Abstract: Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common causes of chronic pain and disability. In addition, many studies have shown that laser acupuncture (LA) has a great analgesic effect and minimal side effects. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of LA combined with knee exercises (KE) in patients with KOA.

Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted on 60 patients with KOA at Le Van Thinh Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City from May 2021 to September 2022. Patients were randomly allocated to LA group (n = 30) with KE combined LA or the therapeutic ultrasound (TU) group (n = 30) with KE combined with TU in 4 weeks. The outcome measurements were visual analog scale (VAS) scores and knee range of motion (ROM). The data were collected at 5 time points: T0 (baseline) and after every week of treatment.

Results: After a 4-week treatment, the VAS score of patients in LA groups decreased from 6(5-6) to 3 cm (2-4) (p < 0.01) but was not significantly different when compared to patients in TU groups. In contrast, there is an improvement in the ROM score of patients, from 132.5 (130 – 140) to 140 (140 – 140) with the KOA, and has significantly different when compared to patients in TU groups (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: LA combined with KE exhibited equivalent analgesic effects and increased knee ROM in patients KOA after 2, 3, and 4-week treatment.

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a common chronic disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. Besides HF treatments aimed to improve patients’ quality of life and health status, health education interventions for behavioral changes ensuring their adherence to treatment are very important. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of behavioral health education interventions on knowledge, treatment adherence, and quality of life of patients with HF.

Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 330 patients were selected and randomly distributed into intervention and control groups (n = 165 per group). Data were collected at the time points before the intervention and three months after the intervention using the Dutch Heart Failure Knowledge Scale (DHFKS), Revised Heart Failure Compliance Scale (RHFCS), and quality of life (EQ-5D-5L v2.1, Vietnamese version).

Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in HF knowledge or quality of life at baseline. After three months of health education intervention, intervention group significant increase to 1.68 times (95%CI: 1.05 – 2.69; p=0.03) in overall HF knowledge; 1.91 times (95%CI: 1.25 – 2.92; p=0.003) in general HF knowledge and 1.59 times (95%CI: 1.03 – 2.45; p=0.038) in behavior of exercise when compare to control group.  However, the quality of life did not change significantly after the intervention.

Conclusions: Although the health education intervention had no impact on the quality of life of patients with HF, it was effective in improving their HF knowledge and treatment adherence.

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is one of the most common diseases worldwide, with a high prevalence and mortality, creating a significant cost burden on patients, society, and the healthcare system. As a result, extensive research has been conducted to investigate advanced treatment methods for heart failure, and patient adherence plays a crucial role in optimizing treatment effectiveness. This study aims to describe the current status of patients’ knowledge, treatment adherence, and quality of life among outpatients with heart failure visiting for routine treatment at Nhan Dan Gia Dinh Hospital.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted on 330 outpatients with heart failure who were visited for routine treatment at Nhan Dan Gia Dinh Hospital. All data were collected through face-to-face interviews using constructed questionnaires.

Results: The study showed the limit of heart failure knowledge among patients, with a mean score of 5.2 ± 2.3. Only 4.8% of patients were adequate overall heart failure knowledge. The treatment adherence was limited, with an overall adherence rate of 20.9%. The patient’s quality of life was generally stable at a high level, with a mean of 0.871 for the descriptive system score and 0.697 for the standardized VAS score.

Conclusion: The adherence rate of patients with HF was low, particularly among those with non-drug adherence. Very few patients with heart failure have adequate knowledge of heart failure. More support and health education programs on heart failure treatment adherence are needed for patients to increase their knowledge, adherence and improve their quality of life.

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a health problem that must be taken care of during pregnancy. If not treated promptly, UTIs can progress to severe and leave unpredictable complications for both mother and fetus. Currently, in Vietnam, there are few studies on UTIs in pregnancy, especially on pathogens as well as their antibiotic susceptibility characteristics.

Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the bacteria rates among pregnant women with UTI symptoms and antibiotic resistance patterns.

Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, a total of 178 pregnant women at Thuan Kieu General Clinic from 05/2022 to 07/2022 were recruited. Urine from these patients was cultured on BA, MC, and CHROMagarTM Orientation.

Results: The infection ratio was 30.3%. The rate of Gram-positive cocci was 77.8%, and the rate of Gram-negative bacilli was 22.2%. Specifically, the highest proportion was the group of Staphylococcus coagulase negative with 26 samples at 46.3%; Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in all 8 samples at 14.8%; samples infected with Streptococci and Enterococci at 14.8% and 1.9%; 6 samples infected with E. coli with 11.1%; 4 samples infected by Acinetobacter sp with 7.4%; and the remaining were infected with Klebsiella sp with 3.7%. In addition, in the study, two samples of Staphylococci resistant to Methicillin were isolated at 3.7%. The rate of pathogenic bacteria resistant to the old single antibiotics of the β-lactam is high, while the combined antibiotics give good treatment efficiency with both negative and positive cultures.

Conclusion: The rate of UTI in pregnant women is 30.3%. Pathogens mainly found include Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Klebsiella sp, and Acinetobacter sp. E. coli is no longer the leading cause of UTIs. As a replacement, there was an increase in Gram-positive cocci as Staphylococci. Recommended antibiotics for UTIs are nitrofurantoin, and β-lactam antibiotics in combination, such as amoxicillin-clavulanate, and piperacillin-tazobactam.

Introduction: CAD/CAM restorations of deep cavities are the challenges faced by intraoral-scanner (IOS) for accurate 3D data acquisition. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of cavity depth on the accuracy of intraoral digital impressions.

Methods: Three different mesio-occlusal class II inlay cavities on first maxillary molars were designed and 3D-printed with respective proximal box’s height of 1, 2 and 3mm (group 1, 2, 3 respectively), each of which was scanned 10 times using an IOS. The reference scans of inlay cavities were obtained by an industrial scanner. Data were 3D superimposed with reference impression for trueness (n=10) and intergroup superimposed (n=45) for precision. Outcome variables for value of trueness were mean average deviation (mm), minimum/maximum average deviation (mm) and unacceptable/total elements distribution ratio (%), and for value of precision was mean average deviation (mm).

Results: The 1mm-depth group resulted in the best trueness and precision significantly. For the trueness, there were significant differences between 3 groups with each other, the lowest deviation was for group 1 (21μm) statistically, followed by group 2 (24μm), group 3 (26μm). For the precision, group 1 showed the lowest scattered images statistically (mean deviation 4.7μm), then group 2, 3 (6μm and 13.8μm respectively). The deviated areas were located mostly at gingival walls of the cavity.

Conclusion: The deeper the cavity, the less accurate the digital impressions, which may raise clinical concerns. It suggests the cavity elevation with resin composite might optimize the 3D acquisition of IOS to ensure the fitness of CAD-CAM restorations.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a prevalent condition with growing interest in traditional medicine (TM) treatment. However, there is a dearth of TM epidemiological data on GERD in Vietnam. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of TM patterns and evaluate their association with the severity of GERD to lay the groundwork for clinical practice.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, from December 2021 to May 2022. GERD patients diagnosed by gastroenterologists were enrolled in the survey. The PIGERD tool was used to classify patients into TM patterns. Demographic characteristics and GERD questionnaire (GERDQ) scores were also collected. Statistical analyses were performed to determine the proportion of each TM pattern and the distribution of GERDQ scores within each pattern.

Results: Among the 384 surveyed GERD patients, the Liver qi invading Stomach (LQIS) pattern had the highest proportion (49.2%), followed by Spleen-Stomach weakness (24.7%), Spleen-Stomach dampness-heat (13.3%), and Stomach yin deficiency (12.8%). The LQIS pattern also exhibited the highest GERDQ score (median [interquartile range] of 9 [7, 10]), which significantly differed from the other patterns (p=0.0001). The remaining three patterns had lower GERDQ scores, and the differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05).

Conclusions: LQIS pattern was the most prevalent among GERD patients and had the highest severity. Further multicenter studies are recommended to confirm these findings.

Introduction: Several studies have compared the diagnostic value of sputum induction (SI) with flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) in diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis; however, these investigations yield an inconsistent conclusion. This study aims to evaluate the role of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) testing of SI and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples in suspected pulmonary tuberculosis cases.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted at the Department of Pulmonary in Cho Ray Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) between October 2020 and May 2021. The study comprised 60 patients hospitalized with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis who had at least one negative AFB result from spontaneous sputum or gastric lavage. All participants underwent AFB testing of SI and BAL samples on the same day.

