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

Serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 [sVCAM-1] in scleroderma patients and its relation to pulmonary involvement and disease activity

Pulmonary compromise in systemic sclerosis [SSc] includes pulmonary hypertension [PHT] and interstitial lung disease [ILD] which reflect specific pathological insults, namely, obliterative vasculopathy and fibrosis, respectively. Vascular [endothelial cell] injury and activation are the earliest and possibly primary events in the pathogenesis of SSc. Being one of the endothelium-related indices, serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 [sVCAM-1] could be a useful parameter in vascular assessment. The aim of this study was to [1] assess the serum level of sVCAM-1 in SSc patients and [2] investigate any correlation of sVCAM-1 with pulmonary involvement [PHT and ILD] and disease activity. This study was carried out on 15 SSc patients and 10 control subjects of matched age and sex. Each patient was subjected to history taking, full clinical examination, assessment of skin involvement by the modified Rodnan skin score [mRSS], routine laboratory investigations, assay of VCAM-1 by the use of ELISA test and multislice CT for assessment of PHT and ILD. There was a statistically significant increase of serum sVCAM-1 in SSc patients compared to controls [p = 0.0069]. There were no statistically significant differences between sVCAM-1 levels in patients with and without PHT, patients with mild ILD and those with moderate to severe ILD as well as patients with limited and diffuse SSc. No significant correlation could be found in SSc patients between sVCAM-1 levels and mRSS [r = 0.186, p = 0.661], serum creatinine [r = -0.379, p = 0.191] and different grades of ILD [r = -0.154, p = 0.609]. There was a statistically significant correlation between serum sVCAM-1 level and CRP [r = 0.852, p = 0.001]. The increased level of sVCAM-1 among the studied SSc patients could not be strictly attributed to pulmonary endothelial cell activation/damage and its pathologic role could not be verified in this respect by this study. The pattern of its correlation with selected disease activity indices pointed out to its link to the inflammatory stage of SS. Consequently, it could be considered as a non specific marker of inflammation irrespective to the type and extent of systemic organ involvement

Comparison of gender performance on an intelligence test among medical students

Since the Government of Pakistan abolished the gender based system of admission to medical colleges, all colleges have seen a huge influx of female medical students, reaching up to 70-80% of all students in some colleges. This trend is still persisting about 15 years after the decision. The objectives of the current study were to assess if there is any significant difference between male and female medical students in scores on a structured, standard, robust test of intellectual ability. Exact venue of the research is withheld for confidentiality. The study was carried out in 2003-2005. A cross-sectional, comparative study with sample size of 150 students, 75 male and 75 female students. Participants signed a consent form, were assessed on Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices [SPM], and data was analysed using SPSS-12. On the SPM test, the male students as a group, scored higher than the female students as a group, the difference was small but statistically significant [p=0.015]. Performance on the SPM inclines in favour of the male gender group. More research needs to be carried out into the other possible factors that could explain the gender disparity in medical colleges in Pakistan

Acute respiratory tract infections in children in Khartoum

Hospital data of the years 1979 to 1990 and case notes for a one - year period were reviewed to determine the pattern and time trend of morbidity and mortality of childhood acute respiratory tract infections [ARI] in Khartoum. About one third of the children's visits and 40% of the admissions to Khartoum Children's Emergency Hospital were due to ARI. Out of 63514 cases admitted with pneumonia, 37.3%, 47.9% and 14.9% were aged under one year, 1 - 4 and 5 - 14 years respectively. 1696 children died giving a mean [SD] case, fatality rate [CFR] of 2.69% [0.71]. The CFR was high [4.04%] among infants and was higher in girls compared to boys in the age group 1 - 4 years