Libyan Journal of Medicine最新文献

The multiplication of social networking sites has led to increased frequency of use among young adults. While the association with mental wellbeing is still controversial, high levels of social media use were correlated with problematic behaviours, low self-esteem and depressive symptoms. 'Social Media Detoxification' (Detox) is the term used to describe voluntary attempts at reducing or stopping social media use to improve wellbeing. We conducted a pilot study to explore the characteristics of social media detoxification applied by 68 university students in their social media activity. Descriptive analysis revealed that most students reported a positive change in mood, reduced anxiety and improved sleep during and in the immediate aftermath of the detoxification period. These preliminary findings show that 'social media detoxification' is a phenomenon understood and used by university students to moderate their social media use. Wide variability in its application and effects is noted in our sample.

Background: The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is a dietary pattern effective in terms of prevention of many diseases such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Recently, many studies have paid attention to nutritional factors during pregnancy as a modifiable contributor to GDM risk.Objective: to investigate associations of nutrients intakes and MedDiet pattern of eating with risk of GDM.Subjects/Methods: This study conducted on N = 120; Pregnant women with GDM (n = 60) and without controls (n = 60). The dietary habits were assessed by a dietary history method and a validated food frequency questionnaire. We calculated a MedDiet score which measures the degree of adherence to a Med Diet.Result: A low Med Diet score was found in pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes in 46.7% and 38.8% of cases, respectively, with no significant difference. Our data showed that the higher the adherence score to the MedDiet, the lower the fasting blood glucose level and the plasma glucose 2 h post load. These findings concerned the two groups studied (P < 10^-3). We also noted that controls had a significantly higher intake of legumes, vegetables and fish. Monounsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids consumption was significantly higher in the control group (2.3 ± 0.8 vs 1.7 ± 0.7, P < 10^-3). GDM subjects consumed significantly more dairy products and cereals (P < 10^-3). After adjustment for confounders, no nutrient was associated with the risk of developing gestational diabetes except vitamin D intake (OR 0.29 [0.15-0.54], P < 10^-3) which had a protective effect.Conclusion: Our study underlines the importance of adequate vitamin D intake during pregnancy and suggests that the MedDiet may reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes.

Introduction: Paediatric cardiomyopathies are rare but serious and often life-threatening conditions. In the absence of cardiac transplant and ventricular assist device as treatment options in our region, it is very important to identify patients at higher risk. The aim of this study was to determine the outcome of patients diagnosed with cardiomyopathies and their prognostic indicators. Patients and methods: This study included 92 cases representing all patients diagnosed with cardiomyopathy who were admitted into the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit during the period from January 2012 to September 2018. The patients were classified into two groups according to the outcome: the first group comprised 69 patients who survived, and the second group comprised 23 patients who died. All medical records were reviewed, and data were recorded and analysed. Results: Patients with cardiomyopathies represented 8.6% (92/1071) of all patients with cardiac diseases who were admitted in the study period and in the target age group (0.5-12 years). Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) was the most frequent type of cardiomyopathy among the admitted patients (80 patients), while 6 patients were diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), 4 were diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), and only 2 were diagnosed with mixed DCM-RCM. Seventy patients required inotropic support (76.1%). Assisted mechanical ventilation was used on 15 patients (16.3%). Twenty-three patients (25.0%) died during the 7-year study period. Conclusions Conclusions The occurrence of hypotension, abnormally high liver enzymes, the need for mechanical ventilation and the need for multiple inotropic drugs were found to be statistically significant predictors of mortality, while age, sex, fractional shortening, ejection fraction, presence of mitral regurgitation, mural thrombus, electrolyte disturbance and arrhythmias did not predict or affect patients' outcomes.