Results: Among 60 patients, 25 (41.7%) were diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis. Of the patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, 13 had positive AFB results, including four cases with both positive AFB SI and positive AFB BAL results. The sensitivity of AFB SI was significantly lower compared to that of AFB BAL (16% vs. 52%, p = 0.0027). The most common complication associated with the SI method was cough (15%). The proportion of patients able to provide sputum using the SI method was significantly higher than those with spontaneous sputum (p = 0.0499, McNemar test).

Conclusions: SI is a safe and effective method for collecting respiratory specimens, even from patients unable to expectorate spontaneous sputum. FOB should be reserved for suspected cases of pulmonary tuberculosis that are negative for AFB in spontaneous sputum, SI, and gastric lavage.

Introduction: A combination of three active ingredients amlodipine besylate, telmisartan, and hydrochlorothiazide has been used and proven effective in the treatment of hypertension in patients with moderate to severe hypertension, while it contributes to a reduction in product costs and increases patient compliance. However, there are no monographs in pharmacopoeias for the simultaneous quantification of these three active ingredients. Therefore, in order to contribute to the establishment of an in-house specification for domestic generic drugs, shorten the time of quantifying each ingredient separately, the study was carried out with the aim of developing and validating procedure for the simultaneous quantification of amlodipine besylate, telmisartan, and hydrochlorothiazide by high performance liquid chromatography.

Methods: In this study, we conducted an investigation into different chromatographic conditions, developed an analytical procedure for the simultaneous quantification of amlodipine besylate, telmisartan, and hydrochlorothiazide in tablets preparation. The procedure was validated in compliance with ICH guidelines.

Results: Suitable chromatographic conditions for simultaneous quantification of amlodipine besylate, telmisartan, and hydrochlorothiazide are: Xterra C18 column (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 μm), detection wavelength 230 nm, gradient program of mobile phase: acetonitrile and phosphate buffer pH 3.0, flow rate 1.0 ml/min, sample injection volume 10 μl, column temperature 30°C. The procedure was validated for systematic suitability, accuracy, specificity, linearity, precision, working range, and robustness.

Conclusion: A procedure for the simultaneous quantification of amlodipine besylate, telmisartan, and hydrochlorothiazide in tablets by high performance liquid chromatography has been successfully developed and validated.

Introduction: There is increasing recognition that acute coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can be followed by a period of long-term symptoms (“long COVID” or post-COVID-19 syndrome [PCS]). This study investigated health issues in patients who had recovered from moderate-severe COVID-19 in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized a questionnaire and telephone interviews in patients with confirmed COVID-19 who were treated in hospital between July 27 and September 15, 2021. The questionnaire gathered data on demographics, symptoms during acute COVID-19, and symptoms in the post-COVID-19 period. Logistic regression models were used to identify potential contributing factors with health issues after moderate-severe COVID-19. Health issues after moderate-severe COVID-19, similar to post-COVID-19 syndrome, were defined as the appearance of any signs or symptoms that developed during acute illness or after recovery and persisted for ≥12 weeks and could not be explained by any other medical conditions.

Results: Out of 98 individuals who completed the survey, 72 (73.5%) had symptoms after moderate-severe COVID-19. The most common symptoms were hair loss (56.1%), fatigue (42.9%), dyspnea (33.7%), sleep difficulties (26.5%), memory loss (20.4%), persistent cough (12.2%), myalgia (10.2%), muscle weakness (9.2%), palpitation (8.2%), joint pain (8.2%), and persistent sputum (6.1%). Among them, two symptoms - hair loss and fatigue - often co-occurred with dyspnea or sleep difficulties.

Conclusions: This analysis provides the first indication of the relatively high prevalence of health issues in patients who had recovered from moderate-severe COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This could help the local health system to detect and manage health issues after moderate-severe COVID-19 in the future.

Introduction: The menopause rating scale (MRS) has been proven to be a reliable tool for quantifying the impact of menopausal symptoms and aiding clinicians in prescribing appropriate treatments worldwide. However, the Vietnamese-MRS (VN-MRS) has not been developed. This research aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the VN-MRS, and identify factors that are associated with menopausal symptoms in women aged 50 to 59.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 200 women aged 50 - 59 years in Vietnam from February 2020 to June 2020. The MRS was translated into Vietnamese following the procedure from the Berlin Center for Epidemiology and Health Research and adjusted to fit the local culture. Reliability was assessed by using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and repeatability (using Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) at 2-week intervals). Validity was assessed by concurrent validity and construct validity.

Results: Cronbach's alpha for the total score was 0.89. Repeatability (test-retest) was valued as “very good” (ICC = 0.991). The fit indices for construct validity, after adjustment, were: χ2 (39) = 67.78 with p = 0.003; SRMR = 0.042; TLI = 0.971; CFI = 0.979; RMSEA = 0.061 90% confidence interval (CI) (0.035 – 0.084). Concurrent validity demonstrated an inverse correlation with the SF-36 survey (r = - 0.87; p<0.001). Age, education, and menopausal period were contributed to the menopausal score.

Conclusions: The VN-MRS has good reliability and validity, making it suitable for assessing the severity of menopausal symptoms in middle-aged Vietnamese women.

The miR-144-3p was discovered to upregulate in osteoarthritis. However, the function of this molecule is still poorly understood. Identification of microRNA target genes could shed a light on miRNA functions.  In this project, we aim to identify a direct target of miR-144-3p. Potential targets of miR-144-3p were predicted by bioinformatic algorithms. Expression of ADAMTSL3 in miRNA-144-3p gain-and-loss-of function experiment was quantified by Realtime-PCR. Next, the 3'UTR of ADAMTSL3 containing miR-144-3p-binding sites was subcloned in the 3’UTR of the Firefly luciferase gene on the pmiRGlo. To test the complementary binding of miR-144-3p to ADAMTSL3 mRNA, we employed the luciferase assay using pmiRGlo-ADAMTSL3 vector or pmiRGlo-ADAMTSL3 mutant in which miR-144-3p binding sites in the 3’UTR was mutated. Results showed that miRNA-144-3p directly inhibits the expression of ADAMTSL3 through its ability to pair at "seed" sites. This study provides evidence for the interaction of miRNA-144-3p and its target, ADAMTSL3 mRNA, in chondrocytes.

Introduction: Auricular acupuncture (AA) is a method of Traditional Medicine that has been used for a long time to treat many diseases, including stroke. This study aimed to examine the effect of auricular acupuncture combined with electro-acupuncture and physiotherapy exercise in the motor rehabilitation of patients with ischemic stroke.

Methods: 128 patients after ischemic stroke participated in this RCT, then were randomly assigned to either the AA-study group (auricular acupuncture combined with electro-acupuncture and conventional therapy) or the CT - control group (sham auricular acupuncture combined with electro- acupuncture and conventional therapy). They were treated and monitored for six consecutive weeks. Clinical outcomes were measured using the Barthel Index (BI), Fugl Meyer Assessment (FMA), and Motricity Index (MI) scales at two-time points, including before and six weeks after initiation of the intervention.

Results: After six weeks, FMA, BI, and MI scores were significantly higher than before treatment (p < 0.05) in both groups. Specifically, the study group had a statistically significant improvement compared to the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: This study shows that auricular acupuncture in combination with electro-acupuncture and physiotherapy exercise was more effective than electro-acupuncture and physiotherapy exercise in improving motor function in patients after ischemic stroke.

Introduction: Auricular Acupuncture (AA) is both a diagnostic method and a treatment used to relieve pain and alleviate addictions. The effects and biological mechanisms of AA on the human body have been increasingly observed in clinical and experimental studies based on the gate control theory and the endogenous opioids theory. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in facial pain thresholds among healthy volunteers after applying AA to acupoints on both auricles.

Methods: This was a pilot study with a crossover randomized controlled trial design. 66 healthy volunteers with normal hemodynamic indexes were randomly assigned to one of two groups to receive AA treatment at the Shenmen point, Sympathetic point, Adrenal gland point, Jaw point, and Tooth point of either the left or right auricle (phase 1). 7 days later, participants received sham acupuncture at the same points (phase 2).

Results: In phase 1, the results showed that AA at these points in either auricle increased the pain threshold of the facial skin statistically significantly (p<0.05). No statistically significant difference was detected in the sham acupuncture phase.

Conclusions: This suggests that AA can be used as a non-pharmacological adjunct to facial pain relief.

