Browsing by Author "Mohotti, S."

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Comparison of selected occupational health problems among coir industry and coconut estate workers in the Puttalam District
(College of the Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, 2007) Mohotti, S.; Jayawardana, P.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of selected occupational health problems among coir industry (SG) and coconut estate (CG) workers in Puttalam District. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out in the MOH areas of Dankotuwa, Marawila and Chilaw, in the Puttalam district. Sample size computed was 190 for each group. Sample was selected using Simple random sampling method. Interviewer administered questionnaire was used to determine the socio-demographic characteristics and prevalence of selected occupational health problems among the two groups. RESULTS: The mean duration of service was 12.3 (50:86) years for SG and 13.7(SD=9.9) years for CG. Musculoskeletal symptoms - prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (OR =2.8; 95 %Cl: 1.2-6.5) was higher among SG while knee joint pain was higher among CG (OR=O.5; 95% Cl: 0.3 - 0.7). Dermatological conditions - prevalence of fingertip wastage (OR=1.25; 95%Cl: 8.1-53.1), oedema of terminal phalanges (OR=5.5; 95%Cl: 2.9 -10.6) and paronychia (OR=5.4; 95%Cl: 3.2-9.0) were higher among SG, while the CG showed a higher prevalence of callosities (OR=undefined). Occupational injuries - prevalence of abrasions (OR=0.06; 95%Cl: 0.03-0.13), lacerations (OR=0.09; 95%Cl: 0.04-0.18), contusions (OR=0.07; 95%Cl: 0.03-0.15) and cut injuries (OR=0.13; 95%Cl: 0.06-0.27) were higher among the CG. Varicose veins - prevalence of varicose veins was higher among 8G (OR=1.87; 95%Cl: 1.12-3.13). Respiratory conditions - prevalence of sneezing (OR=1.74; 95%Cl: 1.11-2.79) and common cold (OR=2.28; 95%Cl: 1.46-3.57) were significantly higher among SG while nasal Obstruction (OR=0.21; 95%Cl: 0.10 - 0.45), breathlessness (OR=0.26; 95%Cl: 0.12 - 0.53) and asthma were significantly higher among CG (OR=0.34; 95%Cl: 0.18 - 0.62). CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Prevalence of individual musculoskeletal, skin and respiratory conditions differed among coir workers and coconut estate workers. However, varicose veins were more among coir workers while occupational injuries were more among coconut estate workers. Recommend use of protective gear.
Sural nerve involvement in patients with acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome with sural sparing at initial presentation
(Association of Sri Lankan Neurologists, 2023) Munasinghe, H.; Gunasekara, S.; Gunarathne, K.; Senanayake, B.; Mohotti, S.; Weerakoon, T.; Wanniarachchi, S.; Ravindra, S.; Ponnamperuma, M.; Wijayawardhana, S.
INTRODUCTION: Neurophysiological testing is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Sural sparing is a usual feature of acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) type GBS. However, sural involvement has been reported in later stages of GBS. It is important to identify patterns of sural nerve involvement to differentiate GBS from its mimickers and to stage the disease. This research aimed to detect the pattern of sural nerve involvement in AIDP-GBS cases with normal electrophysiological responses in the sural nerve at the beginning. OBJECTIVES: To determine the location and timing of sural nerve involvement in AIDP-GBS. METHODS: This prospective follow up study included diagnosed cases of AIDP-GBS with preserved bilateral sural responses. Nerve conduction and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) were done on admission and weekly thereafter for four consecutive weeks. The last evaluation was done four weeks after the fourth study. RESULTS: All patients (100%) showed normal distal sural responses over the initial four weeks of follow up. They continued to remain normal up to eight weeks in eight patients (53.3%). Two patients had gradual prolongation of their sural SSEP on consecutive studies. One of them had gradual reduction of sural sensory nerve action potential and nerve conduction velocity along with the prolongation of sural SSEP latencies. The difference of SSEP latency increments in the left sural nerve of these two patients was statistically significant (p<0.05). The right sural SSEP latency difference was not significant. CONCLUSION: Sparing of the distal sural sensory response was demonstrated in 100% of AIDP-GBS cases during the first four weeks of follow up. More than 50% of the cohort demonstrated preserved sural sensory responses for eight weeks from the initial presentation. Two out of fifteen patients showed statistically significant proximal sural sensory pathway involvement with increasing SSEP latencies. This finding suggests that in some patients, the sural sensory pathway may get affected at its proximal segments or at the central nervous system before the distal nerve is affected.