RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Intussusception is a life-threatening illness, with incompletely understood aetiology, although some predisposing factors are known. Intussusception frequently occurs in well-nourished chubby infants. We aimed to determine whether patients presenting with intussusception have a high prevalence of obesity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted in 100 infants presenting with intussusception aged ≤2â¯years at the Paediatric Surgery Department. Anthropometric measures, history of recent upper respiratory tract infection, timing and type of intervention were recorded. A near median split divided the population into younger (agedâ¯<â¯8â¯months, Nâ¯=â¯47) and older (8-24â¯months, Nâ¯=â¯53) groups. Obesity was defined as having a body weight for lengthâ¯≥â¯97.7th centile on WHO growth charts. RESULTS: The study comprised 58 boys and 42 girls, 31% of whom had upper respiratory infection in the preceding month. Obesity was present in 18% of patients, based on WHO growth charts. There was a trend towards higher percentage of obese infants within the younger (25%) compared to older age groups (12%, Pâ¯=â¯0.085), but no gender difference. Obesity did not influence the rate of success of hydrostatic reduction. Based on Egypt-specific growth charts, the percentage of infants with a weight-for-age centileâ¯≥â¯85th was 42%, of whom 7% wereâ¯≥â¯97.7th centile. The corresponding percentages for the weight-for-length were 29% and 15% of patients respectively. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of obesity in infants presenting with intussusception, particularly under 8â¯months of age. The mechanistic link between obesity and the pathogenesis of intussusception deserves investigation.
Assuntos
Intussuscepção/epidemiologia , Obesidade/epidemiologia , Fatores Etários , Estatura , Peso Corporal , Comorbidade , Estudos Transversais , Egito/epidemiologia , Feminino , Gráficos de Crescimento , Humanos , Lactente , Intussuscepção/terapia , Masculino , PrevalênciaRESUMO
AIM: To assess knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of antimicrobial self-medication among a convenience sample of population in Alexandria, Egypt. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross-sectional study using a self-administrated semi-constructed questionnaire. A convenience sample of 359 participants was studied using appropriate consent. The questionnaire had four sections: demographics, KAP, professional medical knowledge and attitude of children caregivers toward antimicrobial self-medication. The questionnaire was initially constructed in English and then translated into its final Arabic version. The Arabic version was pilot-tested and face-validated. Descriptive and quantitative analysis were performed using SPSS (V.20.0). RESULTS: Approximately 64% (231) of the studied population used antibiotics without prescription in the past 12â months. This was significantly correlated with female gender and lack of knowledge. The main reason for self-medication was due to saving time and effort (109, 47%) followed by not preferring doctor visits (89, 39%). More than 60% of cases used amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. The main sources of antibiotics were leftovers from previously prescribed pharmaceuticals and those purchased from community pharmacies. 85 participants were young children caregivers of which 18 (21%) reported administering antibiotics to their children without consulting a physician. Out of 115 who claimed attaining medical background, only 30 (26%) managed to answer section 3 correctly with 23 of them reporting antibiotic self-medication. CONCLUSION: This study showed an increased tendency towards antibiotic self-medication among Alexandrian adults and children that was not significantly decreased in population with medical background. The reasons discussed within the study should be further addressed to decrease such practice.