Comparison of Paraffin versus Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) in Children with Chronic Functional Constipation

Background Constipation is one of the most common disorders in children. The purpose of this study was to compare paraffin and polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the treatment of children with chronic constipation. Materials and Methods This study is a double-blind randomized trial. Total 160 children aged 2-12 years old with chronic constipation attending the pediatric clinic of Mousavi Hospital in Zanjan (Iran) were examined by the same pediatric gastroenterologist. They randomly received PEG solution (1cc/kg/day divided in two doses) or paraffin at the same dose. Patients were assessed regularly once a week up to one month and then monthly until 6 months. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 software. Results From children enrolled in the study, 43.1% were boys with mean age 5.27±1.3 years. The male to female ratio in Paraffin and PEG groups was similar (35/45 vs. 34/46; respectively, P-value= 1.27). The mean age of the participants in paraffin group and PEG group were 5.28±1.4 and 5.24±1.9 years, respectively. The good and intermediate response to PEG in comparison to paraffin were 11.3% and 38.8% vs. 23.8% and 35%; respectively (P=0.111). In children lower than 3 years old, the improvement after receiving paraffin was significantly higher (P=0.048). The frequency of adverse effects was similar and didn’t differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusion There was no significant difference between two groups (PEG and Paraffin groups) in terms of gender and adverse effects of drugs. However paraffin had better therapeutic effect among children less than 3 years of age

Asthma awareness among primary school teachers in Zanjan in 2014

Background: Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease and a leading cause of school absenteeism. Awareness, attitude, and knowledge of asthma can play an effective role in controlling this disease and its consequences. Accordingly, this study aimed to determine the level of asthma awareness among primary school teachers in Zanjan. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 403 teachers of boys- and girls-only primary schools, who were selected using single-stage cluster sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire, in which higher scores indicated higher level of asthma awareness. Findings were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics in SPSS. Results: Data analysis showed that 58 (14.4%) and 345 (85.6%) out of 403 participants were male and female, respectively. The means of age and work experience of the participants were 45±5.53 and 22±5.92 years old, respectively. In addition, teachers’ mean score for asthma awareness was at a good level (12±2.2). Teachers’ mean level of asthma awareness had a significant relationship with gender and history of dealing with asthmatic children (p = 0.03, p = 0.04), while it had no significant relationship with age, work experience, and education level. Conclusion: In this study, the mean level of asthma awareness among the primary school teachers was good. Due to the importance of the disease in children and effective role of teachers in helping them, effective measures must be taken to increase teachers’ awareness

Relation between Asthma and Body Mass Index in 6-15 Years Old Children

Childhood asthma and obesity are significant public health problems. Most prospective studies suggest that obesity increases the risk of asthma. But, some authors did not found this association. In this study the association between asthma and body mass index (BMI) was investigated. This case-control study was conducted on 200 asthmatic children aged 6-15 years and 200 children without asthma. The criteria for asthma diagnosis and its classification were on the basis of National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP). BMI of patients and controls were also measured and BMI grater than 85% and 95% were defined as overweight and obese respectively. The data was analyzed by SPSS software. The BMI among the asthmatic children (17.9 kg/m2) was higher than the BMI among the non-asthmatics (16.5 kg/m2), P=0.0001. This relationship was significant in both males and females. 18% of asthmatic children were classified as overweight and 13.5% of them were obese versus 7.5% and 6% respectively in non asthmatics (P=0.0001). However, there was no significant relationship between severity, duration of asthma, kind of medication and BMI in children with asthma (P>0.05). Result of this study showed that there is an association between asthma symptoms and obesity in children. Therefore, any attempts for weight control in asthmatic children might be beneficial

Comparison of Effectiveness between Beclomethasone Dipropionate and Fluticasone Propionate in Treatment of Children with Moderate Asthma

Asthma is a common chronic disease. Beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) and Fluticasone propionate (FP) are 2 inhaled corticosteroids that frequently be used in treatment of patients with asthma. In this study, the effectiveness of BDP and FP in management of asthmatic children was investigated. In this trial, 50 children with moderate persistent asthma were randomly selected to receive either BDP 600 μg or FP 500 μg for 3 months. Pulmonary function tests were measured in both groups at the beginning of study and monthly after treatment. Daily and night symptoms and consistency of drugs were also measured. There was significantly better FEV1 in patients receiving FP compared with the BDP group (P < 0.01). There was also statistically significant difference in patients receiving FP compared with BDP group in increment of FVC, FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75 (P < 0.005). Night symptoms were significantly improved in the FP group from the first month (P = 0.001), while improvement of daily symptoms in this group compared with the BDP group was found from the second month (P = 0.001). Although symptoms and pulmonary function tests results were improved in both groups receiving either FP or BDP, this study suggested that FP was more effective than BDP in controlling moderate asthma in children. Keywords: asthma, beclomethasone, fluticasone, inhaled corticosteroids, pulmonary function test

Correlation coefficient between salivary IgA and other Variables in diabetic individuals.

<p>^†Correlation coefficient was calculated by Spearman.</p><p>*P Value<0.05.</p><p>Correlation coefficient between salivary IgA and other Variables in diabetic individuals.</p

Correlation between serum IgA and other variables in diabetic individuals.

<p>^†Correlation coefficient was calculated by Spearman</p><p>*P Value<0.05</p><p>Correlation between serum IgA and other variables in diabetic individuals.</p

Age at Menarche and its Related Factors among School Girls, in Zanjan, Iran

BackgroundThere are differences in the age at menarche in different countries and it seems that in recent decades gradually the age of puberty is declining. The aim of the present study was to determine the age at menarche and its related factors in school girls in Zanjan city, Iran.Materials and MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,500 healthy school girls between 6-17 years old who were selected on the basis of a multistage probability sampling. Age at menarche, birth weight, family size, Body Mass Index (BMI), fast food consumption, and physical activity, were recorded. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0.ResultsOut of 1,500 students, 273 girls (18.2%) had experienced menarche with a mean age of 12.6±1.6 (95% confidence interval [C]: 12.4-12.8), and a median age of 13 years. The prevalence of early menarche, was 10.3%, (95% CI: 6.6%-14.1%). A significant association between menarche and BMI, frequency of fast food consumption and birth rank was observed; however, we didn’t find a significant association between physical activity (P>0.05) and birth weight (P>0.05) with menarche. ConclusionThe mean age of menarche in our study was 12.6±1.6 years old, similar to other studies in Iran, and it was significantly associated with higher BMI

Characteristics, Serum and Salivary IgA levels and frequency of Low serum and salivary IgA in Type 1 Diabetic patients and non diabetic subjects.

<p>^†This didn't measured in non diabetic group</p><p>* This association was not significant after adjusting for age using logistic regression.</p><p>Characteristics, Serum and Salivary IgA levels and frequency of Low serum and salivary IgA in Type 1 Diabetic patients and non diabetic subjects.</p