Randomised controlled trial of zinc supplementation in malnourished Bangladeshi children with acute diarrhoea

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of zinc supplementation on the clinical course, stool weight, duration of diarrhoea, changes in serum zinc, and body weight gain of children with acute diarrhoea. DESIGN: Randomised double blind controlled trial. Children were assigned to receive zinc (20 mg elemental zinc per day) containing multivitamins or control group (zinc-free multivitamins) daily in three divided doses for two weeks. SETTING: A diarrhoeal disease hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. PATIENTS: 111 children, 3 to 24 months old, below 76% median weight for age of the National Center for Health Statistics standard with acute diarrhoea. Children with severe infection and/or oedema were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Total diarrhoeal stool output, duration of diarrhoea, rate of weight gain, and changes in serum zinc levels after supplementation. RESULTS: Stool output was 28% less and duration 14% shorter in the zinc supplemented group than placebo (p = 0.06). There were reductions in median total diarrhoeal stool output among zinc supplemented subjects who were shorter (less than 95% height for age), 239 v 326 g/kg (p < 0.04), and who had a lower initial serum zinc (< 14 mmol/l), 279 v 329 g/kg (p < 0.05); a shortening of mean time to recovery occurred (4.7 v 6.2 days, p < 0.04) in those with lower serum zinc. There was an increase in mean serum zinc in the zinc supplemented group (+2.4 v -0.3 mumol/l, p < 0.001) during two weeks of supplementation, and better mean weight gain (120 v 30 g, p < 0.03) at the time of discharge from hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Zinc supplementation is a simple, acceptable, and affordable strategy which should be considered in the management of acute diarrhoea and in prevention of growth faltering in children specially those who are malnourished.     

Platelet kinetics in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and moderate thrombocytopenia

We studied ten normal subjects and 20 patients with stable, untreated idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and platelet counts in the range of 35,000 to 110,000/microL. The diagnosis was made by clinical criteria. Platelet-associated IgG was increased in all nine of the nine patients studied. Autologous platelets were labeled with chromium 51 and reinfused for measurement of mean cell life and platelet production rate. Mean cell life was calculated by two methods, weighted mean and multiple hit, with excellent agreement between the two. As expected, mean cell life was significantly reduced in ITP patients as compared to the normal subjects (2.9 days v. 8.0 days, P less than .001). However, mean platelet production rates in ITP patients and normal subjects, 3.5 and 3.8 X 10(9) platelets/k/d respectively, were not significantly different. Platelet production rate was above and below the normal range (2 to 5.6 X 10(9) platelets/k/d) in two and four patients, respectively. We conclude that the rate of platelet production is not increased in most patients with ITP who have platelet counts greater than 35,000/microL. We did find that platelet size was increased in eight of the 12 patients in whom it was measured, including two of the patients with low platelet production.     

High-dose cytosine arabinoside and daunorubicin as consolidation therapy for acute nonlymphocytic leukemia in first remission: a pilot study

High-dose (HD) cytosine arabinoside (ARA-C) is more effective treatment than conventional-dose ARA-C regimens for patients with relapsed acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL). We report here that HD ARA-C given during the first remission of ANLL has resulted in long remission durations and a high proportion of patients who survive more than three years free of disease. From August 1979 to September 1983, 36 adult patients with ANLL in first remission received one to three courses of HD ARA-C (3 g/m2 by one-hour infusion every 12 hours for 12 doses on days 1 through 6) alone or with daunorubicin (30 mg/m2 for two or three doses on days 7 through 9). Three patients died of sepsis or hemorrhage during consolidation, and 14 patients have relapsed from five to 48 months after diagnosis. The remaining 19 patients are in continued complete remission (CCR) from 11 to 62 months. Denoting all deaths in remission as relapse, the actuarial probability of CCR is 42% at 62 months, with an apparent plateau in the survival curve. Of the first 22 patients treated, ten remain in CCR from 37 to 62 months with no therapy for at least three years. Due to its heightened anti-leukemic activity, HD ARA-C allows brief but effective consolidation of ANLL in first remission, with long-term disease-free survival comparable to other approaches.     

Incidence of end-stage renal disease in medically treated patients with severe bilateral atherosclerotic renovascular disease