Introduction: Measuring scales are an indispensable tool in rehabilitation interventions, especially when you want to intervene with Traditional medicine methods on post-stroke patients. Appropriate scales are a prerequisite to assessing treatment response, the degree of recovery, and the value of the intervention method. The Barthel Index (BI) is a common scale used to measure activity function (activities of daily living - ADL), while the Fugl Meyer Assessment (FMA) and Motricity Index (MI) are commonly used scales to measure motor function.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 128 post-stroke patients with hemiplegia from March 2021 to November 2022. Spearman's test assessed the correlation of 3 scales: BI, FMA, and MI.

Results: FMA and MI significantly correlate with BI, with correlation coefficients of r = 0.659 and r = 0.748, respectively. The subdomains of FMA, including FMA-UE (upper extremity), FMA-LE (lower extremity), and MI, including MI-UE (upper extremity), MI-LE (lower extremity), TCT (Trunk Control Test), are also highly correlated with BI.

Conclusions: Research results show that scales such as FMA and MI strongly correlate with BI and can be a valuable tool to support the comprehensive assessment of motor and activity function in post-stroke patients.

Introduction: Removing the third molar is a common dental surgery that often results in swelling and discomfort, impacting the patient's wellbeing. Previous studies have shown that auricular acupuncture (AA) can effectively alleviate pain after surgery. This study aimed to assess the pain-relieving benefits of AA for patients undergoing third molar surgery.

Methods: A clinical trial using a split-mouth design and double-blind methodology was conducted at the Dental Clinic of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh city between March 2022 and March 2023. Participants had both sides of their third molars extracted, with one side receiving AA in combination with postoperative pain relief medication, and the other side receiving sham AA along with postoperative pain relief medication. Pain levels at 2, 24, 48, and 72 hours after surgery, and the amount of pain medication used was recorded. Additionally, any side effects resulting from the AA treatment were also evaluated.

Results: The pain levels measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) decreased over time for both intervention periods after surgery, with statistically significant lower VAS scores observed in the AA time compared to the sham AA time. The amount of 500mg/tablet paracetamol used after the intervention also decreased over time for both periods. At all-time points, the amount of paracetamol used in the AA group was lower than the sham AA group. No adverse effects were reported in either group.

Conclusions: AA was effective for relieving pain after madibular third molar surgery and reducing amount of paracetamol tablets.

Introduction: Depression is a common mental disorder; however, no study has investigated adolescent and late-life depression in Vietnam, and little has been done to compare the clinical characteristics among age groups of patients with this condition in the literature. Therefore, the study aims to examine the differences in symptom presentation among adolescents, adults, and the elderly with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods: A total of 238 patients diagnosed with MDD according to the DSM-5, including 43 aged 10 to 17 years old, 74 aged 18 to 59 years old, and 121 aged 60 and older, were recruited in a cross-sectional study from March to August 2022 at three psychiatric clinics in Ho Chi Minh City. The eligible participant completed an epidemiological questionnaire.

Results: All participants exhibited depressed mood, and 58.8% admitted to having suicidal ideation, with an alarming rate among adolescents (72.1%). Adolescents were less likely to experience the symptoms of interest decrease, appetite problems, insomnia, fatigue, and anxious distress than these other groups (p < 0.05). The pattern of symptom profiles in depressed adults largely remained the same in the older patients, except for psychomotor retardation and concentration problems, in which the latter were less likely to exhibit these symptoms compared to the first one (p<0.001).

Conclusion: Adolescents appear to experience fewer depressive symptoms than adults and the elderly, while the two later groups show similar clinical presentations. Therefore, the differences in symptoms across age groups necessitate an individual approach and management by clinicians.

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in whole blood samples are commonly used to diagnose diabetes and monitor the effectiveness of glycemic control. However, there have not been many studies evaluating changes in HbA1c concentration under different storage conditions and analytical methods. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of %HbA1c stored at different temperature conditions using immunoassays in order to improve the quality of HbA1c test. Whole blood samples collected from 10 healthy volunteers were anticoagulated with K2 EDTA and stored at the following temperatures: 20-25°C, 2-8°C, and -20°C. %HbA1c in human whole blood samples at each time point was determined simultaneously on Standard F Analyzer (%HbA1c-S) with reagent kit based on a reflectometry and immunoassay technology, and Erba XL640 system (%HbA1c-E) used immunoturbidimetric method, respectively. %HbA1c was assessed as stable when the difference in HbA1c level at the later time point was not statistically significant (p >0.05) compared with baseline (T0). Results showed that a positive correlation between %HbA1c-S and %HbA1c-E at T0 (r=0.9996) was observed at room temperature. %HbA1c-S was stabilized for 24 hours at 20-25°C, for 2 days at 2-8°C and for more than 1 month at -20°C. %HbA1c-E was stable for 12 hours at 20-25°C; less than 1 day at 2-8°C, and less than 1 month at -20°C. In conclusion, human whole blood samples for HbA1c determination can be stored for up to 1 month at -20°C.

Background and Aim: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a common pathology that affects the quality of human life. It is essential to promote clinical intervention studies. Our initial step in this study focused on the cure for CTS and the safety of Laser Acupuncture (LA), which is a type of acupuncture uses low-level laser instead of metal acupuncture needles.

Method: This is a before-after interventional study based on a group of 38 CTS patients, ranging from mild to moderate. Intervention using LA 5 times per week for 4 weeks, using low-level laser with a continuous wavelength of 655 nm, wattage of 5 mW/point, dose of 6 J/point, and direction perpendicular to the skin surface, in 10 pressure points on the affected hand, including PC4, PC6, PC7, PC8, LI4, LI10, LI1, HT3, HT7, LU10. The change in the Symptom Severity Scale (SSS), Functional Status Scale (FSS) through the Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire (BCTQ) and adverse events were monitored to assess the effectiveness and safety of LA.

Results: At the second and fourth weeks, respectively, the SSS score decreased from 28 (27-33) to 14 (14-21) and 12 (11-13); this difference was statistically significant (p<0001). Similarly, the FSS score decreased from 13 (13-15) to 8 (8-10), 8 (8-8), and the difference was statistically significant (p<0001). Following the intervention, 37% (CI 95%, 23-53%) of patients experienced complete symptom recovery and 100% experienced complete functional recovery. No side effects were noted during the treatment.

Conclusion: LA was initially shown to be safe and effective in the treatment of CTS by improving symptoms and rehabilitation.

Introduction: Hepatitis B infection has become a social burden in over the world due to its high prevalence, while the treatments still do not offer the desired effects. Literature showed that combining traditional medicine with modern drugs was able to inhibit the proliferation of the hepatitis B virus, thus making it an effective treatment. To compare the efficacy of Tenofovir monotherapy versus Tenofovir and Phyllanthus Amari combination therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients.

Materials and methods: Randomized controlled clinical trial on 200 chronic hepatitis B patients with HBeAg (+); divided into 2 groups: The combination therapy group used Phyllanthus Amari product and Tenofovir for treatment and the monotherapy group with Tenofovir.

Results: The serological, biological, and virological responses in the combination therapy group were earlier than those in the monotherapy group. Statistically significant differences in serological responses between the combination therapy versus monotherapy group were achieved from the 3rd (59% versus 33%, p=0.021) to the 18th month (99% versus 91%, p=0.029). Statistically significant differences in biochemical responses between the combination therapy versus monotherapy group were achieved from the 9th (12% versus 1%, p=0.003) to the 18th month (35% versus 21%, p=0.040). Statistically significant differences in virological response between the combination therapy versus monotherapy group were achieved from the 6th (23% versus 10%, p=0.021) to the 18th month (97% versus 88%, p=0.029).

Conclusion: The combination of Tenofovir and the Phyllanthus Amari product is more effective than using only Tenofovir for treatment in chronic hepatitis B patients with HBeAg-positive.

Introduction: To date no study has investigated speech-related social anxiety for Vietnamese adults who stutter. To carry out such a study, a culturally and linguistically relevant assessment tool is required but is not yet available. The objectives of this study were to translate and adapt the UTBAS-6 scale into Vietnamese and evaluate the validity and reliability of the Vietnamese version of the scale for use with Vietnamese adults who stutter.

Methods: The translation process included forward and backward translation, synthesis, and expert review. The final version was administered to 34 Vietnamese adults who stutter. Content validity was assessed by experts working in the field of speech and language therapy. Face validity was assessed by study participants. Convergent and divergent validities were used to determine the construct validity. Cronbach’s alpha was used to test the internal consistency and intraclass correlation coefficient to determine test-retest reliability.

