Gender Determination Using Diagnostic Values of Foramen Magnum

Background: Foramen magnum is a big hole in the base of the skull. Its appearance can be useful in gender determination. So far, no study has been conducted in Iran that evaluates the value of foramen magnum in sex determination and calculates the cut-off points. This study aimed to evaluating of diagnostic value of the foramen magnum and to calculate the cut-off points for sex determination.Methods: In this cross sectional study 50 male and 50 female patients referring to the radiology department of Rasol Akram Hospital in Tehran were evaluated. The required information about the sagittal diameter, transverse diameter, and diameter of foramen magnum were assessed by brain CT scan. Chi-square and independent t test was used for the comparison of different shapes and diameters between the sexes. ROC curve was used to determine the optimal cut-off point for each indicator.Results: The best cut-off point to distinguish males from females along the anterior-posterior foramen magnum was calculated as 36.45 mm, at the transverse diameter of 30.4 mm. The proper cut-off points for the area of the foramen magnum were 877.477 mm2 and 870.29 mm2, based on the Teixeria formula and Routal formula respectively. Overall, the accuracy of these indicators was calculated as 85%.Conclusion: Based on the results of this study using CT scans images, the diameter of the foramen magnum and its area had a high accuracy in sex determination

Microbiological Pattern and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Isolates from Bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is one of the complicated diseases of lower Respiratory Tract. Present study was done to analyze the pattern and antibiotic resistance of bacterial isolates in BE cases. BAL samples were collected from 150 patients, and identified by standard methods. Antibiotic susceptibility of isolates was done by Kirby-Bauer method, from 56 (37.3) out of 150 BE cases PPMs were isolated. The most frequent isolates were S.aureus (21 cases; 37.5) and Klebsiella spp. (16 cases; 28.5), Three (37.5) out of 8 Acinetobacter isolates were resistant to imipenem. All of the citrobacter isolates were sensitive to imipenem, Cefepiem, gentamicin, ceftriaxon and ciprofloxacin, and Klebsiella isolates were sensitive to all mentioned antibiotics except than ceftriaxone. In gram positive isolates 8(38) and 3(14) out of 21 S.aureus isolates were resistant against methicillin and vancomycin respectively. The most high sensitivity in S.aureus isolates was seen against vancomycin(86) and then ceftriaxon (71.46) and tetracycline(71.46). Results of present study clearly indicates that majority of isolates from BE cases have resistance against commonly used and in some cases, choice antibiotics. These findings alarming the health and hospital officials, and emphasizing that screening and surveillance programs should be implemented in necessary conditions

Incidence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing pseudomonas aeruginosa and frequency of OXA-2 and OXA-10 genes

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has emerged as a major cause of infection in the last few decades. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of extended spectrum beta lactamaseproducing P. aeruginosa and the frequency of OXA-2 and OXA-10 genes. 350 and 120 P. aeruginosa samples were isolated from patients in two locations in Iran representing the region of the Middle East. Antibiotic pattern and OXA type ESBLs were detected by disk diffusion and PCR methods. Of 350 isolates of P. aeruginosa isolates in the first location, 105 (30) isolates were positive for ESBLs from which 92 (87.61) isolates were positive for OXA-10 Type ESBLs while only 5 (4.76) isolates were positive for OXA-2 ESBLs by using PCR methods in Ilam hospitals. In the second location, 46 (38.33) of P. aeruginosa isolates were positive for ESBLs of which 29 (63) were positive for OXA-10 Type ESBLs and only 1 (2.1) isolates were positive for OXA-2 ESBLs by PCR methods in Kerman hospitals. Results of the current study showed the presence of high percentage of OXA genes, 2 and 10, ESBLs in the region of the Middle East associated with extended resistance profile against almost all cephalosporins. Moreover, comparing the results of the studied two cities indicated that distribution of OXA type ESBLs is locally diverse even in the same geographical region. © 2010, INSInet Publication

Estimation of the parasitic infection prevalence in children with Helicobacter pylori infection in Ilam city (2012-2013)

Background: Helicobacter pylori is a common cause of chronic infection in human beings. The infection has universal prevalence and contracts all age groups. Probably, these bacteria are the cause of the most common chronic bacterial infection in man and have infected approximately half of the world population. The urease of these bacteria degrades the urea in stomach’s mucosa to ammoniac which results pH increment of the stomach lumen. This may allow the pathogenic intestinal protozoa to take the opportunity to cross through stomach’s decreased pH situation and cause the disease. Objectives: The current study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of parasitic infections (such as giardiasis) in children with Helicobacter pylori infection in Ilam city. Patients and Methods: Following the sample collection during 12 months from children in Ilam (Ilam, Iran), Helicobacter pylori infection was determined based on stool antigen analysis (HPSA) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method in children who had recurrent abdominal pain. Stool specimens were examined by the direct examination and spontaneous sedimentation method to detect both trophozoite and cyst of parasites. Results: In this study 37 children with H. pylori infection were evaluated, and the patients with positive results for Giardia lamblia, and Entamoebahistolytica/dispar were found 29.7, and 10.8 respectively. Conclusions: The results of the current study suggest that H. pylori infection may provide favorable conditions for Giardiasis infection, but this presumption needs to be investigated further with more samples. © 2014, Pediatric Infections Research Center