Comorbidities in children with intellectual disabilities.

BACKGROUND: Intellectual disability (ID) is registered in 2%-3% of newborns. In most cases, the causes are not identifiable. OBJECTIVE: We explored the correlation between the intellectual disability and gestational age, birth weight, Apgar score, familial diseases, congenital anomalies, and acquired medical disorders, with the aim to estimate the prevalence and severity of comorbidities in the affected children. METHODS: Our study included 22 children with ID, and 24 with proper psychomotor development, aged 5-10 who were not considered to have ID. RESULTS: The presence of familial disorders and CNS congenital anomalies increased the risk of ID 4.147 and 2.59 times, respectively. The risk for other congenital and noncongenital diseases was higher (7.38 and 1.4 times, respectively) in children with intellectual disability. CONCLUSIONS: Children with intellectual disabilities have higher incidence of congenital diseases, family disorders and a higher frequency of acquired disorders during childhood. Apgar score is a sensitive predictor of morbidity regarding congenital as well as noncongenital medical conditions.

Two different melatonin treatment regimens prevent an increase in kidney injury marker-1 induced by carbon tetrachloride in rat kidneys.

Acute kidney injury is a frequent disorder that can be mimicked by the application of different nephrotoxic agents, including carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), where kidney injury marker-1 (KIM-1) has been recognized as a highly specific marker. Melatonin is one of the most powerful natural antioxidants and has numerous beneficial properties. We evaluated the nephroprotective potential of 2 melatonin treatment regimens (pre- and post-intoxication) in a CCl4-induced acute kidney injury model based on the standard serum parameters, kidney tissue antioxidative capacity, KIM-1 levels, and kidney tissue morphological changes. The two treatment regimens were found to preserve kidney function, as judged from the evaluated standard serum parameters. Only when administered after the intoxication, melatonin preserved total kidney antioxidant capacity; pre-treatment melatonin only preserved reduced glutathione levels. An increase in tissue KIM-1 level was found to be prevented by both treatment regimens, which correlated with the morphological changes seen in the kidney tissues of animals treated with melatonin and CCl4. The findings of our study are in agreement with the known actions of melatonin in relieving kidney tissue oxidative burden, but also contribute to the understanding of its action by preventing an increase in KIM-1.

Accidental Drowning: The Importance of Early Measures of Resuscitation for a Successful Outcome.

CASE REPORT: The case of a drowning teenager is described involving application of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by an untrained rescuer in the field and fast transport to a hospital enabling a positive resuscitation outcome despite an underorganized emergency medical service in a rural area. In our case hypoxia led to extended functional disorders of the cardiovascular system, which fully recovered after adequate therapy. CONCLUSION: Knowledge about BLS measures by ordinary citizens, together with continuous education of health professionals concerning modern techniques of CPR, is crucial for increasing the number of patients surviving after cardiac arrest.