Epidemiology of poisoning in hospitalized children: a 10 years cross-sectional study in a teaching pediatric hospital, Baghdad, 1993-2002

Poisoning is an important cause of childhood and adolescence hospital emergency presentations and admissions and a major health problem in this population sector. The present study was designed to describe the epidemiology and pattern of poisoning in addition to its case fatality rate. A total of 1450 pediatric cases with poisoning admitted to the Central Teaching Hospital of Pediatrics, Baghdad, during the 10 years study period extending from the 1st of January 1993 to 31st of December 2002 were analyzed. The peak age for poisoning cases in the present study was 1-4 years, constituting about three quarters of total pediatric admissions with poisoning. Males were more frequent than females in the present work, and this gender bias was more evident in younger ages and less evident in teenagers. Non-medicinal substances were responsible for the major part [three-quarters] of poisoning cases, especially petroleum products and pesticides. The overall case-fatality rate was 2.6%. The risk of death was higher in the more vulnerable age groups [infants and neonates]. It was also higher in males and in cases with poisoning by other noxious substances eaten as food, followed by metals [mainly lead], systemic antibiotics and pesticides. However out of a total of 37 deaths attributed to poisoning that occurred during the present study period of 10 years, non-medicinal substances [especially petroleum products, pesticides and metals] were responsible for three-quarters of these deaths. Children under 5 sears of age are the most-vulnerable group for poisoning incidents. In addition Petroleum products, insecticides and lead metal were responsible for the highest proportion of poisoning admission and fatality necessitating special steps directed towards the prevention of these problems

Assessment of nurses' knowledge concerning peritonitis- dialysis association in Baghdad teaching hospitals

The study aims to assessing nurses' knowledge concerning peritonitis- dialysis association at the peritoneal dialysis units, and to identifying the relationship between some nurses' knowledge and some of their demographic characteristic. A descriptive study was carried out at the peritoneal dialysis units in Baghdad Teaching Hospitals started from November 29th 2004 to August 15th, 2005. A purposive sample of [52] nurses was selected from Baghdad Teaching Hospitals. The data were collected through the use of constructed questionnaire, which comprised of [97] items as an interview questionnaire technique as mean of data collection. The reliability of the instrument was determined through a pilot study and the validity through a panel of experts. The data were analyzed through the application of descriptive statistical analysis that includes frequency and percentage, the application of inferential statistics that include the mean of score and Chi-square test. The findings of the study indicated that the peritoneal dialysis nurses have inadequate knowledge about general information concerning peritonitis- dialysis association was, acceptable, knowledge in diagnosis and treatment and adequate knowledge in prevention of peritonitis- dialysis association. It is recommended that special peritoneal dialysis training program and booklets should be designed and presented to these nurses

Frozen eye what could it be?

Thyroid associated opthalmopathy [TAO] may precede, coincide, or follow the systemic complications of dysthyroidism it can present gradually as dry eyes, puffy eyelids, ocular pressure or pain, field loss, diplopia with 3rd, 4th, 6th nerve palsies we report a 22 year old Filipina female who presented with sudden onset of diplopia, pain, headache, with no sign or symptom of dysthyroidism and clinically sounds to have 3rd, 4th, and 6th, nerve palsies [left eye] the case represents diagnostic dilemma that's why found it worth to be reported

Cleft palate repair without fracture of the pterygoid hamulus

Cleft palate repair should be done with minimal tension across the suture line in order to avoid the development of palatal fistula. Fracture of the pterygoid hamulus is routinely done by many surgeons during cleft palate surgery to facilitate soft tissue approximation. To demonstrate the actual need for fracturing the pterygoid hamulus in palatoplasty. Seventy-one cleft palate patients were studied, their ages ranged between 16 months and 14 years .In all of them surgical repair was done by Veau-Wardill- Kilner operation without fracturing of the pterygoid hamulus. Dissection of the mucoperiosteal flaps from the underlying muscles was done to overcome the tension and the clefts were closed in layers. The patients were observed for the ease of the closure during surgery and the development of fistulas postoperatively. Closure can be obtained with minimal tension without fracturing the pterygoid hamulus even in wide clefts if the flaps are properly released from the underlying muscular attachment. Postoperatively three cases developed postoperative bleeding and 2 cases had palatal fistulas. Fracturing of the pterygoid hamulus is not indicated in repair of narrow to moderate clefts. In wide clefts successful closure can be obtained without fracturing if adequate release of the flaps from the muscles is done, otherwise fracturing might be justifiable to reduce the tension across the suture line

Effect of using vinegar, sodium bicarbonate and potassium chloride in drinking water on the productive performance of broilers reared under high ambient temperature

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of vinegar, sodium bicarbonate and potassium chloride in drinkingwater on broiler performance exposed to high ambient temperature [39 - 44C]. Six - hundred day old straight run broiler chicks [faobro] were randomly distributed at 4 - weeks of age to four treatment:1-Treatment 1 control group.2- Treatment 2: 0.1% vinegar added to drinking water.3- Treatment 3 : 0.5% sodium bicarbonate added to drinking water.4- Treatment 4 : 0.5% potassium chloride added to drinking water.The results showed that the addition of potassium chloride to drinking water resulted in a significant [p<0.01] improvement in body weight. While the addition of sodium bicarbonate and potassium chloride had resulted in a significant [p<0.05] improvement in daily live weight gain, feed conversion ratio dressing percentage, edible parts percentages, abdominal fat percentage, water Consamption, productive index value, economic figure, and mortality percentage

Urease activity: a simple and easy indicator test for distinguishing non-lactose fermenting colonies

A simple and easy indicator test is described to distinguish colonies of proteus from those of Salmonella, Shigella and other non-lactose fermenters. The method is based upon the ability of proteus to produce alkalinity during hydrolysis of urea which is tested by phenolphthalein indicator

Rheumatic fever in Iraqi children

A prospective study of 122 patients with rheumatic fever is reported with special emphasis on the clinical presentation and the relation with streptococcal infection. Arthritis was present in 70 [57.4%] of the cases and the most commonly involved were the big joints, carditis was not uncommon 47 [38.5%] of the cases but congestive heart failure was present in 3 [2.5%] of the cases and pericardial effusion was present in 2 [1.6%] of the cases. In spite of the fact that most of the patients, 112 [92%] had received antibiotics therapy prior to the illness, there was positive evidence of streptococcal infection, both direct [by a positive throat swab in 27 [22.1%] of the cases] and indirect by [elevated A.S.O. titer above 333 units] in 97 [79.4%] of the cases], which signifies inadequate therapy, that warrents a more accurate recognition and prevention