Results: S-CVIs of “Relevance” and “Clarity” of the scale were in the range of 0.83-1.00, showing a high consensus of the expert panel. All participants stated that the Vietnamese version was related to stuttering and was easy to understand. The convergent validity was at 88.9% of the items, and the divergent validity was at 61.1% of the items. Alpha coefficients of three subscales and total scale were greater than 0.7. The test-retest reliability of the scales was moderate.

Conclusions: The results of the study provided preliminary information on the validity and reliability of the Vietnamese version of the UTBAS-6 scale. Further studies with a representative and larger sample size are needed to ensure the accuracy of the findings.

Introduction: Findings of experiences and impacts of stuttering on adult people who stutter (PWS) from previous qualitative studies may not be true for PWS in Vietnam, because of cultural, social, and environmental differences. Until now, there has been no study of stuttering in adult Vietnamese PWS, therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the experiences and impacts of stuttering in adult Vietnamese PWS across their lifespan and on different areas of their lives.

Methods: This is a qualitative descriptive study. Participants were recruited via the social networking site of the Vietnamese stuttering community (ECHO Vietnam). Each person was screened for developmental stuttering by an experienced and independent speech language therapist. Semi-structured interview was used for data collection. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Results: Fear of stuttering, being teased by friends, unfavorable family reactions made PWS less confident, self-isolated, thereby having negative impacts on studying, working, and social relations. Beside negative experiences, a few showed empathy and support from teachers, relatives, and friends. PWS had low access to stuttering treatment because of lacking of official information on stuttering treatment. Self-help groups have played an active role in the treatment and emotional support for PWS.

Conclusion: This study provided preliminary information about the experiences and impacts of stuttering in Vietnamese adult PWS. Further studies are needed to obtain deeper and more comprehensive information. It is necessary, through mass media, especially the internet, to provide information about treatment facilities, or organizations that PWS can join to get counseling about treatment.

Introduction: In Vietnam, gastric cancer (GC) ranks 4th in incidence and 3rd in mortality among all cancers. Most of the new GC cases in Vietnam were diagnosed at an advanced stage. Data on early gastric cancer (EGC) in Vietnam is very limited. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, endoscopic and histopathological characteristics of EGC among Vietnamese patients.

Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted at the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from January 2014 to December 2019.  Electronic medical records of patients with EGC were reviewed to collect data regarding age, gender, endoscopic findings of EGC lesions (including location, size, and their type according to the Japanese classification of gastric carcinoma), and histopathological characteristics of these lesions based on the resected gastric specimens.

Results: Among 1666 patients with GC, there were 67 EGC cases, accounting for 4.0%. All of the patients diagnosed with EGC were older than 40 years. The detection rate of EGCs gradually increased during the study period. The EGC lesions were mostly located in the antrum-incisura angularis (73.1%) with a median diameter of 1.0 cm. Regarding macroscopic types, a majority of these lesions were classified as type 0-IIc (31.3%) and type 0-IIa+0-IIc (29.9%). The most common histological type of EGC was adenocarcinoma (82.1%) and poorly differentiated type (40.3%).

Conclusions: EGCs are mainly detected in individuals aged over 40 years. EGC lesions are commonly located in the antrum-incisura angularis and have characteristic features including the macroscopic and histological types.

Introduction: Auricular acupuncture (AA) is a method for diagnosing and treating physical and psychosomatic dysfunctions by stimulating a specific point in the ear. Some studies prove that the acupoints on the pinna have a corresponding relationship to areas of the body. According to several studies, acupoints on the body may influence the temperature of the corresponding region. In our study, we surveyed the change in temperature of the skin surface at the mandibular area when using AA at the Jaw point on each side of the ear in healthy people.

Methods: A cross-over study with 35 healthy volunteers was conducted in the Acupuncture Experimental Research Lab, Faculty of Traditional Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City from November 2021 to May 2022. Temperatures of the mandibular area before and after using auricular acupuncture were recorded.

Results: After using AA at the Jaw point on the left, the temperature of the left mandibular area was increased statistically from that before (from 34.34 ± 0.69 to 34.76 ± 0.72). After using AA at the Jaw point on the right, the temperature of the right mandibular area was increased statistically from that before (from 34.50 ± 0.86 to 34.31 ± 0.68). No side effects were observed during the study.

Conclusions: When using AA at the Jaw point on the ear, the temperature of the mandibular area on the side of using auricular acupuncture increased statistically, showing the relationship of the Jaw point on the ear with the mandibular area.

Introduction: Covering of skin defects in the foot region endures a significant challenge because of the anatomical characteristics of soft tissue. This research estimated the initial results of reconstruction of foot skin defects using lateral supramalleolar flap.

Methods: This is a prospective observational study conducted from Dec 2017 to Dec 2021 at the Hospital for Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Gathered information about demography, etiology, size of skin defect, size of flap, time of surgery, and post operation data. Using Stata 16.0 to analize data.

Results: Patients in this research included 21 males and 6 females. The mean age was 42 (ranging from 15 to 68) years. The range of size of skin defects was from 9 to 80 cm2. The success rate was 89%. Twenty-three cases had covered uneventful, and partial flap necrosis occurred in 4 cases (in which three patients were treated by skin graft later and one case got minor surgery suturing).

Conclusions: Foot skin defects can be covered with good results by using the lateral supramalleolar flap nourishing by the dorsal vessels anastomosis with the peroneal artery.

Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) presents a diverse clinical picture, especially with somatic symptoms, which can lead to negative impacts on the course and prognosis of the illness. This study aimed to (1) assess the prevalence of various somatic symptoms in MDD patients and (2) assess their association with demographic factors.

Methods: A total of 345 outpatients diagnosed with MDD according to DSM-5 criteria were enrolled in this cross-sectional study over 6 months. Participants completed a questionnaire that included clinical and demographic information as well as the PHQ-9.

Results: There were 99.7% of patients who had at least one somatic symptom. The common somatic symptoms were fatigue (89.9%), insomnia (87.8%), palpitations (77.7%), headache (69.6%) and dizziness (61.4%). Total PHQ-9 scores and total number of somatic symptoms were found to have a regression relationship with a regression coefficient of 0.14 (t = 6.001, p < 0.001). In multiple logistic regression analysis, female gender was found to be associated with dizziness (odd ratios [OR] = 2.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.53-4.21, p < 0.01), headaches (OR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.16-3.32, p < 0.05), and bowel problems (OR = 0.59, 95% CI 0.37-0.96, p < 0.05); while headaches (OR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.05-2.85, p < 0.05), and stomach problems (OR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.36-0.88, p < 0.05) were associated with age 40 and below.

Conclusions: The study findings provide a resource for clinicians in mental health settings as well as primary care clinics in detecting inexplicable somatic symptoms associated with MDD.

Introduction: Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), a prodrug of tenofovir (TFV), is currently used for treatment of chronic hepatitis B as first line recommendation. The Vietnamese market is currently circulating a tenofovir alafenamide generic. This formulation has not been assessed for in vivo bioequivalence. This study has been performed with the aim of development, validation, and application of LC-MS/MS procedure for quantitation of TAF and TFV in human plasma.

Methods: Internal standard (IS), and analytical parameters were investigated to find out the suitable IS and conditions. Chromatographic conditions were optimized by considering the column type, mobile phase component, concentration of the buffer solutions and strength, oven temperature, flow rate, and injection volume. Human plasma samples were treated by protein precipitation with acetonitrile. The assay was validated in compliance with US-FDA and EMA guidelines. This assay was applied to evaluate the bioequivalence of the generic and reference products of 25 mg TAF in the healthy Vietnamese subjects under fed conditions.

Results: TAF, TFV, IS were ionized using ESI and detected by MRM mode to obtain molecular and fragment ions for quantification. The recovery of all analytes from human plasma was above 70%. The chromatographic conditions contained a C6-Phenyl column and mobile phase including acetonitrile and 0.5% formic acid. The specificity, precision, accuracy, matrix effect of all the analytes were in the acceptable range. Thirty six subjects finished the fed trial. The two products’ geometric mean ratios for AUC_0-t, AUC_0-∞, and C_max (80.00% to 125.00%) met the bioequivalence acceptance criteria.

Conclusions: A LC-MS/MS procedure for simultaneous quantitation of TAF and TFV in human plasma was developed, validated, applied.

