Passive smoking: A danger to children''s health

The most common cause of illness in infancy and childhood is acute infection of the respiratory tract. Several recent studies have reported that life-threatening respiratory disease in infancy, such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis, is directly related to the smoking habits of parents. The effects of smoking are more hazardous to youngsters because babies and young children breathe more rapidly than adults. Because of this higher breathing rate, they inhale more air—and more pollution—in comparison to their total body weight. The harmful effects of cigarette smoking on infants and children and recommendations for specific interventions to minimize or eliminate this health hazard are discussed.     

Comparative analysis of the effect of gestagens,antiestrogencytostatics, and androstenes on the viability of tumor and normal cells

The hormonal compound with the highest cytostatic activity against MCF-7 tumor cells (human breast cancer, BC) and the lowest activity against normal cells (rat skin fibroblasts) was sought among gestagens, androstenes, and antiestrogencytostatics. It was found that antiestrogencytostatics and androstenes had the highest cytostatic activity against tumor cells whereas gestagens and antiestrogencytostatics were least active against fibroblasts. Studies of the activity of the hormonal compounds in combination with doxorubicin on the viability of MCF-7 and rat skin fibroblasts found that all investigated compounds with the exception of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) intensify the cytostatic activity of doxorubicin against tumor cells, the greatest effect seen for antiestrogencytostatics. A chemoprotective effect of androstenes on normal cells was noted. __________ Translated from Khimiko-Farmatsevticheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 41, No. 7, pp. 3–7, July, 2007.     

Long-term anticoagulant therapy in patients with coronary artery disease.

Secondary prevention of coronary events in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with aspirin is generally accepted because of ease of administration, predictable safety, and proven efficacy. The use of long-term anticoagulant therapy with heparins, vitamin-K antagonists (VKAs), or thrombin inhibitors is, however, more controversial. During the last 40 years, several trials have been conducted in order to evaluate the role of anticoagulant therapy in patients with CAD as a protection against subsequent death and thrombo-embolic complications. The conducted trials are heterogeneous in many ways, concerning comparative medications, patient populations, endpoints and follow-up, which makes a standardized recommendation on the basis of these studies difficult. This review is an overview of the largest and best studies on this topic and discusses the scientific background for a possible use of VKA or an alternative anticoagulant treatment in CAD patients, looking at both the beneficial effects and the risk of bleeding.     

Effectiveness and nephrotoxicity of intravenous colistin for treatment of patients with infections due to polymyxin-only-susceptible (POS) gram-negative bacteria

The prospective case series study presented here was conducted to assess the outcome of patients with infections caused by polymyxin-only-susceptible (POS) gram-negative bacteria managed with intravenous colistin. Between July 2003 and April 2005 a total of 27 patients were infected with a POS gram-negative bacterium and received intravenous colistin at a dose of 2 million international units (MIU) (160 mg or 66.7 mg colistin base) every 8 h for a mean (±SD) duration of 13.9 (±7.5) days. Nine patients had ventilator-associated pneumonia and received, in addition to the intravenous colistin therapy, 1 MIU (80 mg or 33.3 mg colistin base) aerosolized colistin every 12 h for a mean (±SD) duration of 13 (±6.5) days. The predominant pathogens were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=17) and Acinetobacter baumannii (n=12); in two patients both pathogens were isolated from one clinical specimen. In-hospital mortality and clinical response were 15% and 85%, respectively. Colistin-associated nephrotoxicity was observed in two of the 27 patients. POS gram-negative pathogens represent a major threat for hospitalized patients. Colistin appears to be an effective and safe treatment, even in patients with severe underlying diseases.