Salicylate level and liver function tests in patients with rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart diseases

This study was carried on 48 cases, their ages ranged from 6 to 12 years. They were classified into 3 groups: 20 patients with rheumatic carditis [group I] and 18 patients with rheumatic arthritis [group II], both groups were in salicylate therapy 100 mg/kg/day. Both groups were matched with 10 apparently healthy children considered as controls. Liver function tests including serum bilirubin, AST, ALT, ALP, GGT, serum albumin and TSP were estimated for all groups and salicylate level for those receiving salicylates. The effect of salicylate therapy in the usual therapeutic dose in rheumatic patients appears to decrease slightly serum proteins and slightly increases liver enzymes AST, ALP and serum bilirubin level. No correlation was found between the dose of salicylate or its duration and the level of hepatic enzymes. There was only a weak negative correlation between the salicylate level and the values of total serum proteins and albumin

Cardiopulmonary assessment of children with bronchial asthma

The cardiac and pulmonary functions were studied on 70 asthmatic children of different severities. Their ages ranged from 6 to 15 years [34 males and 36 females], they were compared with 24 apparently healthy children matched in age and sex. A significant decrease in the different parameters of cardiac and pulmonary functions in moderate and severe asthmatics was found while only in mild asthmatics there was a decrease in the FEF25-75%. There was an increase in PAD and PEP/ET ratio in severe asthma while the RVEDD was increased in both moderate and severe asthmatics, the ET, AT, AT/ET ratio, E wave, E/A ration and the deceleration time were reduced in severe asthmatics. There were no changes in the A-wave and the interventricular septum. The size of the tricuspid regurge jet was found among all the studied children within the normal range in spite of the slight increase in the tricuspid regurge among severe asthmatic children, beside there was no pulmonary valve regurge signals