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To explore the changes in the prevalence of smoking behavior, attitudes, and cessation training among medical students after the establishment of the Thai Health Professional Alliance against Tobacco (ThaiPAT) and its major campaigns by using the nationwide Global Health Professions Student Surveys (GHPSS).Multiple cross-sectional studies were conducted after three major campaigns were launched between 2007 and 2011, the Deans’ Summit on Tobacco Control, implemented tobacco control into the medical curriculum, and 100% smoke-free hospitals and medical schools. The results of two rounds of GHPSS among third year medical students across the nation in 2006 and 2011 were compared.Overall prevalence of active cigarette smoking remained unchanged at 2.6%. Passive cigarette smoke exposure in public areas appeared to decrease slightly over time. In the most recent national survey, the prevalence of passive smoke exposure was 53.7%. Moreover, the number of student that agreed with the smoking ban in pubs, bars, and nightclubs increased significantly from 80.8 to 90.5%. There was significant improvement in the cessation training among medical students (p0.001). A significant increase in the number of student that agreed that healthcare personnel needed specific training in cessation techniques (p = 0.004) and should always advise their patients to quit smoking (p0.001).Nationwide tobacco control campaigns in Thai medical schools significantly improved the attitudes toward smoking cessation and cessation training among their students, although overall prevalence of active and passive cigarette smoking was unchanged.

Pragmatic surveys for shock management by Thai physicians are unavailable. The objective of this study is to identify the shock management patterns on both; the incidence of septic shock and hemorrhagic shock here in Thailand.Two thousand questionnaires were sent to physicians who are called on to care for patients in shock across Thailand. The questionnaire is composed of 58 items regarding all aspects of the management of septic and hemorrhagic shock. A frequency scale has been defined by 5 levels of patient proportion estimates from routine practices.Between April and August, 2013, 533 of the distributed questionnaires (26.7%) were returned. In severe sepsis and septic shock management, 406 physicians (76.2%) have reported the routine use of the quantitative resuscitation protocols. Urine output, mean arterial pressures and central venous pressures have been more frequently used than central venous oxygen saturation and lactate levels for the resuscitation goals. Nearly 80% of these clinicians have shown "often and always" for the achievement of the resuscitation goals within 6 hours. Most of the physicians (65.3%) had never used procalcitonin biomarkers. Antimicrobial empirical treatments were started within 1 hour of admission for 87.7% of these patients and were continued for less than 5 days in 67.3% of the cases prior to de-escalating the treatments. Crystalloids have been the common, initial fluid used for resuscitation (98.9% in sepsis, 99.3% in trauma). The most commonly used vasopressors are norepinephrine (69.6%) for sepsis and dopamine (63.1%) for trauma. The median of the cortisol threshold level for steroid replacement therapy is 15 mg/dL, taken from the interquartile range or IQR of 5-19 mg/dL. Nearly all the physicians currently use hydrocortisone (96.4%). The median daily dose of hydrocortisone is 300 mg (IQR; 200-300). Approximately 50% of the physicians prescribed the hydrocortisone in divided doses to be administered every 8 hours and 31.8% ordered the medications as a continuous infusion. Tapering the dose in reduction varied by 33.6% ofthe physicians over a period of 2 to 3 days. Central venouspressures (CVP) and fluid challenge tests were more frequently used in the evaluation ofpreload rather than some of the newer fluid responsiveness methods. Less than 15% of the physicians continued to use pulmonary artery catheters in their routine practices. Regarding hemorrhagic and traumatic shock, only 162 physicians (39.3%) have been certified in Advance Traumatic Life Support (ATLS), but 311 physicians (75.6%) have reported in following with the ATLSguidelines. In patients requiring massive transfusions, physicians used packed red cells (PRC) and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) in a ratio of 1:1 (34.1%). Focus assessment sonography for trauma (FAST) was the most commonly used diagnostic method in cases of traumatic shock.Most physicians manage shock with the current protocols. Hemodynamic goals are preferred over tissue perfusion targets. Early antimicrobial therapy and de-escalation are routinely practiced without the use of infective biomarkers. Crystalloids are preferred over colloids for the initial resuscitation. CVPs and fluid challenges are still preferred over the new fluid responsiveness methods for preload assessment. Hydrocortisone is the most common steroid prescribed for septic shock but the threshold of initiation, frequency of use and methods of discontinuation vary.

