scholarly journals Serum Levels of Fetal Antigen 1 in Extreme Nutritional States

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alin Andries ◽  
Andreas Niemeier ◽  
Rene K. Støving ◽  
Basem M. Abdallah ◽  
Anna-Maria Wolf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Change ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Metabolic Adaptation ◽  
Weight Changes ◽  
Normal Range ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Restrictive Surgery ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Fetal Antigen

Objective. Recent data suggest that fetal antigen (FA1) is linked to disorders of body weight. Thus, we measured FA1 serum levels in two extreme nutritional states of morbid obesity (MO) and anorexia nervosa (AN) and monitored its response to weight changes. Design. FA1 and insulin serum concentrations were assessed in a cross-sectional study design at defined time points after gastric restrictive surgery for 25 MO patients and 15 women with AN. Results. Absolute FA1 serum levels were within the assay normal range and were not different between the groups at baseline. However, the ratio of FA1/BMI was significantly higher in AN. FA1 was inversely correlated with BMI before and after weight change in AN, but not in MO patients. In addition, MO patients displayed a significant concomitant decrease of FA1 and insulin with the first 25% of EWL, while in AN patients a significant increase of FA1 was observed in association with weight gain. Conclusion. FA1 is a sensitive indicator of metabolic adaptation during weight change. While FA1 serum levels in humans generally do not correlate with BMI, our results suggest that changes in FA1 serum levels reflect changes in adipose tissue turnover.

scholarly journals The Lower Levels of Serum and RBC Cholinesterase in Acute Opioid Poisoning

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-114
Author(s):  
Anahita Alizadeh ◽  
◽  
Nasim Lotfinezhad ◽  
Zohreh Abasian ◽  
Fares Najari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Colorimetric Method ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Serum Cholinesterase ◽  
Normal Range ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Opium Poisoning ◽  
Neural Transmission ◽  
Organophosphate Toxicity

Background: Cholinesterase is an enzyme that plays a critical role in regulating neural transmission. Many factors may decrease the cholinesterase levels in serum and Red Blood Cells (RBCs). It is suggested that the use of opium may effectively change the levels of Cholinesterase in serum and RBCs. This study aimed to evaluate the serum and RBC levels of cholinesterase in patients who were acutely poisoned with opium. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 65 patients suffering from acute opium poisoning. The serum levels of cholinesterase were measured using an automated analyzer. The levels were also measured in RBCs, using a colorimetric method. Simultaneously, 65 patients served as the positive controls from among those poisoned with organophosphates. Results: The serum cholinesterase levels were lower than the normal range in 16.9% of patients poisoned with opium and in 76.9% of those poisoned with organophosphate agents (P<0.001). Similarly, the levels of RBC cholinesterase were lower than the normal range as found in 64.6% and 15.4% of patients poisoned acutely with opium (Group 1) and organophosphate (Group 2), respectively (P<0.001). Conclusion: Acute opium poisoning effectively reduced both the levels and activities of cholinesterase in the patients’ serum and RBCs significantly different from those noted in patients suffering from organophosphate toxicity.

scholarly journals Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 in Patients with Graves’ Disease before and after Antithyroid Therapy: Its Important Role in Serum Phosphate Regulation

2005 ◽  
Vol 90 (7) ◽  
pp. 4211-4215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Yamashita ◽  
Yuji Yamazaki ◽  
Hisashi Hasegawa ◽  
Takeyoshi Yamashita ◽  
Seiji Fukumoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Serum Phosphate ◽  
Graves Disease ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Phosphate Homeostasis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Fgf 23

