Use of Propolis chemical and Asian tiger mosquito bites : case report and review

Propolis is a substance of variable composition which incorporates resins derived from plants and beeswax. It varies depending on the geographic location and local flora such as plant and bee species. Propolis possesses several attributes such as immune enhancement, antimicrobial, antioxidant, analgesic as well as reported anti-tumour effects.1,2 Several research efforts have focused on studying the chemical composition of propolis.3-7 The diverse biological activity probably relates in part to the significant changes in extract constituents. Propolis has been popularized in the past as a natural remedy but significant possible pharmaceutical use is envisaged. This brief review details a case of how multiple annoying localized allergic skin reactions secondary to Asian tiger mosquito bites were soothed and resolved very rapidly with the application of Propolis.peer-reviewe

Amyand’s hernia : a case report

The presence of vermiform appendix, whether normal or inflamed in the inguinal hernia, is referred to as Amyand’s hernia. This is rare occurring in about 1% of inguinal hernias in adults. This is a report of Amyand’s hernia, which presented as a component along with partially necrotic omentum with metastasis in a 75 year old male patient. Appendicectomy followed by hernia repair using synthetic mesh was performed with an uneventful recovery.peer-reviewe

Portraiture : finding the valid fragment

The paper deals with the concepts of fragmentation and reconstruction in the field of portraiture. Taking a portrait as a large fragment of information, we look into ways in which it can be optimised and reduced such that it remains valid but becomes more efficient. The paper commences by exploring the concept of the fragment from various facets, including historically, especially from the modernist point of view, and goes forth to investigate various techniques from practices both adjunct and outside of the field of art in order to inform the portraiture process itself on how information can be collected, optimised and presented to the viewer.peer-reviewe

The future of public health practice in Europe

The European Public Health Association (EUPHA) identifies research, training, policy and practice as the four pillars for all its work. At a conference organised by the Association of School of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) in May 2016, an interesting session setting out a vision for these four areas for the coming years was organised. Josep Figueras and John Middelton outlined the challenges facing training and policy respectively in this session. They invited us to think outside the box and in a sense to reinvent public health in the 21st century. In this contribution, I focus on public health practice. Public health practitioners, who constitute an important part of EUPHA’s membership, are persons who typically work at the front line to translate research and policy into meaningful initiatives at local level.peer-reviewe

The content of general practice in Malta : a pilot study comparing health centre and private practice in Malta with each other and with general practice (as reported for other countries)

The effective planning of a system and the training of personnel to run it requires accurate data regarding the use to be made of the system. For a health care system such data, apart from actual numbers of patients, will include age/sex distribution, patient requests and expectations, and common presenting symptoms and diagnoses. Studies have been conducted in various countries to collect such data and while they have demonstrated general similarities among countries, they have also shown important regional differences. The present study arose as a result of discussions during a course on Family Medicine held by the University of Malta attended by ten doctors working in Government Health Centres, as it was noted that no such information has been published for Malta. The main objectives of the study were to determine the content of general practice in Malta; compare general practice experience in Government Health Centres and in private practice; determine and compare referral rates in Government Health Centres and in private practice.peer-reviewe

A national health information strategy for Malta

In 1992 a national health information strategy was developed jointly by the Department of Health and the Information Systems Division. A detailed strategy study report was compiled, with recommendations for the development of a number of information systems. The main system proposed was an integrated and comprehensive health care information system encompassing all of Malta’s hospitals and health centres, based on a single Patient Master Index. This system would support the concepts of an integrated health record and of a person-based view for resource management.peer-reviewe