IntroductionRotavirus gastroenteritis is an important public health problem all over the world, causing a notable economic burden in both developing and developed countries.AimTo explore the relationship between blood group typing, rotavirus gastroenteritis, and its severity in Egyptian children.Material and methodsA cross sectional case control study was conducted on 231 cases of acute gastroenteritis attending the outpatient clinic of Al-Zahraa University Hospital. Full history taking, clinical examination, and clinical data collection were done. Blood samples were collected for an ABO grouping. Stool samples were tested for viral gastroenteritis agents.ResultsRota positive cases of GE were significantly more prevalent among cases with blood group A (p < 0.05) and significantly less among cases with blood group B (p < 0.05). The rate of hospitalisation was highly significantly greater among cases with group A (p < 0.005), and significantly lower among cases with group AB and O (p < 0.05). As regards the degree of dehydration, moderate and severe cases were highly significant in groups A and O (p < 0.005). Rota-positive gastroenteritis showed significant positive correlations with indicators of severity such as hospitalisation, degree of dehydration, and duration of fever (p < 0.005).ConclusionsBlood group A is highly associated with paediatric rotavirus gastroenteritis. This could highlight an important risk factor, which could play a significant role for the pathogenesis of rotavirus gastroenteritis and severity as well. Furthermore, more intervention care could be needed for blood group A paediatric patients, if gastroenteritis especially rotavirus affect this group to avoid comorbidities.

Background Diarrheal disease is one of the major causes of mortality of infants and toddlers in developing countries. Bee honey is a functional food that has a unique composition, antimicrobial properties, and bifidogenic and anti-inflammatory effects.Objective The present study was carried out to assess the effect of using pure honey as a form of adjuvant to oral rehydration solution (ORS) in the management of acute infantile diarrhea. Patients and methodsThe effect of floral honey on 150 infants aged 6-24 months suffering from acute diarrhea with mild to moderate dehydration was assessed. They were randomized into three groups of 50 infants each. Group I received WHO ORS only. The other two groups received floral honey in various forms: group II: received 50 ml honey in 1 l of ORS; group III: received pure honey at a dose of 5 ml every 6 h/day, in addition to ORS. The studied groups were observed for rehydration time, vomiting, diarrhea, and recovery time. Stool culture was carried out at admission. Stool pH and serum sodium and potassium levels were estimated and followed up until recovery. ResultsThe recovery time was significantly shorter in group III, which was treated with pure honey and ORS (3.1 ± 0.6 days) as compared with group I and group II (P < 0.05). Moreover, pure honey and ORS shortened the recovery time significantly both in infants with bacterial and in those with nonbacterial diarrhea. A significant positive correlation was found between the degree of dehydration and frequency of diarrhea (r = 0.340, P < 0.01). The recovery time was significantly negatively correlated with the frequency of diarrhea and stool pH (r = -0.340, P < 0.05).Conclusion Honey is a nonallergic, natural agent of high nutrient value. Pure honey administered as a form of adjuvant therapy in addition to ORS in cases of acute infantile diarrhea causes significant shortening of the recovery period, decreases the frequency of passing loose stools, and improves stool consistency. Further studies on pure honey as an adjuvant therapy in infantile diarrhea are recommended on a large scale.

Objective The aim of the study was to determine the prognostic ability of urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) and to further characterize its sensitivity and specificity as a biomarker of acute kidney injury (AKI).Patients and methods This case-control study was carried out on 42 septic neonates who developed AKI of the 60 critically ill neonates admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Al-Zahraa Hospital. Urine L-FABP at the time of ICU admission was quantitated to be compared with serum creatinine at admission and after 48 h.Results AKI patients showed significantly higher level of urinary L-FABP than non-AKI patients. The diagnostic performance, assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, was 0.743 for L-FABP, demonstrating its usefulness in diagnosing AKI.Conclusion Urinary L-FABP seems to be promising both for the diagnosis of AKI and for the prediction of prognosis in heterogeneous ICU patients. It needs to be further validated for clinical utility. Med Res J 13:21-26 c