Effect of flow rate and type of i.v. container on adsorption of diazepam to i.v. administration systems

The effect of flow rate and type of i.v. solution container on adsorption of diazepam to i.v. administration systems was studied. Diazepam solutions were prepared in 500 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride injection in glass, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) containers to a final theoretical concentration of 50 micrograms/mL. PVC administration sets were attached to the containers, and diazepam solution was infused at flow rates of 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 mL/hr. Solution samples were taken initially and at 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.00, 1.50, 2.00, 3.00, and 4.00 hours after infusion of the first 5 mL of solution through the system. Three infusion trials were performed using each type of container. Adsorption of diazepam to each type of container was evaluated by serial measurements of diazepam concentration over a 168-hour period using five containers of each type. The effect of shaking the container on diazepam adsorption to PVC containers was tested by comparing concentrations in five containers that were shaken during a two-hour period with concentrations in five unshaken containers. Diazepam concentrations were measured spectrophotometrically in duplicate. Diazepam concentrations in glass containers remained unchanged throughout the 168-hour study period; concentrations decreased by about 5% in polyethylene containers and as much as 75% in PVC bags. Shaking increased diazepam adsorption to the PVC container. In the infusion trials, the percentage of diazepam adsorbed increased as flow rate decreased. The amount of diazepam adsorbed to the i.v. administration system was ore dependent on flow rate and infusion time than on the type of container used.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Coil embolization of major bleeding after femoral fracture: A case report

Successful internal arterial embolization with steel coils in life-threatening bleeding after femoral fracture is described in an older patient.     

The effects of brisk walking on markers of bone and calcium metabolism in postmenopausal women

Weight-bearing exercise has been shown to maintain or increase bone mass in younger as well as older individuals but the mechanisms by which mechanical loading affects bone metabolism are not known in detail. Twelve postmenopausal women participated in a single bout of brisk walking (50% of VO_{2 max}) for 90 minuttes. Calciotropic hormones and markers of type I collagen formation (PICP) and degradation (ICTP) were measured before the exercise, and 1, 24, and 72 hours following the exercise. Total body bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Brisk walking did not induce any significant changes in the concentrations of ionized calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitonin, or osteocalcin. A significant increase of PICP was noted 24 and 72 hours (P<0.01) after exertion and a significant decrease in the concentration of serum ICTP at 1 hour (P<0.05) was followed by an increase at 72 hours (P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the increases in the concentrations of PICP and ICTP at 72 hours. Strong inverse correlations between the basal levels of PTH and BMD (r=−0.78;P<0.01) as well as between osteocalcin and BMD (r=−0.83;P<0.01) were noticed. The changes in serum levels of bone collagen markers indicate an altered bone collagen turnover due to this moderate endurance exercise. The results also support the fact that serum levels of PTH as well as those of osteocalcin are associated with total body BMD in postmenopausal women.     

Monosomy and trisomy of 15q24→qter in a family with a translocation t(6;15)(P25;q24)

A child with multiple anomalies, including growth retardation, a left-sided diaphragmatic hernia with lung hypoplasia, and cerebral malformations is described. Cytogenetic investigation demonstrated a deletion of the distal part of one chromosome 15, del(15)(q24qter), an aberration not previously described. Family studies revealed that the mother had a balanced translocation, t(6;15)(p25;q24). Two of her subsequent pregnancies resulted in abortions after prenatal diagnosis: one fetus was trisomic for 15q24→qter, while the other had monosomy 15q24→qter and a left-sided diaphragmatic hernia similar to the first child.     

