Effects of passive smoking on lung function tests in preschool children born late-preterm: a preventable health priority

Objective: Late-preterm delivery is known to be associated with potential adverse effects on lung development. Passive smoking may result in alterations of pulmonary function in infants born late-preterm. Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is a noninvasive, rapid, and practicable technique that can assess lung function. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of passive smoking on lung function tests in preschool children born late-preterm using IOS.

Methods: The study population consisted of a total of 139 children between 3 and 7 years of age born late-preterm who were being followed-up at our outpatient unit at the time of study period. Late-preterms were subcategorized according to presence or absence of exposure to passive smoking (PS). Those with and without exposure to passive smoking were referred to as PS group (56.1%, n?=?78) and non-PS group (43.9%, n?=?61), respectively. Resistance (R5–R20), reactance (X5–X20), and resonant frequency were measured by impulse oscillometry (IOS) at 5–20?Hz.

Results: Median R5-R20 and Z5 were significantly higher and median X10 was significantly lower in PS group compared to non-PS group (p?Conclusions: This study demonstrated that passive smoking significantly increases peripheral airway resistance and seems to adversely affect lung function in children born late-preterm.     

The Effects of Passive Smoking on the Six-Minute Walk Test in Obese Pediatric Cases

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether exposure to second-hand smoke affected the six-minute walk test (6MWT) of obese non-asthmatic pediatric cases.Methods: Obese pediatric patients (body mass index >95th p) with no existing co-morbidities were included in the study. Smoke exposure was assessed with a self-reported questionnaire completed by the parents. The subjects were divided into two groups: Group 1 consisting of obese children exposed to passive smoking and Group 2 of obese children not exposed to passive smoking. In addition to 6MWT, spirometric flow and volume, including forced expiratory volume in 1 s and peak expiratory flow rate, were also measured in all subjects. The results of the 6MWT were assessed to determine any association with passive smoking.Results: The study included 75 obese pediatric cases (40 male, 35 female) with a mean age of 9.06±0.97 years. The 6MWT results in Group 1 was 501.88±62.12 meters and in Group 2 559.63±72.93 meters. The difference was statistically significant (p=0.001).Conclusions: Passive smoking may negatively affect the respiratory and cardiovascular capacity in obese children, who are already at risk of lower cardiopulmonary function. The evaluation of 6MWT in these pediatric patients may be useful for monitoring and families should be warned about potential problems due to smoking.     

Clinical trial: transcutaneous interferential electrical stimulation in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome - a prospective double-blind randomized study

Background: The exact etiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remains unclear. Curative treatment is not available and current treatment modalities are mainly directed against the predominant symptoms. There are a few studies reporting the beneficial effects of transcutaneous electrical stimulation in patients with chronic constipation, gastroparesis, and functional dyspepsia. Aim: To investigate whether transcutaneous electrical stimulation is an effective procedure in IBS patients. Methods: IBS patients were randomly placed in vacuum interferential current (IFC) and placebo groups. Both treatments consisted of 12 sessions administered over 4 weeks. Symptoms due to IBS were documented via questionnaires, including the IBS Global Assessment of Improvement Scale, numeric rating scales, visual analogue scale, and IBS Quality of Life Scale at the beginning of, end of, and 1 month after the treatment. Results: Patients in the therapy (29 cases) and placebo (29 cases) groups were homogeneous with respect to demographic data and gastrointestinal system symptoms. When compared to the beginning scores, severity of abdominal discomfort, bloating, and abdominal distension and rumbling improved significantly in either interference or placebo groups at both the end of treatment and 1 month after treatment. In the IFC group, severity of symptoms continued to decrease significantly at 1 month after treatment when compared to scores at just the end of treatment, whereas in the placebo group severity of these symptoms did not change significantly on numeric severity scales. Also, the visual analogue scale of the first month after treatment continued to decrease significantly when compared to the level at the end of treatment in the IFC group. Total quality score increased significantly in the IFC group. Conclusions: Vacuum IFC therapy can significantly improve symptoms and quality of life in patients with IBS. It may represent a novel treatment modality for drug-refractory IBS patients.     

Delirium in diabetic ketoacidosis: a case report

A 15-year-old female patient with known type 1 diabetes mellitus was referred because of abdominal pain. On admission, she was alert but dehydrated with marked Kussmaul breathing. Blood glucose was 414 mg/dL (23 mmol/L). Blood gas analysis revealed severe metabolic acidosis (pH: 6.99) with an elevated anion gap (29.8 mmol/L) and an increased base excess (-25.2 mmol/L). At the sixth hour of treatment with intravenous fluids and insulin, the patient became delirious. The delirium persisted despite the normalization of the acidosis and became difficult to manage. Brain imaging studies revealed neither brain edema nor other intracranial pathology. No evidence of intoxication could be found. The patient gradually regained consciousness and was diagnosed as a case of severe diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) associated with infection. We were unable to find a similar case in the pediatric literature and thought that reporting this unusual case would be a contribution to the literature on DKA in children.     

Distribution of gene mutations associated with familial normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism

Objective: Normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (nIHH) is characterized by failure of initiation or maintenance of puberty due to insufficient gonadotropin release, which is not associated with anosmia/hyposmia. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of causative mutations in a hereditary form of nIHH. Methods: In this prospective collaborative study, 22 families with more than one affected individual (i.e. multiplex families) with nIHH were recruited and screened for genes known or suspected to be strong candidates for nIHH. Results: Mutations were identified in five genes (GNRHR, TACR3, TAC3, KISS1R, and KISS1) in 77% of families with autosomal recessively inherited nIHH. GNRHR and TACR3 mutations were the most common two causative mutations occurring with about equal frequency. Conclusions: Mutations in these five genes account for about three quarters of the causative mutations in nIHH families with more than one affected individual. This frequency is significantly greater than the previously reported rates in all inclusive (familial plus sporadic) cohorts. GNRHR and TACR3 should be the first two genes to be screened for diagnostic purposes. Identification of causative mutations in the remaining families will shed light on the regulation of puberty.