Background: The flowering parts of Gentiana olivieri, known as 'Afat' in the southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey, are used as a tonic, an appetizer, and for the treatment of several mental disorders, including depression. The purpose of this study is to investigate the antidepressant effect of G. olivieri ethanol extract (GOEE) in a chronic mild stress-induced rat model, which was used to mimic a depressive state in humans, and to compare the effect with that of imipramine.Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups: control, stress, treated with imipramine (positive control) and treated with GOEE at three different (200, 500, 1000 mg/kg) doses groups. The rats in all groups, except the control group, were exposed to chronic mild stress. At the end of the 3-week experimental period, biochemical and behavioral parameters were examined.Results: The results showed that treatment with GOEE or imipramine significantly improved rats' sucrose consumption which was diminished by chronic mild stress, restored serum levels of corticosterone and proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)), prevented the increase of liver index of rats. Moreover, in the hippocampus tissue, decreased serotonin and noradrenaline levels were significantly increased by treatment with GOEE or imipramine, and antioxidant parameters (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH)) were significantly improved by treatment with GOEE though not with imipramine.Conclusion: The data demonstrate that G. olivieri may exert its antidepressant activity by improving monoaminergic system disorders, and by favorably affecting the antioxidant, inflammatory and the endocrine mechanisms.

In spite of the relatively high morbidity and mortality, there is no approved medication yet for COVID-19. There are more than 200 ongoing trials on different drugs or vaccines, but new medications may take until 2021 to develop. Defining the optimal number of patients to be included in a study is a considerable challenge in these interventional researches. Ethical considerations prompt researchers to minimize the number of patients included in a trial. This gains particular importance when the disease is rare or lethal which is particularly so in the case of COVID-19. It is of paramount importance to explore some of the available tools that could help accelerate the adoption of any or some of the many proposed modalities for the treatment of diseases. These tools should be effective, yet efficient, for rapid testing of such treatments. Sequential analysis has not been frequently used in many clinical trials where it should have been used. None of the authors in published literature, as far as we know, used sequential analysis techniques to test potential drugs for COVID-19. In addition to its usefulness when the results of new forms of treatment are quickly needed, other important benefit of sequential analysis includes the ability to reach a similar conclusion about the utility of a new drug without unduly exposing more patients to the side effect of the old drug, in particularly, for the treatment of a rare disease.

Background: Enamel defects (EDs) are commonly reported dental findings in preterm/low birthweight children. EDs potentially increase caries susceptibility.Aim: To assess the prevalence of EDs and dental caries in a group of preterm children (aged 5-10 years) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).Methodology: A retrospective cohort study of medical records of 62 preterm children (mean age 8.1 ± 1.54) and 62 full-term children (mean age 8.1 ± 1.73) of both genders born in a UAE children's hospital were studied. These children were dentally assessed for EDs and caries by a calibrated examiner.Results: EDs were 4.34 times more prevalent among preterm children [odd ratio (OR) = 4.338, CI 95% [2.010-9.366]. The prevalence of EDs in the pre-term group was 58.15%, significantly higher (P < 0.01) than the full-term control group (24.2%). Birth weight, intubation and type of delivery were statistically significant factors contributing to EDs. In the primary dentition, the mean dmft was 4.61 ± 4.30, while in the permanent dentition DMFT was 0.38 ± 0.99. There was a statistically significant difference in permanent teeth caries experience amongst pre-term children compared to the full-term control as measured by DMFT (P = 0.008).Conclusion: EDs and dental caries in permanent dentition in the pre-term group were significantly higher than the full-term group.

The aim of this study was to assess if ureaplasmas are associated with pregnancy complications and diseases in newborns. Pregnant women with complaints and threatening signs of preterm delivery were included. A sample, taken from the endocervical canal and from the surface of the cervical portion, was sent to the local microbiology laboratory for DNA detection of seven pathogens: Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Ureaplasma parvum, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis. The Pearson Chi-Square test was used to determine the difference in unpaired categorical data. A two-sided p value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. In all, 50 pregnant women with complaints and threatening signs of preterm delivery were included. Premature rupture of uterine membranes was found in 23 (46%) of the patients and 38 women (76%) had preterm delivery. Ureaplasma infections were associated with a premature rupture of membranes (p < 0.004), the placental inflammation (p < 0.025), a newborn respiratory distress syndrome (p < 0.019). Ureaplasmas could have affected the preterm leakage of fetal amniotic fluid and are associated with the placental inflammation and a newborn respiratory distress syndrome.

