Asthma Self Management Workshop 2014

This workshop was held on Saturday, 18th October 2014 at the LSN Hall above my clinic.  There were 32 participants of which 25 were nurses.  The nurses were from Hospital Fatimah, PCSH, nursing homes, factories and government hospitals.  There were several pharmacists as well.  The 2 speakers were Dr Leong Oon Keong and Ms Leong Yee Leng RN.

From the feedback forms, we note that most participants attended the workshop in search of knowledge to improve themselves in the management of asthma.  There were several asthmatics in the crowd as well. 

Public attendance for the public forum was rather poor, partly because we only wanted asthmatics to attend and they had to pre-register.  We placed advertisements in the Star, Ipoh Echo and Malay Mail.  

The halal food served was well received.  Azmeera's mother made nasi lemak, fried mee hoon and tea for the morning break.  We had a choice of grilled or honey chicken for lunch.  The afternoon break consisted of 3 "kuehs". 

All participants were given printed handouts, goodie bags with sample inhalers, pencils and sweets to keep them awake.

Workshop activities included the handling of various inhalers (metered dose and dry powdered), peak flow meters with charting and spacers.

The post workshop evaluation test consisted of MCQ's projected onto the screen.  Participants who were the first to answer correctly were given mouse pads as prizes.

The organizers wish to thank the following sponsors:  Takeda, Boehringer Ingelheim and Novartis. We would also like to thank our 2 facilitators, the Yee sisters, and the committee members of the Perak Chest Society for making this workshop a resounding success.

Workbooks for Asthma Workshop ready

My nurses learnt something new today - how to use a binder to make a booklet.  Now I am busy preparing the asthma worksheets.  Thinking of some very difficult questions for the participants.

In future, there will be a test for nurses who wish to become asthma counselors.  The Perak Chest Society and the Malaysian Thoracic Society will work together to create a standard for this test.

Data Protection Act compliance

Received this certificate today and valid for 2 years.  Costs RM 600.  Now deciding which wall to hang it on.  It's compulsory to display it.

Forum strictly for Asthmatics

We have restricted entry for this forum because of limited seats and a need for a targeted audience.

Continuining Professional Development for Nurses

Here are the CPD points for nurses who will be attending our Asthma Workshop on 18 October 2014.

Quitting is a question of willpower, says doctor - the Star

The Star
Wednesday September 10, 2014 MYT 12:00:00 AM                

IT IS possible to quit smoking but it boils down to determination and motivation. Perak Chest Society president Dr Leong Oon Keong said the first thing one had to decide was whether or not he or she wanted to quit.

“If a person has a disease, they will quit very fast. Unless that is so, a person needs motivation because nicotine addiction is very difficult to overcome,” he told The Star.

Dr Leong, a chest physician, said more often than not, people gave excuses for not quitting and felt they knew everything there was to know about smoking.  “Information about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer is readily available on the Internet.  There are also support groups at government hospitals to help those wanting to quit smoking.  And yet, people still continue to smoke cigarettes as they find it very pleasurable,” he said.

Tobacco smoke, said Dr Leong, had caused untold misery to many people.  “It is the cause of many types of cancers ranging from lung cancer, mouth cancer, pancreatic cancer to bladder cancer. Tobacco smoke also causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart attacks and strokes, which are main causes of morbidity and mortality in Malaysia,” he said.

According to him, smokers usually found it difficult to stop smoking on their own.  The chances of relapsing, he said, were very high if one tried to go cold turkey.  “They would usually require assistance to help them abstain from smoking and in preventing a relapse.  There are nicotine replacement therapies including patches and oral therapy such as gum, which for a three-month programme would not cost more than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for five months.
These days, patients are also allowed several attempts to quit as well as the option of reducing the number of cigarettes they smoked in a day,” he said.

Asthma Forum 2014

This asthma forum will be held in conjunction with the Asthma Workshop. Only asthmatics will be invited to attend due to a lack of seats.

Asthma Workshop 2014 Flyer

Talk on "Managing Severe COPD".

Talk held at Akamomiji Japanese Restaurant. Doctors wanted 78 slides instead of 20 slides. Very keen learners.

Farewell Bro Raymond Seow

Raymond Seow is now at home with our Lord.  His sudden demise has indeed shocked us because he had always led a very active life - cycling, climbing hills etc.  He apparently had a stroke and later suffered a fatal heart attack.  His wake service yesterday night was attended by many close friends.

I first met Raymond in 2011 on Mr Liew WK's recommendation.  Raymond was looking for a job after returning from the USA.  We met at "Little Genting" in Ipoh.  He looked sporty and was dressed up in his cycling gear with gloves and all.  His firm handshake confirmed his tough nature. After our initial discussion he told me he would consult God to decide whether he would take on the job as a sleep technician.

Raymond took on the job and was given training to become a sleep technician cum salesman for CPAP machines.  Unfortunately sleep diagnosis and treatment wasn't his forte. However one thing is for sure.  He always wanted to be with people and help people. 

Recently Raymond called me several times regarding a job vacancy in the Lahat Road YMCA.  He was indeed very keen to become the programme director which I believed he was well suited.  He had a heart to meet and talk with people even though he had problems of his own.  His strength was his staunch belief in Christ and his willingness to help people.  Many of us will remember and are going miss his warm greetings in church.  

Farewell Raymond and may His blessing be with you always.  

Clinic Deco for Christmas 2013

Christmas tree in the reading room.

