Impact of a Pharmacist-Based Consult Service on Nutritional Rehabilitation of Nonambulatory Patients with Severe Developmental Disabilities

A pharmacist consult service was developed to evaluate the appropriateness of enteral feeding through a permanent ostomy in 24 nonambulatory patients with severe developmental disabilities. Several problems with enteral nutrition were identified. Policies to improve them were instituted, and several educational presentations were made. Pharmacists' actions were implemented, including assessment of energy needs by indirect calorimetry and rearrangement of enteral feeding schedules to achieve optimal nutrition support and pharmacotherapy administration. By the fourth month of the consult service, body weight in these patients increased from 101 ± 6% of baseline to 109 ± 7% (p<0.05). Weight continued to increase through the seventh month of the consult service to 116 ± 12% of baseline (p<0.0001). Measured resting energy expenditure for the group was 889 ± 170 kcal/day compared with the predicted 1055 ± 163 kcal/day.     

Effect of ozonized normal saline on biochemical parameters of the liver in malignant growth

Injection of ozonized normal saline to animals with transplanted sarcoma-45 normalized energy metabolism in the liver, which is important for this organ's function under conditions of malignant growth. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 126, No. 8, pp. 207–209, August, 1998     

Renal transplantation performed across a positive crossmatch: A single centre experience

The importance of certain positive crossmatches (CM⁺) in kidney transplantation remains controversial. Fifty consecutive kidney transplants were performed across a CM⁺ between Jan. 1990 – April 1994. In 19 cases there was an isolated B-cell CM⁺ (Group I), in 24 an historic T-cell IgM CM⁺ (Group II) and in 7 an historic T-cell IgG CM⁺ (Group III). Comparing groups I:II:III: early acute rejection affected 32%, 42%, 57% of grafts; mean serum creatinine at 3 months was 166, 150, 229 umol/l (p<0.05); 1 yr graft survival was 95 per cent, 96 per cent, 71 per cent (p=0.09). In group III both graft losses were in the setting of an additional current B-cell CM⁺. Conclusions: Transplantation performed in either the presence of an isolated B-cell CM⁺ or in the presence of an historic T-cell IgM CM⁺ was associated with acceptable outcomes at 1 yr. An historic T-cell IgG CM⁺ was confirmed as a contraindication to transplantation in most circumstances, especially when coupled with a current B-cell CM⁺.     

Clinicopathological features of bladder cancer associated with chronic exposure to arsenic.

A high incidence of bladder cancer has been documented in an area of chronic arsenic (As) exposure. This study investigates the characteristics of As-associated (n = 49) and other (n = 64) bladder cancers. A higher histological grading was observed for the As-exposed tumours (P = 0.04), but no other difference in pathobiological features or prognosis was found between the two groups.     

Central circulation in rats with different tolerance to acute blood loss

Study of the dynamics of cardiac output in rats with different tolerance to acute massive blood loss showed that the pumping ability of the heart remains intact during the entire posthemorrhagic period in all high-resistant and in 65% low-resistant rats. In 35% rats that were low-resistant to blood loss, the cardiac output deficiency syndrome developed after cessation of bleeding against the background fall in arterial pressure and a decrease in the hepatic blood flow, which are the signs of rapid variant of the dysfunction produced by acute blood loss. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 126, No. 10, pp. 384–388, October, 1998     

Intrafamilial variation of the phenotype in Bardet-Biedl syndrome

AIMS—To describe the variation of the phenotype within families with several individuals with Bardet-Biedl syndrome.
METHODS—The phenotypes of affected siblings in 11 Scandinavian families were compared with two or more members who had at least three of the features: retinal dystrophy, polydactyly, obesity, hypogenitalism, and mental retardation. Individuals without retinal dystrophy were excluded.
RESULTS—Intrafamilial variation of expressivity of the features obesity, polydactyly, abnormal radiograms of the extremities, hypogenitalism, short stature, paraplegia, and dental abnormalities was found. The retinal dystrophy varied with respect to both the onset of symptoms and the course of the disease. The morphology of the fundus, however, was consistent within the families. The disorder showed statistically significant genetic linkage to the BBS4 locus on chromosome 15 in the affected siblings in two of the families, but the clinical features in these patients did not differ from the other cases of Bardet-Biedl syndrome.
CONCLUSION—Comparison of siblings with the Bardet-Biedl syndrome showed variation of the typical features. In addition, the course of retinal dystrophy varied. No distinctive clinical features were found to separate the BBS4 phenotype from the remaining patients.