Browsing by Author "Perera, A"
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Item Causes of headache in a Sri Lankan general practice.(2001-06-01) Perera, AItem A locally made mucus aspirator.(1995-09-01) Perera, AExamination of nasopharyngeal aspirate for the presence of viral antigens in children with acute lower respiratory tract infections is a standard procedure in establishing a viral aetiology. In the absence of other sophisticated methods such as lung puncture or trans-tracheal aspiration, mucopus aspirated from the nasopharynx can be used even to identify caustive organisms. Here, it is essential to perform a microscopic examination in addition to culture. The disposable mucus aspirators used in other countries are expensive and are not practical for routine use in our country. This paper describes how a mucus aspirator was turned out with low cost heat resistant materials that are locally available. The aspirator is steam sterilisable and can be used with a disposable F8 gauge feeding tube. The cost of one aspirator is about Rs. 100.Item Prevalence of skin diseases in suburban Sri Lanka.(2000-09-24) Perera, A; Atukorale, D N; Sivayogan, S; Ariyaratne, V S; Karunaratne, L ABACKGROUND: In Sri Lanka the only available measures of disease frequency related to skin disorders are from hospital-based clinic studies. They reflect only the patterns of clinic attendance, and the actual prevalence of skin diseases in the community is unknown. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of skin diseases in a selected area. METHODS: A household survey based on health interviews and clinical examination was conducted over a period of 4 months. 418 households were selected for modified cluster sampling from predetermined areas in Piliyandala. RESULTS: There were 1806 people residing in the 418 households surveyed. 894 cases were identified, of which 34 people could not be traced for clinical examination. 33 households did not have anyone with a skin lesion. The prevalence of skin disease was 47.6%. Fungal infections, followed by dermatitis, were found to be the commonest problems. There was only one case of leprosy. Psoriasis was found to be of low prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prevalence of skin disease was high in the community that we surveyed. There were marked differences between community prevalence and hospital dermatology clinic attendance data for a number of skin diseases.Item Reliable and easy identification of bacterial acute respiratory infections of childhood.(1998-12-04) Perera, A; Wickramasinghe, S; Perera, B J; Somaratne, POBJECTIVES: To identify the causative bacteria in childhood acute respiratory infections (ARI) and to determine the usefulness of pus cell counts in differentiating between pathogenic and commensal bacteria, cultured from nasopharyngeal aspirates. DESIGN: Case control prospective study. SETTING: Outpatients' department and the paediatric unit at General Hospital, Colombo South. SUBJECTS: 200 children under 5 years with cough and difficulty in breathing for less than one week who had no history of antibiotic therapy for the current illness, and 50 healthy controls matched for age and sex. RESULTS: 56.5% of cases had bacterial infections. Branhamella catarrhalis (25%), Haemophilus influenzae (12.5%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (10.5%) were the major pathogens identified. Pus cell counts were found to be significantly higher in cases than in controls (X2 58.28 df = 1 p < 0.001), and the pathogens were more often associated with pus cell counts of more than 10/field. CONCLUSIONS: 56.5% of children with ARI had bacterial infections. B catarrhalis seems to play a major role in childhood ARI. Examination of nasopharyngeal aspirates is a useful way to identify pathogens, provided microscopic examination for pus cells is performed together with culture.Item Successful surgery after ventricular septal rupture complicating acute myocardial infarction.(1996-12-01) Constantine, G R; Dalpadadu, L; Brown, A H; Perera, A; Narenthran, S; Thenabadu, P N