Belgian recommendations for the management of anemia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Anemia is the most common extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) which, in most cases, results from an absolute or functional iron deficiency. Although anemia and iron deficiency may have a dramatic impact on the quality of life of IBD patients, they are underdiagnosed and undertreated. This paper provides evidence-based consensus guidelines and practical treatment algorithms that are directly applicable to the Belgian situation. In this way, the Belgian IBD research and development Group (BIRD) aims to increase awareness and knowledge among gastroenterologists in order to improve the management of anemia and iron deficiency in their IBD patients.

WEED POPULATION IN RELATION TO CROP ROTATION AND NITROGEN FERTILISATION.

In order to assess the impact of crop rotation and nitrogen fertilisation in an agro system, a long-term field experiment has been established in 2006 at the experimental farm of Ghent University and University College Ghent (Bottelare-Belgium). The trial comprises 11 different crop rotations in combination with four nitrogen fertilizer regimes. The different crop rotations are monoculture of grain- and silage maize, whether or not followed by Italian ryegrass, permanent and temporary grass-clover and six other rotations of maize in combination with potatoes, wheat, fodder beet and peas. Normal crop husbandry measures were taken for each crop. The experiment was set up on a sandy loam soil, according to a strip plot design with 3 replicates. In the course of the experiment, crop rotation was the horizontal factor and fertilizer nitrogen (N) the vertical factor. The effect of crop rotation on yield, disease pressure, soil structure and earthworm abundance were evaluated yearly. In autumn 2013 the weed seed bank was analysed for each plot using the seedling emergence method. The obtained results indicated differences between the different crop rotations.

Association of objective health factors with self-reported health.

OBJECTIVES: There is a strong relationship between subjective health and mortality, level of functional ability and medical consumption. The aim of this study was to describe the correlation of objective health-related factors with self-reported health (SRH) of a sample of the Belgian population. METHODS: Participants were recruited during an exhibition at the Brussels Exhibition Centre. They completed a visual analogue scale assessing their SRH. Medical history and health related parameters of the participants were recorded. RESULTS: In total 974 visitors participated. From the multivariate analysis we found an association between low SRH and diabetes (OR 0.23-0.80), increased body mass index (OR 0.52-0.74), coronary heart disease (OR 0.28-0.97), smoking (OR 0.38-0.89), speaking Dutch (OR 0.40-0.92), not knowing length (OR 0.36-0.99), family history of breast cancer (OR 0.41-0.94), family history of coronary heart disease (OR 0.45-095) and aging (OR 0.84-0.99). Following a cholesterol-lowering diet was associated with a high SRH (OR 1.10-2.44). CONCLUSIONS: Most of the factors associated with low SRH are known and confirm what has previously been reported in literature. However, the associations between low SRH and not knowing your length, speaking Dutch or having afamily history of breast or colon cancer, as well as the association between high SRH and being on a cholesterol-lowering diet are interesting new findings.

Ectopic pancreatic tissue at the umbilicus in childhood: a case report and review of the literature.

Ectopic pancreatic tissue at the umbilicus is very rare. To our best knowledge, only fourteen cases of ectopic pancreatic tissue at the umbilicus are reported. In this paper we present the case of a two-year-old boy with an abrasion at the umbilicus. He had a poorly healing scar that started bleeding after recurrent injuries. Abdominal ultrasound revealed an unclear cystic structure with no communication to intra-abdominal structures. Surgical resection was performed without complications. Histology diagnosed an ectopic pancreatic tissue with reactive epidermal changes. We present a review of the literature and the clinical manifestations and treatment of the previously reported fourteen cases.

Methylphenidate as a treatment for stuttering: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: A randomized placebo controlled trial with methylphenidate (MPH) was set up to identify the effects of MPH on cognition in healthy young adults (ea. without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD). Subjects repeatedly performed tests of the immediate and delayed memory and vigilance tasks after administration of placebo or 20 mg MPH. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of an 18 year old man who participated in the study. He suffered from stuttering since childhood. During the study phase he reported a remarkable relief of the stuttering after the intake of 20 mg MPH. CONCLUSIONS: For D-amphetamine the beneficial effect on stuttering has been demonstrated but it was never implemented in clinical practice because of important adverse events. MPH, an amphetamine analogue, doesn't present these side effects. For this reason, MPH seems to merit further investigation in a randomized-controlled trial as a possible agent in the treatment of stuttering.Methylphenidate, Stuttering.

A comparison between Moroccan and Belgian type-2 diabetic patients.

The aim of this study was to compare diabetes parameters and complications among Moroccan and Belgian type 2 diabetic patients living in Belgium. In two general practices 62 Belgian and 95 Moroccan diabetic patients aged between 40 and 70 were included. The mean fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was 31% higher in the Moroccan group (186 mg/dL) than in the Belgian group (142 mg/dL) (p < 0.001). Compared with 7.6% in the Belgian group, mean HbA1c was also significantly higher in the Moroccan group (8.7%) (p < 0.001). In the Moroccan group 43% showed at least one of the four major diabetic complications compared to 33% in the Belgian group (p = 0.21). Among Moroccan patients retinopathy occurred in 15%, nephropathy in 32%, neuropathy in 21% and foot problems in 18%.

Knowledge and attitudes about vaccinations among adolescents.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate among adolescents in Antwerp their knowledge about vaccination and to describe their information sources, motives and barriers for vaccination. METHODS: In March 2009, adolescents aged between 14 and 17 years from three schools with a mixed Belgian and immigrant population in Antwerp completed a written questionnaire concerning vaccination. The questionnaire was already used and validated in a study in five European countries: France, Italy, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. RESULTS: In total 186 adolescents completed the questionnaire. Most of them (93%) knew that vaccination is a method to prevent disease. Most adolescents knew about the existence of vaccines against tetanus (94%), hepatitis B (91%) and human papillomavirus (87%). The most important sources for information were the family physician (83%), the school (79%) and the parents (70%). Their knowledge about vaccinations was not related to courses about vaccination at school. CONCLUSIONS: The physician, the school and the parents play a key role in the vaccination of adolescents. Our results are in many aspects similar to those in the other European countries.