Factors influencing the mother's decision to breast-feed in Ahmadi region, Kuwait

The aim of the study is to evaluate daytime blood pressure variability in hypertensive patients and to quantify its relation to left ventricular hypertrophy. Design: Observation study conducted between August 2001 and June 2002. Setting: Non-invasive cardiac laboratory, Medicine Department, Farwania Hospital. 100 patients were included in the study. All patients were referred from out-patient clinic in Farwania Hospital with blood pressure more than 140/90 mm Hg. Resting ECG and echocardiography were done to assess left ventricular hypertrophy [LVH]. Exercise ECG test was done to exclude patients with ischaemic heart disease. Ambulatory blood pressure was recorded with an auscultatory device to study blood pressure variability [BPV]. The patients were classified into two groups: Group I included 60 patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and Group II included 40 patients without left ventricular hypertrophy. There was a significant increase in age, serum cholesterol, LVMI and LV diastolic dysfunction [P<0.05], maximum systolic blood pressure and daytime systolic blood pressure load [P<0.05] in patients of Group I than those of Group II. There was a significant increase in, daytime systolic blood pressure [p<0.01], pulse pressure [P<0.05] and the mean blood pressure variability [P<0.05] in hypertensive patients with LVH than those without LVH. Correlation between daytime systolic BPvariability and LVH [p<0.05] was also significant. Stepwise logistic multivariate analysis revealed a significant relation with age [P<0.05], hypercholesterolemia [P<0.01], maximum SBP [P<0.05], daytime SBP load [P<0.01] and daytime SBP variability. There were significant increases in age, LVMI, maximum SBP, and daytime SBP load [P<0.05] in the fourth quintile of daytime SBP variability. There was a significant relation between blood pressure variability and left ventricular hypertrophy. This variability increased with age, hypercholesterolemia and increased BP load

Accuracy of cause-of-death statements on death certificates; before and after a training program in Kuwait

Population-based mortality statistics are derived from the information recorded on death 1ertificates. Many physicians did not receive adequate training in completing death certulcates resulting in undermining the quality of the data derived from death certificates. A training program for all certifier physicians in Kuwait has been conducted. The objective of this study was to examine improving the accuracy of death certificates for coding and the results of an audit of death certificate accuracy before and after this training program. An educational intervention was designed and implemented to improve accuracy in death certificate completion. A total of 2020 death certificates [986 completed before and 1034 completed after the intervention] were audited for major and minor errors, and the proportion of errors before and after the intervention was compared. Major errors were identified in 69.1% of the death certificates completed before the intervention. Following the intervention the major error proportion decreased to 34.6% [P=0.001]. The reduction in the major error proportion was accounted for by significant reductions in the proportion of listing of mechanism of death whiteout a legitimate underlying cause of death [27.0% v. 18.4%, P=0.001] and the proportion of improper sequencing of death certificate information [41.8% v. 15.9% P=0.001]. No improvement in minor errors or demographic errors. Errors are common in the completion of death certificates in Kuwait. The accuracy of death certification can be improved with the implementation of a simple educational intervention

Some risk factors of asthma among children attending El-Shatby University Children's Hospital in Alexandria

The occurrence of asthma has been observed to be related to several factors of which hereditary, familial tendency, allergy, infection, environmental, social and psychological factors are of particular importance. This study aimed at identifying social, genetic, physical, chemical and biological indoor environmental risk factors in relation to asthma. This study was conducted on 237 cases aged three to four years and 237 controls of the same age who were free from asthma. After a thorough clinical assessment, a pre-coded questionnaire was used to collect information from parents of both cases and controls. Analysis of results showed that the following are significant risk factors: smoking fathers, use of a radiant in the child's room, the presence of other smokers in home, exposure to dust as well as animal contact. A history of upper respiratory tract infection, pneumonia, infantile eczema, no breast feeding, early weaning, introduction of cow's milk in the first year of life, family history of asthma and consanguineous parents were also significsnt risk factors

Risk factors of anemia among women in the child bearing period and preschool children in Alexandria

This study was carried out to determine the risk of some social and biological maternal factors which may contribute to occurrence of anemia among mothers and preschool children. A community based comparative study was chosen for the conduction of this work. The target population were 400 women in the child bearing period, having at least one preschool child [440]. Capillary blood samples were taken by finger prick method and hemoglobin level was estimated by Sahly method. According to cut off level of hemoglobin, women were classified into anemic and non anemic. In addition to that, 440 preschool children belonging to these women were classified according to the cut off level of their hemoglobin into 165 anemic children and 275 non anemic ones. An interview questionnaire was used to collect the data. Analysis of results showed that age of mother [30 years and above], illiteracy, high pant, history of previous abortion, history of previous perinatal mortality, small inter-birth interval a d non use of contraceptives are significant risk factors for mothers. However, mother occupation an state of pregnancy has no role in occurrence of anemia among mothers. In addition to that, high parity history of previous abortion, history of perinatal mortality, short inter-birth interval, non use of contraceptives and pregnancy are maternal risk factors responsible for anemia among preschool children. While, mother age, education and occupation has no role for occurrence of anemia among preschool children