A 25-year-old previously healthy female patient experienced new-onset psychosis and showed suicidal behavior after contracting COVID-19. Based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10), the diagnosis of an acute and transient psychotic disorder (ATPD) was appropriate. Due to poor insight into illness, the patient received an oral solution containing 2 mg/mL haloperidol and fully recovered after the first month of treatment. This is the first case of a COVID-19-associated psychotic episode showing full recovery with late intervention, which occurred nearly 45 days after exhibiting the first psychotic symptoms. Additionally, the patient would require long-term follow-up owing to an ultra-high risk of relapse.

Introduction: Neck pain is one of the leading causes of disabilities and increasing economic and social burden. Methods affecting the trigger point (TrP) have initially shown good pain relief effectiveness and decreased degree of invasion in patients. The research is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Electroacupuncture (EA) at TrP in chronic neck pain (CNP) treatment.

Methods: A non-blind randomized study on 125 patients with CNP at Traditional Medicine Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City from September 2020 to June 2021. Patients will be randomly classified into EA at the TrP group or EA at the meridian points group.

Results: There were 62 patients in the TrP group and 63 patients in the other group. After 4 weeks, in the TrP group, the Questionnaire Douleur Saint-Antoine (QDSA) score of 38.2 ± 2.6 decreased to 9.3 ± 5.7, compared with the meridian points group’s QDSA score of 37.8 ± 2.3 decreased to 12.3 ± 7.1. The percentage of patients to reach good pain relief effectiveness of EA at TrP measured by QDSA is 71.0%, statistically significantly higher than 47.6% of the other group. The decrease in the number of TrPs of EA at TrP is higher and has statistical value compared with EA at meridian points.

Conclusions: EA at TrP showed better pain relief effectiveness, has a higher percentage of patients reaching good pain relief effectiveness measured by QDSA, and decreases the number of TrPs more than EA at meridian points does on patients with CNP.

Introduction: Beauty need is a growing demand these days; thus, the search for non-invasive beautifying methods that effectively and safely reduce the wrinkles on the face is of great need. Thread embedding acupuncture (TEA) has been proven to be effective in rejuvenating the facial skin and consists of advantages such as little invasion, few side-effects.

Methods: The study was a single-arm pre-post study, 20 female volunteers, aged 35-60. TEA is conducted on Daying (ST5), Jiache (ST6), Dicang (ST4), Yingxiang (LI20), and Hegu (LI4) with mono-filament Polydioxanone (PDO). The participants were monitored and evaluated after 1, 2 and 3 months. The variables are Nasolabial fold (NF), Marionette line (ML), Alexiades-Armenakas laxity scale (AALS), Global aesthetic improvement scale (GAIS).

Results: Both sides NF, ML and AALS after 1 month TEA, 2 months TEA, 3 months TEA compared to pre-intervention showed decrease of statistical significance. NF, ML of both sides after 1 month TEA, 2 months TEA compared to the previous 1 month showed decrease of statistical significance. However, after 3 months, compared with 2-month threshold, difference has no statistical significance. AALS after 2 months and 3 months TEA, differences have no statistical significance. There were 17 persons “improved” (85%), 3 persons “unchanged” (15%) according to GAIS. No side effect of any kind was recorded.

Conclusions: This research proved TEA method is effective on the acupuncture points that the research used in facial wrinkle reduction treatment. However, a RCTs (Randomized Controlled Trial study) is needed to confirm effectiveness.

Background: CAFs (cancer-associated fibroblasts) and tumor-associated p-EMT (partial epithelial mesenchymal transition) cells coexist and contribute to the formation of epithelial tumors like OSCC (oral squamous cell carcinoma). In oral cancer, Wnt signaling pathway contributes to the tumor progression, invasion and metastasis. Here we deeply analyzed Wnt signaling pathway using our previous single-cell RNA-seq data of CAFs and p-EMT tumor cells in OSCC by computational methods.

Material and methods: Integrated single-cell RNA sequencing data of OSCC CAF and p-EMT clusters were obtained from our previous study. These cells were from samples being primary tumor, oral cavity location, metastasis information and then analyzed by R, Python to investigate the gene expression, cell-cell communication, gen set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and overall survival analysis across metastasis conditions regarding Wnt signaling pathway.

Results: Genes related to Wnt signaling pathway upregulated in CAFs and p-EMT cancer cells, especially under metastasis condition including WNT2, WNT5A, FZD1-4, ROR2 in CAFs, and WNT7B, FZD2/5/6 in p-EMT cells. Cell-cell interaction analysis and GSEA in CAFs and p-EMT tumor cells highlighted non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway in CAFs and canonical Wnt signaling pathway in p-EMT tumor cells. CTHRC1 and SFRP2 were suggested as biomarkers in Wnt signaling pathway of CAFs from the gene expression, GSEA and overall survival analysis.

Conclusion: Our study found CTHRC1 and SFRP2 as biomarkers for HSCC and OSCC prognosis belong to CAFs of TME. It might pave the way for targetable treatment based on WNT ligand-receptor interaction and Wnt signaling modulation in OSCC CAFs based on metastatic status.

Introduction: People with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) are at high risk of sudden unexpected deaths and lower quality of life. Experiments showed thread embedding acupuncture (TEA) has a seizure-reducing effect; however, data on DRE has been limited. This trial aimed to establish the efficacy and safety of TEA in people with DRE.

Method: This was a two-arm, randomized controlled trial conducted on 30 DRE outpatients, which was fulfilled drug-resistant International League Against Epilepsy. The study was conducted at the Epilepsy clinic, Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, from December 2020 to March 2022. All procedures for TEA and sham TEA (STEA) groups were identical. Seizure frequency diaries at the baseline and monthly follow-up visits by the participants. The Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31) scores at the baseline and 16 weeks; the National Hospital Seizure Severity Scale (NHS3) scores at the baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks and the adverse events at monthly follow-up visits by a researcher.

Results: A reduction in relative seizure frequency and the score change in QOLIE-31 and NHS3 in the TEA group were significantly different from the STEA group when analyzing each group separately (p<0.05). However, when comparing two groups, no significant difference was found in the change in seizure freedom and QOLIE-31 (p>0.05). Mild pain appeared in all participants after the intervention, but no serious adverse effects of TEA were observed.

Conclusion: TEA is a safe technique to use in people with DRE. However, the effectiveness of TEA needs further study. 

Introduction: Due to the surge of the post-COIVD-19 patients, numerous publications were recently presented, including applying Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in accelerating recovering pace. However, most TCM studies mainly focused on interventions and their effect on the patients. In the general characteristic of the post-COVID-19 syndrome in TCM, this study identified the relationship between post-COVID-19 syndrome and cold–heat patterns, one of the essential principles of the Eight Principles in TCM.

Method: We established a cross-sectional study on 384 participants at University Medical Centre HCMC - branch No.3 and the faculty of Traditional medicine, UMP, from January 2022 to April 2022 (including outpatients, inpatients, and students). A questionnaire was built to collect data on socio–demography, post-COVID-19 status, and cold-heat patterns. Cold-heat patterns were gathered based on the “Cold and heat patterns identification questionnaire” developed by Yeo M et al. (2016). All eligible participants were free to choose a suitable interview method, including by phone, by URL link, or by face-to-face interview.

Result: We enrolled 384 eligible patients, and 17 samples were removed due to missing. The median age was 33 (24 - 42) and the median BMI was 21.97 (19.78 – 23.88), and females took up to 62%. We found the relationship between gender and cold-heat pattern with post-COVID-19 status (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The relevance of post-COVID-19 status and cold–heat patterns took the first step in comprehensively observing general TCM characteristics of the post-COVID-19 syndrome. 

Introduction: Enteric duplication cysts found throughout the alimentary tract are rare congenital mass lesions, which usually share a common wall with the gastrointestinal tract. However, many cases of isolated enteric duplication (IED) cysts, reported in the literature, are without any attachment to the gastrointestinal tract. We report a case of an IED cyst located in the transverse mesocolon, which was successful treatment with laparoscopy, in Children’s Hospital #1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Case presentation: A girl turned 3 years old presented with dull abdominal pain and vomiting. Abdominopelvic computed tomography revealed a lesion located around duodenojejunal flexure with a thick wall. Laparoscopy detected a mobile cystic mass found on the mesentery of the transverse colon, which was not connection or attachment to any part of the adjacent intestine. Histopathology of the cyst wall was compatible with an EDC.

