Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) meningitis: a narrative review of the literature from 2000 to 2020.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are recognized as comprising the main part of human normal microbiota and are rarely associated with severe and intensive infections. However, these organisms can cause a number of infections in humans, especially immunocompromised patients and neonates. Bacterial meningitis, as an important and acute infection in the central nervous system, is still a major global health challenge and a serious infectious disease, causing a high rate of mortality and morbidity. CoNS as causative agents of meningitis are generally related to trauma or direct implantation of foreign bodies and the presence of a cerebrospinal fluid shunt. Numerous epidemiologic and clinical studies have shown that different CoNS isolates such as Staphylococcus capitis, Staphylococcus lugdunensis, Staphylococcus hominis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus schleiferi, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus warneri and Staphylococcus haemolyticus are more frequently associated with meningitis. This study attempts to determine the role of CoNS in meningitis and reviews the reported cases of meningitis induced by CoNS from the year 2000 to 2020 in the literature.

Years of Life Lost and Childhood and Adolescent Cancer Mortality in Yazd Province, Iran (2004-2009).

BACKGROUND: The Years of Life Lost (YLL) due to cancer can be a more illustrative index to promote preventive and therapeutic services, this study aimed to investigate the childhood cancer mortality and its trend over the past few years in Yazd to provide planners with baseline data. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Data obtained from death registration system of the healthcare center were used to calculate the age-specific standardized mortality for 5-year age groups. To calculate the YLL, the standardized expected YLL method was used with a discount rate of 0.03 for health gain in the future, the age weight of 0.04 for different years of age, and a constant age weight correction factor of 0.165. The collected data were analyzed using the Epi 6 and Excel 2007. RESULTS: 28 patients in Yazd aged 0-19 die annually due Leukemia and CNS tumors were the most common causes of death. The crude cancer death rate is 8.48 in boys and 6.72 in girls per 100000. Premature cancer deaths have caused 3,436 YLL in boys and 2,561 YLL in girls (4.92% of total YLL in both sex) .The average death age did not have a significant relationship with sex or location of residence. CONCLUSION: Childhood cancer mortality has had a decreasing trend. This study can help in the assessment of healthcare needs and improvement of the quality of healthcare services. It can also help in the design and prioritization of interventions to identify cancer risk factors which can facilitate early diagnosis.

Phonatory vocal tract stability in stuttering children before and after fluency--enhancing therapy.

BACKGROUND: Stuttering is a complex disorder. Essentially, it is a neuromuscular disorder whose core consists of tiny lags and disruptions in the timing of the complicated movements required for speech. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the current study was to collec and comparg jitters and shimmer values in children who stutter before and after fluency--enhancing therapy. METHODS: Subjects consisted of 15 Iranian preschool girls with stutterg, and 15 Iranial preschool girls without afflictions, matched according to age. Vocal jittering and shimmer measurements of thesphonation of the children were compared before and after therapy. Each subject phonated vowels nine times in a random order. Each phonation was sustained for at least five seconds and was recorded. The middle three-second portion of each recorded vowel phonation was subjected to jitter and shimmer analysis. RESULTS: On shimmer measures between pre-treatment and post treatment, significant differences were found in all sustained vowels of persons who stutter group and means of shimmer in post therapy were significantly lower than pre-treatment. Differences in jitter measurements were not significant between pre-treatment and post-treatment statuses and this parameter did not change after therapy. CONCLUSION: The findings showed that therapy resulted in decreaseg irregularity in the amplitude of vibrations (shimmer). In other words, the therapy increases the steady-state of the laryngeal system. Moreover, this parameter may be used as an index for the effectiveness of therapy.

Delayed head and neck complications of sulphur mustard poisoning in Iranian veterans.

OBJECTIVE: Sulphur mustard is a chemical warfare agent which was used against Iranian combatants and civilians between 1983 and 1988. The purpose of this study was to document the delayed toxic effects of sulphur mustard in Iranian veterans, focussing on head and neck complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a two-year, prospective, descriptive study of 43 male Iranian veterans aged 34 to 48 years (mean 41.8 years) who were moderately disabled or worse due to sulphur mustard poisoning. Investigations were performed with consent, including haematological, biochemical and immunological tests, spirometry, chest X-ray, high resolution computed tomography of the lungs, and skin biopsies. Further investigations and interventions were performed as clinically indicated. RESULTS: The most affected sites were the lungs (95 per cent), peripheral nerves (77 per cent), skin (73 per cent), eyes (68 per cent), and head and neck (16.2 per cent). Of seven patients with mostly head and neck complications, four had a skin disorder (hyperpigmentation in all four, an erythematous, papular rash in two, and dry skin in one). Two patients had thyroid cancer (undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma in one and papillary carcinoma of a thyroglossal cyst in the other, 12 and 14 years after sulphur mustard exposure, respectively). One patient had nasopharyngeal carcinoma, 12 years after sulphur mustard exposure. CONCLUSION: Carcinomas of the thyroid and nasopharynx in three patients with sulphur mustard exposure are reported for the first time.