Developing a nutritional model for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition in children admitted to treatment centers and assessing its effectiveness

Background The present study is aimed to develop a nutritional model for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition in children and its effectiveness in patients admitted to Mofid children's hospital.Materials and MethodsThis study was conducted as an interventional controlled clinical effectiveness trial with control group. The study population included children aged more than 1 year and under 10 years old who were admitted to the Mofid Children's Hospital in 2013-2014.ResultsIn our study, boys and girls accounted for 50% and 50% of 300 children with malnutrition who were hospitalized for various reasons. All three groups were homogenous in terms of growth index,. After the use of the F100 solution, the growth index was improved and malnutrition severity, moderate malnutrition and mild malnutrition were improved by about 78%, 64% and 32%, respectively. In the nutrition counseling group, which had food orders and calorie intake, malnutrition severity was improved about 11%, 39% still had severe malnutrition and 60% had moderate malnutrition. There was a statistically significant relationship between the consumption of F100 solution and improvement of growth indices and serum albumin levels.ConclusionChildren who are admitted to hospital for various reasons should be evaluated in terms of growth index so that their malnutrition is not exacerbated in the hospital. The use of the F100 solution that can easily be provided by families is an acceptable and accessible supplement for malnourished and underage children

Inhibitory Effect of Black and Red Pepper and Thyme Extracts and Essential Oils on Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli and DNase Activity of Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract In this study, extracts and essential oils of Black and Red pepper and Thyme were tested for antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli O157: H7 and Staphylococcus aureus. Black and Red pepper and Thyme were provided from Iranian agricultural researches center. 2 g of each plant powder was added to 10 cc ethanol 96°. After 24 h, the crude extract was separated as an alcoholic extract and concentrated by distillation method. Plants were examined for determining their major component and essential oils were separated. Phytochemical analyses were done for detection of some effective substances in extracts. The antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli O157: H7 and Staphylococcus aureus was tested and the results showed that all extracts and essential oils were effective and essential oils were more active. The extracts and oils that showed antimicrobial activity were later tested to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Dilution (MID) for those bacteria. They were also effective on the inhibition of DNase activity. This study was indicated that extracts and essential oils of Black and Red pepper and Thyme can play a significant role in inhibition of Escherichia coli O157: H7 and Staphylococcus aureus

The effect of pretreatment with clonidine on propofol consumption in opium abuser and non-abuser patients undergoing elective leg surgery

Objective: Clonidine, an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, increases the quality of perioperative sedation and analgesia with a few side effects. This study was designed to assess the effect of clonidine premedication on the anesthesics used for elective below knee surgeries in opium abusers and non-abusers. Materials and Methods: In a randomized clinical trial, 160 patients were selected and assigned into four groups. Eighty patients among the opium abusers were divided randomly into clonidine and no clonidine groups, with 40 patients in each, and 80 among the non-abusers were again divided randomly into clonidine and no clonidine groups, with 40 patients in each group. All were anesthetized for elective orthopedic operation using the same predetermined method. The total administered dose of propofol and other variables were compared. Results: The total propofol dose in a decreasing order was as follows: Abuser patients receiving placebo (862 ± 351 mg), non-abuser patients receiving placebo (806 ± 348 mg), abuser patients receiving clonidine (472 ± 175 mg), and non-abuser patients receiving clonidine (448 ± 160 mg). Hence, a statistically significant difference was observed among the four study groups (P value for ANOVA = 0.0001). Conclusion: Adding clonidine as a preoperative medication decreases the patient′s anesthetic needs; this decrease was even more considerable on the anesthetic needs than the effect of opium abuse history on anesthetic dose