Soy and bone. Where do we stand?

Interest in the use of plant estrogens (phytoestrogens) to attenuate postmenopausal bone loss has increased during the past 10 years as healthcare consumers, practitioners, and scientists have searched for alternative treatments to the use of hormone replacement therapy. Promising research has emerged regarding the potential benefit of increased consumption of phytoestrogens, primarily from dietary soy products. Dietary phytoestrogens, primarily isoflavones found in soy foods, may alter bone turnover in postmenopausal women by decreasing bone resorption and increasing bone formation.     

Tuberculosis--where do we stand in 2003?

The decrease in TB case numbers over the past few years has been significant, and clearly there is not a current TB epidemic in the U.S. There are still problems with TB in other countries, but the plans for expanding the U.S. approach to these countries should be very beneficial. It is important to remember that TB is a cyclic disease and has been throughout history. Case numbers have gone up for various reasons about every 30 years. Perhaps the CDC goal to eliminate TB in the U.S. by 2010 will be attainable if we follow current guidelines and assist other countries in bringing this disease under control.     

Gastric tonometry: where do we stand?

Gastric tonometry has proved to be a sensitive but not specific predictor of outcome in the critically ill. The data accumulated to date indicate that those patients able to achieve or maintain a normal gastric mucosal pH do better than those who do not. In addition, therapy aimed at improving an abnormal gastric mucosal pH has proved to be less successful. These findings may simply indicate that tonometry identifies those "responders" and "nonresponders," as becomes increasingly apparent in populations of critical care patients receiving interventional therapy. Gastric tonometry has undergone a number of methodologic changes over the last decade, seeing a switch from saline to automated gas tonometry. Along with this switch of methodology has come a deeper scrutiny of the indices used to assess gut perfusion. Most studies (including all the interventional ones) have used gastric mucosal pH. The newer indices of gut luminal PCO2 (PgCO2) referenced to arterial CO2 (PgCO2-PaCO2) or end tidal CO2 (PgCO2-PeCO2), although relatively well validated, remain to be proven as predictors of outcome or guides to interventional therapy. If we take a fresh look at the interventional trials in intensive care patients, there is a very definite trend toward benefit in the protocol groups, although they are generally reported as negative studies. There is much to be accomplished, however, before we accept the gastric tonometer as a routine tool with which to guide therapy based on gastrointestinal perfusion, including a greater understanding of gastrointestinal physiology and, as ever, the call for an adequately powered prospective randomized controlled trial to evaluate the clinical utility of gas tonometry.     

Patient–ventilator asynchrony in Saudi Arabia: Where we stand?

Patient–ventilator asynchrony in Saudi Arabia practices is common, and more emphasis on how to mitigate such a clinical problem is needed. This letter is intended to shed the light on the current national evidence of patient–ventilator asynchrony and how to step ahead for better patients' ventilation management.     

Screening for renal artery stenosis: which patients? Which test?

If a patient has clinical clues suggestive of renovascular hypertension such as persistently high blood pressure despite a multiple-drug regimen, it may be reasonable to screen him or her using captopril renography, duplex ultrasonography, or magnetic resonance angiography.     

HIV and malaria interactions: where do we stand?

Reversing the spread of HIV infection and the incidence of malaria constitute two of the Millenium Development Goals. However, despite recent achievements, both diseases still entail global heath problems. Furthermore, their overlapping geographical distribution raises concerns and challenges for potential immunological, clinical and therapeutic interactions. It has been reported that HIV infection increases malaria susceptibility and reduces the efficacy of antimalarial drugs. On the other hand, the effect of malaria on HIV-infected individuals has also been explored, with the parasitic infection increasing the risk of HIV disease progression and mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The spread of malaria and parasite resistance to antimalarials could also be accelerated by HIV-associated immunosuppresion. Current knowledge of the epidemiological, clinical, immunological and therapeutic interactions of the two diseases is reviewed in this article. We focus on the latest available data, pointing out key future research areas and challenges of the field.     

Immunopharmacotherapy of non-infectious uveitis: where do we stand?

With ever-evolving concept of personalised medicine backed up with specific biomarkers for ocular inflammatory disease, there is a sudden surge of using biologics in non-infectious recalcitrant posterior uveitis. Have we understood these biologic agents enough to embark on this long enduring journey with the patient to optimise control of intraocular inflammation? On the other hand, there is still a strong inhibition of using these novel agents in management of uveitis even at tertiary referral centres. Immunopharmacotherapy of non-infectious uveitis poses a significant conundrum for both physicians and patients as it is like a two-edged sword effective to control inflammation but at the same time potentially toxic, suspected of causing long-term adverse effects. Systemic immunosuppressive therapy is used in a substantial number of most vision-threatening ocular inflammatory diseases. There is lack of randomised control trials establishing the safety of this therapy and our current practice pattern is based on retrospective studies and personal experience in using this treatment modality. This overview will highlight on the current dilemma faced by the clinicians in opting for steroid-sparing immunosuppressive therapy.     

Ethical aspects of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in premature neonates: where do we stand?

Advances in diagnosis, techniques, therapeutic interventions, organisation of perinatal care, and socio-economic factors have all contributed to the survival after resuscitation and intensive care of neonates with extremely low birth weight and gestational age. While morbidity during the first years of life in those infants does not increase, at school age multiple dysfunctions may become apparent. What are the limits of intensive care for the newborn? Is it right to use extreme technical and economic measures for neonates with a borderline chance of survival? What is justifiable for the neonate, the family, the society and how does legislation interfere in a decision process which involves starting, stopping or continuing intensive care? A short historical overview for the care of the newborn is given, followed by the outcome after resuscitation and treatment of the very low birth weight infant. Published management strategies and recommendations are discussed.