Prevalence and aetiology of neurological impairment in extremely low birthweight infants

Objective : To determine the prevalence and perinatal predictors of cerebral palsy, intellectual impairment, visual impairment and deafness in a cohort of extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants at two years of age.
Methodology : The study population comprised 199 of the 224 (89%) ELBW infants managed at the Mater's Mothers Hospital, Brisbane, between July 1977 and February 1990 and who survived to two years. The prevalence of cerebral palsy, intellectual impairment, blindness and deafness was measured by clinical, psychometric and audiological assessment and the association with 24 risk factors examined.
Results : Cerebral palsy occurred in 20 children (10%). Risk of cerebral palsy was associated with ventricular dilatation, intraventricular haemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis and multiple birth, though only ventricular dilatation (OR 4.41; 95% Cl 1.32-14.8) remained significant in the adjusted analysis. Intellectual impairment occurred in 20 children (10%) and was independently associated with ventricular dilatation (OR 15.0; 95% Cl 2.2-102.8), ventilation F _iO₂ >80% (OR 3.4; 95% Cl 1.01-11.5), vaginal delivery (OR 3.5; 95% Cl 1.09-11.4) and male sex (OR 6.1; 95% Cl 1.67-22.3). No perinatal predictor was statistically associated with risk of deafness. Retinopathy of prematurity (OR 36.9; 95% Cl 2.8-495.5) was associated with risk of later visual impairment.
Conclusions : Intellectual impairment was associated with a broad range of perinatal variables. Cerebral palsy was associated with fewer variables, all of which were also associated with intellectual impairment. Neurologic injury was associated with male sex and multiple birth, which are not biological insults themselves, but may be markers of susceptibility to injury.     

Effect of antioxidants on endotoxicosis in experimental peritonitis

The chronic experiments on dogs with a peritonitis model showed that drugs possessing antioxidant properties (vitamin E, dimephosphon, xymedone) are capable of decreasing the inflammatory phenomena in abdominal cavity and decreasing the expression of endogenous intoxication, as manifested by a decrease in the plasma toxicity and the content of average-molecular-weight peptides and lipid peroxidation products. The most pronounced positive effect was observed for xymedone. A certain correlation between the effects of antioxidants upon endotoxicosis and free-radical lipid peroxidation reactions was established. This result suggests the therapeutic effect of antioxidants used for the treatment of peritonitis is related to their membrane-stabilizing ability.     

New approaches to diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy by dipolar electrocardiography

AIM: To show possibilities of dipolar electrocardiography (DECG) in diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We made DECG in 151 healthy subjects and 158 hypertensive patients. To characterize DECG quantitatively, we used the integral activation duration index (IADI) calculated as a weighted sum of the areas with different duration of activation, module of the maximal vector QRS, QRSxIADI (IADIM). RESULTS: In patients with left ventricular myocardial mass index (LVMMI) under 150 g/m2, sensitivity of DECG was 38-49%, in the index over 150 g/m2 sensitivity reached 38-75%, specificity 89-98% compared to healthy examinees and 72-82% compared to hypertensive patients without LVH. The IADIM parameter correlates directly (moderate correlation) with duration of QRS complex and LVMMI. CONCLUSION: Possibilities of using parameters IADI and IADIM for assessment of electrophysiological myocardial remodeling and their correlation with other methods need further investigations.     

Single intracerebroventricular administration of amyloid-beta (25-35) peptide induces impairment in short-term rather than long-term memory in rats

Ample experimental evidence indicates that intracerebral injection or infusion of amyloid-beta peptides (Abeta) to rodents induces learning and memory impairments as well as neurodegeneration in brain areas related to cognitive function. In the present study, we assessed the effects of a single intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of aggregated Abeta fragment (25-35) at a dose of 15nmol/rat on short-term and long-term memory in rats during the 6-month post-surgery period. The results demonstrate that Abeta(25-35)-induced memory impairments in spontaneous alternation behavior in a Y-maze at 17, 36, and 180 days after the surgery as well as in a social recognition task 110 days post-surgery. Abeta(25-35) also impaired spatial memory in an 8-arm radial maze, but did not influence performance of the step-down passive avoidance task. These results suggest that Abeta(25-35) preferably induces impairments of spatial and non-spatial short-term (working) memory rather than long-term memory in rats.     

Computerized tomography of the lungs and mediastinum in children with tuberculosis risk

Computed tomography (CT) was made in 75 children and adolescents infected with M. tuberculosis. As shown by x-ray, they had normal lungs and mediastinum. The children comprised a group of tuberculosis risk and had undergone regular check-ups for tuberculosis. CT has detected tuberculosis of the intrathoracic lymph nodes (ITLN) in 28(37.3%) children. Adenopathies were discovered in 8 anatomic groups, being more frequent in retrocaval, tracheobronchial, pulmonary and paratracheal. 25 children were diagnosed to have minor form of ITLN tuberculosis (nodes size 6-10 mm), 3 children had more prominent adenopathy up to 20 mm in diameter. Three groups of preventive policy are identified: with minor tuberculosis of ITLN, intrathoracic micropolyadenopathy and normal CT picture of the lungs and mediastinum.     

Possibility of using microbiological data in epidemiological analysis of hospital pneumonias

A total of 528 patients with nosocomial pneumonias were examined by bacteriological methods during 4 years. The data on the patients and on 2468 bacterial strains isolated from them were computer processed using original software "Hospital Infection". Special attention was paid to hospital strains of pneumonia agents of the same taxonomic position with identical markers of antibacterial resistance. Tendencies and seasonal fluctuations in the prevalence of hospital serovars were detected. Special bacteriological studies helped detect differences in the translocation capacity of different biological variants of the agents. Routine bacteriological studies and their adequate statistical computer processing yield information needed for epidemiological analysis of the development of nosocomial pneumonias in patients of clinical wards of different profile.     

The effect of erythromycin on immunity in immunodeficiency

The effect of 12.5 and 25 mg/kg doses of erythromycin on the immunity of intact mice and in cyclophosphan- and azathioprine-induced immunodeficiency was studied. Erythromycin has no effect on the number of antibody-forming cells in the spleen of intact and immunocompromised with cyclophosphan animals. It increases their number against the background of azathioprine. Immunosuppression may change the character of the effect of erythromycin on delayed hypersensitivity. Erythromycin stimulates phagocyte activity in intact animals and in immunosuppression.