Abstract. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of L-carnitine therapy on the occurrence and prognosis of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). A single blind, randomized controlled trial study was conducted on 130 infants with gestational ages of 28-36 weeks. Infants were assigned to experimental groups (groups 1 and 2) and control groups (groups 3 and 4). Groups 1 and 3 consisted of infants with RDS, and groups 2 and 4 groups were composed of infants without RDS. The experimental groups were treated with carnitine. No statistically significant differences in serum carnitine levels were detected between the study and the control groups on day 1 of treatment (P=0.06). However, on day 7 of treatment, serum carnitine levels in the experimental groups were significantly increased (P= 0.02), as compared with the control groups. The surfactant requirement value, which is how many rounds of surfactant therapy were required, was 1.56±0.97 in group 1, and 2.12±0.99 in group 3 (P<0.001). The mean duration of mechanical ventilation required was 3.04±3.60 days in group 1, and 4.73±5.63 days in group 3 (P<0.001). The present results indicate that carnitine supplementation in premature infants with RDS may help to increase carnitine levels, thus decreasing the duration of mechanical ventilation and surfactant requirement.

PTX3 levels are higher in obese children and adolescents with metabolic syndrome than in those without MS. Thus, PTX3 levels might be a useful biomarker for children and adolescents with metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular risks.

Background:There is no standard treatment option in acute bronchiolitis. 3-7% hypertonic saline (HS) seems to be the effective treatment choice for reducing the hospitalization day. Aims: To compare the effect of nebulized 7% HS/ salbutamol and 3% HS/salbutamol to 0.9% saline/ salbutamol. The primary outcome measure was the effect of study drugs on the length of hospital stay (LOS). Secondary outcome measures were safety and efficacy in reducing the clinical severity score (CSS) at the 24 hours of the study. Study Design: Prospective, double-blinded randomized clinical study. Methods: The study consists of 104 infants. Groups were constituted according to the treatment they received: These are, group A -0.9% saline/salbutamol, group B -3% HS/salbutamol and group C-7% HS/salbutamol. Heart beat, Bronchiolitis CSS and oxygen saturation of the patients were determined before and after nebulization. The patients were monitored for adverse reactions. Results: Length of hospital stay in group A, B and C were as follows; 72.0 (20-288) hours in group A, 64.0 (12-168) hours in group B and 60.0 (12-264) hours in group C. No significant differences was observed among three groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: 7% HS and 3% HS does not have any effect to decrease LOS for infants with bronchiolitis. Keywords: Bronchiolitis, hypertonic saline, infant Copyright 2016 © Trakya University Faculty of Medicine Balkan Med J 201633:193-7 Comparing Bronchiolitis is the most frequent viral lower respiratory tract infection seen in infancy period characterized by cough, wheezing and tachypnea. Bronchiolitis is the major reason of infant hospitalization in both developed and developing countries. Although it is common there is no current standard treatment. Supportive care is the only evidence based treatment option (1,2). Many studies focused on testing the effects of bronchodilators such as β2-agonsits (3), epinephrine (4), glucocorticoids (5) and magnesium sulfate (6) with controversial results.There exists the first necrosis of the respiratory epithelium in bronchiolitis. Following by the fact that, exaggerated mucus production occurs due to the proliferation of goblet cells. On the other hand epithelial regeneration with nonciliated cells happens thus decreasing mucociliary clearance. Lymphocytic infiltration may result in submucosal edema (7). Johnson et al. (7) demonstrated that, airway obstruction in bronchiolitis was because of epithelial and inflammatory cell debris. And they did not observe bronchial smooth muscle constriction. This can explain why bronchodilator therapy is not effective in bronchiolitis. Thus the ideal treatment has to decrease submucosal edema and improve mucociliary clearance by restoring the elasticity and viscosity of the mucus. In the last decade, 3% and 5% hypertonic saline (HS) studied in infants with bronchiolitis with good results (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14). In the light of cystic fibrosis studies, it was shown that 7% HS increases mucociliary clearance and decreases epithelial edema (15-17). Thus,

No abstract