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Abstract Background Cervical cancer is one of the most common AIDS-related malignancies in Thailand. To prevent cervical cancer, The US Public Health Service and The Infectious Disease Society of America have recommended that all HIV-infected women should obtain 2 Pap smears 6 months apart after the initial HIV diagnosis and, if results of both are normal, should undergo annual cytological screening. However, there has been no evidence in supporting whether this guideline is appropriate in all settings - especially in areas where HIV-infected women are living in resource-constrained condition. Methods To determine the appropriate interval of Pap smear screenings for HIV-infected Thai women and risk factors for subsequent abnormal cervical cytology, we assessed the prevalence, cumulative incidence and associated factors of cervical cell abnormalities (atypical squamous cell of undetermined significance or higher grades, ASCUS+) among this group of patients. Results The prevalence of ASCUS+ was 15.4% at the first visit, and the cumulative incidence of ASCUS+ gradually increased to 37% in the first 3.5 years of follow-up appointments (first 7 times), and tended to plateau in the last 2 years. For multivariate correlation analysis, women with a CD4 count P = 0.043). There were no associations of subsequent ASCUS+ with age, pregnancy, contraceptive method, highly active anti-retroviral treatment, assumed duration of infection, or the CD4 count nadir level. Conclusion There are high prevalence and cumulative incidence of ASCUS+ in HIV-infected Thai women. With a high lost-to-follow-up rate, an appropriate interval of Pap smear screening cannot be concluded from the present study. Nevertheless, the HIV-infected Thai women may require more than two normal semi-annual Pap smears before shifting to routinely annual cytologic screening.

Objective: To study the long-term outcome of otitis media with effusion in children with and without cleft palate treated with the same protocol of ventilation tube insertion. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in eighty-five children with cleft palate and 80 children without cleft palate who had otitis media with effusion and had follow-up between 2001 and 2019. Both groups were treated with ventilation tube insertion for longstanding middle ear effusion more than 90 days. The main outcome was the cumulative incidence of surgical management, time of the indwelling ventilation tubes, conditions of the tympanic membrane, and the hearing outcome. Results: At 24 months old, 63.5% of children with cleft palate and 11.3% of children without cleft palate had their first ventilation tube insertion. Repeated surgery was done in 81.2% of children with cleft palate and 50% of children without cleft palate (p < 0.001). The median duration of the indwelling tube was 11.3 months in the children with cleft palate and 12.4 months in the non-cleft children (p = 0.82). At the end of the study, 63.7% of children without cleft palate and 43.5% of children with cleft palate had normal tympanic membrane (p = 0.009). The hearing outcomes of children with and without cleft palate were 20.7 dB and 19.3 dB, respectively. Conclusion: Children with and without cleft palate were managed under the same guideline and the hearing outcome was favorable in both groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Data on the long-term outcomes of Asian patients admitted for acute decompensated heart failure is scarce. The objectives of this study were to determine short-term, intermediate-term and long-term survival among patients admitted for acute decompensated heart failure in Thailand, and to identify factors independently associated with increased mortality.Methods: Patients who were admitted with a primary diagnosis of heart failure were enrolled in the Thai Acute Decompensated Heart Failure Registry (ADHERE) from 18 hospitals located across Thailand during 2006. Medical record data was collected according to ADHERE protocol. Mortality data was collected from death certificates on file at the Thailand Bureau of Registration Administration.Results: A total of 1,451 patients were included. The mean age of the patients was 63.7 ± 14.4 years, and 49.7% were male. One-year, five-year and ten-year mortality rates in Thai patients admitted for acute decompensated heart failure were 28.0%, 58.2% and 73.3%, respectively. Independent predictors of increased mortality were identified. There were more cardiovascular-related deaths than non-cardiovascular-related deaths (54.6% vs. 45.4%, respectively).Conclusions: The ten-year mortality rate in Thai patients admitted for acute decompensated heart failure was 73.3%. Many factors were found to be independently associated with increased mortality, including left ventricular ejection fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the incidence and outcome of management of otitis media with effusion in Thai children with cleft palate. Design: Retrospective cohort study in the tertiary care center. Patients: Ninety-five children with cleft palate were referred for ear evaluation, from June 1997 to January 2015. Fifteen children (15.8%) had associated craniofacial syndromic anomalies. Main outcome measures: Cumulative incidence of otitis media with effusion, rate of ventilation tube insertion, duration of indwelling tubes, hearing outcome, and complications of ventilation tubes. Results: Ear examinations were done every 8 to 12 weeks throughout the study. Cumulative incidence of otitis media with effusion was 53.7% in children within 12 months of age and 81.1% within 24 months of age. At the end of the study, all of the patients had at least 1 episode of otitis media with effusion. Eighty-eight children (92.6%) had palatoplasty, and there was no significant difference in the incidence of otitis media before and after palatoplasty. The mean hearing level at recruitment was 40.8 ±18.4 dB. Ventilation tube insertion was done in 76 patients (80%). The median time for indwelling tubes was 11.7 months. Rate of ventilation tube insertion was 0.5/year. The mean hearing level at last follow-up was 23.5 ± 14 dB. Otorrhea through tube was found in 24 cases (31.6%). Conclusion: Otitis media with effusion was common in Thai children with cleft palate. Surveillance of middle ear effusion and ventilation tube insertion contributed to a favorable hearing outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]