Abstract Objective: Hyperthyroidism is a well-described cause of hyperphosphatemia. We aimed to clarify the physiological role of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-23 in serum phosphate homeostasis in patients with Graves’ disease during the course of treatment for hyperthyroidism. Context: The study group comprised 56 patients (45 for a cross-sectional study and 11 for a longitudinal study) with Graves’ disease. For the cross-sectional study, patients were assigned, on the basis of their serum phosphate level, to a hypophosphatemia group (n = 14), a normophosphatemia group (n = 16), or a hyperphosphatemia group (n = 15). Serum FGF-23, calcium, phosphate, PTH, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] levels were compared between the three groups. For the longitudinal study, we assessed changes in these biochemical indices before and after antithyroid treatment. Results: In the cross-sectional study, the serum FGF-23 level was significantly higher (P &lt; 0.05) in the hyperphosphatemia group than in the other groups (61 ± 36 ng/liter vs. 31 ± 22 ng/liter and 30 ± 9 ng/liter). In the longitudinal study, serum levels of FGF-23 decreased significantly (P &lt; 0.05) from a high of 54 ± 12 ng/liter before treatment to 29 ± 14 ng/liter after treatment. In contrast, the serum 1,25(OH)2D level increased significantly (P &lt; 0.005) from 55 ± 22 pmol/liter before treatment to 185 ± 76 pmol/liter 3 months after treatment. Serum FGF-23 levels were positively correlated with serum phosphate levels (P &lt; 0.0001) and negatively correlated with serum 1,25(OH)2D levels (P &lt; 0.0001). Conclusions: The significant positive correlation between serum levels of phosphate and FGF-23 indicates that FGF-23 may play an important role in serum phosphate homeostasis by its up-regulation in the hyperphosphatemic condition.

scholarly journals Assessment of Knowledge, Practice and Attitude about Biomedical Waste Management among Healthcare Professionals during COVID-19 Crises in Al-Ahsa

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 747
Author(s):  
Sahbanathul Missiriya Jalal ◽  
Fahima Akhter ◽  
Amal Ismael Abdelhafez ◽  
Ahmed Mansour Alrajeh
Keyword(s):  
Work Experience ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Biomedical Waste ◽  
Respiratory Therapists ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Knowledge Practice

Biomedical waste (BMW) management is an essential practice of healthcare professionals (HCPs) for preventing health and also environmental hazards. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic, posing significant challenges for healthcare sectors. A cross-sectional study was performed to assess the knowledge, practice, and attitude on BMW management among HCPs when taking care of patients with COVID-19 and associated with demographic variables. From Al-Ahsa healthcare sectors, 256 HCPs were selected randomly, of which 105 (41%) had excellent knowledge, 87 (34%) had good knowledge, and 64 (25%) had poor knowledge with a mean score of 13.1 ± 3.6. A higher mean score was (14.4 ± 3.2) obtained by physicians, and (13.6 ± 3.8) nurses than the other HCPs. Regarding practice, 72 (28.1%) HCPs used and discarded PPE while handling biomedical wastes. Additionally, 88 (34.4%) followed proper hand hygiene before and after each procedure and whenever needed. Physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists had a more favorable attitude than other HCPs. There was a statistically significant association found among knowledge level and educational qualification (p < 0.0001), gender (p < 0.001), and work experience (p < 0.05). Emphasis is needed to train all HCPs regarding proper BMW management during this pandemic to prevent infection transmission.

scholarly journals 732. Evaulation of Micafungin Treatment at Pediatric Patients: A cross-sectional Study from Tertiary Pediatric Centre

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S416-S417
Author(s):  
Kamile Arıkan ◽  
Nuri Bayram ◽  
İlker devrim ◽  
Ayküke Akaslan-Kara
Keyword(s):  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Liver Function Tests ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Resistance Rate ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Candida Spp ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Median Serum ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Resistance Patterns

