Effects on growth of single short courses of fluoroquinolones

The aim of the study was to document the effects of short courses of fluoroquinolones given during an outbreak of multidrug resistant typhoid fever in southern Viet Nam on the growth of children over a period of two years. In a prospective cohort study, 326 Vietnamese children aged between 1 and 14 years were followed up for two years after receiving either ciprofloxacin (70 mg/kg given over 7 d) (n = 173) or ofloxacin (45-50 mg/kg given over 3-5 d) (n = 153) for suspected typhoid fever. Growth velocity and weight for height were compared with an age matched control group of children from the same locality (n = 223) who had not contracted typhoid or received any fluoroquinolones. In the ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin treated patients there was no evidence of acute joint toxicity, nor of any joint symptoms attributable to either of the fluoroquinolones. There was no difference in expected weight for height measurements between the three groups of children over the two year period. During the first year, height velocity in ciprofloxacin treated children was greater than in either ofloxacin treated children or untreated controls. Height velocity in the latter two groups was not significantly different. After two years height velocity was similar in the three groups. The results support the use of short course fluoroquinolone treatment in childhood typhoid, especially when caused by strains resistant to other antibiotics.     

Biochemical methods and their place in prognosis and evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment of small cell lung cancer

The blood plasma levels of ACTH, CEA, calcitonin, parathyrin, hydrocortisone, serotonin, and histamine were measured radioimmunologically in 58 cases of small cell lung cancer prior to treatment. Elevated concentrations of CEA (61%) and ACTH (44%) were relatively frequent. Blood plasma--ACTH level in cases of expanded small cell lung cancer was higher than in healthy subjects and patients with localized tumor. A correlation was found between cancer patients survival time and the basal levels of CEA, ACTH and calcitonin. Polyamines were assayed in diurnal urine of 24 cancer patients prior to treatment and during chemotherapy. The mean level of putrescine before treatment was much in excess of normal value. Responders to treatment revealed a considerable rise in spermidine excretion within the first 10 days after treatment. In non-responders, spermidine excretion remained at the same level.     

Measurement of cardiac output: Comparison of four different methods

Background In off pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (OPCAB), dislocation of the heart influences cardiac output (CO) rapidly. In this study, we compared bolus thermodilution technique (TDCO) with thermal based Continuous cardiac output (CCO), Pulse contour Cardiac Output (Pulse CO) technique and Non Invasive Cardiac Output (NICO) techniques of continuous cardiac output measurement. Methods 75 patients undergoing OPCAB were studied. In Group A (n=25), CO was measured by arterial waveform analysis. In Group B (n=25), NICO was measured by Carbon dioxide (CO₂) partial rebreathing and in Group C (n=25), it was measured continuously using CCO catheter. CO was also measured by TDCO in all patients. Data were analysed using Bland Altman and regression plot analysis. ANOVA test was applied to compare the groups. Results CO measurements were comparable in the three groups. However CCO showed closest agreement with TDCO. During distal coronary artery anastomosis and at low CO, all three techniques showed poor agreement with TDCO and showed a higher CO than TDCO. Conclusion All the methods were statistically comparable and hence interchangeable for CO measurement in OPCAB. However NICO is least expensive and easy to use.     

Treatment of patients with infection-dependent bronchial asthma by conservative pulsed irrigation of the bronchi in fiber bronchoscopy with intal and heparin solutions

The authors presented the results of treatment of 115 patients with infection-dependent bronchial asthma. The most noticeable effect was observed in the patients on combined therapy including impulse irrigation of the bronchi (during sparing fibrobronchoscopy) with intal and heparin solutions as compared to the controls receiving this procedure with heparin solution (without intal) and a group of patients who had received intal inhalation by a routine method. A positive therapeutic effect was observed earlier in the patients receiving therapeutic bronchofibroscopy with heparin solution than in patients whose combined therapy included bronchoscopic sanation with nitrofurazone solution. The efficacy of the use of impulse irrigation of the bronchi (in sparing fibrobronchoscopy) with intal and heparin solutions in infection-dependent bronchial asthma was emphasized by the authors.     

Antibodies to hepatitis C virus in autologous blood donors

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major cause of posttransfusion hepatitis. Two anti-HCV enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kits and one recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) were used to test serum samples of 1476 donations from 692 autologous blood donors to assess the prevalence of anti-HCV and its relationship to transfusion history. Of all autologous blood donations, 23 (1.6%) reacted when tested with one EIA kit and 29 (2.0%) reacted when tested by the other EIA kit. Of the autologous donors, 12 (1.78%) reacted by the first EIA kit and 14 (2.02%) by the second. Discrepancies in the EIA results from different donations by the same donor were seen in seven donors. The RIBA was positive or indeterminate in 33 percent of the EIA-reactive donations and in 41 percent of EIA-reactive donors. All RIBA-positive and -indeterminate samples reacted with both EIA kits. There was no significant difference in the EIA-reactive rates of autologous and first-time homologous blood donors. Previously transfused autologous blood donors had a higher anti-HCV EIA-reactive rate than nontransfused autologous donors, but the difference was not significant. In regard to hepatitis C, the use of autologous blood for homologous transfusion appears to be as safe as the use of blood from first-time homologous donors. Universal testing of previously transfused patients for hepatitis C appears premature at this time. Discrepant anti-HCV EIA results from different donations from the same individual have implications regarding donor deferral.