Incidence of end-stage renal disease in medically treated patients with severe bilateral atherosclerotic renovascular disease. Atherosclerotic renovascular disease is an important cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The exact incidence of ESRD and the rate of decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with this condition is unknown. We report the mortality, the rate of decline in renal function, and incidence of ESRD in 51 patients with bilateral atherosclerotic renovascular disease followed-up for a median period of 52 months. None of these patients had undergone any surgical or radiological intervention. Renal function was determined by serial measurements of serum creatinine. Bilateral atherosclerotic renovascular disease was associated with a high mortality rate; the crude mortality rate at 60 months was 45%. Assessment of renal function showed impaired renal function at time of angiography and a nonuniform and variable decline in renal function during the period of observation. The median GFR decreased from 39 mL/min (range, 15 to 80 mL/min) at time of angiography to 31 mL/min (range, 10 to 70 mL/min) and 24 mL/min (range, 10 to 40 mL/min) at 24 and 60 months, respectively (P < 0.05). The calculated mean rate of decline in GFR for all patients was 4 mL/min/yr (range, 1 to 16 mL/min/yr). Over the 5 years, there was a progressive increase in the incidence of ESRD. Of the original 51 patients who underwent angiography, six patients reached ESRD. The crude incidence of ESRD was, therefore, 12%. Patients who reached ESRD were characterized by advanced azotemia at the time of angiography (median GFR, 25 mL/min) and a rapid decline in GFR (8 mL/min) compared with patients who did not reach ESRD during the observation period (median GFR, 43 mL/min and an average rate of decline GFR of 3 mL/min).     

High-dose etoposide and cyclophosphamide without bone marrow transplantation for resistant hematologic malignancy

Seventy-five patients with resistant acute leukemia or lymphoma received high-dose cyclophosphamide and etoposide to explore the activity of this combination in resistant hematologic malignancies, and to determine the maximum doses of these drugs that can be combined without bone marrow transplantation. Etoposide was administered over 29 to 69 hours by continuous infusion corresponding to total doses of 1.8 g/m2 to 4.8 g/m2. Cyclophosphamide, 50 mg/kg/d, was administered on 3 or 4 consecutive days total 150 to 200 mg/kg ideal body weight). At all dose levels myelosuppression was severe but reversible. Mucosal toxicity was dose-limiting with the maximum tolerated dose level combining etoposide 4.2 g/m2 with cyclophosphamide 200 mg/kg. Continuous etoposide infusion produced stable plasma levels that were lower than would be achieved after administration by short intravenous infusion, and this could explain our ability to escalate etoposide above the previously reported maximum tolerated dose. There were 28 complete (35%) and 12 partial (16%) responses. Median duration of complete response (CR) was 3.5 months (range 1.1 to 20+). Seventeen of 40 patients (42%) with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) achieved CR, including 6 of 20 (30%) with high-dose cytosine arabinoside resistance. We conclude that bone marrow transplantation is not required after maximum tolerated doses of etoposide and cyclophosphamide. This regimen is active in resistant hematologic neoplasms, and the occurrence of CR in patients with high-dose cytosine arabinoside-resistant AML indicates a lack of complete cross-resistance between these regimens.     

Perinatal outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease

Objective: To determine whether inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with increased risk for adverse perinatal outcome.

Methods: A case–control study of 116 singleton pregnancies with IBD compared to 56?398 singleton controls delivered between 1986 and 2001.

Results: Patients with IBD were slightly older (32.8 vs. 30.6 years, p <?0.001), more likely to be Caucasian or Asian than Black or Latino (92% vs. 57%, p <?0.001) and have private health insurance (33% vs. 3%, p <?0.001). IBD was associated with an increased risk for labor induction (32% vs. 24%, p?=?0.002), chorioamnionitis (7% vs. 3%, p?=?0.04) and Cesarean section (32% vs. 22%, p?=?0.007), but there were no differences in neonatal outcomes. Subgroup analysis demonstrated an increased risk for low birth weight (LBW) in the ulcerative colitis group vs. the Crohn's disease group (19% vs. 0%, p?=?0.002). Patients with prior surgery for IBD had a lower incidence of LBW (0% vs. 12%, p?=?0.03). Flares during pregnancy were associated with an increased risk for preterm delivery (27% vs. 8%, p?=?0.02) and LBW (32% vs. 3%, p?=?0.003).

Conclusion: IBD was an independent risk factor for Cesarean section but there was no increase in adverse perinatal outcome. Crohn's disease, prior IBD surgery and quiescent disease were associated with a lower risk for LBW.     

Striated intramural gallbladder lucencies on US studies: predictors of acute cholecystitis

Ultrasound scans of 51 consecutive patients with gallbladder wall thickening were reviewed, and specific sonographic features were correlated with surgical and clinical follow-up. Two patterns of thickening were identified as specific indicators of the presence or absence of acute cholecystitis. "Striated" wall thickening, consisting of several alternating, irregular, discontinuous, lucent and echogenic bands, was seen in eight of 13 patients (62%) with acute cholecystitis. This pattern was not encountered in any of the patients who did not have acute cholecystitis. Conversely, "three-layer" thickening, consisting of a single circumferential lucent zone between two relatively uniform echogenic layers, was seen in only one of 13 patients (8%) with acute cholecystitis but in 11 of 38 patients (29%) with other diagnoses. Other abnormalities, including the presence of intramural echogenic foci and wall irregularities, were more frequently seen in patients with acute cholecystitis but were not as helpful. Use of these features may suggest or help exclude a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis in those patients in whom the cause of gallbladder wall thickening is otherwise not apparent.