Vaginitis--%20trichomoniasis,%20candidiasis,%20bacterial%20vaginosis Patient Education

Patient Education

Patient needs to be informed about the nature of the infection and the importance of taking full course of the medication
Counsel patients on possible complications of vaginitis and therapy
- Bacterial vaginosis is associated with post-procedure pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), IUD insertion or other instrumentation, vaginal cuff cellulitis, and pregnancy-related problems (eg late miscarriage, preterm birth, premature rupture of membranes, chorioamnionitis, postpartum endometritis); patients with bacterial vaginosis are also at increased risk of HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and herpes infection
- Trichomoniasis is associated with increased HIV transmission and adverse pregnancy outcomes (eg preterm delivery, premature rupture of membranes, low birth weight)
Inform patients with bacterial vaginosis to avoid vaginal douching, use of shower gel and antiseptic agents or shampoo in the bath tub
Advise patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis to avoid tight fitting synthetic clothes and use of local irritants
Antifungal vaginal creams used for vulvovaginal candidiasis treatment can damage latex condoms, cervical caps, and diaphragms
Consider alternative contraceptive method in women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis who are utilizing combined hormonal contraception
Advise trichomoniasis and bacterial vaginosis patients on how to lower their risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections
- Tailor counseling to the patient’s specific risk factors
- Abstinence, condom use
- Careful selection of partners

Multipathogen testing an essential part of Test-Target-Treat strategy for respiratory illnesses

Dr. Mohan Ravuru, Dr. Johnny Sinon, Assoc Prof. Nuntra Suwantarat, 16 Dec 2022

At a recent webinar, experts discussed the paradigm shift in respiratory illnesses and treatment practices as the COVID-19 pandemic transitions to an endemic phase. The late Dr Mohan Ravuru, Physician Researcher and former Asia Pacific Medical Director, Abbott, Dr Johnny Sinon, Senior Emergency Physician from Makati Medical Center, Philippines, and Associate Professor Nuntra Suwantarat, Infectious Disease Specialist, from Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Thailand, delivered informative presentations and engaged the audience through a stimulating panel discussion.

Among the topics covered were the ‘immunity debt’ phenomenon leading to potential epidemics, challenges in the differential diagnosis of COVID-19 and influenza, and the importance of point-of-care, multipathogen testing as a part of the Test-Target-Treat strategy in respiratory diseases.

Burden of Dengue amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

12 Jul 2022

Dengue fever (DF) is endemic in many tropical countries, including Singapore, and is spread by Aedes mosquitoes. All four serotypes of the dengue virus (DENV 1–4) are found in Singapore, with serotype distribution fluctuating from year to year. DENV-1 and DENV-2 were previously the dominant serotypes in outbreaks, but DENV-3 has now replaced DENV-2 as the most common serotype in 2022. Along with a larger proportion of people staying home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this has resulted in an increase in dengue incidence in Singapore. In the week of 12th to 18th June 2022, 1,258 new dengue cases were reported. According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), this number is expected to rise and exceed the highest weekly figure of 1,787 cases recorded in 2020.

Rapid antigen test: Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good

Pearl Toh, 23 Oct 2021

While rapid antigen test is less sensitive than conventional nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) such as RT-PCR* in detecting SARS-CoV-2 virus, “a test does not have to be perfect to be clinically useful,” said Professor Angela Caliendo during a session in IDWeek 2021 — echoing the maxim that perfect should not be the enemy of good in the pandemic era.