Blood component therapy during the neonatal period: a national survey of red cell transfusion practice, 1985

A questionnaire to determine patterns of neonatal red cell transfusion practice during 1985 was mailed to 2200 blood banks of American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) institutional members and children's hospitals. There were 915 responses (41.6%); 785 responses (86%) contained sufficient data for analysis. The majority (70.6%) of 785 responding hospitals were community/urban institutions. However, more highly specialized, pediatric hospitals were also represented by 92 university/tertiary-care hospitals (11.7% of respondents) and 29 children's hospitals (3.7% of respondents). Two-thirds of hospitals performed a major antiglobulin crossmatch (rather than an abbreviated one) before all neonatal red cell transfusions. The red cell preparation most frequently selected for small-volume transfusions was ABO and Rh group-specific red cell concentrates. When performing only large-volume exchange transfusions, 19.2 percent of hospitals used whole blood; all others prepared reconstituted units of red cells plus fresh-frozen plasma, a practice that frequently causes exposure to two donors per unit. Another practice likely leading to multiple donor exposure is the use of fresh-frozen plasma to adjust the hematocrit of red cell preparations to a predetermined value prior to a small-volume transfusion. Over one-half of hospitals adjusting hematocrits used plasma, presumably from one donor, to dilute packed red cells from another donor, a practice that has no apparent medical benefit. Most hospitals (63.4%) provided red cells with a reduced risk of transmitting cytomegalovirus; blood from seronegative donors was selected by 65 percent of hospitals. The majority of hospitals, including most of the community/urban hospitals, did not irradiate blood products before transfusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori, cytomegalovirus,and Chlamydia pneumoniae immunoglobulin seropositivity in coronary artery disease patients and normal individuals in North Indian population

Background

In present day atherosclerosis is perceived as a chronic inflammatory vascular condition and infectious diseases are believed to contribute to its pathophysiology. In this context, the microorganisms which are believed to play a role in the pathophysiology include Chlamydia pneumoniae, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Helicobacter pylori.

Method

A case control study (retrospective) was conducted over a two-year period. The study population was divided into two groups with 200 individuals in each group. The first group comprised cases of coronary artery disease (CAD) and the second comprised healthy controls selected from the general population after matching for age and sex. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was done for immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies to H. pylori, C. pneumonia, and CMV. They were also evaluated for conventional risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidaemia. Epi Info™ version 6 six software was used for analysis of data. Odds ratio, χ² for trend and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to find out statistically significant results.

Results

Seropositivity for H. pylori was present in 119 patients of CAD (59.5%) but it was present in only 76 controls (38%) (P = 0.001). There was a statistically significant association between seropositivity for H. pylori and CAD. There was no statistically significant association between C. pneumoniae and CMV seropositivity with CAD. Multiple logistic regression analysis was done with CAD as the outcome (dependent variable). The predictor covariates (independent) variables were seropositivity to H. pylori, C. pneumoniae, and CMV, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia. It was found that seropositivity to H. pylori, hypertension, obesity, and dyslipidaemia were significant risk factors for CAD.

Conclusion

Our study shows an association between IgG antibody response to H. pylori and CAD. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that this association was retained even on comparison with the other risk factors.     

Primary 360° Broad Buckling in Retinal Detachment

Background

Chronic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment behaves like proliferative vitreo-retinopathy (PVR) even without evidence of the same. Surgery could be done either with conventional buckling procedures where the extent of buckling is determined by the number and location of the breaks or by primary vitreous surgery. In this study these cases were managed with primary 360°encircling broad buckle without a vitreous procedure.

Methods

210 eyes, with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment of more than six months duration and with PVR up to C3 (CP3 focal) were subjected to buckling surgery. Trans-scleral cryopexy of the breaks, 360°encircling buckle with a 276 - 279 tire and subretinal fluid drainage was performed.

Result

Most (85.74%) of the eyes showed anatomical retinal re-attachment.

Conclusion

Primary broad encircling buckling can be conducted successfully in cases of long standing retinal detachment.Key Words: Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, Proliferative vitreo-retinopathy, Scleral buckling, Vitreous replacement, Retinal re-attachment     

Primary 360° broad buckling in retinal detachment

Background: Chronic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment behaves like proliferative vitreo-retinopathy (PVR) even without evidence of the same. Surgery could be done either with conventional buckling procedures where the extent of buckling is determined by the number and location of the breaks or by primary vitreous surgery. In this study these cases were managed with primary 360°encircling broad buckle without a vitreous procedure.     

High incidence of sperm dysfunction in a varicocele infertile man: case report

Studies indicate abnormal semen indicators among varicocele infertile men can be reversed to normal status after surgical repair. While semen indicators and DNA damage of sperms are reported frequently, sperm function tests are rarely performed to assess the functional status of sperms among these individuals. We report a 35-year-old male with 4 years of primary infertility who otherwise has a normal sexual life. Various analyses performed revealed the interplay of multiple abnormalities leading to the observed phenotype. The individual was diagnosed with severe sperm defects, bilateral varicocele (grade II) and endocrinopathy. The percentage of functionally normal sperms were found to be 24% for hypo-osmotic swelling, 28% for acrosome reaction and 21% for nuclear chromatin decondensation test. Cytogenetic analyses showed normal karyotype and sequence-tagged-site markers based PCR showed no deletions involving key candidate genes of the Y chromosome. A thorough investigation of infertile subjects and simple diagnostic tests are essential to detect the treatable defects, in general as well as severe infertile cases, which can improve the chances of normal conception or the success rates of in-vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection.     

LASER INTERVENTION IN MACULAR OEDEMA DUE TO BRANCH RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION

20 out of 25 patients of Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion (BRVO), with macular oedema of more than six months duration and less than one year, with visual acuity (VA) less than 6/18 corrected and without retinal neovascularisation (NVE) or capillary non-perfusion (CNP) were subjected to argon-green laser photocoagulation applied in a macular grid fashion. At the end of two years 14/20 (70%) laser treated eyes in comparison to 2/5 (40%) of the non-laser group had corrected visual acuity of 6/12.KEY WORDS: Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion (BRVO), Laser, Macular grid, Macular oedema