To determine the efficacy of fresh lime as a smoking cessation aid compared with nicotine gum.A randomized, controlled trial was conducted between March 2009 and September 2009. Only regular smokers aged 18 or older who were willing to quit were randomized to receive either fresh lime (n = 47) or nicotine gum (n = 53). Smokers were excluded if they were using other smoking cessation aids, allergic to citrus, or had dental problems. Exhaled carbon monoxide (CO)-confirmed continuous abstinence rate (CAR) during week 9-12 was measured as the primary outcomes. To grade the severity of craving, a 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) was used.There was no significant difference in CO-confirmed CAR between the fresh lime group and the nicotine gum group during weeks 9-12 (61.7% vs. 66.0%; p = 0.65), although 7-day point prevalence abstinence at week 4 of the fresh lime users was statistically significant lower than those using nicotine gum (38.3% vs. 58.5%; p = 0.04). Cravings did not differ significantly between the groups, although fresh lime users tend to report more cravings intensity.Fresh lime can be used effectively as a smoking cessation aid, although not as good as nicotine gum in reducing cravings.

Nosocomial pneumonia (NP) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the common causative pathogens in NP. The prevalence of multi-drug resistance in A. baumannii has been increasing. The information on clinical features and clinical courses of A. baumannii NP in Thai patients are limited.To determine the clinical features, risk factors and clinical courses of A. baumannii NP in Thai patients hospitalized in tertiary care hospitals in Thailand.This was a prospective, hospital-based, active surveillance study on hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in adults hospitalized in 12 tertiary care hospitals in Thailand between 2008 and 2009.There were 651 NP patients. A. baumannii was the most common cause of NP in 198 patients (30.4%). Most of NP patients were males with median age of 71 years. About 80% had late onset NP with the median duration of 10 days after admission in both A. baumannii and non-A. baumannii NP. Most of NP occurred in patients hospitalized in general medical wards. Most of the features of NP in A. baumannii NP and non-A. baumannii NP were not significantly different. The initial antibiotics prescribed were concordant in about 50% of the patients in both groups. Colistin was usually prescribed to the patients who received antibiotic modifications. The initial clinical responses in A. baumannii NP were less favorable than those in non-A. baumannii NP. The mortality rate in A. baumannii NP seemed to be more than that in non-A. baumannii NP. There was a trend of more persistence of pathogen in A. baumannii NP. Most isolates of A. baumannii were resistant to antibiotics including carbapenems. The patients with extensive drug resistant A. baumannii NP had less favorable responses than NP due to other bacteria, including non-extensive drug resistant A. baumannii. VAP, NP developed in medical ICU and NP with bilateral lung involvements on chest X-ray were associated with A. baumannii as the isolated pathogen.A. baumannii is the most common causative pathogen for NP in tertiary care hospitals in Thailand and most of A. baumannii isolates were resistant to many antibiotics including carbapenems. The hospitalized patient in tertiary care hospitals with VAP, or NP that was developed in medical ICU, or NP with bilateral lung involvements on chest x-ray was likely to be due to A. baumannii. Many NP patients received inappropriate initial antibiotic regimens leading to a high mortality.

To determine the effectiveness and safety of the novel nicotine polyestex gum for smoking cessation, along with its impact on the quality of life (QOL).A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial was conducted on 43 smokers. All of them received either nicotine gum or placebo. Only those who could quit completely and continuously by the end of 3 months were considered total abstinence. QOL was also measured using WHO questionnaires.Treatment with nicotine polyestex gum resulted in significantly greater abstinence rate at 3 months compared with placebo (50% vs. 9%; p = 0.003). Adverse events were modest and not encountered more often than those seen in the placebo group. QOL at 3-months improved in both groups, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups.Nicotine polyestex gum is effective and safe for smoking cessation. It is also associated with significant improvement in the QOL.