29 research outputs found
The Evaluation Of The Association Of Laboratory Tests Associated With Mortality In Term Neonates With Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy
No full textPP-99. Relationship between oxygen saturation and umbilical cord pH immediately after birth
No full textInterferon and ribavirin treatment results of patients with HBV–HCV co-infection cured of childhood malignancies
No full textSummaryObjectivesWe aimed to investigate the virological and clinical characteristics and the results of combination therapy in six oncology patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)–hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection.MethodSix patients (five male and one female; age range 8–14 years), diagnosed with HBV–HCV infections during follow-up at the oncology outpatient clinic during 2000–2001 were included in the study. They had received an average of 25.8 units of blood by transfusion per patient during their treatment for malignancies. Positive serological HBV indicators were determined 20–40 months after the end of chemotherapy. HCV RNA positivity was determined together with HBV at an average of 3.3 months after hepatitis B infection. Patients received interferon-α-2b and ribavirin for 12 months.ResultsBoth HBV DNA and HCV RNA became negative, and anti-HBe became positive in one patient. One patient had decreased HBV DNA levels and negative HCV RNA and HBeAg, but HBeAg became positive again at 18-months following treatment. Another patient had decreased serum HBV DNA and HCV RNA levels with normal ALT levels at the end of treatment; however, two months after therapy was ceased these values returned to pretreatment levels.ConclusionWe observed that combined treatment is effective in HBV–HCV infection. The effectiveness of combined treatment should be researched with larger groups of co-infected patients
Incidental raised transaminases: a clue to muscle disease
No full textTwenty-one patients with incidental hypertransaminasaemia who were eventually diagnosed as muscular dystrophy are described. There were two females and 19 males aged between 2 and 11 years [mean (SD) 6.7 (3.4) y]. Serum alanine and aspartate transaminase levels were between 73 and 595 IU/L (30-35) and 68 and 550 IU/L (30-35), respectively. Muscle disease was suspected when creatine phosphokinase levels were elevated and confirmed in each patient by muscle biopsy. The time interval between incidental hypertransaminasemia and the diagnosis of muscle disase was between 3 and 12 months. Eleven patients were diagnosed as Becker's muscle dystrophy, eight as Duchenne muscle dystrophy and two had sarcoglycanopathy. Long-term elevation of transaminase levels might be a sign of occult muscle disease. Invasive tests such as liver biopsy should not be performed in patients with unexplained hypertransaminasaemia without first determining creatinine phosphokinase levels
Relationship Between Oxygen Saturation and Umbilical Cord pH Immediately After Birth
No full textBackgroundThe aim of this study is to determine the relationship between oxygen saturation (SpO2) by pulse oximetry levels and umbilical cord arterial pH values in healthy newborns during the first 15 minutes of life.MethodsThe study was performed with healthy term, appropriate-for-gestational-age newborn infants. The infants were divided in two groups: umbilical cord arterial blood pH value ≤7.19 (group 1) and >7.19 (group 2); SpO2 levels during the first 15 minutes of life were compared between groups.ResultsThe study was completed with 129 infants (33 in group 1 and 96 in group 2). A significant correlation was found between first-measured preductal and postductal SpO2 levels by pulse oximetry and umbilical cord arterial pH values ([r²:0.72(0.62 -0.79); p < 0.001] and [r²:0.32(0.25 – 0.54); p < 0.001], respectively). In group 1, infants had lower SpO2 levels at both preductal and postductal measurements during the first 11 minutes of life and time to reach ≥90% SpO2 level was longer compared with infants in group 2.ConclusionDetermination of umbilical arterial blood pH values, in addition to clinical findings and oxygen saturation measurements, might be helpful in deciding the concentration of oxygen and whether or not to continue oxygen supplementation in the delivery room
