Highlights the importance of qualitative research in understanding the underlying motivations, behaviors, and contextual factors that influence healthcare decisions, and advocates for its integration, methodological rigor, and ethical guidance in order to improve clinical practice, treatment adherence, and health policy development.

Eelucidates the legal and medical standards governing the determination and certification of death in the Philippines, highlighting the dual concepts of clinical and brain death, the physician’s responsibilities, and the statutory requirements that guide accurate diagnosis, documentation, and compliance with public health regulations.
 

Anxiety and depression are the two most common mental disorders among medically ill patients with prevalence of 10%-50%. Anxiety and depression are prevalent in patient with heart disease and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. This study aims to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression and its correlation with clinical profile in heart failure patients using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Filipino Version (HADS-P).

Endoscopic trans-sphenoidal surgeries are mainly the procedure of choice in pituitary adenomas with favorable results and varied outcomes arise from these techniques. The study aims to report the postoperative complications, and if these complications may have an impact on hospital stay.

Malnutrition is a frequently neglected problem among patients with chronic illnesses. It correlates with decreased functionality and quality of life and increased morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of malnutrition in chronic rheumatologic conditions ranges from 15-24%. There is an unfounded suspicion that malnutrition is common among Filipino patients with rheumatic diseases. The study will bridge this knowledge gap and pave the way for a more holistic approach in the care of rheumatic diseases. The researchers aim too assess the risk of malnutrition among patients of the rheumatology clinic of the Philippine General Hospital.

Statins have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. In vitro studies show that these drugs inhibit inflammatory cells, decrease the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC), decrease adhesion molecules and inflammatory cytokines (IL6 and IL10), that are also implicated in SLE pathogenesis. In terms of immunomodulary effects, animal studies demonstrate that statins exacerbate/trigger cellular apoptosis and induce a shift in the Th1/Th2 balance leading to B-cell reactivity and production of pathogenic autoantibodies. Whether statins have clinical effects in SLE have not been widely studied. In terms of disease activity, studies show contradicting results. The researchers aim to determine the effect of statins on the disease activity of SLE based on the best available evidence.

Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a gram positive cocci acquired through exposure to infected swine. The most common clinical manifestation is meningitis often accompanied by bacteremia. S. suis is an emerging pathogen with significant complications, but remains to be underreported. Only 1,584 cases of S. suis infection have been reported worldwide with most of the cases concentrated in Southeast Asia where swine quantity is high. We report a case of a 52-year-old male who came in due to fever, generalized violaceous purpuric rash, headache, and nuchal rigidity.

Gout is a clinical syndrome resulting from deposition of urate crystals in joints causing inflammation, intense pain and even disability. In 2003 National Nutrition and Health Survey (NNHeS), the overall prevalence of gout was 1.6% and the prevalence of hyperuricemia was 28.4% of the 4498 adults >20 years old. Gout complicating cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) was infrequently recognized in early reports with Somerville referring only nine patients over a period of five years in the registry of two hospitals. Recent studies have shown increased recognition, with Yamamura identifying 16% of the 92 patients with CCHD to have gouty arthritis. There is no local data on the frequency of gout among patients with CCHD

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory systemic disease that can affect any organ including the central nervous system (CNS). Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is one of its rare CNS manifestations. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), with features of headache, seizures, altered mental status, visual loss, and typical imaging findings, has recently been associated with SLE and immunosuppression, including use of high dose steroids. The patient was seen in University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH), a tertiary training hospital in Manila, Philippines

Diabetes in the Philippines is a major and growing health issue. From its prevalence of 2.8 million in 2000, it was projected by the World Health Organization to reach 7.8 million by 2030. Glimepiride has been found to be effective and well-tolerated, as monotherapy and in combination with metformin, in managing glycemic levels among type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of a sustained release (SR) fixed-dose combination (FDC) preparation of glimepiride and metformin in the treatment of Filipino patients with T2DM.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a highly prevalent chronic disease affecting up to 30% of the population worldwide.1 Although AR is not life-threatening, it greatly impacts patients’ health-related quality of life and furthermore, if left untreated, it may be complicated by other respiratory co-morbidities.2 Intranasal corticosteroids are one of the several classes of medications recommended to manage AR. Fluticasone furoate nasal spray is a novel enhanced-affinity glucocorticoid for the management of AR.2 This study assessed the safety profile of Fluticasone furoate nasal spray in the treatment of Filipino patients with AR.