Relation between Helicobacter pylori and nausea and vomiting in pregnant women

Gestational nausea and vomiting in pregnant women have a high prevalence. The disorder will usually be better after the third trimester but, in some cases, it persists throughout pregnancy and makes the life of pregnant women disturbed. This case-control retrospective study was conducted to determine the relation between Helicobacter pylori and nausea as well as vomiting in pregnant women referring to the healthcare centers affiliated to Mashhad University of Medica Sciences in 2006. 187 pregnant women at the third trimester of their pregnancy were selected. According to the experience of nausea and vomiting from the first trimester, they were divided into two groups: 89 women with the disorder and 98 women without it. A questionnaire in three parts was used for data collection: demographic information, history of nausea and vomiting, and socioeconomic status. The questionnaire was validated by context validity and reliability by test-retes method. Anti-Hp immunolobin G [IgG] serum antibody wastested by ELISA it determine seropositivity [r=0/89]. The result showed a significant relation between helicobacter pylori and nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. The subjects did not have significant differences in terms of height, job, education of spouse, husbands' job, pregnancy and BMI except for age and socioeconomic status [P=0.037 and P<0.001 respectively]. The results may show that nausea and vomiting during pregnancy can be prevented by diagnosing helicobacter pylori infection in women. Also, it seems that there should be a training program in knowing Helicobacter pylori infection and its complications. Considering the results of this research, studying women with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy for helicobacter pylori infection is advisable

Is Q fever an emerging infection in Turkey?

Between 4 May and 8 August 2002,46 cases of acute fever were reported near the Black Sea region in northern Turkey. The infection was treated rapidly and successfully with tetracyclines, so clinical diagnosis of rickettsial or ehrlichial infection was considered. Analysis of serum and blood samples taken from 19 patients identified the causative organism as Coxiella burnetii; 7 cases were reported as acute Q fever and 8 as seropositive for past infection. The most common clinical symptoms among the acute cases were vomiting [100.0%], nausea [85.7%], diarrhoea [57.1%], fever [42.9%], abdominal pain [42.9%] and headache [42.9%]. Liver enzymes were elevated in all patients. It is considered that epidemiological investigation for Q fever will be essential in the affected region in future

Bacterial enteric pathogens in children with acute dysentery in Thailand: increasing importance of quinolone-resistant Campylobacter.

Current data on pathogen prevalence and drug resistance patterns are important for treatment and vaccine-development strategies. An etiologic study of acute bacterial dysentery was conducted in children up to 12 years of age in 2 major hospitals in and around Bangkok. Stool samples or rectal swabs and clinical data were collected. Standard microbiological methods were used to detect Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Vibrio, Aeromonas and Plesiomonas. Pathogenic E. coli (ETEC, EIEC, STEC) was identified by digoxigenin-labeled probes. A total of 623 cases were enrolled: median age 11.0 months (range 1 month-12 years). At least one bacterial pathogen was isolated in 55% of cases. Campylobacter was the most common pathogen found (28%), whereas Salmonella, Shigella and ETEC were isolated from 18%, 9% and 6% respectively. EIEC, Vibrio and Plesiomonas were isolated from <1% and no STEC was detected. C. jejuni serotypes 36, 4 and 11 were the most common. The mean age of cases with Campylobacter was significantly lower than with Shigella (17.9 vs 52.8 months, p<0.001). Clinical presentations of Campylobacter and Shigella infections were compared: fever (28% vs 37%), abdominal colic (62% vs 80%, p<0.05), vomiting (38% vs 70%, p<0.001) and bloody stools (52% vs 48%). The Campylobacter isolates (80% C. jejuni, 20% C. coli) were 90% resistant to ciprofloxacin but sensitive to macrolides. All the Shigella isolates (70% S. sonnei) were sensitive to quinolones. Our study illustrates the increasing importance of quinolone-resistant Campylobacter and the decline of Shigella in the etiology of dysentery in Thailand. The clinical presentation of campylobacteriosis is similar to that of shigellosis, except that the patients may be younger and there may be less association with colic and vomiting; having fecal leukocytes will be >10/HPF. The use of macrolide antibiotics rather than quinolones would be reasonable in children <24 months of age; fluoroquinolones will be ineffective in at least half of culture-positive cases.

Vibrio cholerae diarrhoea in a three-day-old breastfed neonate.

A confirmed case of cholera in a 3-day-old neonate is being reported. Possible source of infection could be by holy water (Chamamrit) given to the baby, which is common ritual in India. Mother's milk has never been reported to transmit cholera, even though mother herself may be suffering from cholera. Contaminated water can transmit the disease as there is no maternally transmitted immunity.

Evaluación de test de movilidad-inmovilidad como alternativa de diagnóstico rápido en cólera / Evaluation of the motility-inmobilization test as an alternative foor rapid diagnosis in cholera

La típica movilidad de V. cholerae y su inmovilización por el antisuero específico, observados en microscopia, de muestras frescas de materia fecal de enfermos con diagnóstico presuntivo de cólera, fue confrontada como técnica diagnóstica con el cultivo. A tal fin, se estudiaron en terreno 32 pacientes, asistidos en el Hospital de Salvador Mazza, Salta, Argentina, en el período comprendido entre el 28 de enero y el 8 de marzo de 1993. La correlación fue del 80 por ciento. Cinco sobre seis muestras, en las que la técnica no fue efectiva, correspondían a materias fecales cuyas características no eran típicas de cólera. Se considera la técnica como un método útil de diagnóstico orientativo rápido y de bajo costo, pero no se recomienda en pacientes con baja descarga de vibrios en materia fecal