Procalcitonin Levels in Patients with Complete and Incomplete Kawasaki Disease

Incomplete Kawasaki disease (iKD) is considered to be a less complete form of Kawasaki disease (cKD), and several differences in the laboratory presentations of iKD and cKD have been noted. We investigated serum procalcitonin levels in patients with iKD, cKD, and other febrile diseases (a control group). Seventy-seven patients with cKD, 24 with iKD, and 41 controls admitted to our hospital from November 2009 to November 2011 were enrolled in the present study. We obtained four measurements of serum procalcitonin levels and those of other inflammatory markers from each patient. Samples were taken for analysis on the day of diagnosis (thus before treatment commenced; D0) and 2 (D2), 14 (D14), and 56 days (D56) after intravenous immunoglobulin infusion. We obtained control group data at D0. The mean D0 serum procalcitonin levels of cKD patients (0.71±1.36 ng/mL) and controls (0.67±1.06 ng/mL) were significantly higher than those of iKD patients (0.26±0.26 ng/mL) (P=0.014andP=0.041, resp.). No significant difference in mean procalcitonin level was evident among groups at any subsequent time. In conclusion, the serum procalcitonin level of patients with acute-stage cKD was significantly higher than that of iKD patients.

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IMPROVING STUDENTS COMPETENCE IN WRITING SPOOF TEXT THROUGH GROUP DISCUSSION : A CASE OF THE ELEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS OF SMAN 01 GRINGSING

ETERNAL (English Teaching Journal) ◽

10.26877/eternal.v5i1.1964 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Eka Puspawati

Keyword(s):

Group Discussion ◽

Modern Method ◽

Control Group ◽

Writing Ability ◽

Group Data ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Post Test ◽

The Mean ◽

Written Test ◽

And Control

Group Discussion is a modern method of assessing students personality. The objectives of the study are (1) to find out the students’ writing ability through group discussion and without group discussion, (2) to know if there is any significant difference of the students’ writing ability between using group discussion and without group discussion technique. The type of this research was experimental research. The sample were selected two classes by using cluster random sampling. Each class consisted of 30 students as experimental group and control group. Data were collected by using test and treatment. The instrument of this research was written test. The mean of post-test in control group is 71.83 and the mean of post-test in experiment group is 74.00. Then the t-test score obtained is 5.565 with degree of freedom (df) is 58. From the result of significant t- value is higher than t-table (5.565 > 1.671), it can be concluded that Ho (negative hyphothesis) is rejected. It means that Ha (positive hyphothesis) can be accepted. The conclusion is that using group discussion to teach writing spoof text for the students has significant effect for the improvement of students’ ability in writing spoof text.

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Proximal Contact Repair of Complex Amalgam Restorations

Operative Dentistry ◽

10.2341/15-180-lr ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 42 (3) ◽

pp. 266-272

Author(s):

MN Zguri ◽

JA Casey ◽

JP Jessup ◽

KS Vandewalle

Keyword(s):

Testing Machine ◽

Tooth Surface ◽

Control Group ◽

Amalgam Restoration ◽

Group Data ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Line Angle ◽

The Mean ◽

Amalgam Restorations ◽

Repair Group

SUMMARY The carving of a complex amalgam restoration may occasionally result in light proximal contact with the adjacent tooth. The purpose of this study was to investigate the strength of complex amalgam restorations repaired with a proximal slot amalgam preparation. Extracted human third molars of similar coronal size were sectioned 1 mm apical to the height of the contour using a saw and were randomly distributed into 9 groups of 10 teeth each. One pin was placed at each line angle of the flattened dentinal tooth surface. A metal matrix band was placed and an admixed alloy was condensed and carved to create a full crown contour but with a flat occlusal surface. A proximal slot was prepared with or without a retention groove and repaired using a single-composition spherical amalgam 15 minutes, 24 hours, one week, or six months after the initial crown condensation. The specimens were stored for 24 hours in 37°C water before fracture at the marginal ridge using a round-ended blade in a universal testing machine. The control group was not repaired. The mean maximum force in newtons and standard deviation were determined per group. Data were analyzed with a 2-way analysis of variance as well as Tukey and Dunnett tests (α=0.05). Significant differences were found between groups based on type of slot preparation (p=0.017) but not on time (p=0.327), with no significant interaction (p=0.152). No significant difference in the strength of the marginal ridge was found between any repair group and the unrepaired control group (p>0.076). The proximal repair strength of a complex amalgam restoration was not significantly different from an unrepaired amalgam crown. Placing a retention groove in the proximal slot preparation resulted in significantly greater fracture strength than a slot with no retention grooves. Time of repair had no significant effect on the strength of the repair.

