Gum Arabic a superb anti-diarrheal agent

Diarrhoea is the second most common cause of death in young children, after pneumonia.Gum Arabic [GA] is a soluble fibre with moderate emulsifying properties that may result in greater accessibility of electrolytes and associated water to the microvillus membrane. Additional work indicated that GA enhanced absorption of the solutes transported by diffusion and does not act via sodium dependent mechanisms. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Sweet fibre [gum Arabic preparation] as an additive to WHO-ORS in the management of acute diarrhoea in children. An interventional randomized controlled hospital based clinical trial was performed in OPEH [March to August 2011]. One hundred and eighty children presenting with acute none bloody diarrhoea in the absence of severe systemic illnesses were enrolled in the study. These children were divided randomly into two equal groups [study group1 and control group2], their ages ranged between six and 60 months. The control group received the conventional treatment of diarrhoea according to WHO recommendations and the other group received in addition gum Arabic solution [sweet fibre], 5-10 mg until recovery and continued with 5 mg thereafter. Data were analysed using the SPSS. In the group of children who received gum Arabic; diarrhoea stopped within 24 hours in 90% and 80% were discharged after one day. All of them were improved and discharged within first five days of admission. None of them went into severe dehydration or shock. Only three children developed electrolyte imbalance. The weight at the end of the study increased in 47.8% and decreased in only 5.5%. Sixty one children were followed after 6 weeks only two of them [3.3%] had recurrence of diarrhoea. In the control group diarrhoea stopped within 24 hours in 38.9% and 30% were discharged after one day.10% did not recover during the first five days of admission. Electrolytes imbalance developed in 23.3%, two children developed severe dehydration and one became shocked. The weight decreased in 35.6% and increased in 15.6%. Sixty seven children were followed, 13 [19.4%] of them developed diarrhoea again. Sweet fibre as an additive to WHO-ORS reduces the duration of diarrhoea and hospital stay. It decreases diarrhoea complications and facilitates regaining weight. It has a prebiotic effect in prevention of diarrhoea. All these indicate its potential as a new antidiarrheal therapy for acute diarrhoea in children

Neonatal multiple hepatic haemangiomas:- a rare presentation

Hepatic haemangiomas are vascular malformations that rarely affect infants. They have no characteristic presentation. Clinical diagnosis is difficult and various imaging techniques may be required. Different modalities of treatment were tried but in vain. When ruptured, the out come is grave. They remain a challenge to pediatric surgeons. We are presenting our experience with one infant who presented with a ruptured hepatic haemangioma

Hepatitis C virus infection in Saudi Arabian recipients of renal transplantation

Studies of recipients most of whom had been infected prior to transplantation, had yielded conflicting conclusions in regard to the clinical impact of hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection. We determined the frequency of new HCV infection and assessed its effect on patient - and graft - survival and occurrence of chronic hepatitis in renal transplant recipients. We studied 54 Saudi recipients [37 males and 17 females; mean age [SD]; 38.2 [17.1] years] they were anti-HCV negative at the time of transplantation and followed for 3 to 19 years [mean = 8.1]. The prevalence of anti-HCV at the time of censorship was compared with the rates in 99 hemodialyzed patients, 400 healthy volunteers and 113 hospitalized patients. The period prevalence of anti-HCV in recipients was 37% [20 of 54], compared to hemodialyzed patients 1%], hospital patients [1.8%] and healthy volunteers [2.3%]. [P < 0.01]. Seroconversion to anti-HCV positivity occurring from 2 to 11 years [mean =7.8] after transplantation and was not influenced by age, gender or source of donor kidney. Cumulative frequency of HBsAg was 14.8%. Graft loss occurred in 1 HCV positive recipient. Serum aminotransferase was abnormal [>2 - fold elevation] in 2 anti-HCV positive recipients transiently. No deaths occurred among the recipients. The acquisition of new HCV infections had a relatively high frequency among renal transplant recipients in the study. The course of the infection was benign in the medium term, with no discernible progression to clinically recognized chronic liver disease. Further studies are required to determine cost- benefit of antiviral therapy in such patients