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Biomedical subjects

J Drucker

Publications and source records attributed to J Drucker.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

[Newborn resuscitation in the delivery room: evaluation of a regional training program conducted in 1990 in the Centre region].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the regional programme designed to train personnel for resuscitation of the neonate in the delivery room and organized in the district of Centre, France in 1990. STUDY: Transversal study. SITE: The different maternities of the district. POPULATION: 31 maternities, 156 persons in charge of neonates in the delivery room including medical personnel (doctors, mid-wives) and paramedics, with or without any special training in 1990. METHOD: A single evaluator visited each maternity and met the personnel involved. The modalities of the evaluation were not given in advance and included a census of the personnel who had participated in the training programme and changes in material. The success of the training programme was evaluated on a theoretical and practical basis for the personnel and on the number of severe meconium aspirations observed. RESULTS: The training programme had reached 53% of the personnel involved. It had a wide impact both in terms of changed material and in neonatal resuscitation rates compared with untrained personnel. The number of severe meconium aspirations fell from 3 in 1989 to 0 in 1990.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed1993

Post-polio syndrome: an update.

The PPS is now a well-recognized entity encompassing the late manifestations that occur because of previous poliomyelitis. Common signs and symptoms include fatigue, cold intolerance, joint deteriorations with pain, and prominent neurologic problems that include new weakness, muscle pain, atrophy, respiratory insufficiency, dysphagia, and sleep apnea. It is estimated that there are 1.63 million polio survivors in the United States and that half of them will develop PPS. PPS and PPMA usually begin 30 to 40 years after the acute illness and are very slowly progressive. The etiology is unclear, although premature exhaustion of the new sprouts that develop after acute poliomyelitis and of their motor neurons appears most likely. Less likely is a persistent polio-virus infection or an immune-mediated problem. Treatment is primarily supportive, although nonfatiguing strengthening exercise may improve strength over the short term. The long-term effects of this type of exercise remain to be clarified.

Humans↗
PubMed1993

Serum beta-carotene and antioxidant micronutrients in children with cancer. The 'Cancer in Children and Antioxidant Micronutrients' French Study Group.

Serum antioxidant vitamins A (retinol) and E (alpha-tocopherol), beta-carotene, zinc and selenium for 418 children with newly diagnosed malignancy were compared with those of 632 cancer-free controls. Incident cancer cases and controls were 1-16 years old and recruited in 1986-1989. Age- and sex-adjusted serum concentrations of retinol, beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol were significantly inversely associated with cancer. In similar models, the odds ratio (OR) comparing the highest with the lowest quintile was 2.06 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40-3.02) for retinol, 3.87 (95% CI: 2.54-5.90) for beta-carotene, 2.15 (95% CI: 1.48-3.10) for alpha-tocopherol, 1.29 (95% CI: 0.75-2.23) for selenium, and 1.94 (95% CI: 1.17-2.23) for zinc. The cancer sites that were associated with serum beta-carotene were, in general, leukaemia, lymphoma, central nervous system, bone and renal tumours. Moreover, leukaemia was associated with low mean serum levels of retinol, selenium and zinc. Subjects with lymphoma, bone and renal tumours also had lower mean retinol and alpha-tocopherol levels than controls. Brain tumour patients had low vitamin E levels. Low serum values of antioxidant vitamins were associated with childhood neoplasm occurrence. Some site-specific effect was reported. Low peripheral nutrient levels are not considered as cancer promoters but rather as an impairment of the body's defence mechanism occurring during the cancer-related metabolic and nutritional disturbances and inflammation processes.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1993

Viral hepatitis in Bucharest.

A seroprevalence survey of viral hepatitis was conducted in Bucharest, Romania, between April and July 1990 on a systematic sample of 1355 persons drawn from the general population and groups at higher risk of infection. Sera were tested for hepatitis A, B, and C (HAV, HBV and HCV, resp.) markers using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The prevalences of HAV and HBV markers were high in all groups. A total of 47% of the adults from the general population and 39.8% of the children aged 0-16 years had at least one HBV marker. Of the pregnant women 7.8% were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen. Among infants (0-3 years of age) living in orphanages, the prevalence of at least one HBV marker was 54.6%. The findings also confirmed that HCV was circulating in Romania. The results are consistent with national surveillance data and confirm that viral hepatitis is a major public health problem in Romania. Preventive measures will have to include HBV immunization of infants, with an appropriately targeted immunization strategy being determined through further epidemiological studies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunization in infants born to HIV-1-seropositive mothers.