Cytogenetics of secondary myelodysplasia (sMDS) and acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (sANLL)

76 cases of secondary myelodysplasia (sMDS) and acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (sANLL) were cytogenetically analyzed. Among the 36 sMDS patients, 13 (36%) had only normal karyotypes whereas 23 (64%) displayed clonal chromosomal abnormalities. The most common aberrations were -7, 5q-, -5, and +8. In 10 patients (43% of the cytogenetically aberrant cases), clones with only one anomaly, mostly 5q- or -7, were found. Of the 40 sANLL patients, normal karyotypes were detected in 10 (25%). Among the 30 (75%) abnormal cases, the most frequent aberrations were -7, -5, +8, 7q-, -17, and +21. 12 patients (40%) had clones with single abnormalities, most often -7. In 4 sANLL patients cytogenetically unrelated clones were detected. A survey of all previously published secondary hematologic neoplasias reveals that the most frequent abnormalities in sMDS are -7 (41%), 5q- (28%), and -5 (11%), followed by der(21q), +8, 7q-, der(12p), t(1;7), -12, -17, der(17p), der(3p), der(6p), and -18. Clones with single aberrations have been found in 45% of the cases and cytogenetically unrelated clones have been described in 6%. The most common abnormalities in sANLL are -7 (38%), 5q- (17%), -5 (15%), +8 (13%), and -17 (11%), followed by der(3q), der(11q), der(12p), -21, 7q-, -18, der(3p), der(17p), +21, der(21q), der(6p), and -16. 38% of the sANLL patients have had clones with only one aberration and 3% have had unrelated clones. The frequencies of these nonrandom abnormalities in sMDS and sANLL are thus remarkably similar - the only exception appears to be 5q-, which is more common in sMDS. Also the mean number of abnormalities per case is similar - 5.3 in sMDS and 5.6 in sANLL. When the incidences of characteristic cytogenetic abnormalities were correlated with the type of previous therapy, -7 was found to be more frequent in sMDS and sANLL patients who had been exposed to chemotherapy whereas 5q- was associated with previous exposure to ionizing radiation in sMDS patients.     

Proliferative activity and number of clonal chromosome aberrations in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

Thymidine labelling indices (LI) and the number of clonal chromosome aberrations were assessed in fine-needle aspirates from enlarged lymph nodes in 22 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). 11 patients had LI greater than 3.0 (median 8.4) and 11 others had LI less than 3.0 (median 1.0). Three categories of chromosome aberration were recorded: normal karyotype, 1-5 aberrations, and greater than or equal to 6 aberrations or multiple complex changes. The distribution of these categories was different among the patients with LI greater than 3.0 compared to those with LI less than 3.0 (p = 0.02). 8 of 11 patients with LI greater than 3.0 had greater than or equal to 6 or complex changes. The corresponding figures for patients with LI less than 3.0 were 2 out of 11. When 16 previously untreated patients were analysed separately, the median number of clonal aberrations was 6.5 in 8 patients with LI greater than 3.0 and 2.5 in 8 others with LI less than 3.0 (p = 0.025). The results suggest that early and spontaneous changes in the genetic material are common in lymphomas with a high proliferative activity. According to previous studies, therapeutic results are especially poor in NHL with high LI. It is proposed that a high proliferative activity of lymphoma cells facilitates an early development of several new mutants and that some of these may be resistant to chemotherapeutic agents.     

Chromosome analysis of a newly established renal carcinoma cell line

A renal cell carcinoma has been established as a cell line in vitro. Repeated chromosome analyses of the cell line revealed a stable clone with the modal chromosome number 80 and three pairs of marker chromosomes, M1-M3. M1 and M2 resulted from a translocation between a chromosome #3 deleted in band p14 and a normal #7: M1 = der(3)t(3;7) (:3p14----cen----3q24::7q21----7qter), and M2 = der(7)t(3;7)(3qter----3q24::7q21----cen----7pter ). M3 was a small metacentric chromosome, probably consisting of the centromeric portion of a #3: del(3)(:p14----cen----q12:). No other structural changes were present. Our findings are in agreement with those of previous studies, stating that rearrangements of 3p12-14 are primary cytogenetic events in renal cell carcinomas, even though this can only be inferred in this case. Thus, this cell line may be useful for further molecular and biochemical studies.