Microbial etiology of community acquired pneumonia among infants and children admitted to zagazig university pediatric hospital

Background: While recognizing the etiology of community-acquired pneumonia is necessary for formulating local antimicrobial guidelines, limited data is published about this etiology in Egyptian pediatric patients. The aim of this study is to elucidate the common bacterial pathogens causing CAP among immunocomptent infants and preschool children admitted to Zagazig university Pediatric hospital. Methods: 48 infant and preschool children admitted to pediatric hospital of Zagazig university and presented with signs of pneumonia according to WHO. Etiological agents were identified using conventional bacteriological identification methods and Ig M antibodies detection against common a typical bacteria and respiratory viruses. Results: Staph. Aureus 35.4% is the most common pathogen detected in sputum regardless the age group .In blood culture results negative results in most cases of pneumonia 62.5%. Staph. Aureus is the most common pathogen detected in blood culture in positive cases regardless the age group 18.7% , E Coli 6.25%, Klebsiella 2.08.In Serology results significant difference according to age in viral pneumonia occurrence and non significant difference in bacterial pneumonia based on serological findings with higher diagnosis of Legionella pneumophila 33.33% as a causative organism. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary data regarding the spectrum and frequency of microorganisms causing CAP in infants and preschool children

Nicotine reliance in schizophrenic and bipolar disorder patients: a comparative study

We aimed to determine the prevalence of smoking and the severity of nicotine reliance in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and find the relationship between smoking status and some sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. A sample of consecutive admissions of all patients with schizophrenia [n=70] and bipolar disorder [n=46] admitted to psychiatric units of a private hospital over a period of three months was recruited. Patients were diagnosed according to DSM-IV. Demographic and clinical data were collected. The total sample [n=116, male 75.9%] was assessed as regards the cigarette smoking status and the age of initiation of smoking. For the smokers, the severity of nicotine reliance was assessed using the Fagerstrom tolerance scale. A control group [n30] smokers, who were age and sex matched with the case smokers, were assessed for the severity of nicotine dependence. 58.6% of patients with schizophrenia were smokers [60% of them were dependent] compared to 32.6% of patients with bipolar disorder 938.5% were dependent]. In the total case sample, smokers differed significantly from non smokers as regards the diagnosis, sex and history of substance abuse and their age of initiation of smoking correlated with the age of onset of the disorder. 83.6% of cases that were current smokers initiated smoking at or before the onset of the disorder [72.7% before]. Schizophrenia smokers initiated smoking significantly earlier than control smokers denoting severer nicotine reliance but there were no significant difference between schizophrenia and bipolar smokers on the scale score. Nicrotine reliance is higher in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder compared to normal controls. Factors that is higher in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder compared to normal controls. Factors that influence cigarette smoking in psychiatric patients include diagnosis, sex and history of substance abuse. Age of initiation of smoking may be related to the onset of the disorder

Measurement psychiatric stigma in a general hospital in Saudi Arabia

The aim of this study is to measure the stigma of psychiatric illness in a general hospital setting, and to test the connection between common ideas people have of patients with psychiatric illness [personal responsibility, and dangerousness], and the generation of discriminatory behavior. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in all the hospital staff of king Abdulaziz Hospital in Al-Ashsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Questionnaire was distributed on the 1[st] of February, and the study was finished on the 12[th] of March 2008. The sample size of 860 staff members was included for the study. Hospital staff had high scores [6.8/9] for caring attitude for patients with psychiatric illness. They had medium scores for fear [4/9], avoidance [4.8/9], and dangerousness [4.3/9]. They had low scores [3.1/9] for anger feelings toward these patients. Discriminatory behavior was found to be the result of feeling that these patients are dangerous, but not because they were held responsible for their illness. Our staff had a caring attitude towards patients with psychiatric illness. The idea that the patients with psychiatric illness are to blame for their illness did not hold, while the idea that these patients are dangerous showed positive relationship with discriminatory behavior