Effect of Zinc Supplementation in Children Less Than 5 Years on Diarrhea Attacks: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Recurrent infections and weak immunity were found to be linked with zinc deficiency especially in children. The goal of this study is to measure the level of blood zinc in children aged 6 months to less than 5 years old, and to assess the effect of 4 months of daily zinc supplements on the incidence and the severity of diarrheal morbidity. A randomized controlled trial study was conducted in Pediatric Outpatient Clinic in Ain Shams University Hospital on 140 children less than 5 years old who are apparently healthy.

Early onset cardiovascular disease related to methamphetamine use is most striking in individuals under 30: A retrospective chart review.

Introduction: The illicit use of methamphetamine (MA), a dangerous psychostimulant has become a global epidemic. Studies have demonstrated a link between illicit substance use and cardiovascular consequences. The objective of this study was to assess whether MA use is associated with an early onset of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Effect of low-level laser therapy on the time needed for leveling and alignment of mandibular anterior crowding.

Objectives: To assess the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on overall leveling and alignment time of mandibular anterior crowding and associated pain after initial archwire placement.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-two females (18-25 years) with mandibular anterior crowding were randomly allocated into laser and control groups. Eligibility criteria included Angle Class I molar relationship and Little's irregularity index (LII) from 4 to 10 mm.

Zolpidem: Efficacy and Side Effects for Insomnia.

Purpose Of Review: Insomnia is a common type of sleep disorder defined by an ongoing difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep or nonrestorative sleep with subsequent daytime impairment. The sleep disturbances in insomnia usually manifest as difficulty in falling asleep, maintaining the continuity of sleep, or waking up too early in the morning well before the desired time, irrespective of the adequate circumstances to sleep every night. Insomnia can significantly impact daytime functioning resulting in decreased workplace productivity, proneness to errors and accidents, inability to concentrate, frequent daytime naps, and poor quality of life.

Paliperidone 3-Month Injection for Treatment of Schizophrenia: A Narrative Review.

Given the typical age onset of schizophrenia, there are tremendous economic and social impacts that extend beyond the person and their families. One critical determinant of the diseases' impact is the patient's adherence to antipsychotic drug treatment. Approved in 2015 for the treatment of schizophrenia, paliperidone palmitate (Invega Trinza, a 3-month injection, noted as PP3M) is a second-generation long-acting injectable antipsychotic medication.

Principles of supply chain management in the time of crisis.

Hospitals face catastrophic financial challenges in light of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Acute shortages in materials such as masks, ventilators, intensive care unit capacity, and personal protective equipment (PPE) are a significant concern. The future success of supply chain management involves increasing the transparency of where our raw materials are sourced, diversifying of our product resources, and improving our technology that is able to predict potential shortages.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Adverse Effects: A Narrative Review.

Depression is the most prevalent psychiatric disorder in the world, affecting 4.4% of the global population. Despite an array of treatment modalities, depressive disorders remain difficult to manage due to many factors.

Meta-analysis comparing direct oral anticoagulants versus vitamin K antagonists in patients with left ventricular thrombus.

Current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for stroke or ST-elevation myocardial infarction recommend the use of oral vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) as a first-line anticoagulant. Although several studies have compared the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) to VKAs for left ventricular thrombus (LVT) anticoagulation therapy, they are small scale and have produced conflicting results. Thus, this meta-analysis was performed to aggregate these studies to better compare the efficacy and safety of DOACs with VKAs in patients with LVT.

Gender-based outcomes of coronary bifurcation stenting: A report from the National Readmission Database.

Background: There is a paucity of data focusing on women's outcomes after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) for coronary bifurcation lesions (CBLs).

Methods: Patients who received PCI for CBLs in the context of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) during the period of 01 October 2015- 31 December 2017, were identified from the United States National Readmission Database. The primary endpoint of this study was in-hospital major adverse events (MAEs).

Gender-based outcomes of impeller pumps percutaneous ventricular assist devices.

Background: There is paucity of data focusing on females' outcomes after the use of impeller pumps percutaneous ventricular assist devices (IPVADs).

Methods: Patients who received IPVADs during the period of October 1st, 2015-December 31, 2017, were identified from the United States National Readmission Database. A 1:1 propensity score matching was used to compare the outcomes between females and males.

Cariprazine to Treat Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder in Adults.

