The acute effects of vinyasa flow yoga on vascular function, lipid and glucose concentrations, and mood.

While the chronic effects of certain styles of yoga on cardiometabolic factors have been investigated, little is known about the acute effects of a single yoga session on these outcomes. Moreover, vinyasa yoga's potential to modulate cardiometabolic outcomes has not been established. The purpose of this study is to determine the acute effects of a vinyasa yoga session on arterial stiffness, wave reflection, lipid and glucose concentrations, and mood in adults with prior yoga experience. Thirty yoga practitioners with a minimum of 3 months of practice experience were enrolled into the study. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), augmentation index (AIx), lipid profile, glucose concentrations, and mood (Positive and Negative Affect Scale) were assessed at baseline and immediately following a 1 -h vinyasa yoga session. After the yoga session, participants had significantly lower AIx (p < 0.001), non-HDL cholesterol (p < 0.05), and negative affect (p < 0.01) compared to baseline. These results highlight the efficacy of a single bout of yoga in altering wave reflection while improving mood and lipid concentrations in healthy adults with a history of yoga practice.

Bacteriological agents of chronic discharging ears and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern in Ido - Ekiti, Nigeria.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To identify bacterial agents of chronic discharging ear and determine their antibiotic sensitivities pattern in Ido - Ekiti, Nigeria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Swab specimens of each chronically (>8 weeks) discharging ears of patients with chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) presenting to the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) clinic of the Federal Medical Centre, Ido Ekiti were bacteriologically cultured aerobically and the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the recovered organisms determined by the modified Kirby-Bauer disc-diffusion method over a three year period starting from January 2005. RESULTS: Seventy eight patients with CSOM whose age ranged between 3 months and 85 years were seen during the study period with 73.1% of them having unilateral disease and majority were children < 15 years (71.8%). Out of 99 ear swabs that were examined, 87.9% were culture positive with 90.8% yielding a single isolate. Coliforms (34.7%) were the most frequent isolated group of organisms. Other isolates included Staphylococcus aureus (26.3%), Proteus spp (24.2%), Pseudomonas spp (9.5%) and Klebsiella spp (5.3%). Sparfloxacin and ciprofloxacin showed highest activity on all the isolates unlike cefuroxime and ceftiaxone to which all isolates were resistant. CONCLUSION: Chronic discharging ear is caused by bacteria agents most sensitive to quinolones but resistant to cefuroxime and ceftiaxone. Treatment of patients with CSOM in Ido-Ekiti with the quinolones is recommended except where contraindicated.

Non-gonococcal bacterial agents of conjunctivitis and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns in Ilorin, Nigeria.

Periodic bacteriological surveillance of purulent ocular discharge is a necessity. To determine the prevalent bacterial agents of purulent conjunctivitis and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin, Nigeria. All bacterial isolates obtained during routine processing of conjunctival swab specimens were studied at the Department of Microbiology UITH between January and December 2004. The isolates were obtained after inoculation of the specimens onto blood, chocolate and MacConkey agar plates, incubated at 37 degrees C for 18-24hours under aerobic conditions except for chocolate agar plates which were kept in candle extinction jar. The isolates were identified using a combination of colony morphology, biochemical and/or serological tests as applicable. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was performed using the modified Kirby Bauer method. One hundred and four conjunctival swabs from 104 patients were analysed and 72 were bacteriologically positive, giving prevalence rate of 69.2%. The positive samples were from 42 males and 30 females with M:F ratio of 1.4:1. The age range was from 5 hours of life to 80 years. Well over half (61.1%) of the swabs were from neonatal age group. The isolated organisms included Staphylococcus aureus 43.1%, Klebsiella pneumoniae 22.2%, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 3.9%, Streptococcus pneumoniae 11.1%, and Escherichia coli 9.7%. Most of the isolates were sensitive to fluoroquinolones while erythromycin has the least bacterial coverage. The most common bacterial agent of purulent conjunctivitis in Ilorin is Staphylococcus aureus and fluoroquinolones have the best coverage for common bacterial agents of purulent conjunctivitis.