Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is an important major cause of peptic ulcer disease and gastric malignancies such as mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma and gastric adenocarcinoma worldwide. H. pylori treatment still remains a challenge, since many determinants for successful therapy are involved such as individual primary or secondary antibiotics resistance, mucosal drug concentration, patient compliance, side-effect profile and cost. While no new drug has been developed, current therapy still relies on different mixture of known antibiotics and anti-secretory agents. A standard triple therapy consisting of two antibiotics and a proton-pump inhibitor proposed as the first-line regimen. Bismuth-containing quadruple treatment, sequential treatment or a non-bismuth quadruple treatment (concomitant) are also an alternative therapy. Levofloxacin containing triple treatment are recommended as rescue treatment for infection of H. pylori after defeat of first-line therapy. The rapid acquisition of antibiotic resistance reduces the effectiveness of any regimens involving these remedies. Therefore, adding probiotic to the medications, developing anti-H. pylori photodynamic or phytomedicine therapy, and achieving a successful H. pylori vaccine may have the promising to present synergistic or additive consequence against H. pylori, because each of them exert different effects.

Prophylactic use of ketamine 0.25 mg kg(-1)+midazolam 37.5 microg kg(-1) i.v. was more effective than ketamine 0.5 mg kg(-1) i.v. or midazolam 75 microg kg(-1) i.v. in preventing shivering developed during regional anaesthesia.

Lifestyle habits, including rest and sleep, diet and drug usage, are important factors in migraine attacks. It is important to emphasize changing habits, such as improper use of analgesics, to decrease side effects in migraine victims. The health centers should consider promoting healthy habits and behaviors as a priority in their services.

Vitamin D is a prohormone nutrient, which is involved in skeletal and extra-skeletal functions. Iron is another essential nutrient that is necessary for the production of red blood cells and oxygen transport. This element plays important roles in enzymatic systems including those required for Vitamin D activation. To the best of our knowledge, there is no exclusive review on the relationship between iron deficiency anemia (IDA), as the most prevalent type of anemia, and Vitamin D deficiency and the effect of recovery from iron deficiency on Vitamin D status. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic search of observational and clinical trials in this field. The databases of PubMed, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Knowledge, and SCOPUS were searched comprehensively. English-language human studies conducted on iron deficient patients or interventions on the effect of iron therapy on Vitamin D were extracted (n = 10). Our initial search yielded 938 articles. A total of 23 papers met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen studies were excluded because they were not relevant or not defining anemia types. The final analysis was performed on ten articles (3 cross-sectional and 7 interventional studies). Observational data indicated a positive relationship between iron status and Vitamin D, while trials did not support the effectiveness of iron supplementation on improving Vitamin D status. The mechanism underlying this association may involve the reduction of the activation of hydroxylases that yield calcitriol. Future randomized controlled trials with large sample sizes and proper designs are needed to highlight underlying mechanisms.

A 2 mg/kg dose of subcutaneous infiltration ketamine or 1 mg/kg dose of intravenous ketamine given at approximately 15 minutes before surgery provides an adjunctive analgesia during 24 hours after surgery in patients undergoing cholecystectomy surgery.

Background:The aim of the present study was to compare the ability to predict difficult visualization of the larynx from the following preoperative airway predictive indices, in isolation and combination: modified Mallampati test (MMT), the ratio of height to thyromental distance (RHTMD) and the Upper-Lip-Bite test (ULBT).Methods:We collected data on 603 consecutive patients scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia requiring endotracheal intubation and then evaluated all three factors before surgery. An experienced anesthesiologist, not informed of the recorded preoperative airway evaluation, performed the laryngoscopy and grading (as per Cormack and Lehane's classification). Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value, Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) Curve and the area under ROC curve (AUC) for each airway predictor in isolation and in combination were determined.Results:Difficult laryngoscopy (Grade 3 or 4) occurred in 41 (6.8%) patients. The main endpoint of the present study, the AUC of the ROC, was significantly lower for the MMT (AUC, 0.511; 95% CI, 0.470–0.552) than the ULBT (AUC, 0.709; 95% CI, 0.671–0.745, P=0.002) and the RHTMD score (AUC, 0.711; 95% CI, 0.673–0.747, P=0.001). There was no significant difference between the AUC of the ROC for the ULBT and the RHTMD score. By using discrimination analysis, the optimal cutoff point for the RHTMD for predicting difficult laryngoscopy was 21.06 (sensitivity, 75.6%; specificity, 58.5%).Conclusion:The RHTMD is comparable with ULBT for prediction of difficult laryngoscopy in general population.

