Pharmacy patron perspectives of community pharmacist administered influenza vaccinations

Background

One approach to boost influenza vaccination coverage has been to expand immunization authority. In 2012, the province of Ontario gave community pharmacists the authority to administer the influenza vaccine.

Extrapontine myelinolysis in a 4 year old with diabetic ketoacidosis

Extrapontine and central pontine myelinolysis (EPM/CPM) are rare events in pediatric neurology but can have devastating consequences. They are most commonly associated with rapid correction of hyponatremia but have been reported in other situations as well. This condition is relatively more common in adult neurology, not surprisingly, as alcoholism and associated malnutrition are often predisposing conditions. There have been few case reports in children with regards to this. We describe a 4-year old who presented with focal neurological deficits in the setting of diabetic ketoacidosis and the ensuing underlying osmotic imbalances. The patient made a remarkable recovery with no deficits of note-cognitive or motor. To our knowledge this is the youngest case reported so far of EPM in a child with diabetic ketoacidosis. The history of the condition, early animal experiments, clinicopathologic correlates, previous case reports and other scenarios in which this unusual event can occur are discussed--though the exact pathogenesis of this condition still remains unclear. We hope to bring to the attention of clinicians caring for children in the acute care setting, the importance of gradual correction of serum osmolality to reduce morbidity and mortality.     

Neuroimaging in Pineal Tumors

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The authors report radiological findings in 11 tumors in the pineal region, which were histologically diagnosed as germinomas, pineocytomas pineoblastomas, ependymomas, teratomas, and astrocytomas. METHODS: Computed tomography (CT) was performed in seven patients and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in all patients. RESULTS: CT showed a solid or solid/cystic mass with variable contrast enhancement. MRI showed a heterogeneous mass, with hypointense signal on T1 and iso/hyperintense signal on T2-weighted images (WI) and gadolinium enhancement. Extension to adjacent structures occurred in five patients and spread through the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in two. CONCLUSIONS: Pineal region tumors have no pathognomonic imaging pattern. MRI and CT are complementary in diagnosis and are important to determine localization, extension, and meningeal spread.     

Maxillary sinusitis — A correlative study

A correlative study of the clinical findings and radiographic findings, antral lavage, bacterial flora, and antibacterial therapy was done on forty five patients with fifty six radiographically abnormal antra. Twenty six patients, thirty two maxillary antra were followed up after treatment. Clinically, purulent nasal discharge, fever, pus in the middle meatus and sinus tenderness, radiographically opacity and fluid levels, purulent or mucoid return on antral lavage yielded a significantly high positive bacterial culture justifying the treatment with antibiotics. The common organisms isolated were haemophilus influezae and streptococcus pneumonia. Mucosal thickening as observed radiographically may be an intermediary sign either in the development or in the recovery of maxillary sinusitis.     

Development of neoplastic phenotype following transfection of HNF cells with sarcoma DNA

DNA isolated from chondrosarcoma cells effectively transformedNIH-3T3 cells and human foreskin fibroblasts. The transfectedNIH-3T3 cells, directly implanted three or four passages later,formed progressively growing tumors ( 2.0 cm in diameter) subcutaneouslyin nude mice. No metastasis was evident upon pathological examinationof the tumor bearing mice. Transfected human foreskin fibroblaststhat exhibited anchorage independent growth formed only smalltumors in nude mice (<0.6 cm in diameter). The transfectedhuman cells which exhibited anchorage independent growth reactedwith the monoclonal antibody 345.134S, specific for an epitopeexpressed by human sarcoma cells. The transfected NIH-3T3 cellsdid not exhibit reactivity with the same monoclonal antibody.Southern blot analysis of the DNA prepared from the transfectedNIH-3T3 cells, that developed as a progressively growing tumorin a nude mouse, revealed the presence of human repetitive DNAsequences.     

Rapid screening of fecal samples for Vibrio cholerae by a coagglutination technique.

A coagglutination procedure for detecting Vibrio cholerae was applied directly to 125 watery fecal samples received in the laboratory for bacteriological culture: many of these were from suspected cases of cholera. Of 47 bacteriologically proved cases of cholera, 44 (93.6%) gave positive results by the coagglutination method. There was a good correlation between the coagglutination method, dark-field microscopy, and culture.