ABSTRACT
Children receiving cancer treatment face a heightened risk of bloodstream infections, posing challenges in care. Accurate diagnosis is crucial, and paired blood cultures (BC) from central venous catheter (CVC) and peripheral vein (PV) are a promising diagnostic approach. This review assesses the diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility of pediatric paired BC in children with cancer. A PubMed search (2003-2023) yielded 1042 titles; four articles meeting inclusion criteria were included. Studies on diagnostic accuracy or clinical utility of pediatric paired BC in ages 0-18 were reviewed by two independent assessors. Data extraction covered study characteristics, demographics, and diagnostic parameters. Observing 825 positive paired BC with a 23.5% false-positive rate, PV exclusively detected bacteremia in 22.7%, while CVC culture exclusively detected it in 54.7%. Both methods detected bacteremia in 54.0%. Variable sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV across studies necessitate nuanced interpretation. PV showed higher sensitivity, while CVC exhibited higher specificity. Method choice should align with clinical context, urgency, and potential consequences. False positives, particularly with CVC, underscore the need for cautious clinical decision-making. Personalized approaches balancing clinical and diagnostic considerations are essential. Collecting paired samples aids in avoiding false positives, reducing unnecessary interventions, but may involve causing pain.

ABSTRACT
Myomatous Erythrocytosis Syndrome is a rare condition characterized by a myomatous uterus, erythrocytosis that spontaneously returns to normal red blood cells count after removal of the myomas. The etiology of this syndrome is still unknown but it has been observed that after myomectomy or hysterectomy the red blood cells count returns to normal. This case reports a 57 years old woman who presented with postmenopausal vaginal bleeding, a myomatous uterus of 16.2 x 16.1 x 22.6 cms, RBC 8.19 x 1012/L, Hemoglobin 21.5 g/dL, Hematocrit 67.1% and Erythropoietin of 23 mIU/mL. She was experiencing heavy postmenopausal bleeding and lower abdominal pain such that she consented to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-ophorectomy. Two weeks after hysterectomy her hematology parameters reduced to normal levels, erythropoietin level was 8.2 mIU/mL. Histology results of the uterus showed leiomyomas, all the other symptoms resolved. It is suspected that erythropoietin from the myomas was responsible for the high RBCs, and the patient did not need any other treatment.

ABSTRACT
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease in which glucose homeostasis is defective. This causes sustained elevated blood glucose level, which affects some vital organs like the brain and skeletal muscles. Diabetes affects major systems in the body most importantly the visual system and has been implicated in angiopathy, nephropathy, myopathy and retinopathy. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between visual acuity, Intra ocular pressure, anthropometric parameters and blood glucose amongst diabetics attending a diabetic care center in Port Harcourt. The Intra Ocular Pressure, Body Mass Index and Fasting blood sugar were determined. Uncontrolled blood sugar for males were 30(53.6%), females, 23(52.3%). The relationship between fasting blood glucose and gender was not statistically significant (P<0.00). Most subjects were in over weight category (46%), normal (26%), obese (28%) and underweight (1%). 87% of the subjects had normal intra ocular pressure, 9% elevated intra ocular pressure and 4% had pathological condition. The outcome of this study indicated that most subjects, due to their regular monthly tests and check-up activities, had controlled blood glucose levels and regulated blood pressure which led to reduced ocular challenges such as lens opacity, cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathies among them. More diabetic care centers should be established in every state to educate, manage and care for most diabetic patients in Nigeria to avoid complications arising from uncontrolled blood glucose leading to blindness and other systemic conditions.