Hyaluronic acid: additional biochemical marker in the diagnosis of biliary atresia.

Background: The purpose of the present paper was to evaluate the value of biochemical markers, including conventional liver function tests, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and hyaluronic acid (HA), in the diagnosis of neonatal cholestasis.

Methods: Infants with neonatal jaundice were consecutively enrolled during 1 year period. The patients were diagnosed as having biliary atresia (BA) if there was either bile ductular proliferation in the portal tracts, atretic common bile duct/gallbladder, or evidence of bile duct obstruction demonstrated by liver pathology or intraoperative cholangiography, respectively.

Effect of systematic psychological preparation using visual illustration prior to gastrointestinal endoscopy on the anxiety of both pediatric patients and parents.

Background: Anxiety, a psychological response to stress, can affect a child undergoing medical procedures, and their family members. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the benefit of detailed systematic information using a set of real photograph-based technical illustrations provided to both parents and patients before performing endoscopy on the level of anxiety.

Material And Method: All children eligible for gastrointestinal endoscopy were consecutively enrolled from December 2003 to May 2004.