Background: The occurrence of seizures in bacterial meningitis is important, as it has been reported to increase the risk of complications; however, its frequency and predictors are not well studied yet. Objective: To assess the frequency, clinical, and biochemical predictors of seizures in children with acute bacterial meningitis. Method: A cross-sectional study recruited confirmed acute bacterial meningitis cases based on positive CSF culture and sensitivity among children aged 2 months to 15 years admitted to the Central Child Teaching Hospital emergency department in Iraq. Patients were divided into two groups based on seizure at presentation time. Demographic characteristics [age, gender, residence, duration of fever and disease, presenting complaints and antibiotic intake]; hematological [WBC, neutrophils] Lymphocyte, N/L ratio, packed cell volume, platelets, blood sugar, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) indices were compared between groups. Results: Seizures had a frequency of 18% among the 122 children and were significantly higher in younger cases with female predominance. By multivariate analysis and odds ratio (OR), predictors for seizure were as follows: CSF lymphocytes (OR=0.25, 95%CI=0.08–0.26), lethargy (OR=8.15, 95%CI=1.03-68.65), headache (OR=0.09, 95%CI=0.02-0.45), neck stiffness (OR=0.07, 95% CI=0.01-0.61) and poor feeding (OR=4.8, 95%CI=1.21–18.97). Conclusions: CSF lymphocytes reliably predicted seizure with good sensitivity and specificity of 75% and 73%. Lethargy and poor feeding had the highest odds as clinical predictors of seizures. Together, those results can help with risk stratification and allocate resources for high-risk cases to improve patient outcomes
In Present study, 25 clinical isolates of Proteus spp. of clinical samples, urine, wounds and burns collected from different hospitals in Baghdad city, all isolates were identified as Proteus mirabilis using different bacteriological media, biochemical assays and Vitek-2 system. It was found that 15 (60%) isolates were identifying as P. mirabilis. The susceptibility of P. mirabilis isolates to cefotaxime was 66.6 %, while to ceftazidime was 20%. Extended spectrum β-lactamses producing Proteus was 30.7 %. DNA of 5 isolates of P. mirabilis was extracted and detection for blaVEB-1 gene by using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results showed that the presence of this gene in all tested isolates, as an important indicator for increas
... Show MoreThis study was conducted in Baghdad, Iraq from December 2021 to May 2022. The goal was to determine the effect of Toxoplasma gondii on liver function by examining the relationship between Toxoplasma infection and hormones. One hundred and twenty male patients with Chronic liver disease (CLD) (age:14-75 years) and 120 control males (age: 24-70 years) participated in this study. Serum samples were taken from all individuals and were then analysed for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies. Hormonal tests were conducted for all participants which included (Cortisol, testosterone, prolactin, insulin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH). Biochemical tests included (Prothrombin time PT, international normalized ratio INR and albumin); liver enzymes
... Show MoreThe Influence of Some Vitamins and Biochemical Parameters on Iraqi Females’ Patients with Malignant Breast Cancer"
Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii ) is considered a critical healthcare problem for patients in intensive care units due to its high ability to be multidrug-resistant to most commercially available antibiotics. The aim of this study is to develop a colorimetric assay to quantitatively detect the target DNA of A. baumannii based on unmodified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) from different clinical samples (burns, surgical wounds, sputum, blood and urine). A total of thirty-six A. baumannii clinical isolates were collected from five Iraqi hospitals in Erbil and Mosul provinces within the period from September 2020 to January 2021. Bacterial isolation and biochemical identification of isolates
... Show MoreABSTRACTBackground: Concerns about hepatitis A infections is increasing worldwide specially after improving economic and sanitary conditions in many countries making older age groups who escape infection on early life vulnerable to infection.Objectives: The objectives were to estimate the frequency of hepatitis A among children consulting Al Alwyia pediatric Teaching Hospital during the year 2013 and to study some demographic characteristics of the disease.Methods: This cross - sectional hospital -based study wasconducted during 2013-2014 and include pediatric patients(43525 patients) who consult Al Alwyia pediatric hospitalduring that time. The outcome is total IgM antibodies tohepatitis A virus detected using Enzyme Linked FluorescentA
... Show MoreBackground: Treatment of invasive prolactinoma, which has several characteristics including invasive growth into cavernous sinuses and formation of giant adenomas compressing adjacent neural structures, resulting in neurological dysfunction, has been very challenging. There are relatively few reports available describing long-term treatment outcome.
Aims of the study: In this study we evaluate the results of cabergoline administration as initial treatment during 4 years follow up period.
Methods: We prospectively categorized 36 patients into four groups according to the results of 3 months of cabergoline treatment: group 1, tumor volume reduction (TVR) ˃25% with normaliz
... Show MoreBackground: Because of the disturbance in the pituitary gland, growth hormone (GH) secretion will be increased and, as a result, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) secretion will be increase as well, leading to a chronic and rare disease called acromegaly disease. One of the most serious complications of acromycaly is diabetes. Insulin resistance, which causes diabetes, occurs in the body because of increased growth hormone secretion Objective: The aim of this work is to estimate some biochemical parameters. These parameters were not studied extensively in the literature such as BALP and LOX and the possibility of using LOX as a new biomarker for acromyalgic patients with diabetic. Patients and Methods: The study was performed on (25) mal
... Show MoreFluconazole was used to test the susceptibility of Candida albicans isolated from different clinical samples, and to detect mutations in ERG11 gene, and their relationship to fluconazole resistance. Forty-eight isolates of Candida albicans were tested for susceptibility using the disc diffusion method (M-44). ERG11 genes of six isolates were amplified (four resistant, two susceptible) and sequenced. The sequenced genes were analyzed to detect the mutations. Out of 48 isolates of Candida albicans, 4 (8%) were resistant to fluconazole. Sixteen-point mutations were detected included 13 silent mutations, and three missense mutations. The mutations of A945C (E266D) and G1609A (V488I) were found only in susceptible Candida albicans isolates, whil
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