This issue of the journal has paper that discusses issues related to infant feeding , surgical infection and sickle cell disease.

Dorri et al., looked at the knowledge and infant feeding practices’ Influence on Arab Immigrant Mothers’ Initiation and Exclusive Breastfeeding.Breastfeeding is known to provide health benefits for newborns and breastfeeding mothers. The World Health Organization and Health Canada recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life. However, the rates of exclusive breastfeeding practices among Arab immigrant mothers are lower when compared with rates for non-immigrant Canadian mothers and mothers in the immigrants’ countries of origin.. An analysis of the qualitative narrative data indicated that knowledge and traditional infant feeding practices primarily influenced Arab immigrant mothers’ initiation and exclusive breastfeeding practices. The findings from this study have the potential to facilitate supportive culturally safe and sensitive interventions that are tailored to address Arab mothers’ breastfeeding concerns and needs, so that exclusive breastfeeding might be promoted within this population in Canada. Further, the research will provide information needed for addressing some key challenges relating to culture, religion, and the healthcare system.

Mohamed et al., did a review to gain a better understanding of the relationship between uncontrolled blood glucose and the odds of developing a Surgical Site Infection among cancer patients. A database search (which engaged PubMed, Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) was completed using the keywords: ‘surgical site infection’ or ‘surgical wound infection’ OR ‘SSI’ AND cancer or neoplasms OR oncology OR tumor OR malignancy AND diabetes OR hyperglycemia AND risk factors. Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria to be included in this review.

The odds ratio for history of diabetes or hyperglycemia and SSI following cancer surgery varied across studies. This is likely explained in part by the fact that some types of surgery are more invasive than others, are more lengthy and certain involve areas of the body that are more prone to infection. The study with the highest rate of SSI (62.1%) was among patients with oral cancer and the study with the lowest rate of SSI (3.1%) was among patients with spinal cancer. The literature review results suggested an association between SSI and patients with a history of diabetes mellitus or hyperglycemia.

Helvaci et al., did two studies related to sickle cell disease, in the first paper they tried to understand whether or not there is a significant association between avascular necrosis (AVN) and atherosclerosis in sickle cell diseases (SCD). The study included 434 patients. The authors concluded that SCD are severe inflammatory processes on vascular endothelium, particularly at the capillary level since the capillary system is the main distributor of hardened RBC into the tissues. Although the higher smoking and alcohol-like strong atherosclerotic risk factors and disseminated teeth losses, COPD, ileus, cirrhosis, leg ulcers, digital clubbing, CHD, CRD, and stroke-like obvious atherosclerotic consequences in male gender, AVN was not higher in them, significantly. In another definition, AVN may not have an atherosclerotic background in the SCD. In the second paper they tried to understand whether or not there is a significant relationship between auto splenectomy and atherosclerosis in sickle cell diseases (SCD). The study included 434 patients. The authors concluded that SCD are severe inflammatory processes on vascular endothelium, particularly at the capillary level since the capillary system is the main distributor of hardened RBC into the tissues. Although the higher smoking and alcohol-like strong atherosclerotic risk factors and disseminated teeth losses, COPD, ileus, cirrhosis, leg ulcers, digital clubbing, CHD, CRD, and stroke-like obvious atherosclerotic consequences in male gender, autosplenectomy was not higher in them, significantly. In another definition, autosplenectomy may not have an atherosclerotic background in the SCD.

Abdulrazak Abyad
Chief Editor