Abstract Background Micafungin is one of three currently available echinocandin for treatment of candidiasis and candidemia. Methods Children who were treated for micafungin for possible or proven invasive Candidia infection between May 2017 and October 2019 were included. Results In this cross-sectional study, totally 78 children with a median age of 3 months (8 days -17 years), 50 (64.1%, F/M: 0.56) male were included. Thirty four (43.6%) patients were neonate, 26 (76 %) of them were premature. Thirty seven patients (47.4%) received micafungin for candidemia and 41 (52.6%) patients received micafungin empirically for IC. Twelve (32.4%) Candida spp cultured were C. albicans, the rest twenty five (67.6%) Candida spp were non-albicans Candida spp. The most commonly cultured Candida spp was Candida parapsilosis (C. parapsilosis) (n=13) followed by C. albicans (n=12), C. glabrata (n=3), C. tropicalis (n=3), C. guilliermondii (n=3), C. krusei (n=2) respectively. Resistance rate of C. parapsilosis (n=13) isolates to fluconazole, voriconazole, amphotericin B, caspofungin, micafungin were as follows respectively; 66.7%, 100%, 69.2%, 90.9%, 37.5% respectively. Resistance rate of C. albicans (n=11) isolates to fluconazole, voriconazole, amphotericin B, caspofungin, micafungin were as follows respectively; 50%, 50%, 12.5%, 42.9%, 0% respectively. None of the C. tropicalis, C. guilliermondii and C. krusei isolates were resistant to micafungin. Culture negativity could not be achieved at the end of 14th day of micafungin treatment in the 15 (16.9%) candidemia episodes. The most commonly isolated Candida spp in patients with treatment failure was C. parapsilosis (n=7), the other species were; C. albicans (n=5), C. guilliermondii (n=1), C. tropicalis (n=1) and C. tropicalis and C. guilliermondii coinfection (n=1) respectively. Median serum AST, ALT and creatinin levels didn’t increase during and at the end of micafungin therapy. None of these patients had experienced an anormal kidney or liver function tests due to micafungin usage. Characteristics of patients who received micafungin.and cultured Candida spp Antifungal resistance patterns of Candida spp. Laboratory change before and after micafungin treatment Conclusion Increase in fluconazole resistant Candida spp makes micafungin a reasonable and effective choice for suspected or proven invasive candidiasis Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals Six ultraviolet minutes for cleaner operating theatres

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Bosco ◽  
S Gambelli ◽  
V Urbano ◽  
G Cevenini ◽  
G Messina
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Operating Theatres ◽  
Cleaning Procedures ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Contamination Levels ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Final Cleaning

Abstract Background Sanitizing the operating theatres (OT) is important to minimize risk of post-operative infections. Disinfection procedures between one operation and another is less aggressive than final cleaning procedures, at the end of the day. Aim was assessing the difference of contamination: i) between different levels of disinfection; ii) before and after the use of a UVC Device (UVC-D). Methods Between December 2019/February 2020 a cross sectional study was conducted in OT in a real clinical context. 94 Petri dishes (PD) were used in 3 OT. Three different sanitation levels (SL1-3) were compared pre- and post-use of UVC-D: i) No cleaning after surgery (SL1); ii) after in-between cleaning (SL2); iii) after terminal cleaning (SL3). UVC-D was employed for 6 minutes, 3 minutes per bed side. PD were incubated at 36 °C and colony forming unit (CFU) counted at 48h. Descriptive statistic, Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests were performed to assess the contamination levels in total, pre/post use of UVC-D, and between different sanitation levels, respectively. Results In total we had a mean of 3.39 CFU/PD (C.I. 2.05 - 4.74) and a median of 1 CFU/PD (Min. 0 - Max. 39), after UVC-D use we had a mean of 2.20 CFU/PD (C.I. 0.69 - 5.09) and a median of 0 CFU/PD (Min. 0 - Max. 133). The UVC-D led to a significant reduction of CFU (p &lt; 0.001). Without UVC-D we had a significant CFU drop (p &lt; 0.05) between SL1 and SL3. Using UVC-D, we observed significant reductions of contamination (p &lt; 0.05) between SL3 and SL1. Comparing SL1 (median 0) post UVC-D use vs SL2 pre UVC-D use (median 0.5), and SL2 post UVC-D use (median 0) vs SL3 pre UVC-D use (median 1) we had a significant reduction of contamination (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusions UVC-D improved environmental contamination in any of the three sanitation levels. Furthermore, the use of UVC-D alone was better than in-between and terminal cleaning. Although these encouraging results, the cleaning procedures executed by dedicated staff has to be considered. Key messages UVC are efficient to decrease contamination in operating theatres regardless of sanitation levels. The additional use of UVC technology to standard cleaning procedures significantly improves sanitation levels.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Blood Level of Adiponectin in Pregnant Adolescents