Background:The pressor response to laryngoscopy is known to be exaggerated in patients with severe preeclampsia.Objectives:The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacies of continuous intravenous (IV) infusion of nitroglycerine, IV hydralazine, or sublingual nifedipine in modifying cardiovascular responses to endotracheal intubation, in women with severe preeclampsia undergoing cesarean delivery under general anesthesia.Patients and Methods:A total of 120 patients undergoing cesarean delivery were randomly divided into 3 groups, each receiving one of the following drugs before intubation: 5 µg/min nitroglycerine administered by continuous IV infusion (Group NTG, n = 40); a 10-mg capsule of nifedipine deposited sublingually (Group NIF, n = 40); or 5–10 mg hydralazine intravenously (Group H, n = 40). Heart rate (HR), systolic arterial pressure (SAP), diastolic arterial pressure (DAP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were simultaneously recorded in the mother at pre-induction, pre-intubation, and at 1, 3, 5, and 10 min after intubation.Results:In contrast to those in group NIF and group H, the patients in group NTG showed no significant increases in HR, SAP, DAP, or MAP after intubation, compared to baseline. The incidence of hypotension was significantly greater in group NIF than in group H or group NTG [15 (37. 5%) vs. 8 (20%) vs. 5 (12. 5%) respectively, P = 0. 025].Conclusions:In patients with severe preeclampsia undergoing cesarean delivery, a continuous IV infusion of nitroglycerine was able to attenuate the cardiovascular response to intubation to a greater extent than the use of sublingual nifedipine or IV hydralazine, without significant adverse effects on the newborn.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEPrevious reports indicate that inhaled corticosteroids attenuate airway inflammation. Beclomethasone inhaler was highly effective in the prevention of postoperative airway symptoms. Intravenous lidocaine prior to endotracheal intubation has also been shown to decrease the incidence of postoperative sore throat and cough. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of beclomethasone inhaler with various clinically used dosages of intravenous lidocaine prior to endotracheal intubation on the incidence and severity of postoperative sore throat, cough, sputum, hoarseness, and dysphagia.PATIENTS AND METHODSOne hundred twenty patients undergoing elective operations were assigned to one of four treatments: intravenous lidocaine 1mg/kg (Group L1, n=30), intravenous lidocaine 1.5 mg/kg (Group L2, n=30), beclomethasone inhaler 50 μg (Group B, n=30) or intravenous normal saline (Group C, n=30). The incidence and severity of sore throat, cough, sputum, hoarseness, and dysphagia were compared between the beclomethasone inhaler and intravenous lidocaine groups before they left the operating room, 1 hour later, at time of the first postoperative drink or meal (for assessment of dysphagia), and on the morning after surgery.RESULTSIn the evaluation of postoperative symptoms, the incidence and severity of sore throat were significantly lower in Group L2 and B than Group C (P<.05) at all time intervals. One and 20 hours after emergence from anesthesia, the incidence and severity of cough were significantly lower in Group L2 and B than Group C (P<.05). The incidence and severity of sore throat or cough was not significantly different between Groups L2 and B. Throughout the study, the incidence and severity of sputum were significantly lower in Group B than group C (P<.05).CONCLUSIONBeclomethasone inhaler is comparable with intravenous lidocaine prior to intubation in decreasing postoperative sore throat and cough. In addition, beclomethasone inhaler decreases the incidence and severity of postoperative sputum.