ABSTRACT
Admission rate to neonatal intensive care units [NICU] was considerably increased over the past few decades. Short-term outcomes had been enhanced, and mortality rates had decreased. However, the impact of advanced neonatal care interventions on long-term outcome of infants was not thoroughly reviewed
Objectives: the aim of this review is to investigate the effect of NICU admission on long-term developmental and nutritional outcomes in early childhood years
Methods: Medical database, particularly Medline and Cochrane Library were searched for studies, researches, and review articles about the long-term outcome of neonates who were admitted at neonatal intensive care unit, particularly from the nutritional and developmental perspectives
Results: overall impact of NICU admission on long-term outcome is generally related to the etiological indication of admission; Hypoglycemia, tetanus, low birth weight, and prematurity had a negative impact on childhood development. Adequate nutrition and rapid growth velocity in NICU improved nutritional and physical development
Discussion: long-term outcome of neonatal intensive care unit admission depends to a large degree on the etiology of admission. Adequate nutritional support at neonatal intensive care units had improved developmental and nutritional outcome of preterm and very preterm infants. Term and late term infants admitted at NICUs were not significantly different from their counterparts who were not admitted at NICUs on long-term outcomes
Conclusions: admission at NICU is not an independent risk factor for poor nutritional or developmental outcome at early childhood years, but the etiological indication of NICU admission was more predicting. Early nutrition for low birth weight babies improved nutritional development
ABSTRACT
Background: two oral antifungal agents, griseofulvin and terbinafine, have regulatory approval but it is unknown whether one has superior overall efficacy. Genus-specific differences in efficacy are believed to exist for the two agents. It is not clear at what doses and durations of treatment these differences apply
Purpose: the purposes of this meta-analysis were to determine whether a statistically significant difference in efficacy exists between these agents at a given dose and duration of each in tinea capitis infections overall and to determine whether a genus-specific difference in efficacy exists for these two treatments at a given dose and duration of each. We performed a literature search for clinically and methodologically similar randomized controlled trials comparing 8 weeks of griseofulvin [6.25-12.5 mg?kg?day] to 4 weeks of terbinafine [3.125-6.25 mg?kg?day] in the treatment of tinea capitis. A meta-analysis was performed using the Mantel-Haenszel method and random effects model; results were expressed as odds ratios with 95%
Results: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials did not show a significant difference in the overall efficacy of the two drugs at the doses specified, but specific efficacy differences were observed based on the infectious species. For tinea capitis caused by Microsporumspp., griseofulvin is superior [p = 0.04], whereas terbinafine is superior for Trichophyton spp. infection [p = 0.04]
Conclusion: our results support species-specific differences in treatment efficacy between griseofulvin and terbinafine and provide a clinical context in which this knowledge may be applied
ABSTRACT
Background: Tinea capitis is a superficial fungal infection that predominantly affects the pediatric population. The etiological factors vary from area to area, and the exact occurrence remains obscure. The clinicoepidemiological and mycological aspects of this dermatophytosis were studied in King Abdulaziz Hospital
Purpose: To determine the clinicoepidemiological aspects and mycological findings of dermatophytes involved in tinea capitis cases
Subjects and Methods: KOH examination, Wood's lamp examination, and fungal culture were performed in 50 clinically diagnosed cases of tinea capitis with patients' age up to 13 years over a period of 8 months. The epidemiological factors associated with the disease were also evaluated
Results: Tinea capitis was predominant in the 3-6 and 6-9 years age groups with a male preponderance. Grey patch tinea capitis was the most common variant. KOH positivity was 74%, and Trichophyton tonsurans was the most common fungal isolate
Conclusion: Tinea capitis is a very common fungal infection in our setting. Early detection and diagnosis is mandatory to prevent its spread in the community as well as the development of scarring alopecia in the affected individual
ABSTRACT
Elderly individuals are very vulnerable to influenza infection, and more prone to influenza-related morbidity and mortality. However, the prevalence of elderly persons receiving influenza vaccine remains low. Many factors have been proposed as the cause beyond this low prevalence, with knowledge and misconceptions about the vaccine on the top of the list
Objectives: the aim of this review is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and prevalence of flu vaccine and its effect among elderly
Methods: To achieve this aim, online database search was conducted to review articles stating knowledge, attitude, and incidence of flu vaccine and its effects among elderly. PubMed was searched for appropriately-related studies that address the studied parameters. PubMed search yielded 19 results, we quickly inspected the abstracts of these results to select those with most relevant data. Of 19 articles, 8 were chosen for review
Results: The prevalence of influenza vaccine ranged from 58% to 73%. Inadequate or lack of knowledge about the vaccine were common in over half of the elderly patients not receiving vaccine. The vast majority [>90%] of those received the vaccine did so after a clear recommendation by their physicians
Discussion: Inadequate knowledge and false beliefs about the influenza vaccines were the main cause of low vaccination rate among elderly. Physicians advice and health education were the most potent influencer on raising the prevalence of elderly immunization