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (06) ◽  
pp. 429-435
Author(s):  
Elaine Cristina Rocha Pádua ◽  
Silvia Daher ◽  
Isa de Pádua Cintra Sampaio ◽  
Edward Araujo Júnior ◽  
Cristina Falbo Guazzelli
Keyword(s):  
Serum Levels ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Serum Adiponectin ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Pregnant Adolescents ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adolescent Group ◽  
Gestational Weight ◽  
Intergroup Comparison

Abstract Objective To evaluate serum levels of adiponectin in pregnant adolescents between 30 and 36 weeks of gestation. Method: A prospective cross-sectional study enrolled 67 normal pregnant women between 30 and 36 weeks of gestation and eutrophic (body mass index [BMI]: 18.5–25 kg/m2), of which 36 were adolescents (< 20 years old) and 31 adults (≥ 20 years old). Serum adiponectin levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The t-student or Mann-Whitney tests were used for intergroup comparison. Results Pregnant adolescents showed significantly higher serum adiponectin concentrations compared with pregnant adults (p = 0.04). No differences were observed in adiponectin levels in younger pregnant adolescents (< 16 years old) compared with older pregnant adolescents (≥ 16 years old). Adiponectin values were divided into 3 subgroups: < 3,000 ng/mL, between 3,000 and 5,000 ng/mL, and > 5,000 ng/mL. Birthweight was significantly higher in women > 5,000 ng/mL when compared with < 3,000 ng/mL in the adolescent group. No association between pregestational adiponectin levels and BMI, gestational weight gain, and gestational age was observed; however, there was a positive relation with birthweight (p = 0.0239). Conclusion Serum adiponectin values in pregnant adolescents between 30 and 36 weeks of gestation were higher compared with pregnant adults; however, no differences between younger and older pregnant adolescents were observed.

scholarly journals The Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Menstrual Abnormalities—a Cross-Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (11) ◽  
pp. 4505-4509
Author(s):  
Anna Różańska-Walędziak ◽  
Paweł Bartnik ◽  
Joanna Kacperczyk-Bartnik ◽  
Krzysztof Czajkowski ◽  
Maciej Walędziak
Keyword(s):  
Bariatric Surgery ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Obese Women ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Contraception Use ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Introduction Obesity is associated with hyperestrogenism along with other hormonal abnormalities affecting the menstrual cycle. The most effective and decisive method of obesity treatment is bariatric surgery. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of bariatric surgery on menstrual cycle, the incidence of menstrual abnormalities, hyperandrogenism manifestation, and contraception use. Materials and Methods It was a cross-sectional study of 515 pre-menopausal women who had undergone bariatric surgery between 1999 and 2017 in a bariatric center. Data was collected via anonymous questionnaire, and the questions covered a 1-year period before the surgery and the last year before questionnaire completion. Results Before the surgery, 38.6% of the patients reported irregular menstruations in comparison with 25.0% after bariatric surgery (RR = 0.65; 95%CI 0.53–0.79). The mean number of menstruations per year did not differ before and after surgery (10.2 ± 3.9 vs 10.4 ± 3.3; p < .45). There were no statistically significant differences in terms of prolonged menstruations, acne, and hirsutism prevalence. A total of 14.4% of patients before surgery reported estrogen-based contraception use in comparison with 15.0% after the surgery (p < .95). There were no significant differences in the frequency of OC use (11.0% before surgery vs 13.6% 12 months after the surgery vs 11.5% at the moment of survey administration; p < 0.46). Conclusion Bariatric surgery improves the regularity of the menstrual cycle in obese women in reproductive age. The lack of any changes in the combined hormonal contraception (CHC) use, especially OC, before and after bariatric surgery may be a result of a possibly low level of contraception counseling.

