Effect of physical training on lung function and respiratory muscles strength in policewomen trainees

Background: Measurement of respiratory muscles strength has not been widely investigated in the context of physical training.Methods: This cross-sectional study has assessed pulmonary function and strength of respiratory muscles in two women groups: group I includes healthy policewomen (n=28) exposed to physical training 3 hours daily for at least 2 years and group II is a matched control group (n=31) of untrained apparently healthy second year medical students. Lung function tests including forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEF) were performed using a digital spirometer and maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures (MIP and MEP) as indicators for respiratory muscle strength were measured using a digital respiratory pressure meter.Results: The mean FVC (L), FEV1 (L), PEF (L/min) values were significantly higher in the police-trained group (p=0.000, 0.000 and 0.003 respectively). Similarly, the mean MIP and MEP (cm/H2O) values were significantly higher among trained group (p=0.000 and 0.003 respectively).Conclusions: Long-term regular physical exercise improves lung function as well as respiratory muscle power and may delay the age-related decline in lung function.

Impact of the underlying cause and co-morbid conditions on the outcome of hepatic encephalopathy

Background: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a serious neuropsychiatric complication of acute and chronic liver diseases. This study aimed at identifying liver diseases and co-morbidity conditions associated with hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and their impact on patient`s mortality (the outcome).Methods: A hospital-based, prospective study enrolled 76 patients admitted with HE conducted at Ibn Sina specialized gastroenterology hospital, Sudan, from January 2010 to May 2011. Personal data, clinical presentation, underlying liver disease, precipitants, co-morbid conditions and the outcome of HE were obtained from the inpatients’ hospital records.Results: A total of 76 patients were included, 62 males (81.5%) and 14 females (18.5%) aged between 13 and 84 years old. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) was the most common cause of the liver disease (36.8%), followed by HCV (11.8%). Clinically, 53 patients (69%) had impaired level of consciousness. Infection was the most common risk factor for HE (54%) followed by electrolyte disturbance (42%). Overall mortality within one to three weeks following the admission was (50%). The higher percentage of mortality was seen inpatients with late stage autoimmune hepatitis, followed by HCC and in co-morbid conditions like renal impairment (58.8%).Conclusion: HE is associated with a high mortality despite proper management in specialized hospitals. The mortality tends to increase in the presence of comorbid condition.

Effect of combination of Nigella sativa and Bee’s honey on lung function, respiratory muscle power, and asthma control in patients with persistent asthma

Background: Persistent asthma is a serious global medical problem, usually controlled by long term use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). However, ICS are expensive particularly in the developing countries and despite their use, a proportion of patients still suffer from uncontrolled symptoms and may progress into intractable airflow limitation. Nigella sativa and Bee’s honey are relatively cheap and safe natural products with anti- inflammatory and anti-allergic properties; they are used traditionally in treatment of so many diseases.Methods: In this study, we investigated the adjuvant effect of combination of Nigella Sativa and Bee’s honey on lung function, respiratory muscle power and asthma control in patients with persistent asthma. An oral dose of Nigella sativa (2 mg once daily), and bee’s honey (7.5 ml twice a day) were given to patients with uncontrolled persistent asthma (n=30, 14 females and 16 males with mean age of 43.91±5.8) for three months duration. Lung function tests (FEV1, FVC and PEFR) and respiratory muscle power indicators (MEP, MIP) were measured initially as baseline records and monthly for 3 months. The baseline score for asthma control test (ACT) was calculated for all patients and repeated after three months.Results: There was statistically significant improvement in lung function and respiratory muscle power. The need for asthma relieving β2 agonists was remarkably decreased and a significant improvement in asthma control test score in both asthma groups was observed.Conclusions: Combination of Nigella sativa and Bee's Honey as an adjuvant therapy with ICS decreases asthma severity grade and hence the need for both asthma controlling and relieving drugs and improves patient’s quality of life

Overconfidence, Time-on-Task, and Medical Errors:Is There a Relationship?

Background: Literature suggest that physicians’ high level of confidence has a negative impact on medical decisions, and this may lead to medical errors. Experimental research is lacking; however, this study investigated the effects of high confidence on diagnostic accuracy. Methods: Forty internal medicine residents from different hospitals in Saudi Arabia were divided randomly into two groups: A high-confidence group as an experimental and a low-confidence group acting as a control. Both groups solved each of eight written complex clinical vignettes. Before diagnosing these cases, the high-confidence group was led to believe that the task was easy, while the low-confidence group was presented with information from which it could deduce that the diagnostic task was difficult. Level of confidence, response time, and diagnostic accuracy were recorded. Results: The participants in the high-confidence group had a significantly higher confidence level than those in the control group: 0.75 compared to 0.61 (maximum 1.00). However, neither time on task nor diagnostic accuracy significantly differed between the two groups. Conclusion: In the literature, high confidence as one of common cognitive biases has a strong association with medical error. Even though the high-confidence group spent somewhat less time on the cases, suggesting potential premature decision-making, we failed to find differences in diagnostic accuracy. It is suggested that overconfidence should be studied as a personality trait rather than as a malleable characteristic.</p

