Newsletter No. 206

2 No. 206 4th September 2002 CUHK Newsletter Medical News Update Diagnosing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome via Ultrasound Marked by fatigue , pain, stiffness, cramping, numbness , and a tingling o f the hands, wrists, o r arms, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS ) i s a disorder that is gaining prevalence amon g keyboar d workers an d expectant mothers . Its incidence i s about one in a thousand persons per year. CTS ca n quickly escalat e fro m a fleeting flare-u p t o cel l degeneratio n an d the ris k o f disability. Approximately on e per cent of CTS patients develo p permanen t injuries . The Faculty of Medicine has found a new approach using ultrasound treatment to aid in the accurate diagnosi s an d early treatmen t o f the condition . A stud y conducte d a t the Princ e o f Wales Hospita l reveals significan t difference s between CTS patient s an d controls. I t indicate s that sonograph y i s likel y t o pla y a n increasingl y importan t rol e i n th e earl y diagnosi s an d treatment o f CTS . Th e finding s wer e publishe d i n th e Jul y 200 2 issu e o f Arthritis and Rheumatism. Collaboration on Pharmacogenetics Pharmacogenetics, th e study of how genetic difference s influenc e th e variability i n patien t response s t o drugs, provides th e scientifi c basi s for personalized drug treatment and new dru g development . A delegatio n from the Facult y o f Medicin e pai d a visi t t o th e Ph a r ma c o g e n e t i cs Researc h I n s t i t u t e, X i a n g y a Schoo l o f Medicine, Centra l South University in Hunan , fro m 28t h t o 31s t Ma y 2002. Amon g th e delegate s wer e Prof. Thoma s Y.K . Cha n an d Prof . Bria n Tomlinso n fro m th e Departmen t o f Medicin e an d Therapeutics, an d Dr . Alber t Y.W . Chan , adjunc t associat e professo r i n th e Departmen t o f Chemical Pathology . They me t Prof . Zho u Hon g Hao , directo r o f th e institute , an d discusse d plan s fo r collaboration o n research and postgraduate training, and proposals to form the Asian Society o f Clinical Pharmacolog y an d Pharmacogenetics i n May 2003 . Abuse of Psychotropic Substances The Centr e o f Clinica l Trial s an d Epidemiological Researc h o f th e Schoo l o f Publi c Healt h conducted a population-based study on approximately 3,80 0 male and 3,200 female respondents aged 1 8 to 5 9 from August 200 1 to April 200 2 to gaug e the prevalence o f using psychotropi c substances amon g that age group . The results of the study show that 1. 8 per cent of all adult males and 0.6 per cent of all adult females ar e regular users of psychotropic substances . About 2 0 per cent of those who used such substances i n the last six month s use d them i n mainland China. Younger age , lower educatio n level, an d unemploymen t ar e associate d wit h a higher likelihoo d o f abusin g psychotropi c substances. Exercise Prevents Elderly Fractures Fracture i s a majo r caus e o f disability an d prolonged hospita l stay amon g Hon g Kong' s elderl y population. Prof . Leung Kwok Su i of the Department of Orthopaedic s and T r a uma t o l o g y r e c e n t l y surveyed 560 elderly patients aged 60 or above with bone fractures a t the Princ e o f Wale s Hospita l t o examine th e causes of fractures . It was found that falls accoun t for over 90 per cent of the fractures among th e elderly , particularl y women. Most fractures occur in the hip an d femur , whic h i s likel y t o cause disability. The average length of hospital stay is a week. Most of the fall s happen at home, the majo r reason s o f whic h bein g obstructiv e hom e environment s an d risky habits . Interna l factors includ e degeneration, general weakness, poor balance, and the side-effects of medicine . The Department o f Orthopaedics an d Traumatology ha s designed a set of exercises for the elderly targetin g thes e factors . Designe d b y orthopaedi c surgeons , Ta i Ch i masters , an d physiotherapists, thes e exercise s ar e base d o n traditiona l Ta i Ch i whil e incorporatin g musculoskeletal an d biomechanical considerations . Microbiology Summer Course 2002 Young fellow s specializin g i n m i c r o b i o l o gy f r o m d i f f e r e n t i n s t i t u t i ons an d hospital s i n mainland Chin a attende d th e S u mm e r C o u r s e 2 0 0 2 i n Microbiology organize d b y th e Department o f Microbiology fro m 5th t o 18t h Jun e a t th e Princ e o f Wales Ho s p i t a l . Th e cours e p r o v i d ed a chanc e fo r thes e specially selecte d participant s t o update thei r laborator y skill s an d techniques; i t als o extende d research collaboratio n betwee n Hong Kong and the mainland and attracted participants to enrol in postgraduate courses offere d by the department . Summer Kaleidoscop e Master