Acute rheumatic fever another scope at immunological profile

Sero-immunological study was carried out on 111 patients with acute rheumatic fever [ARF] in comparison with patients' controls and normal group. Using streptococcal antibodies tests [antistreptolysin O [ASO], antistreptokinase [ASK] and antideoxyribonucleotidase B [ADNAseB tests]. Seropositivity for the antecedent streptococcal infection was raised from about 79.2% using the conventional antistreptolysin O [ASO] test to as high as 96.3% when two additional streptococcal antibody test was measured. In chorea patients ADNAse B was proved to be the only marker for the detectipn of the antecedent streptococcal infection. Mean serum ASO, ASK and ADNAse B titers in individual manifestation of ARF patients were studied

Rheumatic heart disease in patients from Iraq: Some clinical observations

This prospective clinical study which was carried out on 79 patients with rheumatic heart disease "RHD" showed the absence of previous rheumatic history in about half of the cases. In addition there was a significant difference in the pattern of valvular involvement regarding the presence or absence of previous rheumatic history. These two observations suggested the possibility of other non rheumatic etiology in certain cases of valvular heart diseases which are traditionally labelled as rheumatic. The high incidence of initial attacks of rheumatic fever "RF" together with the high rate of recurrence of rheumatic activity "RR" in our adult patients were a substantial evidence to the inadequecy of the current measures of antirheumatic chemoprophylaxis. Lastly,the significantly high distribution of blood group B and low distribution of blood group A in our RHD patients as compared with the control group, may reflect the presence of susceptible and resistant phenotypes in patients with RHD

Use of antibiotic at medical city teaching hospital

55.5% of 1500 randomly selected patients from those admitted to the Medical City Teaching Hospital received one or more antibiotic. The use of antibiotic was more in the surgical service compared to the medical and Ob-Gyn. Services. Although ampicillin was the antimicrobial most widely used but drugs with possible serious side effect such as chloramphenicol are not uncommonly used [10% of patients on antibiotic in the surgical service]. It was judged that the use of antibiotic was justified and both the type dose were proper in only 23.2%. There were differences in the justification of the antibiotic use in the Ob-Gyn, Medical and surgical services [10.6%,42.2% and 18.2% respectively]. Cultures were taken in only 34.8% of patients receiving antibiotic. Some restriction should be implanted to reduce the use of antibiotic and to eliminate or minimize the unjustified use of this group of drugs

Use of antibiotics by practicing physicians in Baghdad city

1000 prescriptions prescribed by practicing physicians in Baghdad City were randomly selected and studied. It was found that one or more antibiotics were prescribed in 66.1% of all prescriptions. The antibiotics as a group were the most common drugs used. Ampicillin, erythromycin and cephalosporins were the most widely used antibiotics followed by lincomycin, chloramphenicol and septrin, while penicillin and tetracycline derivies were among the least used. The wide unwise use of antibiotics is a dangerous trend which has its medical and financial implications. Rules and restrictions must be put to safeguard against this trend