Study of benefits and hazards of Ranitidine on patients admitted in Pediatricm Intensive Care Unit

Objectives: Patients admitted in intensive care unit [ICU] are at high risk of developing stress gastric ulceration and so are liable to be exposed to ulcer prophylaxis drugs side effects. The aim of the present study was to study the benefits and possible side effects of Ranitidine as acid suppressive drug used in pediatric ICU [PICU]

Methods: This study was carried out on forty patients admitted in PICU at Alexandria University Children's Hospital [AUCH]. patients were divided into 2 groups each was 20 in number, Ranitidine was given only to one group. Both were subjected to full clinical evaluation. Duodenal aspirate was obtained via upper gastrointestinal [GI] endoscopy and examined for bacterial overgrowth in patients received Ranitidine. Stool was examined for occult blood to detect possible mucosal injury for all patients in both groups

Results: Out of 20 children received Ranitidine 9 [45%] showed bacterial colonization in their duodenal aspirate. Fifty five percent of cases who did not receive Ranitidine suffered from stress gastric injury in our study. Mechanical ventilation and shock are possible risk factors for stress gastric injury

Conclusion: Patients admitted to PICU are at high risk to develop stress gastric injury, so acid suppressive therapy is needed. Ranitidine is a good prophylactic drug against stress gastritis with possibility to develop small intestinal bacterial overgrowth [SIBO]

Cell mediated immunity before and after treatment by praziquantel, in schistosoma mansoni patients

Humoral and cellular components of immune responses had been thought to have role in developing resistance to re-infection with S. mansoni. This case-control study included 30 S. mansoni cases [active or inactive]; age ranged from 23 to 47 years. They were selected from outpatient clinic of internal medicine department, Benha Faculty of Medicine. Ten healthy control subjects from same area were also included in study. IL-2 and IFN-gamma were measured by ELISA procedures for both patients and controls. A non-statistically significant difference was shown between the levels of IL-2 or IFN-gamma, between the [control group] and [active S. group after treatment] while the difference was highly significant between inactive S group and active group after treatment [p<0.01]. Females showed higher levels of IL-2 in the [active S. group after treatment] while among the [control cases] the levels were higher in males. The [active S. group after treatment] showed a highly significant difference and the [below 40 years of age group] showing higher IL-2 levels. The [active S. group after treatment] showed a significant difference, and the [over 40 years of age] showed higher IFN-gamma levels. Praziquantel had increased the levels of IL-2 and IFN-gamma in the [active Schistosomiasis group after treatment by PZQ] closer to the level of [control group] but not in the [inactive S. mansoni group]