Scorpion stings in pregnant women: an analysis of 11 cases and review of literature.

Scorpion sting is one of the most important public health problem in many regions of the world. But there is not enough medical data about scorpion stings in pregnant women in the literature. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical findings and treatment modalities of scorpion stings in pregnant women. This study was performed in the Southeast Region of Turkey, retrospectively. Eleven pregnants were studied, totally. All of the patients were detected as class I according to the scorpion envenomization system. They were in different weeks of gestation. Local pain, hyperemia, swelling, and itching were the most frequent complaint in these cases. None of our patients received antivenom, and all of them were treated, symptomatically. Complication of pregnancy was observed in none of them.

What is the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and urolithiasis?

AIM: Despite the high incidence of urolithiasis in general population, the exact underlying pathology is unknown. Possible association between urolithiasis and parameters of physical health were assesed in the presented study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was performed at an Internal Medicine out patient unit during routine check ups. Patients between the ages of 20 and 70 years were studied to prevent debility induced weight loss in elderly. Patients with devastating illnesses were excluded to avoid their possible effects on weight. Cases with urolithiasis were collected in one group, and age and sex-matched cases without urolithiasis were collected in other group. RESULTS: Eighty cases with urolithiasis and 120 cases without were studied. Mean age of urolithiasis cases was 49.0 years, and 52.5 % of them were female. Mean weight of the urolithiasis cases was 76.0 kg, whereas it was 80.8 kg in the group without urolithiasis (p=0.013). The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) was significantly higher in the urolithiasis group with unknown reasons (17.5 % vs 7.5 %, p<0.01). There was no significant difference as for the height, body mass index, prevalence of hypertension, and mean values of low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride between the groups. CONCLUSION: In spite of several terrible effects of excess weight on health, we could not detect any association with urolithiasis, but there is a highly significant association between urolithiasis and type 2 DM, and it may have hundreds of mechanisms with variable priorities, which must be explained with further studies (Tab. 1, Ref. 21). Full Text in free PDF www.bmj.sk.

Practical cut off values to determine body mass index.

We tried to understand whether there are significant cut off values simply determining body mass index (BMI). The study was performed in Internal Medicine Polyclinics on consecutive check up patients aged between 15 and 70 years to see possible consequences of excess weight on health and to avoid debility induced weight loss in elders. Insulin using diabetics and patients with devastating illnesses were excluded to avoid their possible effects on weight. Cases were subdivided into three groups according to their body weights as under 65, between 65 and 85, and above 85 kg groups and prevalences of underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity were determined. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of body weights to determine BMI were calculated. The study included 954 cases (566 females). Sensitivity of 65 kg as a cut off value to detect normal weight was 61.0%, specificity 94.3%, positive predictive value 82.9%, and negative predictive value was 97.6%. Similarly, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 65 and 85 kg to detect overweight cases were 71.5%, 63.3%, 56.2%, and 77.1% respectively. So both values were statistically significant to detect normal weight, overweight and obese individuals (p = 0.000 for both). Although BMI is probably a more valuable parameter to show weight status, the cut off values of 65 and 85 kg, as an easier way, have significant places, too.

A physiologic events' cascade: irritable bowel syndrome may even terminate with chronic gastritis.

When specifically asked, about one third of people report recurrent upper abdominal discomfort, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic gastritis (CG) maybe the most frequently diagnosed ones among all. Consecutive patients with upper abdominal discomfort applying to the Internal Medicine Polyclinic were included into the study. IBS was diagnosed according to Rome II criteria and CG was diagnosed histologically. All cases with IBS were compared with the age and sex-matched randomly selected cases without IBS. One hundred and fifty-six patients with IBS and 179 patients without IBS were studied. CG was detected in 72.4% (113 cases) of cases with IBS, and only 36.3% (65 cases) in patients without IBS (p < 0.001). IBS probably is a cascade of many physiological events, being initiated by infection, inflammation, psychological disturbances-like many stresses and eventually leading to dysfunctions of gut and other systems of the body via a low-grade inflammatory process. CG may be one of the terminating points of the physiological events' cascade, IBS. This may explain the high prevalence of IBS in society. Keeping in mind this association will be helpful during prevention, treatment, and follow up of these common pathologies in Primary Health Centers and Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology Polyclinics for physicians.