During the prospective follow-up of 64 babies at risk for perinatal HIV-1 infection because their mothers were seropositive, and of 130 control babies whose mothers were seronegative, we studied the occurrence of complications of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunization and its ability to induce cutaneous reactivity to tuberculin. Babies born both to HIV-1-positive and HIV-1-negative mothers received BCG immunization during their first month of life according to the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) recommendations. Local and regional complications of BCG vaccine were looked for at 3, 6 and 9 months after inoculation. A tuberculin skin test was performed at 6 or 9 months of age. Most babies born to HIV-1-positive mothers were later classified as infected or uninfected according to their clinical condition and/or serological status at 18 months of age. The mean duration of the follow-up was 36 months (range 30-40 months). No chronic or deep ulcerations at the site of injection or disseminated forms of BCG infection were observed. The frequency of BCG-related lymphadenitis in the group of HIV-1-infected children (24%) did not differ significantly from the group of uninfected children (19%; Fisher test: P = 0.73). In contrast, the tuberculin skin test responses were positive less often in the group of HIV-1-infected children (33%) than in the uninfected group (83%; Fisher test: P = 0.007). Because BCG vaccine appears to be safe--even when given to perinatally infected babies--continuation of the BCG immunization policies of the EPI is justified, especially in view of the growing incidence of tuberculosis as a complication of HIV infection.

BCG Vaccine↗
PubMed1991

Poliomyelitis in France: epidemiology and vaccination status.

In France, infants are immunized against paralytic poliomyelitis with enhanced-potency inactivated poliovirus vaccine (eIPV) combined with the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (DTP). Ninety-five percent of all infants in France have received four doses of DTP-eIPV by 24 months of age. No cases of vaccine-associated paralysis, among either recipients or those in contact with recipients, have been reported since 1983, when eIPV became the vaccine of choice. Only three wild indigenous cases have been reported among unvaccinated children in 1988 and 1989, with no cases reported in 1990. Although paralytic poliomyelitis has been virtually eliminated in France, vaccination programs as well as active surveillance of the community and environment for poliovirus circulation should be reinforced to reach the goal of wild poliovirus eradication.

France↗
PubMed1991

[The vaccine against poliomyelitis, inactivated, concentrated, injectable: analysis of ten years of use in tropical countries].

A new inactivated poliovirus vaccine of enhanced potency (N-IPV) has been developed since the late 70's. N-IPV can be produced on a large scale in industrial tanks. N-IPV has been extensively studied on all continents and under different climates, specially in tropical countries. It is presently included in vaccination programs of several african regions. N-IPV is recommended in infants as soon as 6 to 8 weeks of age, following a schedule including a primary vaccination with 2 doses at 2 months interval. N-IPV is usually combined to DPT in a quadruple form (DPTPolio). The characteristics and performances of N-IPV make it a substitute or a complement to oral poliovirus vaccine for use in the Expanded Program on Immunization, specially in the perspective of the goal of global poliovirus eradication.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1991

[The social protection of pregnant women and young mothers in Europe].

Through the study of perinatal legislation in 24 European countries, the authors have analyzed Social Protection for pregnant women and young mothers. For maternity leave, the durations of pre- and post-natal leaves were compared, including its possible variations according to the obstetrical pathology and the number of births in different countries. Maternity benefits vary from 50 to 100% of the previous salary and a payment curve shows considerable differences in salaries or the global benefits attributed. Parental leave, which has only recently been created in some countries, is subject to great variations from one country to another and sometimes even within the same country, according to the public or private sectors of activity. Protection of the single parent and the benefits or allowances at birth are studied as well as benefits for infants. The latter were pioneered by France and have not been emulated in many other countries. In the discussion the authors try to establish the motivations leading to the various perinatal measures in Europe, be they social, medical or demographic. They consider the possibility of harmonization, but homogeneity, which has to respect existing sociological, cultural and ideological particularities. This work continues according to the guidelines laid down by the European Parliament, which could, in due course, comprise the whole continent, bearing in mind the probable transfer of populations expected in the last years of this century.

Employment↗
PubMed1989

Immunologic memory induced at birth by immunization with inactivated polio vaccine in a reduced schedule.

One hundred forty-one healthy newborns were immunized 24 hours after birth with one dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) of enhanced potency. Following the administration of a second vaccine dose six months later, a considerable proportion of babies responded with neutralizing antibody (NA) to the three poliovirus types. The very rapid occurrence and high antibody titer were indicative of an anamnestic response. Twenty-one infants who still had NA less than 1:4 to one-more poliovirus types after the second vaccine dose responded with very high NA values 7-10 days after a supplementary dose of IPV. It appears that IPV of enhanced potency administered at birth is apt to induce immunologic memory, which should provide the basis for protection against paralytic poliomyelitis in case of exposure to wild poliovirus later in life.

Humans↗
PubMed1988

Hepatitis B vaccines in patients with chronic renal failure before dialysis.

Hepatitis B remains a significant risk to patients receiving chronic hemodialysis, but no certain method of prevention has been identified. We tested two vaccines, plasma-derived vaccine (40-micrograms dose) and recombinant-derived vaccine (40-micrograms and 20-micrograms doses), in 61 patients with chronic renal failure who were not yet dependent on dialysis. Patients were followed up clinically and with laboratory tests of kidney function and hepatitis B virus serology for one year. Significantly more recipients of plasma-derived vaccine responded to vaccination; they also achieved a higher titer of antibody to hepatitis B virus than did recipients of recombinant-derived vaccine when evaluated at 6, 7, 9, and 12 mo after vaccination. No serious side effects were observed with any vaccine preparation, nor were excessive adverse effects observed in any group. Compared with the dialysis patients previously studied, patients with renal failure who were not yet dependent on dialysis responded more favorably to the hepatitis B virus vaccine.

Adult↗