Low rate of human papillomavirus vaccination among schoolgirls in Lebanon: barriers to vaccination with a focus on mothers' knowledge about available vaccines.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is an established predisposing factor of cervical cancer. In this study, we assessed the awareness about genital warts, cervical cancer, and HPV vaccine among mothers having girls who are at the age of primary HPV vaccination attending a group of schools in Lebanon. We also assessed the rate of HPV vaccination among these girls and the barriers to vaccination in this community.

Nerve stimulator-guided pudendal nerve block vs general anesthesia for postoperative pain management after anterior and posterior vaginal wall repair: a prospective randomized trial.

Study Objective: Compare the effectiveness of nerve stimulator-guided pudendal nerve block (PNB) vs general anesthesia (GA) for anterior and posterior (AP) colporrhaphy in terms of pain relief and analgesic consumption within 24 and 48 hours postoperatively.

Design: Prospective randomized trial.

Patients: Fifty-seven patients whose ages ranged between 20 and 53 years scheduled to undergo AP colporrhaphy due to the presence of cystorectocele.

Spectrum of Phenotypes Associated with Mutations in LRBA.

To date, several germline mutations have been identified in the LRBA gene in patients suffering from a variety of clinical symptoms. These mutations abolish the expression of the LRBA protein, leading to autoimmunity, chronic diarrhea, B-cell deficiency, hypogammaglobulinemia, functional T-cell defects and aberrant autophagy. We review the clinical and laboratory features of patients with LRBA mutations and present five novel mutations in eight patients suffering from a multitude of clinical features.

Epidemiology and characteristics of urinary tract infections in children and adolescents.

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections in the pediatric population. Over the last two decades, antibiotic resistance is increasing significantly as extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) producing organisms are emerging. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive view of the epidemiologic characteristics of UTIs in hospitalized children, examine the risk factors of UTIs caused by ESBL-producing organisms, and determine the resistance patterns in the isolated organisms over the last 10 years.

Short-term neonatal outcome in singleton, late preterm deliveries: a three-year experience at a single Lebanese center.

Background: There has been a decrease in the mean gestational age at delivery worldwide mostly due to an increase in deliveries occurring at late preterm period (LPP) with a concomitant rise in the rate of morbidities among newborns delivered at this period.

Objectives: To report the frequency of common short-term neonatal morbidities in infants born at LPP (between 34(0/7) and 36(6/7) weeks' gestation) and to compare these frequencies with those of full-term infants born at our institution.

Materials & Methods: A descriptive cohort study (2008-2010) at Makassed General Hospital.

Effect of one anesthetic exposure on long-term behavioral changes in children.

Study Objective: To determine the association between one anesthetic exposure and behavioral outcome at age 10 to 12 years.

Design: Retrospective comparative study.

Setting: University-affiliated pediatrics department.

The effectiveness of pudendal nerve block versus caudal block anesthesia for hypospadias in children.

Background: Caudal block (CB) has some disadvantages, one of which is its short duration of action after a single injection. For hypospadias repair, pudendal nerve block (PNB) might be a suitable alternative since it has been successfully used for analgesia for circumcision. We evaluated PNB compared with CB as measured by total analgesic consumption 24 hours postoperatively.

Guided paravertebral blocks with versus without clonidine for women undergoing breast surgery: a prospective double-blinded randomized study.

Background: Paravertebral blocks (PVBs) have been introduced as an alternative to general anesthesia for breast cancer surgeries. The addition of clonidine as an adjuvant in PVBs may enhance quality and duration of analgesia and significantly reduce the consumption of analgesics after breast surgery. In this prospective randomized double-blind study, we assessed the significance of adding clonidine to the anesthetic mixture for women undergoing mastectomy.

Addition of clonidine and fentanyl: comparison between three different regional anesthetic techniques in circumcision.

Background: Several techniques have been used for alleviating post-circumcision pain with regional anesthetics being more effective than systemic opioids. Our aim was to compare the effectiveness of dorsal penile block, ring block (RB) and dorsal penile block associated with RB in reducing post-circumcision pain in children.

Methods: We conducted a prospective randomized double-blind clinical trial on 100 boys aged between 1 month and 5 years undergoing elective circumcision.