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Biomedical subjects

G Faldella

Publications and source records attributed to G Faldella.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Plasma zinc concentrations in iron supplemented low birthweight infants.

We investigated the effect of prolonged iron supplementation of low birthweight infants on plasma zinc concentrations. Thirty infants (neonatal weight 820-2000 g) were examined at 6 or 12 months of life to assess their iron state and plasma zinc concentration. All of them were feeding on iron fortified formulas, which supply about 1 mg/kg/day of iron. In addition, 14 of them had been receiving 2 mg/kg/day of medicinal ferrous salts for at least five months. The other 16 were not given medicinal iron supplementation. Whereas iron state significantly differed in the two groups, plasma zinc concentrations were similar. Moreover, no zinc values below 75 micrograms/100 ml were found in any case. The results suggest that long term iron supplementation of low birthweight infants, at the recommended doses, does not influence zinc plasma concentrations unfavourably.

Drug Administration Schedule↗

Lack of correlation between free erythrocyte porphyrin and serum ferritin values at birth and at 2 months of life in low birthweight infants.

Red cell free erythrocyte porphyrin and serum ferritin determinations were performed on capillary blood specimens from 63 healthy infants weighing 2500 g or less at birth, during the first week of life, and, from 44 of them, again at 8-10 weeks. Free erythrocyte porphyrin values were high both at 3-7 days (mean 156 microgram/100 ml RBC) and at 8-10 weeks (mean 128 microgram/100 ml RBC). The respective serum ferritin values were also high (mean 226 and 107 ng/ml), excluding a depletion in iron stores. In addition, no correlation was found between free erythrocyte porphyrin and serum ferritin values either at birth or at age 2 months. These findings are consistent with an earlier hypothesis that in the presence of iron stores, the rate of iron release from the stores in low birthweight infants may not be sufficient to maintain optimal erythropoiesis if the demand is accelerated.

Erythrocytes↗

Neuroblastoma in a pair of identical twins.

Hereditary neuroblastoma in a pair of identical twins is reported. In one of the twins the tumor occurred in fetal life and caused death of the twin before birth; in the other one, the tumor occurred at two months of life as IV-S neuroblastoma in the liver with primary tumor undetected. The unusual clinical course of the latter case is described: twice there was tumor regression, but in spite of treatment, fatal uncontrolled growth occurred. The family history, characterized by neoplasms of dissimilar cell types but without additional cases of neuroblastoma, is also detailed.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

[Multicenter study of serum ferritin assay for the surveillance of subjects at risk of iron deficiency].

A multicentre study was carried out in a sample population of healthy volunteers in order to assess the usefulness of assaying serum ferritin to monitor the extent of reserves in subjects with a risk of iron deficiency. A total of 317 subjects were included in the study. Ninety-nine were children with a mean age of 19 months, 121 were adolescents with a mean age of 18 years and 7 months, and 97 were women with a mean age of 28 years and 9 months. Levels of serum ferritin below the normal minimum levels for each age bracket, an indication of the exhaustion of the body's reserves, were found in 29% of children, 32.2% of adolescents and 27.8% of women. This study therefore confirm the frequent onset, even in our modern society, of iron-deficient states at particular times of life and that these are easily overlooked. The measurements of serum ferritin levels, in addition to being a confirmatory test in cases of suspected sideropenic anemia, has the peculiar characteristic of being the only test able to identify risk subjects before they become symptomatic. This enables rapid treatment to be commenced or better, efficient prevention.

Adolescent↗

[Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Observations of 21 cases studied from 1977 to 1980].

We have carried out a study together with neonatologists, paediatricians, paediatric surgeons and paediatric radiologist on the etiopathogenic, clinical-statistical, therapeutical and evolutionary aspects of NEC during the period from 1977 to 1980 in the Neonatology Clinic and in the Paediatric Surgery Department University of Bologna. The most important data were as follows: a high percentage of full-term newborns, the apparently unfavourable action of artificial feeding, a little amount of infectious etiology, an absence of predisposing factors in more than half the cases, an uniform symptomatology in a lot of patients with adverse evolution in the cases of secondary colic stenosis. The mortality was 33 percent, specially among the small for gestational age infants. The surgical therapy during four years period was modified technically, i.e. there was an orientation towards conservative surgery. The final surgical operation has recently been made right after the fourth month from the acute crisis as it has recently been demonstrated that secondary stenosis always occurs during this period of time. Long - term follow - ups showed: completely satisfactory progress in patients treated only with medical therapy, particularly unfavourable evolution in patients after a more demolishing - type of operation (resectioning of the last ansa of ileum and ileum - caecum valve), considerable improvement in auxological and nutritional parameters also in the latter cases after the final surgical operation.

Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous↗