NORMAL PLANTAR FASCIA THICKNESS IN ADULT

Background: Plantar fasciitis is a common problem caused by thickening of the plantar fascia. The normal plantar fascia thickness ranged between 2-3 mm and it was generally accepted that value more than 4mm was considered pathologic. Objective: to identify normal plantar fascia thickness in adults using ultrasonography. Methods: This is a cross sectional study measuring the thickness of plantar fascia in 145 subjects with no history of heel pain. Plantar fascia thickness was measured in both feet using an ultrasound. Age, height and weight were recorded and analysed. Results: As much as 145 subjects were included in this study. Male to female ratio was 0.7. Mean age was 44 and body mass index (BMI) was mostly within normal range. Plantar fascia thickness in male was 2.71 ± 0.48 mm in right foot, and 2.74 ± 0.47 mm in left foot. Fascia thickness in female was 2.55 ± 0.50 mm in right foot, and 2.57 ± 0.45 mm in left foot. There was a significant plantar fascia thickness difference between male and female (p = 0.035 in right foot, and p=0.04 in left foot). Age, weight and BMI had a significant correlation towards plantar fascia thickness. In multivariate analysis, age and BMI revealed to have a linear correlation to plantar fascia thickness Conclusion: Age and BMI were found to be the best predictive factor of plantar fascia thickness

The Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in Sumatra

In light of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination programs being implemented worldwide, this study aimed to evaluate the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance survey in Indonesia conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), published in November 2020. It was found that Sumatra Island having lower COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates, with Aceh Province displaying the lowest level of vaccine acceptance. Thus, a cross-sectional study was conducted, and a logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors affecting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Out of 368 respondents who participated in the survey, 143 (38.9%) accepted the vaccine, and 225 (61.1%) refused it. Vaccine safety concerns constituted the most reported reason for refusal (43.6%). This study also found that province of residence and basic immunization status were determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Sumatra. Concerns regarding vaccine safety might be the reason for the low level of vaccination in Sumatra. Increased education and encouragement from healthcare professionals and regional authority figures can alleviate public concerns and improve vaccine acceptance

Cortisol dynamics and endothelin-1/nitric oxide ratio are associated with clinical vasospasme

Background: Cortisol dynamics in serum might be related to clinical vasospasm, also known as delayed ischemic neurological deficits (DIND). Two vasoactive substances that play a role in pathophysiology of DIND are endothelin-1 (ET1) and nitric oxide (NO), both are proved associated with cortisol. This study aimed to know how cortisol play a role on ET1/NO ratio and its relationship to DIND.Methods: This was a prospective cohort study for the first 14 days after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Patients with inclusion criteria will be enrolled for blood test before surgery, and post-operative day 2, 4, 7, and 10 (between 8:00-9:00 AM). The blood tests were performed for cortisol, ACTH, CBG, NO, and ET1. Free cortisol is calculated with Coolens equation. Logistic regression was used to see the interaction model and its scale. Bivariate analysis (corelation) was used to see the relationship between total cortisol, free cortisol, NO, ET1, and clinical vasospasm (DIND).Results: Forty-four patients are enrolled into this study (20 male; 24 females). Mean age is 52.02 years (52.02 ± 11.23). There were 29 patients (66%) within  DIND group and 15 patients Non-DIND as the control group. The mean of cortisol level shown is significantly higher in DIND group (35.99 ± 14.24) µg/dL compared to Non-DIND group (19.57 ± 6.19) µg/dL, p &lt; 0.001. The mean of free cortisol level was significantly higher in DIND group (2.06 ± 1.094) µg/dL compared to non-DIND group (0.838 ± 0.365 µg/dL; p &lt; 0.001). The Scatter Plot graph show that correlation of cortisol with ET1/NO ratio started increasing on day 4 and became stronger on day 10.Conclusion: Cortisol is associated with DIND following aneurysmal SAH,  probably through its role in keeping the balance between ET1 and NO level. (Med J Indones. 2013;22:161-6. doi: 10.13181/mji.v22i3.585) Keywords: Cortisol dynamics, delayed ischemic neurological deficits, endothelin-1, nitric oxide</p

Prognostic value of inflammatory markers in patients with COVID-19 in Indonesia

Background &amp; aims: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a wide clinical spectrum, ranging from asymptomatic infection to severe diseases with high mortality rate. Early identification of high-risk COVID-19 patients may be beneficial to reduce morbidity and in-hospital mortality. This study aimed to investigate whether baseline levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and immune-cell-based inflammatory indices, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived-NLR (d-NLR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) at hospital admission are associated with adverse disease outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Methods: Clinical data from 391 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in three Siloam Hospitals in Indonesia were retrospectively collected and analysed from March 20 to October 30, 2020. Results: Fifty-four (13.8%) hospitalized patients had clinical deterioration and required ICU treatment, categorizing them as severe COVID-19 cases. Older age, presence of underlying diseases, and increased inflammatory markers values at admission were significantly associated with severe cases. After adjustment of sociodemographic and comorbidities factors, CRP, NLR, and d-NLR values, but not PLRs, were identified as independent risk factors for disease severity and death in COVID-19 patients. The area under curve (AUC) of CRP, NLR, and d-NLR were 0.854, 0.848, and 0.854, respectively. The optimal cut-off points for CRP, NLR, and d-NLR for identification of COVID-19 patients with potential worse disease outcomes were 47 mg/L, 6, and 4, respectively. Conclusion: Initial assessment of CRP, NLR, and d-NLR values at hospital admission may be important predictors for adverse disease outcomes in COVID-19 patients