The reception counter

Gift boxes

Booklets from RBC Ministry

Yee Leng with Christmas gifts

 

Christmas has arrived.

Nutrition for the Elderly Talk (Cantonese)

This talk by dietician Ms Rachel Lee was held on Saturday 12th October at the Leong Sin Nam Memorial Hall.  This event was jointly organised by the Perak Chest Society and Leong Chest Clinic. It was sponsored by Abbott.  Turnout was encouraging.  All participants were given free body composition tests and milk powder.   

 

Orientation Week University Malaya

First day at 1st Residential College, University of Malaya.
My parents and I drove up to KL from Ipoh with several suit cases of cloths etc.

Stayed in 1st RC for 2 years.  Even bought a motorcycle to get around in campus.

Less COPD cases with price rise.

The cost of cigarettes have gone up.  A packet a day for a month will cost a smoker roughly RM 360.  That's a lot of money to spend on an addiction besides the future medical bills that come together with treating COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).

Fantastic Years in Medical School

This presentation was produced by me some 3 years ago when my University Mates met in Ipoh.
The video has become jumpy after reformatting to MPEG4 format for blogger upload.  Hope you won't feel giddy after watching it.  Do enjoy the music if you need to close your eyes!!

Handheld scanner

I am very impressed with this handheld scanner called Avision.  I managed to scan some very clear  images from the blue picture album below.  There is some urgency in getting the family history together.  Mother just celebrated her 91st birthday.  Praise the Lord.  You may wish to see some pictures at http://drokleong.blogspot.com/

The Doctor

This large framed poster hangs above the examination couch in my clinic.  It was a gift from Dato Teh Siew Eng a close family friend.

"The Doctor" was painted by Sir Luke Fildes.

'Fildes himself said that he wanted 'to put on record the status of the doctor in our own time'. In his description of the picture he indicates that unlike the case of his own son, this one has a happy ending: 'At the cottage window the dawn begins to steal in - the dawn that is the critical time of all deadly illnesses - and with it the parents again take hope into their hearts, the mother hiding her face to escape giving vent to her emotion, the father laying his hand on the shoulder of his wife in encouragement of the first glimmerings of the joy which is to follow.'

E-Cigarettes are not approved by the FDA

E-cigarettes are now available in Malaysia.  Just 2 months ago a saleslady came to my clinic to promote them.   Above is a picture of the "cigarette" which even lights up when smoked.  I tried it cough ..... cough ...... cough!!!  Nope its not for me or my patients who are trying to quit smoking.  I shall continue to use NRT instead.

Below is an article is from Respiratory Care & Sleep Medicine on e-cigarettes.

"With the third and largest of the U.S. tobacco companies planning an e-cigarette product launch this fall, this next frontier for "Big Tobacco" provides renewed presence in a declining marketplace. It's also a potential gateway to new smokers, particularly among teens and in emerging/foreign markets, according to behavioral scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that provide inhaled doses of nicotine vapors and flavorings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 6% of adults have tried e-cigarettes, a number that has nearly doubled since 2010. Absent of tobacco, e-cigarettes have been promoted as a possible aid in getting people to stop smoking and thereby reducing their lung cancer risk.

However, MD Anderson cancer prevention experts Paul Cinciripini, PhD, director of the Tobacco Treatment Program, and Alexander Prokhorov, MD, PhD, head of the Tobacco Outreach Education Program, caution that more research is needed to understand the potential role of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation.

"Independent studies must rigorously investigate e-cigarettes, as there's considerable potential benefit in these products if they're regulated and their safety is ensured," said Cinciripini. "But promoting the e-cigarettes already on the shelves as 'safe' is misleading and, if looked at as a harmless alternative to cigarettes, could potentially lead to a new generation of smokers more likely to become tobacco dependent."

With the impending introduction of another e-cigarette, Prokhorov and Cinciripini urge consumers to know the following information.

• E-cigarettes are unregulated and there's little research on their safety or efficacy as smoking cessation tools. "These products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and this is concerning because it's impossible to know what you're really getting or if it's safe. In one analysis nicotine levels have been shown to vary widely among e-cigarette products," said Prokhorov. For now, he recommends that those looking to quit stick with approved devices, such as nicotine inhalers.
• Switching from tobacco to e-cigarettes could help smokers avoid approximately 6,000 chemicals, some of which are human carcinogens. "Reduced exposure to harmful chemicals warrants research of these products as a smoking cessation vehicle," said Cinciripini. "Unbiased studies, free from the ethical and legal challenges of 'Big Tobacco'-sponsored trials, are needed."
• Branded as "safer," available in a variety of colors and flavors and promoted by celebrities, e-cigarettes could be a hook for future smokers. "E-cigarettes are a novel way to introduce tobacco smoking to young people, and their potential 'gateway' role should be a concern for parents and health officials alike," added Prokhorov. "Once a young person gets acquainted with nicotine, it's more likely that they'll try other tobacco products. E-cigarettes are a promising growth area for the tobacco companies, allowing them to diversify their addictive and lethal products with a so-called "safe cigarette," said Prokhorov. "Unfortunately, there's no proof that e-cigarettes are risk-free."

Cinciripini has more than 30 years' experience conducting basic and clinical research in smoking cessation and nicotine psychopharmacology. Prokhorov is the principal architect of MD Anderson's ASPIRE program, a teen-focused website and, Tobacco Free Teens, a smartphone app - both are new approaches to keeping young people free from the grips of nicotine addiction.