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Vision-Related Quality of Life in Patients Suffering from Coexisting Glaucoma and Cataract

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1018164/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Masoud Khorrami-Nejad ◽

farshid karimi ◽

Azimi Abbas ◽

Daneshvar Ramin ◽

Seyed Aliasghar Mosavi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Confidence Interval ◽

Cataract Surgery ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Group Data ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Related Quality ◽

Post Operation ◽

The Mean

Abstract PurposeTo evaluate the QOL and vision-related QOL in patients suffering from coexisting glaucoma and cataract.MethodsThis cross-sectional-analytical study was carried out on 222 cases including 163 patients suffering from coexisting glaucoma and cataract as patients’ group and 59 healthy individuals as the control group. Data were gathered via the use of EuroQol five-dimensional (EQ-5D) and National Eye Institute-Visual Functioning Questionnaire 39 (NEI-VFQ 39(. Then, the obtained results were compared before and one month after cataract surgery in patients and control groups. ResultsThe mean and 95% confidence interval of overall vision-related QOL score in healthy individuals and patients during pre- and post-operation phases were 86.65 (69.3 – 104.0), 48.7 (9.4 – 88.1) and 56.1 (12.2 – 100.0), respectively. There were significant differences among the three compared groups in terms of all NEI-VFQ 39 items (P<0.05). The mean and confidence interval of EQ-5D score during pre- and post-operation phases were 0.42 (0.21-0.64) and 0.58 (0.39-0.78), respectively (P=0.017) and for healthy individuals, it was 0.70(0.59-0.80). After surgery, all QOL items significantly increased among patients (P<0.05). Also, there were significant differences in the scores compared to healthy individuals (P<0.05). One month after surgery, all vision-related QOL items` scores obtained by NEI-VFQ 39 and all QOL items` scores obtained by EQ-5D were significantly lower in the treated patients than healthy individuals (P<0.05).Conclusion In patients suffering from coexisting glaucoma and cataract, the overall QOL and vision-related QOL scores were improved after cataract surgery. However, there was a significant difference between them and healthy individuals.

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Determination some Immunological Aspects in Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in Qadisiyah Province

International Journal of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance ◽

10.25258/ijpqa.v9i2.13632 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Syoof Khowman Alramahy ◽

Akram Hadi Hamza

Keyword(s):

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽

Pulmonary Tuberculosis ◽

Statistical Difference ◽

Positive Culture ◽

Control Group ◽

Tuberculosis Patients ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Lowenstein Jensen ◽

The Mean ◽

Igg Level

This study was carried out to study of some immunological aspects among the pulmonary Tuberculosis patients infected with causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A Total of 200 sputum samples were collected from patients attending the consultant Clinic for Chest and Respiratory disease center, Diwaniya. Control group (No=15) also included. According to acid fast stain of sputum, the patients were classified as positive (No=91,45.5%) and negative (No=109,54.5, Lowenstein Jensen medium used for the cultivation of samples, on which 70% of sputum samples where positive culture for this microorganism. The grown microorganism were identified as M. tuberculosis, based on positive A.F.B, Niacin producers ,negative for catlase at 68c. The mean IgG level was l184.053±76.684 mg/100 ml in tuberculosis group compared with 1016.533 ± 44.882 mg/100ml in control group, rendering the statistical difference significant. For IgA and IgM levels, they were at mean of 315.880±38.552 mg/100 ml and 119.527±8.464 mg/100 ml in control group compared with 396.358±38.776 mg/100 ml and 134.207±11.696 mg/100 ml in patients group respectively with significant difference

