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Objective: This study was performed in order to study the prevalence of Pediculus humanus capitis (P. h. capitis)., Methods: The study was carried out on pupils between 5-15 years old in a school and kindergarden belonging to the Turkish Chamber of Commerce and Stock Exchange Organization in Van City between November-December 2007. The hair of 863 pupils (especially the neck and the back of head areas), 385 girls and 478 boys, were examined for eggs, nymphs and adults of P. h. capitis. A questionnaire was given to the pupils, which was collected the following day. Lice and their eggs/nits, which were removed from the head of children were transferred to a bottle containing 5% glycerin in 70% ethyl alcohol. Later they were sent to the Parasitology Laboratory of the Health Research and Training Hospital of Yüzüncü Yıl University., Results: Eggs/nits were found in 164 (42.6%) of the girls and in 34 (7.1%) of the boys (overall 198 (22.9%) infested pupils). The prevalence of P. h. capitis was high, especially in girls., Conclusion: The infestation rates observed and the evaluation of the questionnaire showed that there is a statistically significant relationships between pediculosis capitis and sex, level of family income, education level of the mother, number of baths taken per weekly, number of family members living in the same home, room number per capita, and hair length (p<0.001). However, there was no significant relationship between pediculosis capitis and cleaning materials used to wash the head (p>0.05).

In the literature, cardiac response associated with blunt chest trauma in children has been reported generally as case reports, and interventricular septal rupture due to trauma is quite rare. Interventricular septal rupture can develop even in the absence of visible signs of a trauma because of the flexibility of the chest structure in children. In the present case, a seven-year-old boy with interventricular septal rupture at the mid-muscular region and left ventricle pseudoaneurysm developed due to injury to the left anterior descending coronary artery after a traffic accident is reported. Patients with cardiac murmur detected on physical examination after a blunt chest trauma must be considered as cardiac injury, and in those with signs of ischemia detected on electrocardiography, it should not be forgotten that the coronary artery may be affected.

Objective: The aim of the study is determination of myocardial performance index (MPI/Tei index) using pulsed (PD) and tissue Doppler (TD) techniques to show cardiac response in newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and healthy newborns and eventually evaluation of the differences between these two techniques., Methods: The study is a prospective observational study. Twenty term newborns diagnosed as perinatal asphyxia during postnatal 24 hours due to the defined criteria and fifty healthy term neonates as control group were included the study. Hypoxic group was divided into two groups with Sarnat stages, Sarnat Stage 1 and 2-3. MPIs (Tei indexes) were calculated with PD and TD echocardiographic techniques in all groups after the 24 hours of birth and one year later. The statistical differences between same techniques were calculated with Kruskal-Wallis test and Z score was used to compare the superiority of two techniques., Results: The MPI values calculated by PD (0.41±0.04, 0.51±0.02) and TD (0.59±0.04, 0.51±0.02) during the first day of life in Sarnat Stage 2-3 in both ventricles were significantly higher than the control group (p<0.01, p<0.02, p<0.03). While the Z score, calculated for MPI measured by PD and TD methods, were found similar in both ventricles in Sarnat Stage 1 and control groups, it was significantly different in other groups of Sarnat stages., Conclusion: The degree of cardiac response in neonates with HIE is associated with the severity of hypoxia. MPI values are not different from the controls in newborns received mild hypoxia while they are higher in the patients who were received moderate or severe hypoxia. Any advantage could not be found between two techniques according to the measurement values, but higher variability in the value of MPI, measured by TD method, calculated from moderate and severe hypoxia group was detected.

Objectives: Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome (MS). We investigated the effect of fluvastatin treatment on inflammatory markers in patients with MS., Study Design: The study included 47 patients (36 females; 11 males; mean age 55+/-8 years) with MS. The diagnosis of MS was based on the presence of at least three criteria of the NCEP ATP III guidelines. All the patients received 80 mg fluvastatin treatment for six weeks. Laboratory parameters were measured before and after treatment, and flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood leukocytes was performed. The results were compared with those of 47 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (33 females, 14 males; mean age 52+/-8 years)., Results: Fluvastatin treatment resulted in significant decreases in levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride (p<0.005), and C-reactive protein (p<0.05). Thirty-three patients (70.2%) had insulin resistance, which remained unchanged following treatment. Flow cytometric analysis after treatment showed significant decreases in total lymphocytes, and in surface antigens of CD16+56 and CD8+(CD28+) on leukocytes, CD11c on granulocytes, and a significant increase in the CD4/CD8 ratio (p<0.05). Compared to the control group, the mean baseline values of fluorescence density (FD) of CD14, CD11b, CD11c, and CD63 on monocytes, and CD11b and CD11c on granulocytes were significantly higher in patients with MS (p<0.05). Following fluvastatin treatment, there were significant decreases in the mean FD of CD3 on lymphocytes, and of CD11b and CD11c on both monocytes and granulocytes (p<0.05); of these, all FD values were similar to those in the control group (p>0.05)., Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that inflammation may have a significant role in the pathogenesis of MS and that this effect can be controlled with statin treatment.

Objectives: We investigated the presence of neural axis abnormalities by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with clinically and radiologically confirmed absolute flexible thoracic curves (King-Moe type III)., Methods: Preoperative MRI scans of 84 patients (34 males, 50 females; mean age 14.1 years; range 11 to 17 years) with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and a flexible thoracic curve (King-Moe type III) were prospectively evaluated to determine neural axis abnormalities. Clinical and radiologic indications for preoperative MRI examination were sought. All patients were treated with posterior fusion. All patients were intraoperatively monitored by means of motor evoked potentials by magnetic transcortical stimulation and somatosensory evoked potentials. The mean follow-up was 50.1 months (range 24 to 105 months)., Results: Neural axis abnormalities were detected in six patients (7.1%), including syringomyelia in five patients (5.9%) and diastometamyelia in one patient (1.2%). Of 84 patients, 51 patients (60.7%) had a relatively decreased spinal cord diameter, and an increased epidural distance. No clinical or radiologic indicators were found for preoperative MRI examination. No neurologic deficits developed during operation and in the postoperative period., Conclusion: The detection of neural axis abnormalities implies the necessity of intraoperative neurologic monitoring to minimize the risks for neurologic deficits. Where this is not available, preoperative MRI seems to be an essential tool in the prevention of surgery-associated neurologic risks.