Maternal serum triple marker levels in immigrants to Israel from Ethiopia.

Objectives: To determine if Ethiopian immigrants have similar triple marker levels as the general Israeli population.

Material And Methods: Second-trimester maternal serum results on 346 Ethiopians were obtained from records of 36,309 women. Two series were constructed for comparison among patients screened between 2000 and 2001 ('old group') and 2005 and 2007 ('new group').

Lumbar spine surgery in Israeli Arabs and Jews: a comparative study with emphasis on pain perception.

Background: Surgery for spinal stenosis is a frequent procedure in elderly patients. Presentation, hospital course, and outcome of disease including pain perception may vary among patients of different ethnic origin.

Objectives: To evaluate whether differences in various medical indicators can explain differences in pain perception between two ethnic groups.

[Reasons for the gap between asthma in reality and GINA guidelines].

Asthma is a common chronic disease worldwide, affecting 300 million people of all ages. In spite of the existence of scientifically proven clinical guidelines for the past 15 years and efficient controller medications, the gaps between asthma management in reality and the goals of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines are huge. Asthma, being a chronic disease, might be a companion from early childhood to the end of life and, as such, may impose major obstacles in disease management.

Prenatal diagnosis of pericentric inversion in homologues of chromosome 9: a decision dilemma.

Pericentric inversion of one chromosome 9 [inv(9)] is considered a polymorphic variation and is one of the most common forms of autosomal inversion diagnosed prenatally in amniocytes. Yet its clinical significance remains uncertain. Most publications suggest that this finding is insignificant.

Congenital deficiency of alpha feto-protein.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the main fetus serum glycoprotein with a very low concentration in the adult. AFP deficiency is a rare phenomenon. We studied two families with congenital AFP deficiency and searched for mutations in the AFP gene.

[Asthma management in adult emergency departments in Israel in comparison to asthma guidelines].

Background: Asthma management is in focus all over the world. It is constantly updated, including aspects of Emergency Department (ED) care, on the basis of global and national evidence-based clinical guidelines. Despite the existence of these guidelines, the management of asthma, including management in the ED, is lagging behind.

Low maternal serum concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin as part of the triple test screening: a follow-up study.

Objective: To determine whether low maternal serum concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) were associated with poor pregnancy outcome.

Methods: Between 1999 and 2000, 20,880 women underwent triple test screening in our hospital. The levels of hCG were detected by fluorescent immunoassay.

Congenital deficiency of alpha-fetoprotein and associated chromosomal abnormality in the placenta.

In this study we describe two patients with congenital absence of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The pathological examination results, including an immunohistochemical stain, which define qualitatively the levels of AFP detected by the biochemical studies and the comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) are enclosed. A description of the suggested functions of AFP and the means of its production are set forth.

Outcome of West Nile fever in older adults.

Objectives: To determine the effect of clinical presentation and cognitive changes on the postdischarge outcome in older adult patients with West Nile fever (WNF).

Design: Retrospective, cohort analysis.

Setting: Meir Hospital located in the center of Israel in the Sharon region.

Early invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a leukemia patient linked to aspergillus contaminated marijuana smoking.

46-year-old patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) whose disease manifested as fever, chills and dry cough is reported here. Despite broad antibiotic coverage he remained acutely ill with spiking fever, shaking chills, and hypoxemia. His initial chest radiograph was normal but chest computed tomography (CT) scan disclosed bilateral focal infiltrates.

Pulmonary leukostasis: role of perfusion lung scan in diagnosis and follow up.

A patient with hyperleukocytic myelomonocytic leukemia who presented to the emergency room with sudden pleuritic chest pain and dyspnea is reported. Clinical manifestations included dyspnea tachypnea and hyperventilation. Blood gas analysis revealed hypoxemia, hypocarbia, and respiratory alkalosis.

Some aspects of the humoral immunity and the phagocytic function in newborn infants.

Newborn infants, particularly those born prematurely, are prone to develop life-threatening pyogenic infections. Different studies have demonstrated impairment of various aspects of the humoral immunity and the phagocytic activity of neutrophils in newborns. We conducted a comprehensive study evaluating the complement function (CH50 and AP50) and the level of the vast majority of the complement components (Clq, Clr, Cls, C2-C9, FB and properdin) in preterm and full-term newborn infants as compared to adults.

Fatal methemoglobinemia caused by inadvertent contamination of a laxative solution with sodium nitrite.

We describe two cases of fatal methemoglobinemia resulting from ingestion of laxative solution inadvertently contaminated with sodium nitrite. Postmortem toxicological examination revealed methemoglobin levels in excess of 75% in both patients--a level that is uniformly fatal. The laxative solution was found to contain sodium nitrite instead of sodium sulphate at a concentration of 15 g/l.