Assessment of serum magnesium level in congestive heart failure patients treated with frusemide

Electrolyte balance has been regarded as an important factor to cardiovascular stability, particularly in congestive heart failure. However, electrolyte disturbances are common in patients with congestive heart failure especially during long term treatments. Unlike potassium, little is known of how magnesium is affected in these patients. To assess the serum magnesium level in congestive heart failure [CHF] patients treated with frusemide and to describe the electrocardiographic [ECG] changes with different serum magnesium patterns. The study was carried out by means of data collection and analysis of clinical, biochemical. and ECU variables with respect to serum magnesium changes. The data were taken from patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, that was conducted in the outpatient, inpatient and cardiology care units of cardiology department in Suez Canal University Teaching Hospital, in the period from 1/4/2004 to 1/2/2005, In our study, [58] patients with CHF were included representing the designed sample size and fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria mentioned in the methodology. Hypermagnesemia was more prevalent in CHF patients treated with frusemide, According to our study, we found that hypermagnesemic patients had the following characteristics: Old age, female, increasing severity of CHF [functional class III-IV], nonsmokers, high frusemide maintenance dose, hypernatremia and hyperkalemia, high dose of spironolactone and high dose of digoxin

Study of serum markers of brain injury as early predictors of neonatal hypoxia/ischemia

Neonatal hypoxia-ischemia remains a frequent cause of cerebral palsy, mental retardation, learning disability, and epilepsy. HIE must be identified as soon after birth as possible so that appropriate measures could be taken on arrival in the neontatal intensive care unit. The aim of this study was to investigate the postnatal levels of markers of brain injury, which are CK BB and Protein S-100B in serum and to determine whether hypoxic-ischemic brain damage alters these markers and whether HIE can be predicted by elevated serum concentrations soon after birth. We have included 20 neonates with HIE together with 15 control neonates in our study. Serum concentrations of CK BB and protein S-100B were determined after birth and 24 hours of age. Our results demonstrated that cases with HIE had higher values of cord and 24 hours blood levels of CK BB, and higher values of cord and 24 hours levels of protein S-100B, and when doing statistical analysis to compare these results with those of control group, this difference was significant in all except cord level of protein S-100B. We conclude from our results that CK BB and protein S-100B are predictive of HIE in full term neonates when measure soon after birth, yet the decision as to which infants could be candidates for postasphyxial measures should probably be based on several findings, which include cord blood pH, Apgar score, and serum protein S-100 and CK-BB. Future work to establish the predictive value of these markers in long-term brain injury in neonates is recommended

Is nerve growth factor deficiency a marker for early detection of subclinical diabetic neuropathy?

Nerve growth factor [NGF] and nerve conductive study [NCS] were evaluated in 80 diabetic patients [35 males and 45 females and their mean age was 44.2 +/- 7.2 years] and 15 healthy control subjects [6 males and 9 females, their mean age was 43.7 +/- 6.1 years and their neuropathy score was zero]. The patients were classified into three subgroups. Subgroup A [diabetic without neuropathy] included 20 patients. Subgroup B [diabetics with subclinical neuropathy] included 40 patients. Subgroup C [diabetic with neuropathy] included 20 patients. Also, patients were classified according to some variables [according to age into two subgroups, according to duration of diabetes into three subgroups and according to type of treatment into two subgroups]. It can be concluded that, nerve growth factor is deficient in diabetics, nerve growth factor is a sensitive and reliable marker for early detection of subclinical neuropathy in diabetics, and early insulin prescription to type II diabetics who are in need could be of neuroprotection value