comparative study on therapeutic effect of sodium chloride and alcohol in infants with umbilical granulomas

Umbilical granuloma is a common inflammatory reaction which occurs during falling of umbilicus. Some treatments include use of daily alcohol, burning with silver nitrate and granuloma ligator. To compare the therapeutic effect of common salt and alcohol in infants with umbilical granuloma. This was a clinical trial carried out on 105 infants with umbilical granuloma. The cases were randomly divided into three groups. The first group received common salt for three days [once every 12 hours] and the second group treated with 70% alcohol twice a day [0.5 ml each time]. In the third group [control] the umbilicus was washed with pure water twice a day [0.5 ml each time]. The data was analyzed using Chi-square test and the One-way analysis of variance. The recovery rates among infants were 100% [common salt], 34.3% [alcohol] and 14.3% [pure water] following 3 days, This difference was statistically significant [p=0.0000].However, in 25.7% of infants treated with alcohol and 60% of control group, who were cured before 3 days, the umbilical granuloma recurred after an average of 8.3 days and 4 days, respectively. There was no recurrence among infants treated with common salt. All infants in control group and those who were treated with alcohol for 3 days, either with no cure or with recurrence, went under treatment with common salt. Follow up for two months in infants treated with common salt was indicative of no recurrence among them. Our data showed that the use of common salt in treating umbilical granuloma was more effective than 70% alcohol. So,it is suggested that the technique using common salt to be substituted for other procedures due to low price and lack of any complications

Evaluation of cryptosporidiosis in diarrheic children referred to Amir al Moemenin hospital, Semnan

Cryptosporidium parvum, a coccidian parasite, has been shown to cause diarrhea in animals and human especially children and immunocompromised patients. This parasite has gained increasing attention since infection in human was first identified in 1976. However there are a few published evidences about Cryptosporidium infection in human and domestic animals in Iran, but there is no data in many parts of the country, because in routinely ova and parasite testing this parasite don't consider. To address the existence or lack of human cryptosporidiosis and probable prevalence of that in diarrheic children was evaluated. The stool samples from 153 diarrheic children under 12 years were formalin-ether concentrated and tested by both modified Ziehl- Neelson [acid-fast] and rodamine staining. Cryptosporidum parvum was detected in 5 [3.26%] cases [Confidence Interval 0.005-6.1%, P=0.05]. four boys [1, 3, 5 and 6 years old] and one girl [12 years old] were positive when tested with both staining methods. The only significant associated factor with cryptosporidiosis was contact with domestic animals [P=0.0026] and the infection was not associated with age, sex and breast-feeding in babies. This study show Cryptosporidium infection in 3.26% of diarrheic children referred to hospital in Semnan. There was no statistically significant difference between this study and most reports from other parts of the country. Hence, it seems necessary to detect other microbial agents such as Cryptosporidium in routine examination of diarrheic patient's stool at least in children's hospital or reference labs