Purpose Of Review: Antipsychotics are the standard of care when it comes to the treatment of Schizophrenia, and they are often used in Bipolar as well. Their use can come with adverse effects such as extrapyramidal movements, metabolic complications as well as cardiovascular complications such as a prolonged QT interval. Treatment for these side effects ranges from the treatment of the complications up to the cessation of the medication, which could come at the expense of the user's stability.

A Network-Based "Phenomics" Approach for Discovering Patient Subtypes From High-Throughput Cardiac Imaging Data.

Objectives: The authors present a method that focuses on cohort matching algorithms for performing patient-to-patient comparisons along multiple echocardiographic parameters for predicting meaningful patient subgroups.

Background: Recent efforts in collecting multiomics data open numerous opportunities for comprehensive integration of highly heterogenous data to classify a patient's cardiovascular state, eventually leading to tailored therapies.

Methods: A total of 42 echocardiography features, including 2-dimensional and Doppler measurements, left ventricular (LV) and atrial speckle-tracking, and vector flow mapping data, were obtained in 297 patients.

Trends, Outcomes, and Predictors of Revascularization in Cardiogenic Shock.

Cardiogenic shock (CS) carries high mortality and morbidity. Early revascularization is an important strategy in management of these patients. We sought to determine the outcomes and predictors of revascularization among patients with CS.

Isolated Pulmonic Valve Endocarditis: Case Report and Review of Existing Literature on Diagnosis and Therapy.

• Pulmonic valve endocarditis (PVE) is a rare complication of infective endocarditis. • It is occasionally associated with significant pulmonic insufficiency (PI). • PVE usually has a benign course, but it can sometimes be complicated.

Meta-Analysis Comparing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation With Balloon Versus Self-Expandable Valves.

Two transcatheter aortic valve systems are currently in use in the United States; balloon-expandable valves (BEV) and the self-expanding valve (SEV). However, comparative data outcomes between the 2 systems are limited, as only one randomized trial (RCT) performed a head-to-head comparison between BEVs and SEVs. However, there are several RCTs comparing BEV or SEV to surgical valve replacement.

Challenging Scenario of Aortic Valve Tendon Masquerading as Aortic Dissection During Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

The authors report a case of 85-year-old male undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), whose intraoperative transesophageal echocardiogram was concerning for ascending aortic dissection. Further imaging, however, delineated this to be an aortic valve tendon and the TAVR was accomplished successfully. ().

Myocardial Mechanics in Patients With Normal LVEF and Diastolic Dysfunction.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a complex clinical entity that is poorly understood yet present in up to 5.5% of the general population. Proven therapies for this disorder are lacking, even though it has a similar prognosis to that of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Meta-Analysis of Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Among Patients With Low Gradient Severe Aortic Stenosis.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as an effective therapy for patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). However, data on TAVI outcomes in patients with low gradient (LG) AS are limited. We performed a meta-analysis of studies comparing TAVI outcomes between patients with classic high gradient (HG) and LG AS through November 2018.

Low dose wall motion score predicts the short and long-term benefit of surgical revascularization in patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction.

We investigated the influence of the extent of viability using low dose dobutamine wall motion score index (WMS) on the survival benefit of surgical revascularization (CABG) versus medical therapy. In the STICH trial, viability assessment was not helpful in determining the benefit of CABG. However, the extent of viable myocardium with contractile function was not assessed in the trial.

A case of Hirayama disease in Pakistan.

We report a case of Hirayama disease in a 23 year old male presenting with weakness of right hand and forearm. The weakness started gradually, progressed over a period of 12 months and stabilized. Few months after the onset of right-sided weakness, he noticed weakness in the left hand and forearm which increased over a period of 3 months before stabilizing.

Essential fatty acid status in infants and children with chronic liver disease.

The relationship between essential fatty acid (EFA) status and degree of hyperbilirubinaemia and oxidant stress in infants and children with chronic liver diseases was evaluated. Thirty patients with chronic cholestasis and 30 with liver cirrhosis were examined; 30 healthy subjects served as controls. Patient groups had significant decreases in EFAs and significant elevation of total bilirubin.

Effect of interferon therapy on fatty acid saturation index in hepatitis C virus infection.

The ratio of stearic to oleic acids, i.e. the fatty acid saturation index, in red blood cell membranes was assayed in 60 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection before and after interferon-alpha therapy.