Association between vitamin D levels in early pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: This meta-analysis aimed to pool all the available data to provide a well-powered assessment of the role of maternal Vitamin D levels in developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) because already published studies evaluating this association are small in sample size and yielded conflicting findings.

Material And Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies was performed. We searched electronic databases (PubMed and Cochrane Central) from inception to April 2021 for published and unpublished observational studies that determined the association between the reduction of Vitamin D levels and the risk of developing GDM in pregnant women.

Malaria in Afghanistan: Challenges, efforts and recommendations.

Malaria, a vector borne disease that can quickly become life-threatening, has become endemic to many countries, in particular Afghanistan. Ranking third for world's highest burden of malaria, Afghanistan has found itself in a downward spiral, burdened by outbreaks of not only malaria, but dengue, watery diarrhea and measles as well. The civil conflict and lack of healthcare services present compounded with the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a five-to tenfold increase of malarial incidence in the past years.

Comparison of the outer diameter of the 'best-fit' endotracheal tube with MRI-measured airway diameter at the cricoid level.

Background And Objective: In this study, we evaluated the ratio of the outer diameter of an uncuffed Mallinckrodt endotracheal tube (ETT, Mallinckrodt Tyco Healthcare UK Ltd) to the MRI-measured internal transverse airway diameter (ITD) at the cricoid level in children.

Methods: With institutional ethics committee approval and parental consent, we measured the ITD at the cricoid level from MRI images of children undergoing MRI diagnostic procedures requiring general anaesthesia with orotracheal intubation. The ITD at the cricoid level was compared with the outer diameter of the utilized ETT.

Laryngeal mask airway vs. uncuffed endotracheal tube for nasal and paranasal sinus surgery: paediatric airway protection.

Background And Objective: Risks are anticipated for laryngeal mask airway (LMA) anaesthesia during nasal and sinus surgeries because blood can trickle posteriorly into the hypopharynx and contaminate the airway. This study was conducted to determine whether a LMA could provide adequate airway protection from the expected intraoperative bleeding.

Methods: After obtaining ethics committee approval, 60 children ASA status I or II, 1-12 years of age, and scheduled for nasal and sinus surgery were randomized to one of two groups, endotracheal tube (ETT) or LMA, with 30 patients in each.