Febrile seizures (FS) are frequent convulsive disorders, occurring in infants and young children. The present study aims to assess and compare the serum levels of oxidative stress markers and some essential trace minerals in FS with normal or abnormal EEG and evaluate the effect of antioxidant therapy on the clinical outcome. This study has been carried out on 80 children with FS (40 with simple FS and 40 with complex FS) and 40 febrile children without seizures. Clinical and EEG findings were recorded for the included patients. Biochemical assays of serum nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se), using colorimetric methods, were measured in the studied groups. The overall results showed an increased values of NO, MDA and Cu with decreased values of SOD, Zn and Se in patients with FS (simple and complex) in comparison with febrile children without seizures (p < 0.05 for all). Additionally, NO and MDA was increased in complex FS patients with EEG abnormalities in comparison with complex FS with normal EEG findings (p < 0.05); NO and MDA were also significantly decreased after valproate therapy in complex FS patients (p < 0.05 for all). In conclusions, oxidative stress, decreased Zn and Se with increased Cu may play a role in FS. Valproate improves the oxidative stress status in complex FS.

Background: In the past, ultrasound has not been widely used for neonatal chest imaging due to the obscuring artifact generated by normal air-filled lung. Aim of work: This study aimed to determine the value of chest ultrasonography in comparison to chest x-rays in diagnosis and follow up of neonates with respiratory distress. Methods: This prospective study has been conducted at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Al-Azhar Assiut University Hospital from 1 st November 2019 to October 2020. The study was conducted to 50 neonates with moderate respiratory distress, 14 of them were females (28%) and 36 of them were males (72%). All newborns included in the study admitted to neonatal intensive care unit: 13 of them stabilized on nasal oxygen, 37 of them stabilized on Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (NCPAP) for 6 hours. 8 of them need mechanical ventilation based on clinical, arterial blood gases and lung ultrasonographic findings. Lung ultrasound was performed within 2 hours and repeated after 6 hours. Chest x-ray was performed and scored. Both Lung ultrasound score and chest x-ray score were used and compared for respiratory distress in neonates. Results: Lung ultrasound has important role in diagnosis and follow up of neonates with respiratory distress and considered higher than chest X-ray regarding its ability to detect different patterns of white lung in term of pulmonary oedema (B-Lines) (40%),consolidation(62%) and pleural effusion (8%). Conclusion:Lung ultrasound is a non-invasive, bedside and reproducible method that could improve the management of neonatal respiratory distress. After 6 hours of Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (NCPAP), neonatal lung ultrasound is a useful predictor of the need for intubation over chest x-ray.Respiratory distress syndrome was the main diagnosis of respiratory distressed infants followed by transient tachypnea of newborn, pneumonia, meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), and finally pleural effusion.

The existence of oxygen metabolites and lipid peroxidation was significantly more obvious in RDS preterms and in their mothers than those without.

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