 infection for patients with depression: A cohort analysis in South Korea
In the early days of the pandemic, a major public health focus was to slow the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, the emphasis was on protecting the elderly, immunocompromised, and patients with respiratory and other underlying medical conditions. However, as COVID-19 continues to prolong, the concept of a new “normal”...
Commentary
Re-examining the roles of generalists and specialists in healthcare
Singapore is one of many Asian countries facing the challenge of an ageing population. Its population grew from 1.65 million to 5.45 million from 1960 to 2021. By 2030, 25% will be aged 65 or older.1 Meanwhile, the proportion of older adults with three or more chronic diseases nearly...
Review Article
National surgical antibiotic prophylaxis guideline in Singapore
Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) refers to the administration of antibiotics prior to clean and clean-contaminated surgeries to prevent postoperative surgical site infections (SSIs). An optimal SAP should be highly effective in preventing SSI. An ideal prophylactic antibiotic regimen is: (1) effective against pathogens—generally skin flora—most likely to contaminate the...
Original Article
Consequences of Right Siting of Endocrinology Patients – A Financial and Caseload Simulation
Right siting, defined as “patients treated in the most appropriate locations by medically competent teams at the lower possible cost”, has been on the national healthcare agenda for a number of years, even meriting mention and discussion in the Singapore Parliament. Internationally, the term “appropriate siting” is more commonly...
Original Article
Prospective Audit of Febrile Neutropenia Management at a Tertiary University Hospital in Singapore
Febrile neutropenia (FN) is considered a medical emergency and remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Oncology and Haematology units worldwide. A study analysing pooled FN data from 115 US academic medical centres between 1995 and 2000 showed that the overall in-hospital mortality was 9.5%, whereas pooled...
Original Article
Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci in Singaporean Hospitals: 5-year results of a Multi-centre Surveillance Programme
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) rapidly became a significant cause of nosocomial infections in many modern hospitals worldwide following its emergence in 1986 in UK and France. Although of lower virulence compared to other common nosocomial pathogens, these hardy organisms can cause serious and life-threatening infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. In...