Effect of combination of Nigella sativa and Bee’s honey on lung function, respiratory muscle power, and asthma control in patients with persistent asthma

Background: Persistent asthma is a serious global medical problem, usually controlled by long term use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). However, ICS are expensive particularly in the developing countries and despite their use, a proportion of patients still suffer from uncontrolled symptoms and may progress into intractable airflow limitation. Nigella sativa and Bee’s honey are relatively cheap and safe natural products with anti- inflammatory and anti-allergic properties; they are used traditionally in treatment of so many diseases.Methods: In this study, we investigated the adjuvant effect of combination of Nigella Sativa and Bee’s honey on lung function, respiratory muscle power and asthma control in patients with persistent asthma. An oral dose of Nigella sativa (2 mg once daily), and bee’s honey (7.5 ml twice a day) were given to patients with uncontrolled persistent asthma (n=30, 14 females and 16 males with mean age of 43.91±5.8) for three months duration. Lung function tests (FEV1, FVC and PEFR) and respiratory muscle power indicators (MEP, MIP) were measured initially as baseline records and monthly for 3 months. The baseline score for asthma control test (ACT) was calculated for all patients and repeated after three months.Results: There was statistically significant improvement in lung function and respiratory muscle power. The need for asthma relieving β2 agonists was remarkably decreased and a significant improvement in asthma control test score in both asthma groups was observed.Conclusions: Combination of Nigella sativa and Bee's Honey as an adjuvant therapy with ICS decreases asthma severity grade and hence the need for both asthma controlling and relieving drugs and improves patient’s quality of life

Leptin induces a contracting effect on guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle via the Ob-R receptor mechanism: novel evidence

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential contracting effect of leptin on isolated guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle (TSM), the possible mechanism, and the impact of epithelium denudation or allergen sensitization, respectively. An in vitro experiment investigated the effect of leptin at a concentration of 250–1000 nmol/L on isolated guinea pig TSM with an intact or denuded epithelium. Ovalbumin and IgE were used to test the impact of active and passive sensitization. The isolated TSM strips were incubated in Krebs solution and aerated with carbogen (95% O2 and 5% CO2) via an automated tissue organ bath system (n = 4 for each group). Isometric contractions were recorded digitally using iox2 data acquisition software. The possible mechanism of leptin-induced TSM contraction was examined by preincubation with leptin receptor (Ob-R) antagonist. Leptin had significant concentration-dependent contraction effects on guinea pig TSM (p < 0.05). Epithelium denuding and active or passive sensitization significantly increased the potency of the leptin. Preincubation with a leptin receptor (Ob-R) antagonist significantly reduced the contraction effects, suggesting an Ob-R-mediated mechanism. Leptin had a contracting effect on airway smooth muscles potentiated by either epithelium denuding or sensitization, and the Ob-R mechanism was a possible effect mediator.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Gestational Exposure to Synthetic Steroid Hormones Impaired Sperm Quantity and Quality in Wistar Rats

This study was designed to investigate the effect of prenatal exposure to synthetic sex steroid on sperm quantity and quality, relative testicular and epididymal weights, and reproductive hormones level in adult Wistar rats. Forty male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: a test group (n = 20) that included mature rats that were born to dams exposed to gestational treatment with hydroxyprogesterone and a control group (n = 20) that included mature rats born to untreated dams. Compared to the control group, the test group showed a significant reduction in the sperm count, viability and motility, relative testicular and epididymal weights together with increased abnormal spermatozoa (p<0.001). The reproductive hormonal assay revealed significantly lower serum testosterone and higher levels of FSH and LH among the test groups compared to the control (p<0.05 for all). Prenatal exposure to synthetic progesterone negatively affected sperm production and function, relative testicular and epididymal weights, and reproductive hormone levels

Serum Ghrelin Levels in Saudi Obese Asthmatic School-Children—Correlation with Interleukin-4, Interleukin-5, and Interleukin-21

Ghrelin is a peptide hormone with direct or indirect effects on obesity and asthma. More data are required to understand the effect of ghrelin on the control and pathogenesis of these diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate ghrelin levels in selected groups of children to identify the association between serum ghrelin, obesity, and the severity of asthma. The study included 401 school children selected from the Najran area and grouped into non-obese asthmatics, obese asthmatics, obese non-asthmatics and controls (non-obese non-asthmatics). Blood levels of ghrelin, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5 and IL-21 were determined by ELISA. The mean ghrelin values were insignificantly increased in obese children compared with non-obese children. The highest blood ghrelin values were in the non-obese asthmatic group. Serum ghrelin, IL-4 and IL-21 levels were significantly increased in asthmatic children compared with non-asthmatic children (p &lt; 0.05), and there were significant positive correlations between ghrelin and IL-4, IL-5, and IL-21 in asthmatic children. Furthermore, ghrelin, IL-4, and IL-21 levels were significantly higher in uncontrolled asthmatics compared with controlled-asthmatic children (p &lt; 0.05). Asthma was the only significant risk factor for high ghrelin values. This study provides evidence supporting the anti-inflammatory role of ghrelin in the pathogenesis of asthma. Asthma might be considered as an important determinant of high ghrelin values in children