From the Editor
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Abdul Abyad, MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE (Chief Editor)

Address correspondence to:
Abdul Abyad, MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE (Editor)
Abyad Medical Center & Middle East Longevity Institute
Azmi Street, Abdo Center, 2nd Floor
PO BOX 618, Tripoli LEBANON
Tel & Fax: 961 6 443684/5/6
Email: aabyad@cyberia.net.lb
Web: www.amc-lb.com

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This is the second issue this year and we are looking forward to fulfilling our promise for ten issues this year. In addition the last issue of the year will be about development of family medicine in the region, therefore we would like to invite all authors from the region who are interested in writing about their country to submit their papers.

A paper from Kuwait attempts to identify risk factors of acute poisoning, and to demonstrate their spectrum in Jahra Health Region of Kuwait. A total of 678 patients admitted and coded as poisoning among children over 15 years were analysed. The authors concluded that there is a lack of appropriate supervision and health awareness in the community which is a significant contributory factor to the burden of acute poisoning in pediatric age groups.

A prospective study from Jordan looked at the role of chest X-ray in diagnosis of non-radio opaque foreign body inhalation in the tracheobroncheal tree. The authors believed that the history of foreign body aspiration, and clinical findings are a corner stone in diagnosis. Chest X-ray can help in diagnosis and localization the site of the foreign body, but does not affect the decision for performing bronchoscopy.

Al-Madani M studied the ocular manifestations and their frequency in patients with atopic dermatitis. The authors pinpointed that a variety of ocular conditions accompany atopic dermatitis. Some patients are rather asymptomatic, hence the importance of referring patients with atopic dermatitis to an ophthalmology clinic.

Helvaci MR, Akdemir C, Kaya H and Ozer C looked at dyslipedemia as an indicator of body weight. The study included 1068 cases. The authors concluded that the prevalence of excess weight and dyslipidemia increases by decades, particularly in the fourth decade, and this increase turns to a decrease in the eighth decade of life. The authors concluded that probably decreased physical and mental stresses after the age of 30 years and debility and comorbid disorders induced restrictions after the age of 70 years and may be the major causes for the changes.

Three papers in this issue dealt with women's issues. A paper from Turkey looked at the planning of the birthplace during the pregnancy period. A second paper looked at contraceptive use of married women, with particular focus on the extent to which socio-economic and demographic factors exert independent influence on contraceptive use. The result of the study supports the hypothesis that place of residence, women's education and watching of television are the most important significant factors which influence the use of contraception positively. A third paper from Iran looked at how to identify risk factors for cessation of breast-feeding before six months in primiparous women. The authors stressed that identification of risk factors for early termination of breast-feeding is necessary before developing strategies to improve duration of nursing in first-time mothers.