Conclusion: The IED cyst is an unusual phenomenon that confuse with other diagnosis in clinical. The definitive diagnosis of IED is based on histopathology. Laparoscopic resection of the cyst is the preferred treatment. 

This study was conducted to build an early forecast model for the dengue epidemic using an artificial neural network (ANN) in Vung Tau City in Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province. Weather factors (temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed) were all correlated with the number of dengue cases (p<0.05) in the 1/2010 - 12/2020 period. The ANN is a simulated information processing model based on the activity of the organism's nervous system, consisting of a large number of neurons mounted to process information. Of all the models we built, the ANN 10-7-1 model gave the best results with a total squared error (SSE) and relative error (RE) during network training of SSE=25.23, respectively; RE=0,58; correlation coefficient R2 =29.1%. The model showed that the number of dengue cases have marked tendencies to increase to increase or to decrease, also the forecast data was almost accurate compared to the actual number of dengue cases. The ANN can be applied to predict future dengue outbreaks in Vung Tau City. To increase the accuracy of the ANN model, it needs to be combined with other factors such as housing index, mosquito density, population,... 

Introduction: Some previous studies have shown the effect of K2EDTA, heparin, citrate, kalioxalate on lipid test results [1,2,3], but no studies on sodium fluoride - potassium oxalate. Furthermore, it is also important to ensure sample stability during testing. We performed this study to evaluate the effect of NaF-KOx on lipid results and lipid stability when storing.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on the residual of 150 pairs of serum and NaF-KOx plasma samples from the patients at the University Medical Center 2. These patients participated voluntarily after signing the consent form. We divided the samples into groups: serum (group 1), unpreserved plasma (group 2); stored plasma for 24 hours at 2-8°C (group 3), and stored plasma for 48 hours at 2-8°C (group 4). All samples were analyzed on an AU480 system – Beckman Coulter. The data would be processed using Stata 10.0.

Results: The results difference between these groups: 2,3,4 compared to group 1 was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, and LDL-C concentrations in group 2 decreased, respectively: 5.83%; 6.77%; 5.12%; 5.96%. We found the lipid test results of group 3 and group 4 also reduced compared to group 1: cholesterol decreased by 5.25%, 5.77%; triglycerides by 6.7%, 6.49%; HDL-C by 5.8, 7.22%; and LDL-C by 4.79%; 5.05%. After 48 hours, cholesterol, HDL-C, and LDL-C concentration continued to reduce, while the difference in triglycerides concentration was not statistically significant.

Conclusions: NaF-KOx anticoagulant reduces lipid test results. We should not use NaF-KOx plasma to measure lipid tests. 

Background: As we know, sleep is very important and necessary for every person. Especially, among patients undergoing surgery as an effective form of treatment, they also need a good quality of sleep to restore both physiological and psychological health. However, poor sleep quality is common in patients after surgery and produces harmful effects on postoperative recovery.

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the quality of sleep and identify related factors among postoperative patients at the Department of General Surgery, Tay Nguyen Regional General Hospital, Dak Lak Province.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed. 374 postoperative patients who meet the sampling criteria were recruited by simple random sampling between March and July 2021. General information data were collected through interviews with structured questionnaires, and the patient's sleep quality was assessed by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Vietnamese version. Data analysis was performed via SPSS ver 20.0; p < 0.05 was statistically significant.

Results: The average mean of PSQI score was 10.3 ± 3.27 (range = 0 -21, SD = 3.27). The percentage of postoperative patients who had poor sleep quality was 78.1%. Factors associated with poor sleep quality include old age (p < 0.01), education level (p < 0.05), level of postoperative pain (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The frequency of poor sleep quality among postoperative patients is high. The findings of this study also provide a better understanding of related factors that affect poor sleep quality. So, the nurses should develop an appropriate care plan to improve sleep quality in these patients by controlling the above factors. It will help these patients recover fastest and most comprehensively in the postoperative period, enhancing the quality of care. 

Background: Internet addiction and poor sleep quality are two types of common mental health disorders among high school students. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with internet addiction in high school students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 820 high school students in Dong Hoa town, Phu Yen province in April 2021. The students were requested to fill out a structured questionnaire. internet addiction was evaluated by the short version Internet Addiction Test (s-IAT). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality.

Results: The prevalence of poor sleep quality was 33.5% among high school students. The proportion of students with internet addiction evaluated by the s-IAT was 21%. The association between internet addiction and poor sleep quality remained statistically significant with p<0,001 (OR=2.98, 95% CI: 2.05-4.34) after adjusting for potential confounding variables.

Conclusion: The proportions of internet addiction and poor sleep quality were high and there was an association between them. Students should not use the internet after 9 pm and should spend at least 8 hours each night on sleep. 

Background: A mental disorder is a state of mental health deviance in a period and leads to the disruption of a body’s self-balance. Adolescence is a period of many psychophysiological changes, and several factors which are related to personal characteristic, family and school could adversely affect a child's mental well-being. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of mental disorders and ascertain some associated factors in middle school students (ages 12-15) in Tuy Hoa city, Phu Yen province, Viet Nam 2021.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April on 539 students and parents at middle schools in Tuy Hoa city, Viet Nam in 2021. Parents were requested to complete the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).

Results: The prevalence of having mental disorders in middle school students was 22.7%. The difference between the prevalences of having mental disorders in male and female students was statistically significant (p=0.014), grade lever (p=0.020), conduct (p=0.040), concern from parents (p=0.046), family conflicts (p=0.029), being scolded for making mistakes by parents (p=0.004) and being bullied by classmates (p=0.045).

Conclusion: Experiencing mental disorders was relatively prevalent among middle school students. Some factors which were related to family and school environments were found associated with psychiatric disorders. Therefore, interventions and cooperation from parents and school officers are essential to mitigate students' sufferings caused by mental health problems, promote psychological well-being, or preclude psychoses from occurring. 

Introduction: Despite many medical advances, acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding in Asia has been increasing gradually and has resulted in substantial mortality. The study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics, interventions, and outcomes of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding in Vietnamese people.

Methods: A multicenter cohort study was prospectively and retrospectively conducted in patients presenting with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding in Vietnam. Severe lower gastrointestinal bleeding was defined as persistent bleeding within the first 24 hours and/or recurrent bleeding after 24 hours of stability accompanied by a reduction in hematocrit of ≥ 20% and/or transfusion of ≥ 2 units of red blood cells. The clinical characteristics, interventions, and adverse outcomes were recorded.

Results: There were 811 patients with a male: female ratio of 1.07 and a mean age of 61 years. A total of 85.6% of patients presented with hematochezia. The common causes of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding were hemorrhoids (28.6%), diverticulosis (9.7%), and unknown origin (16%). The rates of blood transfusion, endoscopic therapy, radiologic intervention, and surgery were 39.8%, 8.6%, 0.5%, and 7.3%, respectively. Severe lower gastrointestinal bleeding was observed in 222 (27.4%) patients. In-hospital deaths were recorded in 17 (2.1%) patients. The majority of in-hospital deaths were due to unstable comorbidities.

Conclusions: Hemorrhoids were the most common cause of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding. The rates of blood transfusion, endoscopic hemostasis, interventional radiology, and surgery were 39.8%, 8.6%, 0.5%, and 7.3%, respectively. A total of 27.4% of cases progressed to severe bleeding. 

Background: Early diagnosis is key in testicular torsion. This study is to validate the diagnostic value of the “Testicular Workup for Ischemia and Suspected Torsion (TWIST)" score for evaluating acute scrotum in children.

Methods: Patients from 1 month old to 16 years old presented to Children’s hospital No.1 with acute scrotum between June 1 st, 2020, and May 31 st, 2021 were prospectively studied. General surgeons performed an examination and recorded signs and symptoms in the collection form. After that, all patients had Scrotal Doppler Ultrasound (DUS). We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive, and negative predictive values of the TWIST score. The ROC curve was used to find out the optimal cut-off in diagnosing Testicular torsion (TT) in Children.

Results: Among 68 children with acute scrotum, 16 cases had TT (23.5%). The median age was 12.5 years in the TT group and 9 years in the non-TT group. None of 32 patients with the TWIST score ≤ 2 had TT and among 20 patients with a score of 3 – 4, only one had TT. More importantly, in the high-risk group with a score ≥ 5, 15 had TT (93.8%). ROC curve revealed an AUC of 0.987 (p<0,001) representing a high diagnostic value. The sensitivity and specificity for TT at 5-point cut-off were 93.7% and 98.1%, respectively.

