Laparoscopic Splenectomy in Children: Safety of Ligasure Usage.

Introduction: Laparoscopic splenectomy started to be more popular and nowadays it is the first choice for splenectomy in children. The main advantages of laparoscopic splenectomy over open approach are the shorter hospital stay, low complications and the cosmetic results despite the main concern of long operative time and the intra operative bleeding.

Aim: The aim of this study was to report our experience with laparoscopic splenectomy in children's with hematological diseases using ligasure regarding vascular control safety, efficacy and complications rate.

End tidal carbon dioxide monitoring in acute asthma: a prospective pilot study in emergency department patients.

Unlabelled: The peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) is the gold standard for monitoring asthmatic patients. However, its measurement requires understanding and active participation. End tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) may be considered an accurate surrogate for PaCO2, a severity marker in acute asthma.

Is mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MRproANP) an accurate marker of bacteremia in pyelonephritis?

Introduction: Mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MRproANP) increases during systemic infections and could possibly correlate with bacteremia.

Methods: We determined the characteristics of MRproANP for accuracy to detect positive blood culture.

Results: Bacteremia was positive in 58 (15%) of 347 patients.

Development of sarcoidosis following completion of treatment for hepatitis C with pegylated interferon-{alpha}2a and ribavirin: a case report and literature review.

Sarcoidosis is a chronic inflammatory multisystem disease of unknown etiology. We report on a woman, aged 57 years, presenting with typical sarcoidosis occurring two months after completion of a six-month course of interferon-α and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C virus infection. The current observation is interesting with regard to the time elapsed between the occurrence of symptoms and antiviral treatment withdrawal, and spontaneous recovery after ten months of follow-up.

Serum IgA rheumatoid factor and pyridinoline in very early arthritis as predictors of erosion(s) at two years: a simple model of prediction from a conservatively treated community-based inception cohort.

Objective: To identify, in conservatively treated, very early arthritis patients, predictors of ≥1 erosion(s) at 2 years, and to construct a prediction model.

Methods: Community-based adults (n=310) who had never taken disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or steroids with swelling of ≥2 joints persisting for >4 weeks and lasting <6 months were recruited. Erosion status was assessed at 0, 6, 12, and 24 months; evaluations were comprised of clinical criteria (Disease Activity Score, Health Assessment Questionnaire), C-reactive protein level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, autoantibodies, bone and cartilage markers, hand densitometry, and HLA class II shared epitopes.