Total IgE and absolute eosinophils count as a predictor of allergic diseases in children

To study the role of both serum total IgE levels and the absolute eosinophils count, total IgE alone, absolute eosinophils count alone as a marker of allergy in children, and to see their association with the host factors [age and sex]. A retrospective study was conducted at King Abdul Aziz University Hospital - Jeddah [KAUH], during the year 2008. Three hundred children below the age of fifteen years meeting the inclusion criteria were enrolled for the study. Serum total IgE levels and absolute eosinophils count were done in all patients. Data was collected and tabulated. Chi-square was applied to test the association of the variables using SPSS and p-value of <0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Out of 300 patients, 27[9%] had raised both serum total IgE and absolute eosinophils count, 146[48.67%] had raised serum total IgE alone, 40[13.3%] had raised absolute eosinophils count alone. Both IgE plus absolute eosinophilic count, total IgE alone and absolute eosinophilic count alone are not significantly related to the child sex with [P-values 0.759, 0.742, 0.699] respectively, however all are related significantly to the child age [P-values <0.004, <0.001, <0.012] respectively. All are not related significantly to systemic allergies except the significant relation between the absolute eosinophils count with atopic dermatitis [P-value <0.031]. Serum total IgE level and absolute eosinophils count, total IgE alone and absolute eosinophils count alone are not a good predictor of allergy in children except that the absolute eosinophils count can be considered as a strong predictor of atopic dermatitis in children. It's clear now, that as the child age increase the positivity of all the tests increase also

Etiology and the role of proctosigmoidoscopy in patients with acute bloody diarrheas

To find out the etiology of acute bloody diarrheas in patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital. This descriptive study was conducted in the department of medicine, Lady Reading hospital from 2005 to 2008. A total of 50 patients were studied, comprising of 35 males and 15 females. Mean age of the sample was 32.66 +/- 15.4 years]. Patients who presented with acute bloody diarrhea of between 3-30 days duration were studied. Patients who had history of recurrent bloody diarrhea were also included. Patients below 12 years, severely dehydrated and seriously ill were excluded. All patients underwent fibreoptic proctosigmoidoscopy and rectal biopsy. Amebic colitis was confirmed on stool examination for Trophozoites of Entameoba histolytica, typical proctosigmoidoscopic findings and response to anti-amebic drugs. Thirty-two patients [64%] were having new onset bloody diarrhea, while 18 patients [36%] were giving history of recurrent bloody diarrhea. All patients had evidence of Procto-colitis on fibreoptic sigmoidoscopy. The most common conditions were ulcerative colitis in 25 [50%], bacterial dysentery in 15 [30%] and Amebic proctocolitis in 7 [14%]. Findings on proctosigmoidoscopy were mucosal hyperemia [50%], bleeding points [38%], ulcers [44%], pus [20%], pseudo polyps [4%] and mass [4%]. Fibreoptic Proctosigmoidoscopy is a simple and easier procedure to diagnose different causes of acute bloody diarrhea and should be considered in all cases except in seriously ill and dehydrated patients. The common causes of acute bloody diarrhea in our community are bacterial proctocolitis, amebiasis and ulcerative colitis