Conclusions: The TWIST scoring system has high sensitivity and specificity values. Therefore, it should be used as a useful tool for the diagnosis of testicular torsion. The score ≥ 5 is an indicator of testicular torsion, hence emergency surgical intervention is required. 

Introduction: Pediatric gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) is sporadic with limited relevant data, and gastric adenocarcinoma, which presents as submucosal, has seldom been reported. The clinical presentation and outcome have not yet been thoroughly understood.

Case presentation: Two boys (10 and 14-year-old) were admitted to the hospital with severe malnutrition. Abdominal CT demonstrated the tumor protruding into the stomach, irregular border, and peritoneal metastasis. Gastric biopsies showed pleomorphic cells, variable size, and increased N/C ratio. These cells were arranged into sheet growth patterns, clusters of cells or incomplete tubules with neutrophils infiltrating. The malignant cells showed strong expression of CK, negativity for CD99, NSE, myogenin, CD3, CD20, ALK, and CD30. Both cases were consistent with poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinomas, diffuse type with lymphovascular invasion.

Discussion and Conclusion: Pediatric GAC presented with a more advanced stage and poor differentiation. However, the clinical presentation is similar to adult GAC. Because of data limitations, the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric GAC remain a significant challenge. GAC should be kept in mind, especially when a submucosal tumor-like lesion appears in the stomach. Additional molecular investigations, including E-cadherin or HER2 testing of the tumor samples, may offer more treatment choices for these patients. 

Introduction: Lactobacillus brevis NB10 isolated from human saliva, showed in vitro effect on inhibiting the growth and the biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans - a major pathogen that initiates dental plaque and caries. Formulation of chewing gum containing L. brevis NB10 is the next step in using this probiotic for the prevention of dental diseases related to S. mutans.

Methods: Cryoprotectants such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactose, maltodextrin, skim milk and potassium ascorbate were selected to formulate the freeze-dried powder containing L. brevis NB10. Next, the freeze-dried powder of L. brevis NB10 was used to make chewing gum by direct compression method using HIG-04 gum base (Heath in Gum ®). Other ingredients such as xylitol, strawberry flavor powder, glycerin, aerosil, talc, and magnesium stearate were selected to formulate chewing gum with suitable chewing feel, taste, and flavor.

Results: The freeze-dried powder showing the highest bacterial survival rate (75.5 ± 7.6%) consists of 6% maltodextrin, 6% skim milk, and 0.25% potassium ascorbate. The optimal formula of chewing gum tablet consists of 10% L. brevis NB10 freeze-dried powder, 10% xylitol, 2% strawberry powder, 1.5% glycerol, 1.5% magnesium stearate, 1.5% talc and 2.5% aerosil. The bacterial survival rate after tablet compression is 34.34 ± 0.55 %. The product is stable for at least 3 months at 5 ºC ± 3 ºC.

Conclusion: This study was successful in formulating chewing gum containing at least 107 CFU/tablet of L. brevis NB10. 

Background and Objective: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common neurodegenerative conditions. However, studies on the classifications and symptoms of CTS from the perspective of traditional medicine are still limited. Our study aims to identify traditional medicine disease nomenclature and symptoms of CTS by the survey form.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at The 3rd branch of University Medical Center HCMC, Thong Nhat Hospital from March 2021 to June 2021. We conducted a study survey on patients diagnosed with primary CTS and agreed to participate in the study with survey questionnaires, data were processed by using Excel 2016 and Lantern 5.0 software.

Results: 48 symptoms collected from 94 patients with CTS based on questionnaires were included in the Latent Tree Model. Compared with the medical literature review, there were 40/48 symptoms and 5 patterns appearing in the collected sample. These 5 main patterns: Blood stasis has 4 symptoms, yin deficiency has 6 symptoms, damp heat has 3 symptoms, blood deficiency has 3 symptoms and invasion of meridians of wind cold has 3 symptoms to diagnose. The results of the study have shown that the results of the algorithms are statistically significant when comparing clusters of latent variables with traditional medicine descriptions. Therefore, the use of the results of the machine has a scientific basis in terms of statistics.

Conclusion: After analyzing clinical data from 94 patients with Latent Tree Model, it was found that 5 disease patterns appeared with symptoms helping diagnose those disease patterns.

Introduction: Patients undergoing orthopedic surgery are at high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), but the prophylactic practices are suboptimal. We aim to investigate the risk of VTE, the appropriateness of VTE prophylaxis and its associated factors in patients undergoing lower limb orthopedic surgery.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Gia Dinh People’s Hospital. Data was collected from medical records of patients aged ≥18 years undergoing lower limb orthopedic surgery between March 1st 2020 and June 30th 2020. VTE risk was stratified using the Caprini Risk Assessment Model, contraindications to anticoagulation and the appropriateness of thromboprophylaxis were evaluated according to current guidelines. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with the appropriateness of VTE prophylaxis.

Results: A total of 217 patients was included (median age 54, 57.6% male). There were 80.2% of patients at risk of VTE. Overall rate of appropriate VTE prophylaxis was 35.0%. Patients with age ≥41, BMI >25 kg/m2, surgical duration >45 minutes, plaster cast or screw splint were less likely to receive appropriate VTE prophylaxis; patients with hospital stay >4 days after surgery got more chances to have proper VTE prophylaxis (p <0.05).

Conclusions: The majority of patients undergoing lower limb orthopedic surgery were at risk of VTE, but the rate of appropriate VTE prophylaxis was low. Factors associated with the appropriateness of VTE prophylaxis were age, BMI, surgical duration, plaster cast or screw splint, and length of hospital stay after surgery. Interventions are needed to improve the appropriateness of VTE prophylaxis. 

COVID-19 vaccines available in Vietnam have different prices, efficacies, and side effects. We studied acceptance and willingness to pay (WTP) for COVID-19 vaccines in Vietnam, using a self-designed online questionnaire. Respondents were 2093 unvaccinated adults. Multiple regression analyses identified factors associated with vaccine acceptance and WTP. Acceptance of free vaccines was around 90% for the three available in Vietnam (Astra Zeneca, SPUTNIK V, and Pfizer-BioNTech). WTP for the same vaccines was about 70%. Vaccine acceptance was associated with being female and/or chronically ill or undergoing COVID-19-related job changes. WTP was associated variously with family economic status, occupational changes due to COVID-19, chronic disease, and perceived risk of infection. Most respondents were willing to be vaccinated and many were willing to pay for it, depending on personal and family circumstances. Vietnam should budget for free vaccines to support those unable to pay. 

Background and Objectives: Adult eczema (AE) has been reported to have a poor quality of life (qoL). Auricular acupuncture (AA) is a method that has been studied a lot recently. Our study is to determine the effects of combining AA and modern medication in the relief of symptoms and the improvement in qoL in AE.

Methods: A single-blind randomized study on 65 AE at the University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City Branch 3; was randomized into an auricular acupuncture (AA) group and a Sham acupuncture (SA) group. All AA group patients will receive AA at Lung, Shenmen, Endocrine, and Adrenal points. The score of scoring atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) and the score of dermatology life quality index (DLQI) were compared in two groups before and after treatments.

Results: There were 33 patients in the AA group and 32 patients in the SA group. After 2 weeks, in the SA group, the SCORAD score of 46.4 ± 1.3 decreased to 28.2 ± 1.2, compared with the AA group’s SCORAD score of 47.5 ± 1.5 decreased to 24 ± 1.3; the DLQI score of 14.7 decreased to 7.6, compared with the intervention group DLQI score of 15, reduced to 5.7. The difference in improving the SCORAD score and the DLQI score between the two groups was statistically significant. No patient had any adverse events during the study.

Conclusions: Combining auricular acupuncture Lung, Shenmen, Endocrine, Adrenal points, and modern medication treatment may relieve effectively symptoms and improve the QoL in AE. 

Introduction: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) are generally indicated in central precocious puberty (CPP) patients. We aimed to analyze the auxological outcomes of GnRHa treatment on CPP children.

Methods: A cross-sectional study with observational data were collected from 143 CPP patients who finished GnRHa therapy in Children Hospital 2, Vietnam. Anthropometry and sexual maturity rating were assessed after 6 months and each year of the therapy. The Bayley-Pinneau method was used to estimate the predicted adult height (PAH).

