The conditions are examined, which advise the adoption or discontinuance of a vaccination. In Italy, anti-polio vaccination is compulsory and ought to be enforced also in the future. On the contrary, the vaccination against variola has to be discontinued. Specific vaccines may prevent measles and rubella and their efficacy, expecially in the case of measles, is well ascertained. A vaccine against hepatitis B virus is desirable. Controversial issues on antirabies and anti-influenza vaccines are mentioned and discussed.

Hepatitis B virus↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Vaccination against experimental peritoneal hydatid disease of BALB/C mice with hydatid fluids and their fractions (author's transl)].

The Authors studied the protective action of some vaccine (pool of hydatid fluids from bovine and ovine origin and their fractions) on the experimental peritoneal hydatid disease of BALB/C mice. It has been demonstrated that some pool of concentrated ovine hydatid fluids and the chromatographic "heavy" fraction of one of them, had some protective action. The results are briefly discussed.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Septicemia and systemic inflammatory response].

To determine the relation between endocarditis/septicemia and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), septic shock, MODS, we performed a retrospective analysis in 196 HIV-negative patients, with endocarditis/septicemia. No deaths were observed between 20 patients with endocarditis without severe infective SIRS/septic shock. On the other hand among 10 patients with endocarditis with severe infective SIRS/septic shock we registered 3 deaths (P = 0.052). No deaths were registered among 93 patients with septicemia without severe infective SIRS/septic shock. Between 73 patients with septicemia and severe infective SIRS/septic shock 9 (12.3%) patients died and, precisely, 7/61 in severe infective SIRS (11.4%) and 2/.12 (16.6%) in septic shock (P = 0.003). The definition of septicemia according to Schottmüller (1914), as a generalized bacterial infection with a persistent bacteremia is still justified. The term "sepsis" has become ambiguous because it has been used as synonym of "acute response to infection", while in the past and presently, at least in Europe, it is synonym of septicemia, persistent bacteremia. The term of SIRS could avoid the misunderstanding. The words: "infective SIRS", "severe infective SIRS", may label properly the reactive events mounted by the host as a useful defence against infections but they become dangerous and bring about septic shock, organ failure and mortality when excessive.

Adolescent↗