Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An 11-Year Analysis of Emergency Presentations of Melioidosis in Northeastern Malaysia

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A neglected tropical disease, melioidosis is known to have variability in clinical presentations. Here, we described clinical features that should alert the physicians on the possibility of melioidosis. In this review of 86 cases from 2001 to 2011, the common presentations of melioidosis in the Emergency Department (ED), Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia were; male gender (79.1 %), in working age group (47.8 ± 15.2 year-old), worked in contact with soil (73.3 %), presented with fever (91.9 %), in rainy season (55.8 %), have underlying diabetes mellitus (79.1 %), have leukocytosis (67.4 %) and high blood glucose (62.8 %) during presentation. In 34.9 % of cases, the antimicrobials were initiated at the ED and only 10.5 % include antimelioid drugs. Thirty-one patients (36.0 %) died due to melioidosis and 51.6 % of this were within 48 h of admission. Despite high mortality rate, the clinical awareness on the possibility of melioidosis among emergency physicians is still low and need to be strengthened.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Hotez PJ, Bottazzi ME, Strych U, Chang LY, Lim YA, Goodenow MM, AbuBakar S. Neglected tropical diseases among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): overview and update. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2015;9(4):e0003575.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Moore RA, DeShazer D, Reckseidler S, Weissman A, Woods DE. Efflux-mediated aminoglycoside and macrolide resistance in Burkholderia pseudomallei. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1999;43(3):465–70.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Deris ZZ, Hasan H, Siti Suraiya MN. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of bacteraemic melioidosis in a teaching hospital in a northeastern state of Malaysia: a 5-year review. J Infect Dev Ctries. 2010;4(7):430–5.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Besari A, Deris Z, Hashim C. Melioidosis: a review article. Int Med J. 2012;19(2):102–5.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Malczewski AB, Oman KM, Norton RE, Ketheesan N. Clinical presentation of melioidosis in Queensland, Australia. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2005;99(11):856–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Wiersinga WJ, Currie BJ, Peacock SJ. Melioidosis. N Engl J Med. 2012;367(11):1035–44.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Churuangsuk C, Chusri S, Hortiwakul T, Charernmak B, Silpapojakul K. Characteristics, clinical outcomes and factors influencing mortality of patients with melioidosis in southern Thailand: A 10-year retrospective study. Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2016;9(3):256–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Wu C-H, Liu C-F, Huang S-H, Lee C-H, Kung C-T. Clinical characteristics of patients with melioidosis treated in an emergency department. J Acute Med. 2012;2(1):13–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Kung C-T, Li C-J, Hung S-C, Ko S-F, Chen M-C, Lee C-H, Liu J-W. Acute melioid community-acquired pneumonia. Int J Infect Dis. 2011;15(9):e627–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Puthucheary SD. Melioidosis in Malaysia. Med J Malays. 2009;64(4):266–74.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge Dr. Sabrizan Osman for technical support.

Funding

This study was funded by 1001/PPSP/812167 Research University Individual Grant by Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia

    Mohd Boniami Yazid, Mohd Hashairi Fauzi & Abu Yazid Md Noh

  2. Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia

    Habsah Hasan & Zakuan Zainy Deris

Authors
  1. Mohd Boniami Yazid
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mohd Hashairi Fauzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Habsah Hasan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Abu Yazid Md Noh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Zakuan Zainy Deris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zakuan Zainy Deris.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

ZZD has received research grants from Universiti Sains Malaysia (1001/PPSP/812167 Research University Individual Grant). HH declares that she received research grants from Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education (203/PTS/6728003 LRGS). MBY declare that he has no conflict of interest. MFH declares that he has no conflict of interest. AYMN declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This study was approved by Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) Universiti Sains Malaysia on 15th January 2013 (approval no: USMKK/PPP/Jpem [259.4.(5.7)]). Because of retrospective in nature, the informed consent was not obtained in this study (as approved by our review body). However, the patients’ anonymity and confidentiality were maintain throughout the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yazid, M.B., Fauzi, M.H., Hasan, H. et al. An 11-Year Analysis of Emergency Presentations of Melioidosis in Northeastern Malaysia. J Immigrant Minority Health 19, 774–777 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0429-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0429-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation