Browsing by Author "Edirisinghe, J.S."

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    Admission to medical schools in Sri Lanka: predictive validity of selection criteria
    (Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2006) de Silva, N.R.; Pathmeswaran, A.; de Silva, N.; Edirisinghe, J.S.; Kumarasiri, P.V.R.; Parameswaran, S.V.; Seneviratne, R.; Warnasuriya, N.; de Silva, H.J.
    OBJECTIVE: To assess the extent to which current selection criteria predict success in Sri Lanka's medical schools. METHODS: The study sample consisted of all students selected to all six medical schools in two consecutive entry cohorts. The aggregate marks of these students at the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level examination, the district of entry, admission category, candidate type (school/private) and gender, were identified as entry point variables. Success in medical school was measured in four ways: the ability to pass the first summative examination and the final examination at the first attempt, and obtaining honours in either examination. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression was used to assess the extent to which these entry point factors predict variability in outcome measures.RESULTS: Aggregate scores among the 1740 students in the study sample ranged from 212 to 356, with a median of 285. The male:female ratio was 1.4:1. Private candidates (taking the examination for the third time) accounted for 22% of students. Being a school candidate, female and having a higher aggregate score, were the only independent predictors of success for all four outcome measures. The aggregate score alone accounted for only 1-7% of the variation in performance in medical school. CONCLUSIONS: Marks obtained at the A Level examination (the only academic criterion currently used for selection of medical students in SriLanka) is a poor predictor of success in medical school.
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    Rickettsioses in the central hills of Sri Lanka: serological evidence of increasing burden of spotted fever group
    (Elsevier, 2013) Kularatne, S.A.M.; Rajapakse, R.P.; Wickramasinghe, W.M.; Nanayakkara, D.M.; Budagoda, S.S.; Weerakoon, K.G.; Edirisinghe, J.S.; Premaratna, R.
    OBJECTIVES:To study the epidemiology, clinical features, and changing pattern of rickettsial infections on the western slopes of the hilly Central Province of Sri Lanka over 6 years.METHODS: All patients with rickettsial infections who presented to the Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya were studied prospectively from January 2002 to December 2007. An immunofluorescent antibody assay (IFA) was used to confirm the diagnosis. RESULTS: Of the 371 clinical cases of rickettsial infection, 122 underwent IFA to confirm the diagnosis. Species-specific IgG antibodies were positive in 105/122 (86.1%) cases: 43/105 (40.9%) to Rickettsia conorii and 6/105 (5.7%) to Orientia tsutsugamushi, with mixed antibody reactivity to more than one antigen in 56/105 (53.3%) cases, including Rickettsia typhi in 27/105 (25.7%). Among those with mixed IgG reactivity, IgM assays were used to detect pathogens responsible for acute infections. Finally, a total of 55 spotted fever group (SFG) infections, seven scrub typhus infections, and one case of murine typhus were identified. Of the 105 positive cases, 53 (50.5%) were male and 52 (49.5%) were female, and the mean age was 40 years (range 11-83 years). In the SFG patients, 13/55 (24%) had severe vasculitis with fern leaf type skin necrosis and 17/55 (31%) had arthritis. Three patients (5%) had an altered level of consciousness. A patient with scrub typhus had transient deafness. None of the 105 patients had an eschar. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that SFG rickettsioses are on the rise in the hilly Central Province of Sri Lanka, whilst murine typhus and scrub typhus are present at a lower rate. © 2013 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Inc.