Food group intake patterns and associated nutrient profiles of the US population

We developed a method for evaluating food group intake patterns using dietary recall data (n = 11,529) from the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We used this method to examine the relationship of these food group intake patterns to nutrient intake and to selected biochemical indexes of nutritional status. We evaluated each 24-hour dietary intake recall for the presence or omission of five broad food groups--dairy, meat, grain, fruit, and vegetable. The five most prevalent patterns and the proportion of the population reporting them was as follows: all food groups, 33.6%; no fruit, 23.9%; no dairy and fruit, 9.0%; no dairy, 8.0%; and no fruit and vegetable, 5.6%. In the most prevalent pattern, all food groups were consumed; this was the only pattern that provided mean amounts of all of the key vitamins and minerals at levels greater than or equal to the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). This pattern also was reported by the lowest proportion of individuals consuming less than 100% RDA of the key nutrients. Patterns in which both fruit and vegetables were consumed were associated with highest levels of serum vitamin C. The consistency of these results indicates that screening diets for food group consumption can quickly provide meaningful information about their quality.     

Group B streptococcal endocarditis mimicking mitral valve myxoma

A patient with group B streptococcal endocarditis and large vegetations resembling mitral valve myxoma is described. Group B streptococcal endocarditis and the differential diagnosis of vegetations and cardiac tumors are briefly reviewed.     

Attenuated vascular reactivity in dogs with anteroventral third ventricle lesions.

Lesion of the anteroventral portion of the third cerebral ventricle causes hypernatremia, adipsia, and attenuation of the pressor response to intravenous administration of angiotensin II and norepinephrine. In addition, these lesions prevent the development of several experimental models of hypertension. In this study, a lesion of the third cerebral ventricle region was made in 14 dogs. In seven dogs in which hypernatremia developed the lesions included the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis; seven animals in which the circumventricular organ was spared by the lesion remained normonatremic. Vascular responsiveness of isolated right carotid artery rings to angiotensin II and phenylephrine was assessed 3 days after lesioning the anteroventral portion of the third cerebral ventricle. In endothelium-denuded ring vessels, vasoconstrictor responses to phenylephrine were significantly decreased in animals both with and without inclusion of the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis. A similar effect was observed in intact vessels of dogs in which the circumventricular organ was spared but not in those with lesions that included this area. In contrast, angiotensin II-induced vasoconstriction was significantly decreased in the arteries with intact endothelium of both groups of lesioned animals. These data show that lesion of the anteroventral third ventricle area alters alpha 1-adrenergic and angiotensin II vascular responsiveness in isolated carotid artery rings with the possible participation of the endothelium.     

Comparative study of the effectiveness of cefixime and penicillin V for the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis in children and adolescents.

An open label randomized trial conducted in rural Kentucky compared the efficacy and safety of cefixime (CFX), 8 mg/kg once daily, with those of penicillin V (PEN), 250 mg 3 times daily, in 110 pediatric patients with Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis. Forty-eight CFX and 47 PEN patients were evaluable for efficacy. At the end of therapy bacteriologic eradication was 45 of 48 (94%) and 36 of 47 (77%) in the CFX and PEN V groups, respectively (P < 0.05). Up to 6 weeks posttherapy 10 (21%) CFX patients and 21 (45%) PEN patients had positive Group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus cultures (P < 0.05). Concordant serotypes were identified from 4 of 7 CFX and 15 of 17 PEN patients with positive repeat cultures. All discordant serotypes (5 of 31) were identified at greater than 19 days posttherapy. Symptomatic treatment failures (concordant serotypes) occurred in 1 (2%) CFX and 8 (17%) PEN patients (P < 0.05). Drug-related adverse experiences consisted of 2 cases of mild diarrhea and loose stools in the CFX group and none in the PEN group. No clinically significant laboratory test abnormalities occurred in either group. CFX, once daily, was as safe as and significantly more effective than PEN given 3 times daily for the treatment of Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis.