Usage of oral rehydration solutions (ORS): a critical assessment of utilization rates

Oral rehydration solutions (ORS) are widely promoted as a treatmentfor the dehydration associated with childhood diarrhoea. Manynational and global programmes have adopted ORS use rates derivedfrom surveys as their principal indicator of programme success.However, such widespread reliance on ORS use rates is ill-advised.The rate is very sensitive to the way the survey questions areasked. Discussed here are the terms identifying diarrhoeal episodes,the length of the reference period, and the ordering of questionsabout treatment practices. Furthermore, ORS rates are frequentlyused inappropriately, often in situations in which treatmentof a proportion of all diarrhoeal episodes is not the principalobjective.     

ANEURYSM OF SINUS OF VALSALVA DISSECTING INTO THE INTERVENTRICULAR SEPTUM – ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS (A Case Report)

Aneurysm of sinus of Valsalva dissecting into interventricular septum is a rare entity. We report one such case who was incidentally diagnosed by echocardiography to have this abnormality during evaluation of a clinically suspected isolated aortic regurgitation.KEY WORDS: Aneurysm – dissecting – sinus of Valsalva, Echocardiography     

Impact of ramipril versus other angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on outcome of unselected patients with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction

We examined the impact of treatment with ramipril versus other angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors on clinical outcome in unselected patients of the prospective multicenter registry Maximal Individual Therapy of Acute Myocardial Infarction PLUS registry (MITRA PLUS). Of 14,608 consecutive patients with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction, 4.7% received acute therapy with ramipril, 39.0% received other ACE inhibitor therapy, and 56.3% received no ACE inhibitor therapy. In a multivariate analysis, the treatment with ramipril compared with the treatment without ACE inhibitors was associated with a significantly lower hospital mortality and a lower rate of nonfatal major adverse coronary and cerebrovascular events. Compared with other generic ACE inhibitors, ramipril therapy was independently associated with a significantly lower hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32 to 0.90) and a lower rate of nonfatal major adverse coronary and cerebrovascular events (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.93), but not with a lower rate of heart failure at discharge (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.50 to 1.27).     

Benefit of onsite reperfusion therapy or transfer to primary PCI in STEMI patients admitted to hospitals without catheterization laboratory. Results of the MITRA PLUS Registry

The optimal reperfusion strategy in elderly patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains a topic of debate. Therefore, we investigated in the MITRA PLUS registry clinical outcome variables in 5455 patients aged>70 years and STEMI on admission at hospitals without the facilities of coronary catheterization and PCI. Outcome was compared after thrombolysis, transfer to PCI and after no reperfusion therapy. Data of this registry in STEMI patients older than 70 years, who were transferred to another hospital for PCI, showed a strong trend for lower in-hospital mortality rates compared with a strategy with sole fibrinolysis and significantly lower in hospital death rates compared with a conservative treatment without (medical or mechanical) reperfusion. Additionally, the PCI group also had a reduced incidence of the combined events: death, myocardial reinfarction, stroke in comparison with both other infarct groups. Data of the presented MITRA PLUS registry in STEMI patients older than 70 years support data of several other studies, that patients with STEMI benefit from a transfer to primary PCI even after a time delay of symptom onset to hospital admission of more than 2 h compared with a strategy using sole fibrinolytic therapy.     

Ventricular Output Failure in a DDD Permanent Pacemaker Associated with Increased Atrial Output

Previous reports have described the occurrence of ventricular autput failure in a permanent DDD pacemaker system related to an increase in the atrial output in the presence of low atrial lead impedance (Medtronic Synergyst®/Synergyst II®). This phenomenon is seen exclusively following atrial paced events and may potentially lead to significant bradyarrhythmia or ventricular asystole in a pacemaker dependent patient. We describe the occurrence of analogous behavior in a Medtronic Symbios® 7006 generator.     

Clinical and histological features of'mechanic's hands' in a patient with antibodies to Jo-1—a case report

The clinical and histological features of‘mechanic's hands' are described in a patient with polymyositis characterized serologically b6y antibodies to histidyl t RNA synthetase (Jo-1). Although distinctive cutaneous lesions have only recently been associated with the ‘anti-synthetase syndrome’. It is becoming apparent that recognition of subsets within the spectrum of polymyositis/dermatomyositis characterized by certain clinical and serological features not only have prognostic significance, but also may provide insights into mechanisms of disease.     

Synthesis and 19F spectra of tetra-L-alanine analogs containing selectively incorporated 3-fluoro-l-alanine residues

The synthesis of analogs of tetra-l -alanine containing 3-fluoro-l -alanine selectively incorporated at each position is described. The standard procedures in the literature used to couple l -alanine peptides together were often found to lead to undesired products, or elimination reactions when corresponding 3-fluoro-l -alanine peptide analogs were used. Several modified procedures have thus been developed for the synthesis of fluorine-substituted analogs. In addition, the pH-dependence of ¹⁹F n.m.r. spectra of 3-fluoro-l -alanine and the tetrapeptide analogs is presented.     

Effect of shunt surgery on spleen size, portal pressure and oesophageal varices in patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension

Shunt surgery is considered to be the treatment of choice in patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. There is little data on the effect of side-to-side lieno-renal (SSLR) shunt on oesophageal variceal size, splenic size and splenic pulp pressure (SPP) in patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. We evaluated pre- and postoperatively endoscopic grading of varices, splenic size and SPP for predicting shunt patency in 86 patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension: 56 with extrahepatic portal venous obstruction (EHPVO) and 30 with non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis (NCPF). The EHPVO patients with patent shunts (n= 47) showed significant reduction in SPP (pre-operative 43.56±7.9 vs postoperative 29.96±7.7 cm of saline), splenic size (6.5±2.8 vs 4.00±2.6 cm below costal margin) and varices grades (2.96±0.5 vs 0.92±0.8). Patients with blocked shunt (n= 9) did not show significant reduction in SPP and varices grades. However, there was reduction in spleen size (8.6±3.0 vs 6.3±4.3). In the NCPF group, 28 had patent shunts and showed significant reduction in SPP (46.3±13.5 vs 33.8±7.6 cm of saline), splenic size (9.1±3.3 vs 6.8±4.6 cm below costal margin) and varices grades (2.8±0.7 vs 1.05±0.96). As only two patients with NCPF had blocked shunts, no statistical comparison between patients with patent and patients with blocked shunts could be done. In conclusion, following SSLR, there is a significant reduction in SPP and varices grades in patients with patent shunts. Endoscopic grading of varices can be used to predict shunt patency. However, spleen size is not a good criteria for predicting shunt patency.