Propranolol alone for preoperative preparation of thyrotoxic patients

Thyrotoxicosis is a common disease which might require surgery, Thyroidectomy without preoperative preparation exposes the patient to the fatal risk of thyrotoxic crisis. Neomercazole is the standard preoperative regimen. Propranolol might be an ideal alternative. This study aims to demonstrate the safety and the convenience of the Beta-blocker propranolol in the preoperative preparation of the thyrotoxic patients. Over a period from. 1998 to 2006 fifty patients undergoing thyroidectomy for thyrotoxicosis in private and governmental hospitals were preoperatively prepared using propranolol alone. Propranolol was very rapid in controlling thyrotoxicosis in a dose of 160-480 mg/day. The operative and postoperative periods went on smoothly without any complications. Propranolol is a cheap, safe and effective in the preoperative preparation of the thyrotoxic patients and might be used as a routine

Device-related nosocomial infection in intensive care units of Alexandria University Students Hospital

We studied the magnitude and determinants of device-related nosocomial infections in intensive care units [ICU] and identified the predominant microorganisms involved. Sputum, urine, blood cultures and chest X-ray were taken from each patient on admission and on appearance of any sign/symptom of infection. Out of 400 patients admitted to 3 units during the study, 45 [11.3%] developed nosocomial infections. The most important determinants of infection were previous admission to an ICU, whether in the same or another hospital, and duration of stay. Overall, 38 patients developed 43 device-related nosocomial infections [1.13 episodes per patient]. The main infectied association with invasive procedures were ventilator-associated pneumonia followed by catheter-related urinary tract infection and bloodstream infections

Yersinia enterocolitica infection in connective tissue disease

A study of the relationship between various CTD and Y. enterocolitica infection was carried out on 55 patients. 38.18% of these patients showed a positive reaction with Yersinia. 76.19% were positive for serotype 3 and 23.81% for serotype 9 compared to 2% in the control group [50 cases]. Most of the patients showed a progressive and active course. HLAB 27 was only done for patients with ankylosing spondylitis, ulcerative colitis and psoriatic arthritis and all were positive for this antigen. Cross reaction with Salmonella typhi O was found in 50% of patients positive for Yersinia 0: 3 and 40% of patients positive for Yersinia 0: 9 cross-reacted with Brucella. Yersinia was not isolated from all fecal specimen