Results: The mean calendar age and bone age at the start of the treatment were 8.0 ± 0.7 years and 10.5 ± 0.1 years, respectively. The mean treatment period was 2.4 ± 0.6 years. GnRHa led to the regression of pubertal symptoms after treatment. The pre-treatment PAH was 157.8 ± 0.6 cm (girls) and 172.3 ± 2.4 cm (boys). The PAH at treatment discontinuation (162.0 ± 0.5 cm in girls and 176.7 ± 2.3 cm in boys) was higher than the initial PAH (p<0.05). For girls with treatment before 6 years old, GnRHa results in a predicted average gain in adult height of 10.2 ± 3.2 cm, whereas the predicted height advancement in the 6-8 age group was 5.3 ± 0.7 cm. The predicted average height gain of girls aged over 8 years was 3.2 ± 0.6 cm.

Conclusion: GnRHa therapy was effective for CPP treatment with the improvement of predicted final height. Predicted height advancement was still documented in females who started the treatment after 8 years old. 

Introduction: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is one of the common causes of neonatal sepsis spreading from mothers to newborns. A common method to isolate and identify GBS is using Blood agar which delivers results in at least 48 hours. Although chromogenic culture media including CHROMagarTM StrepB, can develop colored colonies for detecting pathogenic bacteria easily, there has not been approached GBS isolation in Vietnam. This study was conducted to find out the GBS infection ratio in pregnant women at the 35th – 37th week of gestation. Furthermore, this research evaluates the efficacy of CHROMagarTM StrepB media and Blood agar in GBS detection as well.

Method: In a cross-sectional survey, a total of 258 pregnant women at 35th to 37th of gestation screened for GBS at Thuan Kieu General Clinic from 04/2021 to 12/2021 were recruited. Rectovaginal swabs from these patients were cultured on Blood agar and CHROMagarTM StrepB. We performed data analysis using SPSS ver 20, p<0.05 was statistically significant.

Result: Overall, out of 258 participants, 52 (20.16%) were GBS carriers. CHROMagarTM StrepB has significantly higher sensitivity than blood agar if spending a similar time (1.52 fold, p-value < 0.001), or event training a shortened time (18 hours and 48 hours), CHROMagarTM StrepB media is still more sensitive than blood agar (1.16 fold, p-value 0.044).

Conclusion: In this study, the GBS infection ratio in pregnant women at 35-37 weeks of gestation at Thuan Kieu General Clinic is 20.16%. Culturing vaginal-rectal specimens on CHROMagarTM StrepB medium is higher sensitivity and rapidly than blood agar for GBS detection. CHROMagarTM StrepB should be used to get more effective in identifying GBS carriers in near-term pregnant women. 

Objectives: This study aims to narratively review the progression of ethical and legal issues related to transplant tourism.

Methods: PubMed search and Google search with keywords were used in March 2022 to identify relevant studies and law documentation.

Results: The progression of transplant tourism was classified into three main periods. Before 2000, the most popular destination country was India (1,308 cases), this period was characterized by the absence of laws and regulations worldwide. The period from 2000 to 2010 was the peak explosion of transplant tourism, China became the most popular destination of tourists (7,591 cases). This triggered alarms by World Health Organization (WHO) resolution in 2004 and Istanbul declaration in 2008 calling for regulations to prohibit transplant tourism. From 2010 till today, additional scientific publications reported several complications in overseas transplanted patients. Laws and regulations restricting transplant tourism were promulgated by many countries such as Israel, Taiwan, Spain and others.

Conclusions: Transplant tourism is considered as illegal worldwide. WHO and many developed countries announced laws and measures to prevent this activity. The incidence of transplant tourism is currently decreasing, continued efforts should persist to end this criminal act. 

Introduction: Vietnam’s health system increasingly recognizes the importance of interprofessional collaboration and education. Understanding stereotypes and interprofessional attitude could foster successful collaboration. This study aimed to assess stereotypes about nursing amongst healthcare students at University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City.

Method: We invited nursing, medical, pharmacy and rehabilitation therapy students to complete an online survey before an interprofessional education course in September 2020. Student Stereotypes Rating Questionnaire was used to assess student stereotypes about nursing. Univariate regression was used to analyze the association between stereotypes score and other factors including interprofessional attitude as measured by Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale.

Results: With 102 students invited, 90 students completed the survey. Students were 20-21 years old, 57% were female, and 9% from minor ethnicity. The total attitude score was 80.2 ± 7.2, which meant favorable interprofessional learning. The total stereotype score was 37.1 ± 4.0, considered as high. Stereotype rated in descending order were: Practical skills (4.4), Interpersonal skills (4.3), Ability to be a team player (4.3), Professional competence (4.2), and Confidence (4.2), Ability to make decisions (3.9), Ability to work independently (3.8) and Leadership skills (3.5). There was an association between stereotype and interprofessional attitude total score (Coefficient 0.25, 95%CI: 0.15; 0.36, p-value < 0.01).

Conclusion: Vietnamese students highly regarded nursing profession, yet stereotypes about nursing existed and students viewed nurses as a capable team player, almost a follower. We need to study how interprofessional education courses could improve students’ attitude and stereotypes in future research. 

Introduction: This study aimed to translate the 31-item Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31) into Vietnamese and validate the translation.

Methods: The inventory was translated through “forward – backward” translation, and culturally adapted for standardization. To ensure the reliability of the inventory, the internal consistency and the temporal consistency was determined. Clinical variables were tested for discriminant validity by comparing their scores.

Results: Cronbach’s alpha coefficient ranged from 0.91 to 0.57, with the lowest in the Overall quality of life subscale. Test-retest reliability showed high reproducibility with intra-class correlation coefficients ranging from 0.72 to 0.87 (p<0.001). The mean score of QOLIE-31 was 71.31. Further, the study used the statistical differences of QOLIE-31 scores in the drug-resistant group to show discriminant validity.

Conclusion: The Vietnamese QOLIE-31 is a reliable and valid instrument as proven by the statistical data and can be used to assess quality of life in people with epilepsy. 

Introduction: In some cases, gastroesophageal reflux (GER) may be accompanied by duodenogastric reflux, forming non-acid reflux, which has a certain influence on the clinical presentation and the response to anti-reflux therapy. The study aimed to determine the role of non-acid reflux in children with recurrent and chronic respiratory diseases (RCRD).

Methods: All children with RCRD, for unknown reason, poorly responding to respiratory-specific therapy, hospitalized for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) screening, using dual pH-multichannel intraluminal impedance (pH-MII).

Results: The study was conducted in 42 children at the age Me – 2.75; IQR 1.08-9.42. The most common type of reflux was weakly acid reflux - 62.25 [36.425-121.225], then acid - 34.05 [12.875-71.65], alkaline - 1.75 [0 - 12.375] episodes per day (p <0.05). Non-acid reflux was more common in children with only respiratory symptoms - no esophageal manifestations of GERD. All types of refluxes were more often recorded in the upright compared to the supine position. In 70% patients, cough could be associated with reflux, while in 88% children reflux was non-acid (including 69% - weakly acid, 19% - alkaline), in 38% - acid.

Conclusions: Non-acid reflux is the main type of GER in children with RCRD refractory to standard therapy, which could be associated with cough in this patient population. 

Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), a highly prevalent complication in cancer patients, causes prolonged hospitalization and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of VTE in older patients with cancer.

Methods: This was a retrospective study. Data were extracted from electronic medical records at the Geriatrics-Palliative Care Department of University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City. Inclusion criteria included: aged ≥ 60 years, confirmed or newly diagnosed with cancer, and new VTE diagnosis. Exclusion criteria included lacking any information on demographics, laboratories, or treatments. Pulmonary embolism (PE) was confirmed using chest computerized tomography scans, while deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and other types of venous thrombosis were confirmed based on a doppler or abdominal ultrasound. Data were analyzed using Stata 15.0, with p <0.05 signifying statistical significance.

Results: Data of 151 patients were extracted from 1170 medical records (median age: 67, range 60 to 89 years). The three most frequent types of VTE were portal vein thrombosis (48.3%), PE (30.5%), and DVT (29.1%). Stage IV cancer was found in 74.2% of VTE patients. Leg pain was presented in 59.1% of the patients with DVT, and dyspnea was confirmed in 80.4% of the patients with PE. Anticoagulant therapy was the most common treatment for VTE (33.8%) and no major bleeding was recorded.

Conclusions: VTE was highly common among older patients with advanced cancer. Leg pain was an indicator of DVT and dyspnea was a warning sign of PE in older patients with cancer. No major bleeding was recorded in those receiving anticoagulants.