Hepatitis A and fulminant, hepatitis A viral infection: risk factors among children of Menoufiya Governorate

Hepatitis A viral infection is a common disease among Egyptian infants and children, although it has a benign course in the great majority of cases, severe fulmination which may be fatal can occur. In this study we try to highlight the risk factors associated with both acute hepatitis [A] and that of fulminat cases in attempt to propose preventive measures for both conditions. The study was carried out on 80 children [50 with hepatitis A and 30 fulminat cases along with 50 control cases of matched age and sex. All children were subjected to questionnaire assessing the hygienic measures, housing, food habits, type of feeding, past history of diseases, contaminated needle injection operations blood transfusion and history of drug administration. Anthropometric measures were recorded for all children who subjected to investigation included CBC, blood sugar, liver and renal function test serological marker of HAV, HBV, HCV and abdominal ultrasound. The study revealed that the major risk factors of fulminant hepatitis A include, medical history of infantile diabetes and bilharziasis, drug history of diuretics and anticonvulsant intake, elevation of serum bilirubin [total bilirubin] > 9.56 mg/dL, direct bilirubin > 5.11 mg/ dl, elevation of AST > 635.78 micro /L and ALT > 365.78 micro /L, GGT > 982.62 micro /L and ALP > 756.91 micro /L, prolonged prothrombin time [more than 25.87sec] and prothrombin concentration < 40.67%, reduced Hb level [< 7.4gdL], malnourishment [weight / age% < 1.97, weight / height%< 0.15, MAMC < 11.65cm and TSF < 0.84mm] and lastly reduced hepatic artery resistive index < 0.63, low socioeconomic standards, artificial feeding, bad personal hygiene and medical history of neonatal jaundice and anemia

Hazardous effects of passive smoking on pregnancy and its outcome

This study was conducted on 277 pregnant women to assess the impact of passive smoking on pregnancy and its outcome. The study included 166 non smoker women, 9 smokers and 102 passive smoker ladies. Blood thiocyanate concentration [micro mol/L] was used as an indicator of tobacco smoke metabolites among women and their infants. The study revealed that the frequencies of occurrence of premature rupture of membranes, preterm deliveries, low birth weight and congenital anomalies among passive smoker ladies were as high as that of active smoker ladies. The study recommended that pregnant ladies should avoid-as much as they can-being in the same place with smoking individuals. Also, the hazardous effects of passive smoking should be included in the health education programs during the ante-natal care

Threatened abortion: as a health hazard for mothers and offsprings

A prospective study of 200 pregnancies complicated by threatened abortion was undertaken. Pregnancy outcome and health hazards of threatened abortion of the mothers and offsprings were studied. There was a significant association between threatened abortion and complications of pregnancy including: impending preterm delivery, premature-rupture of membranes, low birth weight, abruptio placentae, and perinatal mortality, no significant association was found between threatened abortion and placenta previa, pregnancy induced hypertension, small-for-gestational age infants, congenital anomalies, and postpartum hemorrhage. Preterm delivery rate and abruptio placentae constituted the most frequently observed complications for those cases in which there were more than one episode of bleeding

Misuse of emergency reception services in Shebeen El-Kom Teaching and Tanta University Hospital

This study included 1782 patients attended accident and emergency departments of Shebin El Kom Teaching and Tanta University Hospital during November 1992. Out of 1158 ambulance users 52.23% were not urgent cases while 70.19% out of 624 non ambulance users were urgent ones. Nearly two thirds [64.65%] of emergency attendants arrived by themselves [with no referral], a large proportion of them could have been managed by general practitioners on primary health care level. The most frequent cause of attendance was the presence of specialist and advanced equipment or drugs in hospital while lack of access to primary health care services was the cause in a minority of cases. The study recommended health education program for proper utilization of the available primary health care services and improvement of the available health service efficiency

Style of life and parasitic infection in childhood

A study was done in two rural areas in Monoufia Governorate different in type of Land. Area 1 is sandy Land and cultivated by citrus fruits and area 2 is a muddy l and cultivated by ordinary crops. Style of life and socioeconomic condition and their effect on the prevalence of parasitic infection and also effect of parasitic infection on the general condition and vitamin deficiency signs in children in the two areas were studied with the following results. The pattern of agriculture affects the socioeconomic status which was generally lower in area 2 than area 1, which in turn was reflected on the prevalence rate of infection [55.67% and 10.52% in area 2 and 1, respectively]. The high prevalence of parasitic infection had more bad effects on the general condition with multiple deficiency signs in area 2 than area 1

Skin diseases and parasitic infestation of children in a rural area, in Menoufia

The prevalence of skin diseases in 925 student [57.62% male and 42.38% females], aged from 6 to 16 years admitted to one "basic school" in El-Batanoon Village, in Monoufia Governorate and the relationship between these diseases and parasitic infestation and socioeconomic levels were studied. The results indicated that out of these children [925], there were 329 [35.57%], having different types of skin diseases, Ptyriasis alba [18.05%], infected scabies [8.01%] and impetigo [3.89%] types of skin diseases being the most common diagnosis. Stool examination was done for each student and parasitic infestation was detected in 277 [84.19%] of 329 cases. Also, results demonstrated that 76.60% of cases were of low socioeconomic levels. This showed the close relationship between the prevalence of skin diseases in rural areas and the parasitic infestation common in these areas