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The Effect of Reflexology on Labor Pain and Length Among Primiparous Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

International Electronic Journal of Medicine ◽

10.31661/iejm805 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Author(s):

Azita Kamjoo

Keyword(s):

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Active Phase ◽

Labor Pain ◽

Control Group ◽

Singleton Pregnancy ◽

Group Data ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Labor Length ◽

Primiparous Women

Background: Pain control is considered as the key issue in modern midwifery. Along with medical painkillers, reflexology is viewed as a non-medical and noninvasive method. Hence, we aimed to investigate the effect of reflexology on the intensity of pain and length of labor. Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, participants included 240 Iranian primiparous women with term and singleton pregnancy. Having a 3-4 cm cervical dilatation once they visited the hospital. Through a convenient sampling method, they were selected and then randomly divided into two groups. In the intervention group, reflexology was performed, and the intensity of pain during the active phase of labor along with the length of labor in the active phase was measured by visual analog scale (VAS) and compared with the control group. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and Mann-Whitney U-test. Result: Data analysis showed a statistically significant difference between the intensity of pain in the 5-7 and 8-10 cm dilatation in the two groups (P=0.01). Moreover, the labor length in the active phase was found to be significantly shorter in the intervention group (P<0.001). Conclusion: It appears that reflexology can lead to a reduction in the pain and length of labor. Therefore, through instructing this technique, a goal of midwifery, which is reducing labor pain and its length can be achieved. Keywords: Reflexology, Labor Pain, Labor Length, Primiparous Women

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Incomplete Kawasaki disease - a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge

Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal ◽

10.3126/jcmsn.v9i4.10234 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 30-35

Author(s):

S Datta ◽

S Maiti ◽

G Das ◽

A Chatterjee ◽

P Ghosh

Keyword(s):

Kawasaki Disease ◽

Intravenous Immunoglobulin ◽

Incomplete Kawasaki Disease ◽

Duration Of Symptoms ◽

Clinical Criteria ◽

Echocardiographic Finding ◽

2D Echocardiography ◽

Acquired Heart Disease ◽

The Mean ◽

One Year

Background The diagnosis of classical Kawasaki Disease was based on clinical criteria. The conventional criteria is particularly useful in preventing over diagnosis, but at the same time it may result in failure to recognize the incomplete form of Kawasaki Disease. Objective To suspect incomplete Kawasaki Disease, because early diagnosis and proper treatment may reduce substantial risk of developing coronary artery abnormality which is one of the leading causes of acquired heart disease in children. Method Nine cases of incomplete Kawasaki Disease were diagnosed over a period of one year. The diagnosis of incomplete Kawasaki Disease was based on fever for five days with less than four classical clinical features and cardiac abnormality detected by 2D- echocardiography. A repeat echocardiography was done after 6 weeks of onset of illness. The patients were treated with Intravenous Immunoglobulin and/or aspirin. Result The mean age of the patients was 3.83 years and the mean duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 12.1 days. Apart from other criteria all of our patients had edema and extreme irritability. All the patients had abnormal echocardiographic finding. Five patients received only aspirin due to nonaffordability of Intravenous Immunoglobulin and four patients received both aspirin and Intravenous Immunoglobulin, but the outcome was excellent in all the cases. Conclusion Incomplete Kawasaki Disease can be diagnosed with more awareness and aspirin alone may be used as a second line therapy in case of non affordability of Intravenous Immunoglobulin. Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal, 2013, Vol-9, No-4, 30-35 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v9i4.10234

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The Baby Shark (Songs Heard Affecting Resuscitation Kinetics) study

BMJ Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning ◽

10.1136/bmjstel-2020-000657 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. bmjstel-2020-000657

Author(s):

Rebecca Singer ◽

Grace Leo ◽

Tessa Davis ◽

Ben Lawton ◽

Henry Goldstein ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Control Group ◽

Control Groups ◽

Target Zone ◽

Compression Depth ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Overall Performance ◽

