Ceylon Medical Journal 

About: Ceylon Medical Journal is an academic journal published by Sri Lanka Medical Association. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Poison control & Population. It has an ISSN identifier of 0009-0875. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 1777 publications have been published receiving 10515 citations.

Prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and obesity: baseline findings of a population based survey in four provinces in Sri Lanka.

Abstract: Objective To determine the prevalence of selected cardiovascular risk factors in adult Sri Lankan population in four provinces. Design Cross-sectional, based on a stratified cluster sampling method. Settings Four provinces, namely the Western, North Central, Southern and Uva. Patients Six thousand and forty seven participants (2692 men) between the age of 30 and 65 years were surveyed. Measurements Risk factors measured included height, weight, waist and hip circumference. Waist to hip ratio and body mass index were calculated, and overweight (23 kg/m 2 ) and obesity (≥25 kg/m 2 ) determined. Hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg or use of antihypertensive medications), and diabetes mellitus (fasting serum plasma glucose level ≥ 7 mmol/L or use of antidiabetic medications) and impaired fasting glycaemia (≥ 6.1 to Results The prevalence of hypertension as defined was 18.8% (CI 14.5-23.1) for men and 19.3% (CI 12.2-26.4) for women. The prevalence of diabetes was 14.2% (CI 11.9-16.5) for men and 13.5% (CI 6.9-20.1) for women while impaired fasting glycaemia was 14.2% for men and 14.1% for women. The mean body mass index was 21.5 kg/m2 (SD = 3.7) in men. It was lower than that in women, 23.3 kg/m 2 (SD = 4.5). The prevalence of obesity was 20.3% in men and 36.5 % in women. Regional differences were seen in the mean fasting blood glucose and prevalence of diabetes, and mean BMI and prevalence of obesity were highest in Western province. Mean blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension were highest in the Uva Province. Southern Province had the lowest prevalence of hypertension and diabetes, and North Central Province had lowest anthropometric measures of obesity. Conclusions The prevalence of the selected cardiovascular risk factors is common in the adult Sri Lankan population surveyed. Regional differences exist in the prevalence of these risk factors. The prevalence of high level of risk factors requires urgent public health action. Key words: Non-communicable disease, risk factors DOI: 10.4038/cmj.v50i2.1571 Ceylon Medical Journal Vol.50(2) 2005 pp62-70

Organophosphorus insecticide poisoning

Abstract: Organophosphorus insecticides (OPI) are the commonest cause of poisoning in Sri Lanka. Being inhibitors of esterases, OPI cause an acute cholinergic crisis as the initial phase of neurotoxicity. The intermediate syndrome (IMS) which develops 24 to 96 hours after poisoning, and the delayed polyneuropathy (OPIDP) which manifests several weeks later, suggest a triphasic effect of OP intoxication. OPI may also cause extrapyramidal manifestations. Chronic neurobehavioural effects of longterm exposure to OPI are also a cause for concern. This paper reviews OPI poisoning in man emphasising the clinical, biochemical, and electrophysiological studies done at Peradeniya over the past two decades. Language: en

Intermittent oral iron supplementation during pregnancy

Abstract: Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Rationale It has been suggested that in pregnant women weekly iron supplements are as effective as daily supplements in preventing iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). Objective To compare the effectiveness of prophylactic antenatal oral iron supplements given weekly, thrice weekly and daily in preventing IDA in pregnancy. Design A randomised control trial. Setting University antenatal clinic, (UANC) Galle. Subjects and method An oral iron supplement containing 100 mg of elemental iron was randomly given weekly (n=26) thrice weekly (n=35) and daily (n=31) to 92 women who were 14 to 24 weeks pregnant. Haemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin (SF) and haematocrit (Hct) were assessed before and after 12 to 20 weeks of supplementation and a logistic regression analysis carried out. Results The risk of developing anaemia was significantly higher in the weekly (odds ratio 15, 95% CI 1.4-165.6, p Conclusion Prophylactic oral iron supplements when given intermittently were not effective in preventing iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/cmj.v46i4.6440 Ceylon Medical Journal 2001; 46(4): 132-135

The median isn't the message.

Abstract: Consider the standard example of stretching the truth with numbers a case quite relevant to my story. Statistics recognizes different measures of an "average," or central tendency. The mean is our usual concept of an overall average add up the items and divide them by the number of sharers (100 candy bars collected for five kids next Halloween will yield 20 for each in a just world). The median, a different measure of central tendency, is the half-way point. If I line up five kids by height, the median child is shorter than two and taller than the other two (who might have trouble getting their mean share of the candy). A politician in power might say with pride, "The mean income of our citizens is $15,000 per year." The leader of the opposition might retort, "But half our citizens make less than $10,000 per year." Both are right, but neither cites a statistic with impassive objectivity. The first invokes a mean, the second a median. (Means are higher than medians in such cases because one millionaire may outweigh hundreds of poor people in setting a mean; but he can balance only one mendicant in calculating a median).

Prevalence of chronic kidney disease in two tertiary care hospitals: high proportion of cases with uncertain aetiology

Abstract: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rising globally, and is attributed to the epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus [1]. This trend in developing countries appears to be due to chronic glomerulonephritis and diabetes, both contributing significantly to increasing endstage renal disease [2]. In Sri Lanka, a systematic assessment on CKD is lacking, although the available literature points to a rising trend in hospital admissions and deaths due to CKD [3]. This study attempts to document some features of CKD and describe cases with an uncertain aetiology observed at two teaching hospitals in Kandy and Anuradhapura between 2000 and 2002.