Decreased soluble IFN-β receptor (sIFNAR2) in multiple sclerosis patients: A potential serum diagnostic biomarker

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 937-945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Órpez-Zafra ◽  
Jose Pavía ◽  
Isaac Hurtado-Guerrero ◽  
Maria J Pinto-Medel ◽  
Jose Luis Rodriguez Bada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
First Year ◽  
Diagnostic Biomarker ◽  
Lower Serum ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Treatment Naïve ◽  
Β Receptor ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Background: The soluble isoform of the interferon-β (IFN-β) receptor (sIFNAR2) could modulate the activity of both endogenous and systemically administered IFN-β. Previously, we described lower serum sIFNAR2 levels in untreated multiple sclerosis (MS) than in healthy controls (HCs). Objective: To assess sIFNAR2 levels in a new cohort of MS patients and HCs, as well as in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and with other inflammatory neurological disorders (OIND) and to assess its ability as a diagnostic biomarker. Methods: The cross-sectional study included 148 MS (84 treatment naive and 64 treated), 87 CIS, 42 OIND, and 96 HCs. Longitudinal study included 94 MS pretreatment and after 1 year of therapy with IFN-β, glatiramer acetate (GA), or natalizumab. sIFNAR2 serum levels were measured by a quantitative ELISA developed and validated in our laboratory. Results: Naive MS and CIS patients showed significantly lower sIFNAR2 levels than HCs and OIND patients. The sensitivity and specificity to discriminate between MS and OIND, for a sIFNAR2 cutoff value of 122.02 ng/mL, were 70.1%, and 79.4%, respectively. sIFNAR2 increased significantly in IFN-β-treated patients during the first year of therapy in contrast to GA- and natalizumab-treated patients who showed non-significant changes. Conclusion: The results suggest that sIFNAR2 could be a potential diagnostic biomarker for MS.

What Is the Impact of Prior Authorization on the Incidence of Pediatric Tonsillectomy?

2020 ◽  
pp. 019459982096963
Author(s):  
Vanessa F. Torrecillas ◽  
Kaden Neuberger ◽  
Alexander Ramirez ◽  
Paul Krakovitz ◽  
Jeremy D. Meier
Keyword(s):  
Elective Surgery ◽  
Lag Time ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Health Claims ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Prior Authorization ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

Objective Third-party payers advocate for prior authorization (PA) to reduce overutilization of health care resources. The impact of PA in elective surgery is understudied, especially in cases where evidence-based clinical practice guidelines define operative candidacy. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of PA on the incidence of pediatric tonsillectomy. Study Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Health claims database from a third-party payer. Methods Any pediatric patient who had evaluation for tonsillectomy from 2016 to 2019 was eligible for inclusion. A time series analysis was used to evaluate the change in incidence of tonsillectomy before and after PA. Lag time from consultation to surgery before and after PA was compared with segmented regression. Results A total of 10,047 tonsillectomy claims met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Female patients made up 51% of claims, and the mean age was 7.9 years. Just 1.5% of claims were denied after PA implementation. There was no change in the incidence of tonsillectomy for all plan types ( P = .1). Increased lag time from consultation to surgery was noted immediately after PA implementation by 2.38 days (95% CI, 0.23-4.54; P = .030); otherwise, there was no significant change over time ( P = .98). Conclusion A modest number of tonsillectomy claims were denied approval after implementation of PA. The value of PA for pediatric tonsillectomy is questionable, as it did not result in decreased incidence of tonsillectomy in this cohort.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document