Efficacy and Safety of Rifaximin in the Prevention of Recurrent Episodes of Hepatic Encephalopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Rifaximin is an oral antimicrobial drug with a broad-spectrum effect. It locally regulates the function and structure of intestinal bacteria and decreases intestinal endotoxemia. We aimed to investigate the preventive role of rifaximin in recurrent episodes of hepatic encephalopathy in cases with a history of hepatic diseases.

Clinical and Prognostic Significance of Baseline Serum Vitamin D Levels in Hospitalized Egyptian Covid-19 Patients.

Background And Aim: Vitamin D is a hormone with essential roles in both cellular metabolism and immunity. It controls calcium homeostasis and modulates innate and adaptive immune system responses. Many studies suggested an association between vitamin D deficiency and clinical outcomes of covid-19 infection, while others failed to document such a relation.

Effect of COVID-19 on gastrointestinal endoscopy practice: a systematic review.

Background: Since the emergence of the novel corona virus (SARS-Cov-2) in the late 2019 and not only the endoscopy practice and training but also the health care systems around the globe suffers. This systematic review focused the impact of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) on the endoscopy practice.

Methods: A web search of different databases combining different search terms describing the endoscopy practice and the COVID-19 pandemic was done.

Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of Dual Therapy Perindopril/Amlodipine in the Management of Hypertension. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Hypertension represent the commonest cause of death in 2017. Hypertension is classified into two types which are primary or essential hypertension and secondary hypertension. The perindopril-amlodipine combination showed a significant effect in reduction of the elevated BP and the cardiovascular complications.

Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Subclinical Hypothyroidism in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy.

Background And Aim: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common and disabling complications of DM. Many studies documented the prevalence of clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in diabetic patients but not in the particular group of patients with DPN. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of SCH in DPN patients and to evaluate its association with severity of DPN.

Impact of reduced flow on Cs behavior in Ismailia Canal and surrounding groundwater systems.

This paper assesses the potential impact of reduced Nile water due to the construction of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on flow and contaminant transport pattern in Ismailia Canal and its surrounding area. The groundwater/surface water system has been characterized, conceptualized, and modeled numerically and analytically, with assessing the response against this expected reduced discharge. The isotopic signature of seventeen samples helped in the identification of different recharge sources in the study area and demarcates the boundary conditions that might encounter the conceptualization of the study area.

Hepatitis C Virus Exposure Rate among Health-care Workers in Rural Lower Egypt Governorates.

Background And Objectives: Studies on hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Egypt supported a strong role for various exposures in the health-care setting. In this study, we attempted to estimate the frequency of HCV exposure among Egyptian health-care workers (HCWs).

Methods: Five hundred and sixty-four (564) HCWs were included in this study.

Anticoagulation with bivalirudin during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in a patient with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is a well-recognized complication of anticoagulation with heparin. We present the case of a patient with recent heparin-induced thrombocytopenia who subsequently needed surgery on an emergency basis for acute type A aortic dissection. This article reports the successful use of bivalirudin, a direct thrombin inhibitor, as an alternative to heparin throughout cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.

Operative outcomes after open repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms in the era of endovascular surgery.

Background: Since the advent of endovascular techniques for repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms (DTAAs), there has been a relative paucity of current data for open repairs. The purpose of this study was to assess the operative and long-term outcomes in a contemporary series of open repairs of DTAAs.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 68 patients (63±14.

Outcomes of open surgical repair for chronic type B aortic dissections.

Objective: Open surgical repair (OSR) for chronic type B aortic dissection (CTBAD) has an associated morbidity and mortality. The role of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in CTBAD has not been determined. We analyzed our contemporary experience of CTBAD undergoing OSR to identify high-risk patients who may be considered for TEVAR.

Somatosensory-evoked potential-guided intercostal artery reimplantation in thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm surgery.

Objective: This study was undertaken to evaluate the use of somatosensory-evokedpotential (SSEP) monitoring on intercostal artery reimplantation (IAR) and spinal cord ischemia rates during thoracoabdominal ortic aneurysm repair.

Methods: Fifty-two patients had thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair with IAR under SSEP guidance and 79 patients had repair with routine IAR without SSEP guidance from 1999 to 2010.

Results: No differences were observed between the two groups in age (63.

Perioperative outcomes of off-clamp vs complete hilar control laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.

Objective: To evaluate perioperative and 6-month renal functional outcomes of patients undergoing off-clamp vs complete hilar control laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN).

Patients And Methods: A retrospective review of 489 patients undergoing LPN was completed. Preoperative imaging assessed tumour characteristics.

The impact of neuropathic pain in the chronic pelvic pain population.

Purpose: Patients with chronic pelvic pain disorders often present with neuropathic features. We examined a cohort of patients with a primary complaint of chronic pelvic pain for the presence of neuropathic pain symptoms.

Materials And Methods: Patients with chronic pelvic pain disorders from 2 tertiary referral centers were prospectively evaluated.

High false-negative rate of anti-HCV among Egyptian patients on regular hemodialysis.

Routine serological testing for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among hemodialysis (HD) patients is currently recommended. A dilemma existed on the value of serology because some investigators reported a high rate of false-negative serologic testing. In this study, we aimed to detect the false-negative rate of anti-HCV among Egyptian HD patients.

Reproducibility and fidelity of the R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score.

Background And Purpose: The R.E.N.

Symptom profile variability of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome by age.

Unlabelled: Study Type--Diagnostic (symptom prevalence). Level of Evidence 2b. What's known on the subject? And what does the study add? Symptom variability is profound in the population of patients diagnosed with interstitial cystitis and painful bladder syndrome because these diagnoses represent a very heterogeneous patient population.

Surgical site infection rates following laparoscopic urological procedures.

Purpose: Surgical site infections have been categorized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as "never events". The incidence of surgical site infection following laparoscopic urological surgery and its risk factors are poorly defined. We evaluated surgical site infection following urological laparoscopic surgery and identified possible factors that may influence occurrence.

Pegylated interferon de novo-induce autoimmune haemolytic anaemia in chronic hepatitis C patient.

A 55-year-old Egyptian woman with chronic hepatitis C undergoing treatment with pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) alfa-2a plus ribavirin was referred to our hospital on November 2010 with prolonged easy fatigability and an attack of syncope; she had no prior history of autoimmune disorders or allergy. Laboratory investigations documented the presence of Peg-IFN induced autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and autoimmune thyroiditis. Intravenous γ globulin (IVGG) failed to correct the autoimmune process; on the other hand steroid therapy dramatically corrected both haematological and thyroid values, and step down the immune process.

Evaporative isotope enrichment as a constraint on reach water balance along a dryland river.

Deuterium and oxygen-18 enrichment in river water during its transit across dryland region is found to occur systematically along evaporation lines with slopes of close to 4 in (2)H-(18)O space, largely consistent with trends predicted by the Craig-Gordon model for an open-water dominated evaporating system. This, in combination with reach balance assessments and derived runoff ratios, strongly suggests that the enrichment signal and its variability in the Barwon-Darling river, Southeastern Australia is acquired during the process of evaporation from the river channel itself, as enhanced by the presence of abundant weirs, dams and other storages, rather than reflecting inherited enrichment signals from soil water evaporation in the watershed. Using a steady-state isotope mass balance analysis based on monthly (18)O and (2)H, we use the isotopic evolution of river water to re-construct a perspective of net exchange between the river and its contributing area along eight reaches of the river during a drought period from July 2002 to December 2003, including the duration of a minor flow event.