Hood versus mask nebulization in infants with evolving bronchopulmonary dysplasia in the neonatal intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To compare infants' discomfort, nursing-time and caregiver preference, and assess the clinical efficiency (as a secondary outcome) of hood versus facemask nebulization in infants with evolving bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in the neonatal intensive care unit. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, open, randomized, controlled crossover clinical trial. In total, 10 infants with BPD who were on inhaled beta-agonist bronchodilators and corticosteroids were randomly assigned to receive their nebulized treatments either by a facemask, or by a hood for 2-3 days, and then crossover to receive the same treatments with the other technique for another 2-3 days. Infants' discomfort, nursing-time, caregiver preference and clinical efficiency were compared. RESULTS: At baseline there was no significant clinical difference between the groups. Nurse-time required for administering the hood nebulization (mean+/-s.e.m.: 1.9+/-0.1 min) was significantly shorter than the time for mask nebulization (12.0+/-0.6 min, P<0.0001). Infants' discomfort score was significantly lower (0.1+/-0.04) for hood versus mask nebulization (2.5+/-0.2, P<0.0001). Nurses and parents unequivocally preferred the hood treatment. During both mask and hood nebulization therapies (2-3 days) clinical efficiency was comparable. While both methods caused an immediate (20 min post) clinical improvement, the immediate respiratory assessment change score was significantly greater for the hood versus the mask nebulization (0.62+/-0.27 versus 0.13+/-0.14, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nebulization of aerosolized medications in infants with evolving BPD by hood was less time-consuming for caregivers and was much better tolerated by the infants while being at least as effective as the conventional facemask nebulization.     

Incidence rates of acute promyelocytic leukemia among Hispanics, blacks, Asians, and non-Hispanic whites in the United States.

Despite significant improvements in the prognosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia brought about by therapeutic advances, understanding of the epidemiology of acute promyelocytic leukemia remains limited. Earlier reports have suggested that Hispanics may have an increased incidence of acute promyelocytic leukemia, but no systematic analysis of national data has yet been reported. We performed a retrospective cohort study, using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute from 1992-2001 in order to compare leukemia incidence rates as a function of race and ethnicity. We identified 709 cases of acute promyelocytic leukemia and analyzed incidence rates by race and sex. Hispanics were not found to have greater lifetime incidence rates than whites, with an incidence relative rate (IRR) of 0.86 that of whites (P=0.17). The age distribution among Hispanics was significantly different from non-Hispanic whites, with greater incidence rates for children ages 1-19 years (IRR=1.9, P=0.02) and adult ages 20-44 years (IRR=1.6, P=0.004). Blacks had lower lifetime incidence rates than non-Hispanic whites (IRR=0.75, P=0.04), Hispanics (IRR=0.64, P=0.007), and Asians (IRR=0.67, P=0.03). Asians did not differ from non-Hispanic whites in lifetime or age-specific incidence rates. These results indicate that while US Hispanics do not have greater lifetime incidence rates of acute promyelocytic leukemia, blacks have lower incidence rates of acute promyelocytic leukemia than Hispanics, non-Hispanic whites, and Asians.     

Effects of estradiol alone and combined with norethisterone acetate on pulse-wave velocity in hypertensive postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Arterial hypertension and postmenopausal reduction of estrogen levels may be involved in modifications of the stiffness of large arteries. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the pulse-wave velocity (PWV) and indirectly the arterial stiffness in hypertensive postmenopausal women submitted to hormone therapy with estradiol alone or combined with norethisterone acetate. SUBJECTS: Forty-five hypertensive postmenopausal women were double-blindly, randomly assigned to three arms of treatment: placebo (group I); estradiol 2 mg/day (group II); or estradiol 2 mg/day and norethisterone acetate 1 mg/day (group III). METHODS: Arterial stiffness was assessed from PWV measurements of the common carotid and femoral arteries (CF-PWV) and the common carotid and radial arteries (CR-PWV) obtained using the automatic Complior(R) device, taken at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: After the 12-week treatment, values of CF-PWV and CR-PWV were not significantly different (p = 0.910 and p = 0.736, respectively) among the groups. Systolic blood pressure showed a positive correlation with CF-PWV in groups II and III (p = 0.02 and p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: PWV and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal hypertensive women did not reduce over a 12-week treatment with estradiol alone compared with the same period of treatment with estradiol combined with norethisterone acetate.     

Differential role for the striatum and cerebellum in response to novel movements using a motor learning paradigm.

The aim of this pilot study was to examine the role of the striatum and cerebellum in the adaptation to a novel movement within a sequence of practiced movements using a motor learning paradigm. The performance of patients in the early or advanced stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) and of patients with damage to the cerebellum (CE) was compared, respectively to a group of aged and young matched controls on an adapted version of the Mirror-Tracing Test. In this task, subjects were required to trace a series of complex figures in two conditions: (1) a Practiced condition, in which the figures were composed of the juxtaposition of three simple designs that were extensively practiced before; and (2) a Mixed condition in which triads were created by replacing the last simple figure of the triads in the Practiced condition by a new simple figure that had never been traced individually before. Results showed that all clinical groups were slower than controls at tracing the Practiced triads. Most interestingly, however, only patients in the advanced stages of PD showed increased completion time to trace the triads in the Mixed condition. This suggests that a bilateral striatal dysfunction affects the ability to adapt to a novel motion within a sequence of practiced movements. Although exploratory, these results support a functional dissociation between the striatum and cerebellum in acquiring visuomotor skilled behaviors.     

Evidence that the Receptor for Soluble CD14:LPS Complexes may not be the Putative Signal-Transducing Molecule Associated with Membrane-Bound CD14

Membrane-bound CD14 acts as a receptor for lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils. Studies have suggested that the activation of monocytes/macrophages by the binding of LPS to membrane-bound CD14 may require the association of a signal-transducing molecule with membrane-bound CD14. The observation that non-CD14 expressing cells, such as endothelial cells, can nevertheless be activated by a complex of LPS and a soluble form of CD14 (sCD14) suggests that the receptor for this complex may be identical to the signal transducing molecule associated with membrane-bound CD14. The studies described show that two CD14-specific MoAb are able to block the LPS-induced activation of endothelial cells but do not affect the response of monocytes to LPS. This suggests that the interaction of the sCD14:LPS complex with endothelial cells is distinct from the interaction of membrane-bound CD14 with its putative signal-transducing molecule.