Participation of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone in the mechanism of ovulation

Progesterone (P) and 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17 OH-P) were analyzed daily during the menstrual cycle in women with both ovulatory and anovulatory cycles, without any other endocrine alteration. The plasma levels of 17 OH-P in 65 samples obtained during the follicular phase of the ovulatory cycles were 1.057 ng/ml, consistently higher than the P levels, which were .492 ng/ml, with a 17 OH-P/P ratio of 2.16. On the other hand, the plasma levels of 17 OH-P obtained during the same phase of the anovulatory cycles were .288 ng/ml. The difference between ovulatory and anovulatory cycles was statistically significant (p less than .001). The P levels were .156 ng/ml and the 17 OH-P/P ratio was 2.76. In the 2nd part of the ovulatory cycles, the 17 OH-P/P ratio was .46, and in the same part of the anovulatory cycles the ratio was 2.39. The total values of both steroids and the individual values of 17 OH-P differed between the 2 types of cycles (p less than .001). The findings show that 17 OH-P is an indicator of follicular development and that it could be used to predict the occurrence of ovulation.     

A randomized trial of an intervention to prevent lawnmower injuries in children

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports about 60 000 emergency room visits for lawnmower injuries annually with 20% to children under 15 years. Employing a randomized pre-post control group design, the current study evaluated a 20-minute video intervention to increase parents' (n=80) safety awareness and preventive actions. The setting was an outpatient clinic at a Children's Hospital. Differences favoring the intervention group were found for four of six behavior outcomes. For example, the proportion reporting never allowing children near operating mowers increased from half to two-thirds with no change among comparison group parents. In addition, significant increases in severity beliefs were found. The results provide formative support for the video intervention which possesses the key advantages of ease of use and constancy of message.     

A trial of minocycline given after exposure to prevent gonorrhea.

In a prospective evaluation of antibiotic prophylaxis against gonorrhea, 1080 men were given 200 mg of oral minocycline or placebo after sexual intercourse with prostitutes in a Far Eastern port. Later, at sea, gonococcal infection was detected in 57 of 565 men given placebo and 24 of 515 men given minocycline (P less than 0.001). Minocycline prophylaxis completely prevented infection by gonococci susceptible to 0.75 microgram or less of tetracycline per milliliter, reduced the risk of infection or prolonged the incubation period in men exposed to gonococci susceptible to 1.0 to 2.0 micrograms per milliliter, but did not prevent infection or prolong incubation in men exposed to gonococci resistant to 2.0 micrograms. Minocycline did not increase the proportion of asymptomatic infections. Minocycline prophylaxis would probably have limited effectiveness as a public-health measure because of the tendency to select resistant gonococci.     

Action of 17-hydroxyprogesterone caproate on the glandular hyperplasia of human endometrium

The effect of 17-oxyprogesterone capronate on the proliferative activity and metabolic processes in the endometrium of patients with glandular hyperplasia of the endometrium was studied. It was shown that the proliferative activity was inhibited while the secretory processes in the glandular epithelium were activated. This effect was achieved only after a long-term (6-9 months) administration of the hormone.     

A randomized trial of paroxetine to prevent interferon-alpha-induced depression in patients with hepatitis C

BACKGROUND: Interferon-alpha-(IFN-alpha) induced depression presents a challenge when treating patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Depression occurs in approximately one-third of patients during antiviral therapy and can lead to reduction in treatment dosage or discontinuation of treatment, thus reducing the likelihood of clearing HCV infection. This study examined the efficacy of paroxetine in preventing the development of depression during antiviral therapy. METHODS: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 33 patients with HCV were randomly assigned to paroxetine or placebo prior to antiviral therapy. Patients were evaluated for psychiatric symptoms prior, during, and six months after antiviral therapy. RESULTS: The rate of IFN-alpha-induced depression for the entire sample was 33.3%. The prophylactic use of paroxetine did not decrease the likelihood of IFN-alpha-induced depression (35.7% in the paroxetine group vs. 31.6% in the placebo group). However, in 10 of 11 patients who developed IFN-alpha-induced depression and entered the rescue arm of the study, open-label treatment with paroxetine helped reduce symptoms of depression. Group assignment did not appear to impact antiviral therapy completion rates, as a similar proportion of patients from each group completed treatment. LIMITATIONS: The antiviral treatment was changed during the trial and aspects of the sample limit the generalizability of the results. CONCLUSION: A prophylactic approach to interferon-alpha-induced depression may not be indicated in patients with HCV infection.     

