Purpose To investigate the anxiolytic effects of binaural beat embedded audio in patients undergoing cataract surgery under local anesthesia. Methods This prospective RCT included 141 patients undergoing cataract surgery under local anesthesia. The patients were randomized into three groups; the Binaural beat music group (BB), the plain music intervention group (MI), and a control group (ear phones with no music). Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate were measured on admission, at the beginning of and 20 min after the start of the operation. Peri-operative anxiety level was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire (STAI). Results The BB and MI groups comprised 44 patients each and the control group 47. Patients in the MI group and BB group showed significant reduction of STAI state scores after music intervention compared with the control group (P<0.001) but the difference was not significant between the MI and BB group (STAI-S score MI group −7.0, BB group −9.0, P=0.085). Systolic BP was significantly lower in both MI (P=0.043) and BB (0.040) groups although there was no difference between the two groups (P=1.000). A significant reduction in heart rate was seen only in the BB group (BB vs control P=0.004, BB vs MI P=0.050, MI vs control P=0.303). Conclusion Music, both with and without binaural beat, was proven to decrease anxiety level and lower systolic BP. Patients who received binaural beat audio showed additional decrease in heart rate. Binaural beat embedded musical intervention may have benefit over musical intervention alone in decreasing operative anxiety.

Introduction: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional stage between normal cognition and dementia. A review showed that 10–15% of those with MCI annually progressed to Alzheimer’s disease. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with MCI as well as the characteristics of cognitive deficits among older people in rural Thailand. Methods: A cross-sectional study in 482 people who were 60 years old and over was conducted in northern Thailand. The assessments were administered by trained occupational therapists using demographic and health characteristics, Mental Status Examination Thai 10, Activities of Daily Living – Thai Assessment Scale, 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic (MoCA-B, Thai version). Results: The mean age of MCI was 68.3 ± 6.82 years, and most had an education ≤4 years. The prevalence of MCI in older people was 71.4% (344 out of 482), and it increased with age. Low education and diabetes mellitus (DM) were the significant risk factors associated with cognitive decline. Older people with MCI were more likely to have an education ≤4 years (RR 1.74, 95% CI 1.21–2.51) and DM (RR 1.19, 95% CI 1.04–1.36) than those who did not. The 3 most common cognitive impairments according to MoCA-B were executive function (86%), alternating attention (33.1%) and delayed recall (31.1%). Conclusion: The prevalence of MCI in older Thai people in a rural area is high compared with that in other countries. The explanation might be due to low education and underlying disease associated with MCI. A suitable program that can reduce the prospects of MCI in rural Thailand is needed.

In this study, the first complete genome sequences for hepatitis C virus (HCV) subtypes 6f, 6i, 6j and 6m, obtained from infected blood donors in Chiang Mai, Thailand, are reported. Pairwise genome-wide nucleotide similarities between some of these isolates were higher than the 75–80 % value used previously to define different HCV subtypes. To investigate further, the entire genomes of four prototype isolates, Th602 (6i), Th553 (6j), B4/92 (6m) and D86/93 (6n), were sequenced. Pairwise comparison of these sequences gave a similar range of nucleotide similarities, thereby providing new information for HCV subtype classification. In order to study the hypothesis of interspousal HCV transmission, four additional complete HCV genome sequences were obtained from two infected Thai blood donors and their spouses, C-0044 and C-0046 (6f), and C-0192 and C-0185 (6m). Pairwise comparison of the sequences revealed that C-0044 and C-0046 share a nucleotide similarity of 98.1 %, whilst C-0185 and C-0192 have a similarity of 97.8 %. Several other studies of partial HCV sequences of different genomic regions from HCV-infected couples have shown nucleotide similarities ranging from 96.3 to 100 %. The similarities of the complete genome sequences from the two couples in the current study are consistent with HCV transmission between spouses.

This study aims to determine the prevalence of health personnel with normal weight central obesity and to investigate whether this group had higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors than those of the people with normal weight and without central obesity. A waist-to-height ratio was calculated as waist circumference (at umbilical level) in cm divided by height in cm. The central obesity cut-off level was 0.5. The body mass index was calculated as weight in kg divided by height in meters squared. The obesity cut-off level was 25 kg/m². The prevalence of health personnel with normal weight central obesity was 15.4% (499 out of 3235). When compare this group to 1787 health personnel who had normal weight and without central obesity, they were 2.03 times (95% CI of adjusted OR; 1.62 to 2.54) more likely to have at least one CVD factor. The waist-to-height ratio cut-off value of 0.5 can be used as a self-assessment tool for central obesity without the need for a standard measuring tape. It is feasible to be implemented in screening or self-monitoring for the general population.

The study aimed to describe severe and fatal cases of box jellyfish stings in Thailand. Medical records were reviewed and patients, relatives, health staffs, and witnesses were interviewed. The pictures of suspected box jellyfish were sent via e-mail to experts in the toxic jellyfish network for further identification. There were at least 8 cases of box jellyfish envenomation, with 4 fatal and 4 near-fatal cases. There were an equal number of male and female patients from 4 to 26 years of age. In each case, there was immediate severe pain followed by systemic reactions. Immediately after exposure to the sting, 7 victims collapsed experiencing severe pain at the tentacle marks, respiratory failure, and cardiac arrest. All patients had tentacle marks on their bodies. In none of the fatal cases was vinegar applied to the tentacle marks as first aid, but 3 out of the 4 near-fatal cases were treated with a vinegar application.