of Public Health Programme Presents Prizes The Master of Public Health Programme held its Best Prizes Presentation Ceremony and annual dinner o n 5t h July. Fiv e Maste r o f Publi c Healt h student s wer e awarde d prizes fro m Merc k Sharp & Dohme , includin g tw o Bes t Publi c Healt h Projec t Awards an d three othe r prize s i n epidemiology, biostatistics , an d health economics . Mobile Technologies in Focus Overseas an d loca l speaker s fro m medi a production organizations , mobil e devic e vendors, an d network operator s participated i n a two-day even t organize d by th e Departmen t of Compute r Scienc e an d Engineering o n 2n d and 3rd August i n Li Koo n Chu n Hall o f Sin o Building. Th e event , whic h aime d a t en - chancing awarenes s o f upcomin g mobil e technologies an d business trends amon g Hon g Kong's corporation s an d developers, include d a seminar an d a practical workshop . Mainland and Taiwan Students Given a Taste of HK's Mass Media Under th e Hong Kong-Mainland-Taiwa n Universit y Studen t Exchang e Programme , student s from Chingch i Universit y i n Taiwa n an d Beijing Norma l Universit y attende d a symposiu m entitled 'Cultur e o f the Mass Media i n Chinese Society ' organize d by New Asia Colleg e fro m 13th to 21st July 2002 . During thei r sta y th e studen t delegate s visite d medi a organization s includin g th e Nex t Media Group , TVB , RTHK , Readers ' Digest , an d academi c department s o f journalism an d communication. The y als o attende d academi c talk s presente d b y prominen t figure s o f th e industry. Winning Projects Preach Women's Health The first Diploma Programme i n Women's Health Studies completed its first year on 19t h June 2002. As par t o f their cours e requirement, student s had to develo p healt h educatio n material s for a topic relate d t o women' s health . Thi s year , thre e project s wer e awarde d th e priz e o f Outstanding Projects : 'Breas t Cance r Webpage', 'Healt h Knowledge About Menopause' , an d 'Domestic Violence' . Pamphlet s wer e made on the three topics an d distributed to the public . Sexual Harassment in Local Universities A surve y o n 'sexua l harassmen t i n loca l tertiar y institutions ' conducte d fro m 200 0 t o 200 1 found tha t clos e t o 3 0 pe r cen t o f universit y student s hav e ha d experience s o f pee r sexua l harassment, whic h include d gende r harassment , unwelcome intimat e physica l content , cybe r sexual harassment, and sexual coercion . The stud y wa s conducte d a t the territory's eigh t tertiar y institution s b y th e University' s Gender Researc h Centre. Som e 1 1 per cen t o f the 2,495 respondent s reporte d being sexuall y harassed by teachers , with mor e wome n tha n men having suc h experiences. Th e majorit y o f students ignore d the harassers, and only 2 to 5 per cent complained to the authorities. About 2 0 to 3 0 per cen t of the respondents experience d low self-confidenc e an d feelings o f depression , insecurity, an d a poor sens e of belonging to the institutions subsequen t to their being harassed. New Website fo r P.E. Teaching The Department o f Sports Scienc e and Physical Education has launched an interactive websit e called P.E. Web ( www.pe-web.org) t o promote physical educatio n through the Internet to loca l primary an d secondary schools . Funded by the Quality Educatio n Fund and developed by Prof . Stanle y Hu i an d Mr. Cha n Wan Ka , i t contain s article s o n P.E . an d sport s scienc e theories , vide o clip s fo r spor t skill s demonstration, on-lin e healt h and fitness assessments , and an Internet forum . Ther e i s also a n on-line sport s skills evaluatio n an d data management program tailored for P.E . teachers . Engineering Camp for Secondary School Students To spar k secondar y s c hoo l students' interes t i n scienc e an d technology, th e Departmen t o f Automation an d Computer-Aide d Engineering organize d a three-day summer cam p fro m 17t h t o 19t h July fo r 7 0 student s from 1 2 loca l secondary schools . Activities include d laboratory visits, observing final year projects by student s o f th e department , seminars, hands-o n trials o f usin g A u t oCAD t o desig n compute r games, project prototyping, project presentation, an d a robot desig n competition. Winnersoftherobotdesign competition from St. Paul's College Adolescent Dru g Abuse Examined Over 20 0 socia l workers , teachers , paediatricians , la w enforcement personnel , researchers , psychologists, parents , and youths , includin g ex-dru g user s attende d a foru m coorganized b y th e Schoo l o f Publi c Healt h an d th e Hon g Kong Counci l o f Socia l Service s o n 29t h Jun e 2002 . Th e forum reviewe d risk factors for drug use and the developmen t of a screenin g tool .