PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

N Ansaldi

Publications and source records attributed to N Ansaldi.

98 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Irritable bowel syndrome in children].

The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common chronic functional gastroenterological disorder both in adults and in children. In this study we evaluate the different aspects of this syndrome, comparing our observations on 332 children with other studies. Epidemiological data (frequency, sex, age) are examined so as the family histories of gastroenterological disorders. We take in account several pathogenic hypotheses, especially with reference to the alterations of gastrointestinal motility, which could be caused by several factors (psychological, prostaglandins, bile acids, etc.). The clinical picture is very variable, variations depending on the age of children and on the time of onset of IBS. The colic of neonate, caused by retention of air, is the main symptom in the first months of life, followed by chronic diarrhoea, also defined as toddler's diarrhoea, sometime alternating with constipation. In later childhood, recurrent abdominal pain represents a common complaint, in association with diarrhoea or constipation. The principal steps for a proper diagnosis so as the main differential diagnosis are defined. We explain the most important features of management (reassuring parents, free diet), excluding prescription of drugs, that produce only a transitory and symptomatic relief, so as elimination diets, that cause only a failure to thrive without any improvement of symptoms.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Therapy of pancreatic insufficiency].

The replacing therapy in the treatment of pancreatic insufficiency is considered the first and most important step. At present, the choice is between highly concentrate or enteric-coated enzymatic compounds. Their administration before or during each meal has to be the one able to reduce fecal fat and nitrogen, allowing a satisfactory growth. A long term therapy even at low dosage with antacids or cimetidine must be considered with caution and evaluated in each case. In CF children the nutritional care has now been emphasized for the possible relationship between malnutrition and lung disease; the caloric intake must be higher than normal. The limitation of fat intake is not so important any more when the enzymes replacement is adequate. The vitamins requirement is usually satisfied doubling the normal daily requirement. An increase of vitamins and/or minerals must be considered when clinical or laboratory signs of deficiency are found.

Bicarbonates↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Behavior of pepsin in childhood and its correlation with gastric acid secretion].

Little attention has been given to the gastric secretion of pepsin in children. The purpose of this paper is to define the behaviour of peptic concentration (UI/ml) and Basal (BPO) and Stimulated (SPO) Peptic Outputs in children with normal and altered gastric acid secretion. 54 children, aged 15 months to 12 years, were studied: 20 of them were normal, 20 had gastric hypersecretion and 14 were hyposecretors. In the normal subjects the BPO is inversely correlated with age, while the SPO increases with the body weight, but this increment diminishes after the age of 6 years. From these data one can assume that the gastric principal cells reach their functional maturity around the age of 6 years. In the hypersecretors peptic and acid secretions are not correlated in basal conditions, while after pentagrastrin stimulation peptic secretion is greater than in normal subjects but not as the acid one. The SPO is correlated with body weight and height. The different behaviour of hydrochloric acid and pepsin is probably due to the use of pentagrastrin, which is a specific stimulant of oxyntic but not of principal cells. In the hyposecretors both BPO and SPO are lower than in normal children and no correlation was found with age, body weight and acid secretion.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Advantages and limits of rigid rectosigmoidoscope and flexible colonoscope in childhood].

During the past ten years 220 pediatric proctosigmoidoscopies with the rigid instrument in 182 infants and children, and 71 colonoscopies in 62, were performed. Advantages and limits of these two instruments are discussed. The indications and results of the different procedures are presented. Positive diagnoses were obtained in 81% with both techniques while the histological examination was positive in 85% of specimens obtained by colonoscopy and only in 51% of the proctosigmoidoscopical ones. Colonoscopy has increasingly became a complementary method for colonic pathology in children, in comparison with adult medicine, however, pediatric indications have been handled mostly with the shorter instrument for two main reasons: 1) Pediatric colonic pathology affects predominantely the lower tract; 2) Neoplastic lesions, in which total colonoscopy with biopies at different levels is mandatory, are extremely rare in children.

Adolescent↗