Blood zinc levels in children hospitalized with pneumonia: a cross sectional study

Background: Recent works have provided conflicting evidence on the role of zinc in acute lower respiratory infection [ALRI]

Objective: We aimed to study the relation between blood zinc levels and severity of pneumonia

Patients and methods: A retrospective study was conducted in the Cairo University Pediatric Hospital, to assess serum zinc levels in 40 Egyptian children, aged 3-144 months, admitted with the diagnosis of pneumonia. Half of them were admitted in the general ward and the other half were admitted in the pediatric ICU

Results: Males [67.5%] were more affected by ALRI than females. The mean serum zinc in patients was normal [80.33 + 25.3 microg/dL] yet, the mean serum zinc level in PICU patients was lower than that of general ward patients [p = 0.001]

Conclusion: We concluded that the lower the serum zinc level, the higher the grade of respiratory distress among children with pneumonia

Evaluation of peripheral pulmonary lesions using plain chest radiography, ultrasonography and computed tomography

Thirty patients with peripheral pulmonary lesions had been examined, 24 of them were peripheral parenchymal lesions which included 16 cases with primary bronchial carcinoma, 3 cases with metastatic lesions and 5 with infective lesions. The remaining 6 cases were 2 with pleural masses and 4 with mediastinal lesions with peripheral extension. They were evaluated by plain radiography, chest sonography [US] and computed tomography [CT]. The diagnostic accuracy of plain radiography was 87% for free pleural effusion and solid masses whether neoplastic or non neoplastic, 77% for chest wall involvement and 93% for phrenic nerve palsy. It failed to detect lymph nodal enlargement in one case and peripheral pericardial effusion in another. Ultrasonography was 100% accurate in diagnosis of pleural effusion whether free or encysted, masses whether solid, cystic or vascular and for phrenic nerve palsy and picardial effusion. It was 83% accurate in detection of bone involvement whether primary [multiple myeloma] or secondary [thoracic or extrathoracic] and failed to detect lymph nodal involvement in one case. On the other hand, computed tomography [CT] was 97% accurate in detection of chest wall invasion, 100% in lymph nodal involvement and pleural masses, but failed to detect phrenic nerve palsy. Its accuracy was comparable to that of US in the rest of the lesions

Changes in the intraocular pressure in chronic liver diseases with ascites

The aim of the present work is to study changes in the intraocular pressure in cases having chronic liver diseases with ascites. Fifty patients suffering from chronic liver diseases with ascites and 12 non ascitic patients as a control were studied. Careful history, thorough clinical examination, laboratory, ultrasono-graphic and endoscopic investigations were performed for every patient and contro1. The intrao-cular pressure was measured by Schiotz indentation tonometer and confirmed by hand held applanation tonometer in 3 different sittings. There was no significant difference in the mean intraocular pressure between ascitic patients and non-ascitic controls. There was positive statistical correlation between the degree of portal hypertension as manifested by congestive splenomegaly and the intraocular pressure in 38patients. The lowest intraocular pressure measurements were found in 14 patients with blood urea ranging from 68 - 152 mg. This may be explained by the osmotic effect of urea on aqueous outflow present in patients with chronic liver diseases and ascites who are prone to develop functional renal failure. There was a significant decrease in the intraocular pressure in ascitic patients after diuretic therapy when compared to values before therapy

Conjunctival bacteriology before and after dacryocystorhinostomy [DCR]

39 cases of chronic dacryocystitis with positive regurge test were submitted to DCR. The conjunctival bacteriology was examined before the operation, second day postoperatively, one week and four weeks after the operation. The results of our study were mentioned and compared with those published in the literature. We conclude that conjunctival sterilily, or presence of non pathogenic flora appeared only in 12 out of 39 cases [31%] 24 hours postoperatively, reached nearly its maximum percentage [82%] 32 cases out of 39 at the end of first post operative week. The percentage increased to 87% [34 cases] at the end of the fourth postoperative week