Clozapine - induced blood dyscrasias: a 12- month follow-up study of 52 Egyptian psychotic outpatients

Conducted a follow up study of 65 Egyptian psychotic outpatients [mean age 33.7 +/- 4.3 years] during a 12-month period who were receiving clozapine at an average daily dosage of 224.33 +/- 31.2 mg. 13 [20%] subjects had refused clozapine treatment after 6 +/- 19 months of use. The rates of clozapine induced leucopenia [4.6%] and neutropenia [1.5%] in the group appeared unduly low and found outweighed by the therapeutic gains and reversible with no cases of agranulocytosis. Genetic polymorphism might be a factor that can influence clozapine concentrations, interactions and blood dyscrasias risk. The study encourages the positive and rational use of psychotropics to their best effect to improve the quality of life for sufferers of mental illness as well an fulfilling cross ethnic psychopharmacologic comparative studies in such an area of interest. It recommends further follow ups of larger samples and establishing clozapine patient monitoring service in Egypt with specified clozapine minimum blood test requirements and restrictions for the patients, prescribers and dispensers

Enuresis and attention deficit disorder: a possible comorbidity in children

Evidences of a possible relationship between enuresis and Attention Deficit Disorder [ADD] were examined in this work, for probable clinical directions and appropriate focus of treatment. With adoption of DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria, supplemented by suitable psychometric assessments, a degree of overlap could be identified between the two disorders in 2 [5.9%] of 34 enuretic subjects studied, whose ages were 9.3 +/- 6.6 years old. They had primary type of enuresis, of day and night frequencies, hyperactivity with moderate degree of ADD, as well as dull-average and borderline intellect. On the other side, only in one girl [14.3%] out of 7 children with ADD that enuresis was detected. The study suggested existence of a substantial, though statistically insignificant, overlap in occurrence of both disorders. Its evidence is wholly consistent with the view that maturational and/or arousal deficit might stand in etiological background of both disorders. Study findings favoured more work on the relationship between enuresis, ADD and other psychiatric morbidities in children, particularly to investigate the potentials of new prospects in pharmacological and behavioural treatment of enuresis