The Mean ◽

Training Exercises ◽

And Control ◽

Musical Cues

Previous research has examined the utilisation of musical cues to improve the performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) delivered in training environments. We postulated a musical cue that is both contemporary and transcends cultures may improve CPR performance. Our aim was to establish whether chest compressions are performed with improved rate and depth if a song of a fixed beat (PinkFong’s ‘Baby Shark’ with a tempo of 115 beats per minute (bpm) and 15 beats in each verse) is played to a healthcare professional immediately before undertaking CPR compared to whale noises (a non-metronomic rhythm). 58 Participants of a paediatric conference (majority doctors) were randomly assigned to listen to a minute of Baby Shark (28) or whale song (30) and then undertake a minute of CPR. There was no significant difference in the mean compression rate between the Baby Shark and control groups, with the groups achieving 121 and 125 bpm, respectively (p=0.18). In relation to compression depth within the target zone, the Baby Shark group had more compressions completed within the target zone (55%) than the control group (39%) although this difference was not significant (p=0.08). Listening to Baby Shark prior to undertaking simulated CPR does not improve overall performance, but there is a potential tendency to improve adequate compression depth which may be beneficial in training exercises.

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Methylprednisolone or dexamethasone, which one is superior corticosteroid in the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients: a triple-blinded randomized controlled trial

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-021-06045-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Keivan Ranjbar ◽

Mohsen Moghadami ◽

Alireza Mirahmadizadeh ◽

Mohammad Javad Fallahi ◽

Vahid Khaloo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Clinical Status ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Length Of Hospital Stay ◽

Ordinal Scale ◽

Control Group ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Group Data ◽

Significant Difference

Abstract Background Although almost a year has passed since the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak and promising reports of vaccines have been presented, we still have a long way until these measures are available for all. Furthermore, the most appropriate corticosteroid and dose in the treatment of COVID-19 have remained uncertain. We conducted a study to assess the effectiveness of methylprednisolone treatment versus dexamethasone for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods In this prospective triple-blinded randomized controlled trial, we enrolled 86 hospitalized COVID-19 patients from August to November 2020, in Shiraz, Iran. The patients were randomly allocated into two groups to receive either methylprednisolone (2 mg/kg/day; intervention group) or dexamethasone (6 mg/kg/day; control group). Data were assessed based on a 9-point WHO ordinal scale extending from uninfected (point 0) to death (point 8). Results There were no significant differences between the groups on admission. However, the intervention group demonstrated significantly better clinical status compared to the control group at day 5 (4.02 vs. 5.21, p = 0.002) and day 10 (2.90 vs. 4.71, p = 0.001) of admission. There was also a significant difference in the overall mean score between the intervention group and the control group, (3.909 vs. 4.873 respectively, p = 0.004). The mean length of hospital stay was 7.43 ± 3.64 and 10.52 ± 5.47 days in the intervention and control groups, respectively (p = 0.015). The need for a ventilator was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (18.2% vs 38.1% p = 0.040). Conclusion In hospitalized hypoxic COVID-19 patients, methylprednisolone demonstrated better results compared to dexamethasone. Trial registration The trial was registered with IRCT.IR (08/04/2020-No. IRCT20200204046369N1).

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Corneal Biomechanical Parameters and Central Corneal Thickness in Glaucoma Patients, Glaucoma Suspects, and a Healthy Population

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10122637 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 2637

Author(s):

Mª. Ángeles del Buey-Sayas ◽

Elena Lanchares-Sancho ◽

Pilar Campins-Falcó ◽

María Dolores Pinazo-Durán ◽

Cristina Peris-Martínez

Keyword(s):

Central Corneal Thickness ◽

Corneal Thickness ◽

Mean Difference ◽

The Other ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Population ◽

Diagnostic Categories ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Biomechanical Parameters ◽