A randomized trial of ceftriaxone versus trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole to prevent ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Shunt infection represents a particularly morbid condition, which can also result in mortality. In order to decrease the high morbidity and mortality rates, prevention is an essential step. The purpose of this study was to compare the prophylactic use of ceftriaxone and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT) for the prevention of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt infection. METHODS: In this prospective, single-institution, randomized clinical trial, 107 children with hydrocephalus and an indication for shunting were randomly assigned to prophylaxis with ceftriaxone (n = 50) or SXT (55), each administered as a single dose during anesthesia and two divided doses postoperatively. Patients were followed up for at least one year. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 15 months, and 85% were aged 6 months or younger. During the first postoperative year, meningitis occurred in 13.5% of patients receiving ceftriaxone and 14.5% of the SXT group, with no statistically significant difference between the groups. Younger age, presence of cerebrospinal fluid leakage and aqueductal stenosis as a cause of hydrocephalus showed significant correlation with meningitis occurrence on univariate analysis. However, only the latter 2 factors were associated with meningitis on multivariate analysis. The risk of shunt infection did not correlate with the gender of the patient, time of VP shunt surgery, or duration of hospitalization for shunting. CONCLUSION: Ceftriaxone and SXT showed similar efficacy in preventing shunt infection. Cerebrospinal fluid leakage before or after VP shunt placement and aqueductal stenosis were independent risk factors for meningitis after VP shunt.     

A controlled trial of ganciclovir to prevent cytomegalovirus disease after heart transplantation.

BACKGROUND. Because of the immunosuppression required, heart-transplant recipients frequently have complications caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV), including pneumonia, esophagitis, gastritis, and a syndrome of fever, hepatitis, and leukopenia. We undertook a controlled trial to evaluate the prophylactic administration of ganciclovir to prevent CMV-induced disease after heart transplantation. METHODS. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at four centers. Before randomization, the patients were stratified into two groups: those who were seropositive for CMV before transplantation and those who were seronegative but who received hearts from seropositive donors. Ganciclovir was given intravenously at a dose of 5 mg per kilogram of body weight every 12 hours from postoperative day 1 through day 14, then at a dose of 6 mg per kilogram each day for 5 days per week until day 28. RESULTS. Among the seropositive patients, CMV illness occurred during the first 120 days after heart transplantation in 26 of 56 patients given placebo (46 percent), as compared with 5 of 56 patients treated with ganciclovir (9 percent) (P less than 0.001). Among 37 seronegative patients, CMV illness was frequent in both groups (placebo, 29 percent; ganciclovir, 35 percent; P not significant). From day 15 through day 60, the patients who took ganciclovir had significantly fewer urine cultures positive for CMV, but by day 90 there was no difference. More of the ganciclovir-treated patients had serum creatinine concentrations greater than or equal to 221 mumol per liter (2.5 mg per deciliter) (18 percent vs. 4 percent in the placebo group), but those elevations were transient. CONCLUSIONS. The prophylactic administration of ganciclovir after heart transplantation is safe, and in CMV-seropositive patients it reduces the incidence of CMV-induced illness.     

A randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza and enterovirus infection in children

PurposeThis study aimed to evaluate whether vitamin D supplementation can reduce the incidence of influenza and enterovirus infection in Taiwanese children.MethodsThis randomized, double-blind, controlled trial included children aged two to five years between April 2018 and October 2019 from daycare centers. All the participants were randomly assigned to a vitamin D supplementation group (2000 IU/day) or placebo group for one month. The primary outcome was the incidence of influenza and enterovirus infection in the following six months, and the secondary outcome was the incidence of influenza and enterovirus infection in the children's household members.ResultsTwo hundred and forty-eight children participated. The vitamin D group showed a relative risk reduction of 84% against influenza compared to the placebo group but did not reach statistical significance. Kaplan–Meier curves revealed that the placebo group had a higher probability of influenza infection than the vitamin D group (log-rank test, p = 0.055), but the incidence of enterovirus infection was similar between the two groups (p = 0.946) among children. Among children's household members, the incidence of influenza (p = 0.586) and enterovirus infection (p = 0.528) were both similar between the two groups. All children who were tested for serum 25(OH)D levels after vitamin D intervention had 25(OH)D levels above 30 ng/mlConclusionVitamin D supplementation may have a small preventative effect against influenza infection but does not affect enterovirus infection among preschool children. A high-dose short-term vitamin D intervention might be a way to elevate children's serum vitamin D levels in the first month of starting kindergarten.     

