Antibiotics for whooping cough (pertussis).

Background: Whooping cough is a highly contagious disease. Infants are at highest risk of severe disease and death. Erythromycin for 14 days is currently recommended for treatment and contact prophylaxis, but is of uncertain benefit.

[Epidemiology and etiology of urinary incontinence in the elderly].

Urinary incontinence is an important and common health problem, whose prevalence increases with age. Often quality of life is clearly affected for persons concerned. In the group of elderly individuals (> or =60 years of age) 19.

In Situ extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy as a primary treatment for ureteral stones.

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the results of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) as a primary treatment for ureteral calculi at different levels.

Materials And Methods: We treated 166 consecutive patients with solitary ureteral stones (73 at the upper, 4 at the middle, and 89 at the lower ureter) by primary in situ ESWL on an outpatient basis. A maximum of three treatments were give individually before adopting ureteroscopy as an alternative treatment.

Rapid identification of clinically relevant Nocardia species using real-time PCR with SYBR Green and melting-curve analysis.

The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a rapid new method of identifying clinically relevant Nocardia species. DNA extracted from different Nocardia strains was used in a real-time PCR assay with SYBR Green and melting-curve analysis to identify Nocardia species. Ten control strains and four bacterial strains of closely related genera were employed, and samples from 28 patients were used.

Comparison of the automated Cobas Amplicor Mycobacterium tuberculosis assay with the conventional methods for direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in respiratory and extrapulmonary specimens.

Objective: To evaluate the recently available Cobas Amplicor polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) in well-characterized clinical specimens and to compare the results with clinical classification, conventional culture and staining techniques.

Methods: Three hundred and forty-four clinical specimens consecutively received for culture of acid-fast bacilli by the laboratory of Zayed Military Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 2004 to 2005, were used in this study. Acid-fast bacilli and culture for tuberculosis were compared with Cobas Amplicor PCR.

[Epidemiology and pathophysiology of overactive bladder].

According to the new ICS classification overactive bladder (OAB) is defined as a complex of symptoms such as frequency, nocturia, and urgency with or without urge urinary incontinence. Urgency is the key symptom that leads to the diagnosis. The prevalence of overactive bladder in the general adult population is approximately 17%.

Transfusion transmitted virus in screened United Arab Emirates blood donors.

Objective: To investigate the rate of infection caused by Torque teno virus (TTV) in United Arab Emirates (UAEs) healthy population as a pilot study in detecting TTV DNA in 100 healthy blood donors.

Methods: We randomly choose a total of 100 healthy blood donors who attended Zayed Military Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE from January 20 to May 30, 2005. We carried out a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to detect TTV DNA.

Molecular prevalence of point mutations conferring resistance to clarithromycin in Helicobacter pylori in the United Arab Emirates.

Objective: The aim of the study was to find the prevalence of point mutations conferring resistance to clarithromycin in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in the United Arab Emirates.

Methods: Gastric biopsy samples were obtained from 9 dyspeptic patients attending the endoscopy department in Zayed Military Hospital, Abu-Dhabi, UAE during the period from January to September 2004.

Comparison of light cycler PCR and conventional susceptibility testing for detection of MRSA from cultures.

Objective: To compare a duplex light cycler polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the mecA gene and a Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) specific marker and the conventional method.

Methods: We evaluated 400 samples sent to the laboratory in Zayed Military Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screening and routine bacterial cultures from the period January 2003 to January 2004.

[Pathophysiology of urge, stress, and mixed incontinence].

According to the new ICS classification, urinary incontinence is subdivided by symptomatic, clinical, and urodynamic criteria. Understanding the pathophysiological interactions is important to find the correct diagnosis. Disturbances in bladder storage include urge incontinence due to neurogenic or non-neurogenic (idiopathic) detrusor hyperactivity as well as stress urinary incontinence caused by an insufficient urethral closure mechanism due to reduced pressure transmission (active-passive), hypotonic urethra, hyporeactivity of sphincter musculature, or involuntary relaxation of the urethra.

Antibiotics for whooping cough (pertussis).

Background: Whooping cough is a highly contagious disease. Infants are the population at highest risk of severe disease and death. Erythromycin for 14 days is recommended for treatment and contact prophylaxis but this regime is considered inconvenient and prolonged.

[Stress incontinence and mixed incontinence].

According to the new ICS classifications urinary incontinence is divided by symptomatic, clinical and urodynamic criteria. Urinary incontinence is a non life-threatening condition, which may affect life quality a lot. Stress incontinence may present alone or may occur as mixed incontinence.

Laparoscopic varicocelectomy for painful varicoceles: merits and outcomes.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of laparoscopic ligation as an option offered to patients with painful varicocele. Laparoscopy has been an established technique for varicocelectomy in infertile patients, but little objective data exist addressing its effectiveness in the control of pain.

Patients And Methods: We reviewed records of 68 patients who underwent laparoscopic varicocelectomy for pain from March 1988 through March 2000.