Introduction: Bullying is an aggressive behaviour that involves unwanted negative actions, which are repeated over time that can negatively impact a person.

Aim: To explore bullying behaviours experienced by Tanta University undergraduate students during their study in clinical medical education.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Faculty of Medicine, during the period between first of October 2018 to end of May 2019. A stratified random sample was used to select medical students who rolled fourth-, fifth- and sixth-year classes at the academic year 2018-2019. Data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire included questions regarding demographic characteristics, history of exposure to different types of bullying and the response of bullied students.

Results: Findings of this study revealed that 71.1% of studied sample faced bullying during their medical study. The most frequently reported types were verbal (51.9%), behavioural (44.8%), being ignored (24.4%), written (17.8%) and physical (15.8%). About half of students (49.4%) were exposed to multiple forms of bullying. Male students were more exposed to physical, written and being ignored, whereas females were more witnessed to verbal and behavioural ones as follows: (30.7% vs 18.9% physical type, 72.5% vs 74.8% verbal, 28.1 vs 24.9% written, 57.9% vs 68.3% behavioural and 38.5% vs 32.4% being ignored), respectively. Fellow students (56.3%) were the most frequent perpetrators of mistreatment actions. The majority of students (91.3%) chose not to report bullying behaviours. Having mental health problems (0.00*) or disability (0.01*) were significantly more potential to experience mistreatment.

Discussion: Large proportion of medical students faced many forms of bullying.

Implications for practice: Applying an effective policy to stop bullying with support for medical students may help to minimize this phenomenon.

This study was conducted to evaluate the characteristics, treatment outcome and risk factors associated with 223 drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) cases in the State of Qatar. A descriptive records-based retrospective study was conducted on patients registered at Communicable Disease Centre (CDC), Qatar to all consecutive microbiologically confirmed tuberculosis cases for the period January 2010 - March 2015. Demographic, clinical data, drug-resistance pattern of isolated mycobacteria and treatment outcome was assessed for the patient who completed their treatment in Qatar. Of 3301 patients with positive M. tuberculosis culture were analyzed; 223 (6.7%) were resistant to at least one drug. The overall prevalence of multi-d rug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was 1.2% (n = 38) of patients. A former resident of Indian sub contents was the most common demographic characteristic observed (64.1%). The outcome of treatment was assessed for 85 resistant cases with follow-up after completion of treatment. Cure and relapse rates were 97.6%, and 2.4%, respectively. Drug-resistant TB in Qatar is influenced by migration where the patients were probably infected. Rapid sputum sampling performed in the early stages of the disease, patient isolation, and drug-susceptibility testing should be the standard of care.

β-Citronellol is a monoterpene alcohol found in essential oils of various aromatic plant species. The physiological effects of β-citronellol inhalation on the central nervous system remain unclear. We investigated the effects of β-citronellol inhalation on mouse behavior. First, we examined whether the odor of β-citronellol was attractive or repellent to mice. Then, following 30 minutes of β-citronellol inhalation, a series of behavioral tests (elevated plus maze, open field, Y-maze, tail suspension, and forced swim tests) were performed. Mice were neither attracted to nor repelled by β-citronellol. Mice that inhaled β-citronellol showed an increase in anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze and open field tests. Performance in the Y-maze and forced swim tests was not affected. These results indicate that β-citronellol acts on the central nervous system of mice following inhalation and increases anxiety. Essential oils and cosmetics containing β-citronellol should be used with caution.