A controlled trial of fluconazole to prevent fungal infections in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS. Superficial and systemic fungal infections are a major problem among severely immunocompromised patients who undergo bone marrow transplantation. We performed a double-blind, randomized, multicenter trial in which patients receiving bone marrow transplants were randomly assigned to receive placebo or fluconazole (400 mg daily). Fluconazole or placebo was administered prophylactically from the start of the conditioning regimen until the neutrophil count returned to 1000 per microliter, toxicity was suspected, or a systemic fungal infection was suspected or proved. RESULTS. By the end of the treatment period, 67.2 percent of the 177 patients assigned to placebo had a positive fungal culture of specimens from any site, as compared with 29.6 percent of the 179 patients assigned to fluconazole. Among these, superficial infections were diagnosed in 33.3 percent of the patients receiving placebo and in 8.4 percent of the patients receiving fluconazole (P less than 0.001). Systemic fungal infections occurred in 28 patients who received placebo as compared with 5 who received fluconazole (15.8 percent vs. 2.8 percent, P less than 0.001). Fluconazole prevented infection with all strains of candida except Candida krusei. Fluconazole was well tolerated, although patients who received it had a higher mean increase in alanine aminotransferase levels than patients who received placebo. Although there was no significant difference in overall mortality between the groups, fewer deaths were ascribed to acute systemic fungal infections in the group receiving fluconazole than in the group receiving placebo (1 of 179 vs. 10 of 177, P less than 0.001). CONCLUSIONS. Prophylactic administration of fluconazole to recipients of bone marrow transplants reduces the incidence of both systemic and superficial fungal infections.     

医务人员配戴口罩预防呼吸道感染效果评价的整群随机临床试验研究

目的 评价医务人员配戴N95口罩和外科口罩预防呼吸道感染效果的差异,为制定医务人员呼吸道传染病防控策略以及做好未来流感大流行的应对和准备提供可参考的依据.方法 采用整群随机临床试验研究的方法,在2008年12月至2009年1月期间,在北京市15家医院,根据分组的情况(外科口罩组;未经适合性检测的N95口罩组;经适合性检...     

A randomized controlled trial of a low-molecular-weight heparin (enoxaparin) to prevent deep-vein thrombosis in patients undergoing elective hip surgery

There is experimental evidence that low-molecular-weight fractions of heparin are as effective as the standard form but cause less bleeding. We therefore performed a double-blind, randomized trial comparing PK10169 low-molecular-weight heparin with placebo for the prevention of venous thrombosis in patients undergoing elective hip surgery. Prophylactic treatment with a fixed dose was begun postoperatively and continued for 14 days. Fifty patients in each treatment group underwent surveillance with [125I]fibrinogen leg scanning and impedance plethysmography. In the first 24 patients, venography was performed only if either surveillance test was positive. Because the rate of venous thrombosis detected in those patients was unexpectedly low, venography was requested in the remaining 76 patients, even if the screening tests were negative. In this latter group, venous thrombosis occurred in 4 patients (10.8 percent) given PK10169 heparin and 20 patients (51.3 percent) given placebo (P = 0.0002); the corresponding rates for proximal-vein thrombosis were 5.4 percent and 23.1 percent, respectively (P = 0.029). In the entire group of 100 patients, venous thrombosis occurred in 12 percent of those given PK10169 heparin and 42 percent of those given placebo (P = 0.0007), and the corresponding rates for proximalvein thrombi were 4 percent and 20 percent, respectively (P = 0.014). The observed hemorrhagic rate was 4 percent in each treatment group. We conclude that prophylaxis with fixed-dose PK10169 heparin is effective and safe for patients undergoing elective hip replacement.