Human milk donation is an alternative to human milk bank.

Background And Aims: Human milk bank is a source of human milk supply in many neonatal intensive care units. However, there are some hospitals without this facility because of financial or religious impediments, such as the Muslim community.

Methods: We introduced human milk donation as an alternative to human milk banking based on Islamic principles.

Surveillance culture of endoscope to monitor the quality of high-level disinfection of gastrointestinal reprocessing.

Background/aims: Inadequate reprocessing of endoscopes or endoscopic accessories may result in iatrogenic infection and present a risk to public health. The aim of this study is to utilize microbiological cultures of endoscopes to assess the adequacy of standard reprocessing procedures.

Methodology: A prospective study to randomly cultures of endoscopes and colonoscopies immediately after the completion of the decontamination cycle monthly.

Model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score for predicting late esophageal varices rebleeding in cirrhotic patients.

Background/aims: Esophageal varices bleeding is a fatal complication of portal hypertension. The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) has been used as a tool to predict mortality risk in cirrhotic patients. It is currently unknown if MELD score can be applied to predicting late esophageal varices rebleeding.

Diarrhea in medical care workers with severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Background And Goal: Several known coronavirus species cause a variety of diseases, including respiratory or enteric diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interesting enteric symptoms of the medical care workers who were evidently infected with SARS by means of respiratory transmission.

Study: Between May 1 and June 16, 2003, we enrolled 16 medical care workers who fulfilled the definition of probable SARS.

Correlation of the morphology and size of colonic polyps with their histology.

Background: Colonic adenomatous polyps are premalignant lesions; early recognition and use of a polypectomy for these polyps can reduce the occurrence of colorectal cancer. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the complications of polypectomy and the relationship between the morphology and size of colonic polyps and their histology.

Methods: Data on colonic polyps from 324 patients who received a polypectomy between April 1998 and December 2001 were collected.