The Mean

Purpose: To evaluate and compare corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), and central corneal thickness (CCT), measurements were taken between a healthy population (controls), patients diagnosed with glaucoma (DG), and glaucoma suspect patients due to ocular hypertension (OHT), family history of glaucoma (FHG), or glaucoma-like optic discs (GLD). Additionally, Goldmann-correlated intraocular pressure (IOPg) and corneal-compensated IOP (IOPcc) were compared between the different groups of patients. Methods: In this prospective analytical-observational study, a total of 1065 patients (one eye of each) were recruited to undergo Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA) testing, ultrasound pachymetry, and clinical examination. Corneal biomechanical parameters (CH, CRF), CCT, IOPg, and IOPcc were measured in the control group (n = 574) and the other groups: DG (n = 147), FHG (n = 78), GLD (n = 90), and OHT (n = 176). We performed a variance analysis (ANOVA) for all the dependent variables according to the different diagnostic categories with multiple comparisons to identify the differences between the diagnostic categories, deeming p < 0.05 as statistically significant. Results: The mean CH in the DG group (9.69 mmHg) was significantly lower compared to controls (10.75 mmHg; mean difference 1.05, p < 0.001), FHG (10.70 mmHg; mean difference 1.00, p < 0.05), GLD (10.63 mmHg; mean difference 0.93, p < 0.05) and OHT (10.54 mmHg; mean difference 0.84, p < 0.05). No glaucoma suspects (FHG, GLD, OHT groups) presented significant differences between themselves and the control group (p = 1.00). No statistically significant differences were found in the mean CRF between DG (11.18 mmHg) and the control group (10.75 mmHg; mean difference 0.42, p = 0.40). The FHG and OHT groups showed significantly higher mean CRF values (12.32 and 12.41 mmHg, respectively) than the DG group (11.18 mmHg), with mean differences of 1.13 (p < 0.05) and 1.22 (p < 0.001), respectively. No statistically significant differences were found in CCT in the analysis between DG (562 μ) and the other groups (control = 556 μ, FHG = 576 μ, GLD = 569 μ, OHT = 570 μ). The means of IOPg and IOPcc values were higher in the DG patient and suspect groups than in the control group, with statistically significant differences in all groups (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study presents corneal biomechanical values (CH, CRF), CCT, IOPg, and IOPcc for diagnosed glaucoma patients, three suspected glaucoma groups, and a healthy population, using the ORA. Mean CH values were markedly lower in the DG group (diagnosed with glaucoma damage) compared to the other groups. No significant difference was found in CCT between the DG and control groups. Unexpectedly, CRF showed higher values in all groups than in the control group, but the difference was only statistically significant in the suspect groups (FHG, GLD, and OHT), not in the DG group.

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Effectiveness of neurobic exercise program on memory and depression among elderly residing at old age home

Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine ◽

10.1515/jcim-2019-0221 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Divya Raj ◽

Subramaniam Santhi ◽

G. J. Sara Sapharina

Keyword(s):

Old Age ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Exercise Program ◽

The Elderly ◽

Control Group ◽

Study Group ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

Interventional Group ◽

Old Age Homes

AbstractObjectivesThis study finds out the effectiveness of neurobic exercise program on memory and depression among elderly residing in old age homes.MethodsThe non-probability purposive sampling technique was used for sample selection. Wechsler's memory scale (WMS-IV) and Geriatric depression scale (GDS) were the instruments used to assess the memory and depression among elderly during the pretest and posttest, respectively and the researcher had developed data sheet to collect information about the background variables using interview technique.ResultsThe neurobic exercise program was found to be effective in reducing depression among elderly residing in old age homes. There was a significant difference (p<0.001) in the level of depression had been found during the pretest and posttest in the interventional group. There was a statistically significant difference (p<0.001) found between the study group and in the control group. There was significant correlation (r=0.417, p<0.05) found between the memory and depression during the pretest in the study group among the elderly. A statistically significant association (p<0.05) found in the mean scores of depression and marital status of the elderly during the pretest in the study group and there was a significant association (p<0.01) found in the mean scores of depression and the gender of the elderly during the pretest and posttest in the non interventional group were found.ConclusionsThe findings suggested that neurobic exercise program is an effective intervention in improving memory and reducing depression.

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