Timeliness metrics for screening and preventing TB in household contacts of pulmonary TB patients in Kenya.

Background: The study assessed whether a "7-1-7" timeliness metric for screening and TB preventive therapy (TPT) could be implemented for household contacts (HHCs) of index patients with bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary TB under routine programmatic settings in Kenya.

Methods: A longitudinal cohort study conducted among index patients and their HHCs in 12 health facilities, Kiambu County, Kenya.

Results: Between January and June 2023, 95% of 508 index patients had their HHCs line-listed within 7 days of initiating anti-TB treatment ("First 7").

Using timeliness metrics for household contact tracing and TB preventive therapy in the private sector, India.

Although screening of household contacts (HHCs) of TB patients and provision of TB preventive therapy (TPT) is a key intervention to end the TB epidemic, their implementation globally is dismal. We assessed whether introducing a '7-1-7' timeliness metric was workable for implementing HHC screening among index patients with pulmonary TB diagnosed by private providers in Chennai, India, between November 2022 and March 2023.This was an explanatory mixed-methods study (quantitative-cohort and qualitative-descriptive).

Prevalence of food allergy among children in Al-Ain city, United Arab Emirates.

Background: Food allergy (FA) in children is an important health problem. However, the prevalence of FA in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has not yet been determined. This cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the prevalence of FA among school children aged 6-9 years in Al-Ain city, UAE.

Faculty development: yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Medical education has evolved to become a discipline in its own right. With demands on medical faculties to be socially responsible and accountable, there is now increasing pressure for the professionalisation of teaching practice. Developing a cadre of professional and competent teachers, educators, researchers and leaders for their new roles and responsibilities in medical education requires faculty development.

Kinetics of intravenous L-lactic acid in anaesthetized minipigs under normoxic/normocapnic/normohydrogenaemic conditions.

A mild and transitory increase in L-lactic acid (LAC) levels can be achieved by LAC infusion under normoxic/normocapnic/normohydrogenaemic conditions. This increase is probably sufficient to confer some protection to cholinesterases from inhibition by organophosphates.

The effect of Rhazya stricta Decne, a traditional medicinal plant, on spontaneous and drug-induced alterations in activity of rats.

The effect of acute and chronic treatment of rats with a lyophilized extract of the leaves of the medicinal plant Rhazya stricta on total and ambulatory activity was studied. Given acutely at single oral doses of 1, 2, 4, and 8 g/kg, the extract produced dose-dependent decreases in total activity and ambulatory activity. Diazepam (20 mg/kg, orally) produced a decrease in rat activity comparable to that produced by a dose of 1 g/kg of the extract.

Comparative pharmacokinetics of paracetamol (acetaminophen) and its sulphate and glucuronide metabolites in desert camels and goats.

Paracetamol was administered at dosages of 5 mg/kg to camels and 10 mg/kg to goats by the intravenous and intramuscular routes. Parent paracetamol had a significantly slower clearance (21.9 +/- 1.

Ophthalmia neonatorum in the United Arab Emirates.

Ophthalmia neonatorum in small babies is a common problem in neonatal units in Al Ain, but is infrequently associated with sexually transmitted disease agents. A study of 81 babies with ophthalmia neonatorum showed that 81.5% had bacterial or fungal infections.

Grading Helicobacter pylori gastritis in dyspeptic patients.

Helicobacter pylori-like organisms (Hp) and polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) in 2614 gastroduodenal biopsies from 602 patients with dyspepsia, in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, between October 1990 and October 1992, were histologically graded to determine the prevalence of Hp gastritis and their utilization in the evaluation of treatment efficacy in these patients. Symptoms of functional dyspepsia included, in order of frequency, abdominal pain or discomfort, flatulence, burning sensation, regurgitation, fullness, nausea, vomiting, bloating and belching. The biopsies were paraffin embedded, sectioned and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) to grade the inflammation.

Doing randomized controlled trials in a developing country: some practical realities.

Background: Formal randomized controlled trial results are often reported. The difficulties of doing such trial are not. Developing countries represent a new field in which trials can be undertaken.

The effect of L-tyrosine on some anti-nociceptive and non-nociceptive actions of morphine in mice.

1. This work examines the effect of L-tyrosine on the antinociceptive and non-nociceptive actions of morphine in mice. The antinociceptive action was measured using the hot plate method, and the non-nociceptive actions included the effect on concentrations of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides in serum or blood, and the effect on gastrointestinal transit time (GITT) and rectal temperature.

Comparing nurses' and patients' pain evaluations: a study of hospitalized patients in Kuwait.

All eligible patients hospitalized on the general medical, surgical and pediatric wards of a district hospital in Kuwait during the first 2 weeks of April 1990 (N = 199) were interviewed about their pain and the medical care provided. Patients rated their current pain using a 0-10 visual analogue scale (VAS) on which 0 was labelled 'no pain' and 10 'unbearable pain', and also the least and worst levels of pain which they had experienced during the previous 24 hr. Pediatric patients rated their mood at these times using a cartoon faces scale ([1]: McGrath P.