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Background: At this study, the effect of oral glutamine usage in the prevention of acute esphagitis and weight loss in lung cancer patients receiving radiotherapy (RT) was evaluated. Methods: The study included 88 patients. Results were evaluated retrospectively. Glutamine dose was 30 g daily (10 g/8 hours) during thoracic RT and for 2 weeks after RT. Once-daily 1.8-2Gy RT with one fraction was used, and 60-64 Gy RT was performed with 5 fractions of weekly treatment. Patients' weight, body mass index (BMI) and esophagitis levels were evaluated weekly. Results: Glutamine was well tolerated by all the patients. Mean esophagus RT doses were 15.56 (12-26) Gy. No dysphagia was observed in 35 patients (39.8%), but 53 (60.2%) were found to have dysphagia. Grade 3 and Grade 4 dysphagia was not observed. Weight loss was not observed in 17 (19.3%) patients. Weight loss was observed in 20 (22.7%) patients, while weight gain was observed in 51 (58%) patients. In 19 (95%) of 20 patients with weight loss, dysphagia was present. In 34 of 68 patients who didn't have weight loss, dysphagia was present (p=0.001). Esophagitis was detected less in the patient groups that received no more than esophagus dose of 20 Gy, with peripheral localized tumors, and patient groups that received 4 or fewer chemotherapy treatments (p=0.002). Conclusion: Oral glutamine usage is decreasing the severity and frequency of esophagitis in patients receiving RT for lung cancer and is helpful for the prevention of weight loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the etiological factors of neonatal jaundice retrospectively in infants with indirect hyperbilirubinemia who were treated with phototherapy. Methods: This study included one hundred and forty newborn infants who were born at an age of more than the 37th gestational week and hospitalized for phototherapy. Statistical evaluations were calculated with SPSS 16 program for Windows. Students-t test was used to evaluate differences between groups, and p<0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. Results: Mean serum bilirubin level was 17.5±2.4 mg/dl, and mean hospitalization day was 5.5±3.2 day in the study group. Thirty eight patients (28%) had ABO blood group incompatibility, 7 patients (4.9%) had Rh group incompatibility, and 5 patients (3.5 %) had both RH and ABO blood group incompatibility. Ninety patients (63%) had no blood group incompatibility. Two patients (1.4%) had G6PDH deficiency, 7 patients (5%) had urinary tract infection that was proven by urinary culture, and 1 patient (0.7%) had a transiently elevated TSH level. Seventeen patients (11.9%) had weight loss equal to or more than 10% due to insufficient feeding. Three patients (2.1%) had gastroenteritis. Both mean hospitalization day and mean bilirubin levels in all groups were not statistically significantly different (p>0.05). Conclusion: Even though ABO blood group and Rh group incompatibility are known as reason for neonatal jaundice; urinary tract infections, G6PD deficiency and especially insufficient feeding keep going as a matter of concern in neonatal jaundice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]