Effect of tactile kinesthetic stimulation on preterm infants' weight and length of hospital stay in Khartoum, Sudan

To determine the effect of 7 days tactile kinesthetic stimulation [TKS] on preterm infants' weight and hospital stays in Khartoum State, Sudan. This is a quasi-experimental study, it was conducted in 4 hospitals between January and June 2013, Khartoum, Sudan, and it involved 160 preterm infants randomly assigned into the case and control groups [80 neonates in each]. Preterm infants in the control groupreceived routine nursing care, while preterm infants in the case group received TKS for 3 periods, 15 minute per day for 7 constitutive days, in addition to routine care. Data was collected using a structured self-designed and validated questionnaire, checklist, and weighting scale. Weight gain and hospital stay were compared between the 2 groups. Over the constitutive 7 days, the case group gained significantly more weight [1071gm versus 1104gm] compared with the control group [1077gm versus 1084gm] [1084.55 +/- 90.74] who gained only 6.9gm within the same 7 days without TKS treatment. The mean difference in weight gain was significant [p=0.00]. The hospital stay for preterm infants in the case group was significantly shorter [18.05 +/- 9.36 versus 25.47 +/- 10.25; p=0.00]. Tactile kinesthetic stimulation for preterm infants has a beneficial effect on weight gain and earlier discharge from hospital, which are sequentially efficient and cost effective

Prostate volume and PSA cutoff values as predictive indices for success of doxazocin treatment in BPH in GHRDS

Benign prostatic hyperplasia [BPH] is a non malignant enlargement of the prostate. This study was conducted to determine the pattern of presentation of BPH with and without acute urinary retention [AUR] and to determine the risk factors for acute urinary retention, in addition, to assess the results of doxazosin in the treatment of BPH with and without AUR. Ninety two patients were enrolled in this study. All patients presented to the emergency department and the referred clinic of the Gezira Hospital for Renal Disease and Surgery [GHRDS] with lower urinary tract symptoms with and without acute urinary retention suggestive of BPH were evaluated according to the European guidelines. All of them underwent transrectal ultrasound and measurement for the prostatic volume. Serum PSA level was estimated. Doxazosin was given to all patients and they were followed for twelve weeks. A trial without a catheter at the end of the first week was attempted for patients with acute urinary retention. The patients' mean age +/- SD at baseline was 67.8 +/- 7.7 and 69.4 +/- 9.9 for Non-AUR/BPH and AUR/BPH respectively. Comparing baseline clinical parameters of patients with and without acute urinary retention revealed that IPSS, prostate volume and PSA level are significantly different between the two groups with P< 0.01, 0.01 and 0.00 respectively. In the TWOC, 65% of patients passed urine spontaneously. By the end of the study, the overall response of patients showed 78.9% successful rate [n = 73] and 21.1% failure rate [n = 19]. Prostatic volume and PSA level were found to affect doxazosin treatment significantly. With cutoff values of 41cc and [3.45] ng/ml, prostatic volume and PSA level influenced doxazosin treatment failure. Serum PSA and prostate volume are powerful predictors of the risk of AUR. Alpha blockers are efficacious in treating retaining and non-retaining BPH patients. Knowledge of baseline serum PSA and/or prostate volume are useful tools to aid physicians and decision makers in predicting the risk of BPH-related outcomes and choosing dexazosin as therapy for BPH

Serum uric acid concentration and urinary excretion of uric acid in Sudanese patients with gout

To assess the relationship between serum uric acid concentration and urinary excretion of uric acid in patients with gout. Fifty three Sudanese patients with gout were included in this study; thirty three of them were gouty subjects not under treatment, twenty subjects were under treatment. Twenty normal subjects were used as control. The biochemical parameters included in this study were: serum uric acid, urine uric acid. Urine volume, pH, specific gravity, and urine crystals were also determined. Serum uric acid concentration in gouty subjects not under treatment was significantly higher [p<0.01] as compared to control group. While serum uric acid concentration in gouty subjects under treatment was not significantly higher than the control group, the difference between means was statistically significant between gouty subjects not under treatment and control group. No significant differences were found for urine uric acid excretion. There was a weak positive correlation between serum uric acid concentration and urinary excretion of uric acid in gouty groups; however control group gave a weak negative sign. The risk factors, which were considered, were obesity [over weight], ethnic origin, and age. The difference between means for body weight and height was significantly higher [P<0.05] in gouty subjects compared with control group, and the difference between means for urine volume, urine specific gravity, and urine crystalls showed no significant effect on the three groups, while urine pH showed significant mean difference between these groups. The determination of serum uric acid is of good diagnostic value, whereas estimation of urine uric acid is of little diagnostic value. Urine crystals can be used only for screening for the investigation of urine uric acid crystals