Anatomical evidence for cortical projections from the striatum in the cat

Several anatomical and physiological studies have thus far failed to confirm the existence of striatocortical projections proposed in 1895 by Cajal. Evidence for such striatocortical projections was obtained in the present study using the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) tracing method. When 0.1–0.8 μ1 of 30–50% HRP in saline was injected into different cortical regions in cats, HRP was transported to cells in different thalamic nuclei, striatum and the globus pallidus. Only large striatal cells, 30–60 μm in their long axes, contained HRP reaction product. After injection in area AI, the striatocortical cells were located in the dorsal parts of the middle third of putamen, where auditory cortical afferents are known to project, thereby suggesting reciprocal connections between the cerebral cortex and the striatum.     

Radiation hazards from 241Am sources used in thyroid studies.

The neutron and gamma photon doses corresponding to the neck and eye level from an 241AmO2 source used in thyroid studies have been theoretically estimated. The radiation hazard to the patient is found to be not significant.     

Incidence of burn wound sepsis in 600 burned patients treated in a developing country

Infection is the most important problem in the treatment of burns in a developing country. A burn compromises a major body protective mechanism, namely the skin. Hence, the susceptibility to local infection increases at these sites. The incidence of burn wound sepsis is very high in south India as the socio-economic conditions and the standard of personal hygiene are poor and the hot moist climatic conditions encourage bacterial growth. These three factors are rarely present in the temperate zone countries of Europe and North America. This study was undertaken to identify more clearly the factors that are responsible for the higher incidence of burn wound infection and to formulate methods of treatment which are appropriate for our patient population living in a tropical country.     

The microbiology and outcome of sepsis in Victoria, Australia

We analysed data from 33741 patients with ICD-10-AM-defined sepsis from an Australian hospital morbidity dataset to investigate the relationships between specific types of organisms, potential risk factors for infection, organ dysfunction, ICU utilization and hospital mortality. A total of 24% of patients received some of their care in an intensive care unit, and the overall hospital mortality rate was 18%. Gram-positive bacteria were isolated in 27% of cases and Gram-negative bacteria in 20%. Sepsis due to Staphylococcus aureus was associated with vascular and joint devices whereas Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Gram-negative rods were more common with genitourinary devices and lymphoproliferative disease. Sepsis-associated organ dysfunction most commonly involved the respiratory system, followed by the renal and circulatory systems. These patterns may provide useful clues to the pathogenesis and therapy of this often fatal syndrome which is a major ongoing problem for hospitalized patients.     

Comparison of topical gatifloxacin 0.3% and ciprofloxacin 0.3% for the treatment of bacterial keratitis

PURPOSE: To compare the bacteriologic and clinical efficacy of gatifloxacin and ciprofloxacin for the treatment of bacterial keratitis. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized clinical trial. METHODS: A total of 104 eyes of 104 patients with bacterial keratitis seen at a tertiary eye-care center were randomized to treatment with gatifloxacin 0.3% eyedrops (GAT group, 50 eyes) or ciprofloxacin 0.3% eyedrops (CIP group, 54 eyes). Patients and the treating physician were masked to the antibiotic being used. Main outcome measure studied was healing of the ulcer. Patients lost to follow-up before complete healing were excluded from further analysis. RESULTS: A significantly higher proportion of ulcers in the GAT group exhibited complete healing compared with those in the CIP group (39 eyes [95.1%] vs 38 [80.9%]; P=.042). Gatifloxacin demonstrated a significantly better action than ciprofloxacin against gram-positive cocci in vitro (P<.001), and the percentage of ulcers caused by these pathogens that healed in the GAT group was significantly better than in the CIP group (P=.009). Mean time taken for healing of ulcer and the efficacy against gram-negative bacteria did not significantly differ between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Gatifloxacin had a significantly better action against gram-positive cocci both in vitro and in vivo when compared with ciprofloxacin. In view of these organisms being the leading cause of keratitis worldwide, gatifloxacin may be a preferred alternative to ciprofloxacin as the first-line monotherapy in bacterial keratitis.