The relationship between the helicobacter pylori seropositivity with systemic and local oxidative status and hyperemesis gravidarum: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of study was to determine the helicobacter pylori (HP) seropositivity and oxidative parameters in serum and saliva of pregnant women with poor oral hygiene and hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). METHODS: A case-control study was conducted involving 50 pregnant women in their first trimester of pregnancy. Twenty-five subjects had a diagnosis of HG, and remaining 25 were healthy pregnant women who served as control subjects were included. The groups were adjusted for age, parity and gestational week. All patients were subjected to the measurement of total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status in serum and saliva. Also HP seropositivity was investigated. RESULTS: Serum TAS and TOS values were similar, although oxidative burden in saliva of women with HG were significantly higher than controls. HP seropositivity was found to be 24% in women with HG and 4% of controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that significantly increased oxidative burden and slightly decreased antioxidative capacity of saliva may be involved in the pathogenesis of HG and this condition may be the result of HP infection which was found to be significantly more common in women with poor oral hygiene and HG.

Effect of vaginal cleansing on postoperative factors in elective caesarean sections: a prospective, randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of povidone iodine versus benzalkonium chloride, which were applied preoperatively for vaginal disinfection in caesarean sections, on postoperative factors. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients underwent elective caesarean section were divided into three groups using the simple randomisation method: Group 1 (povidone iodine, n: 41); Group 2 (benzalkonium chloride, n: 39); Group 3 (control group, n: 40). Demographic data, duration of operation, amount of bleeding, postoperative pain, time to first flatulence and defaecation, haematological parameters on postoperative day 1 were compared between three groups. Pain evaluation was performed at 6th and 24th postoperative hour using Visual Analogue Scale. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were detected between the groups in demographic characteristics. There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to the duration of operation and hospital stay. The patients in the group who underwent povidone iodine vaginal cleansing had statistically significantly less postoperative pain as compared to control group. No difference was observed between the groups in haematological parameters other than C-reactive protein (CRP); however, CRP levels at 24th post-operative hour were significantly lower in Group 1 compared to the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative vaginal cleansing with povidone iodine could reduce the postoperative pain, analgesic need and infection parameter.

Pregnancy outcomes in women with heart disease.

AIM: To evaluate the maternal and fetal outcome of pregnancies complicated by cardiac disease in a developing country. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was carried out of 144 pregnancies in women with cardiac disease who delivered in our unit between 1997 and 2006. Perinatal and maternal outcomes were interpreted according to the type of the heart disease and status of the patient according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification. RESULTS: The rates of rheumatic and congenital heart disease were 87.5 and 12.5%, respectively. The distribution of the patients according to the NYHA functional classification were 55.6, 36.1 and 8.3% for NYHA classes I, II and III-IV, respectively. There was no maternal mortality. Maternal morbidity was observed in 16 (11.1%) cases. Six perinatal mortalities (4.2%) occurred in this series. There were no significant difference in birth weight, gestational age at delivery and perinatal morbidity between the NYHA stage I-II and stage III-IV groups (P > 0.05), whereas maternal morbidity and cesarean delivery rates were significantly higher in the NYHA stage III-IV group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Rheumatic heart disease with pregnancy is still predominant in Turkey. Most of the patients were in a good functional group. Maternal morbidity strongly correlates with maternal cardiac classification.