Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre
-
Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading bacterial etiologic agent in acute otitis media (AOM), and it produces a more severe inflammatory response than other otopathogens. Additionally, the presence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) S. pneumoniae is an important issue in the management of AOM. The present pilot study aimed to ascertain whether MDR S. pneumoniae is associated with a higher inflammatory response and/or a more severe disease. ⋯ MDR S. pneumoniae was associated with a more severe inflammatory response and a higher incidence of mastoiditis.
-
This study aimed to investigate the sex- and age-specific trends of stunting and combined overweight with stunting among schoolchildren over a 13-year period in Kuwait. ⋯ Although the prevalence of stunting and combined stunting with overweight is low, there is an emerging upward trend in schoolboys that warrants further investigation and monitoring. This highlights the need for gender-specific interventions to reduce nutritional abnormalities in high-income countries in the Middle East countries like Kuwait.
-
Stress can affect learning and memory in students. Previous studies on stress in students were conducted mainly through surveys. We investigated how heart rate variability (HRV)-measured stress is related to academic achievement in medical students during clerkship. ⋯ This study shows that medical students with higher stress measured by HRV have higher academic achievement, especially in written examinations. Further studies are needed to confirm the results of this study and to assess the long-term effects of HRV-measured stress on medical students.
-
Clinical Trial
Two-Year Survival of High-Viscosity Glass Ionomer in Molar Incisor Hipomineralized-molars.
We assessed the clinical survival of a high-viscosity glass ionomer (HVGI) at the 2-year follow-up to restore molar incisors severely affected by hypomineralization after selective carious tissue removal (SCR). The null hypothesis tested was that there are no differences in the overall survival times in the categories of the variables of interest. ⋯ Following SCR, HVGI restoration provided moderate survival probabilities, suggesting that the SCR technique is effective.
-
Several symptoms are common to knee osteoarthritis and Baker's cyst. To what extent each condition contributes to the patient's discomfort is still a matter of debate. The aim of the present study was twofold: first, to compare the burden of symptoms in patients with isolated knee osteoarthritis and patients with knee osteoarthritis associated with Baker's cyst; second, to assess the outcomes after conservative treatments. ⋯ The study shows that Baker's cysts associated with knee osteoarthritis contribute to the burden of symptoms. The conservative treatment of both conditions allows significant improvements, but in the medium term (6 months) the efficacy of the therapy declines in patients with knee osteoarthritis associated with Baker's cyst.