Canadian Red Cross Society symposium on leukodepletion: report of proceedings.
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Eighty-three children between ages 0-12 years had mastoid surgery in the three year period 1986-88. The indications were acute mastoiditis (30 children), uncontrolled chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) (24 children), cholesteatoma (22 children) and a miscellaneous group (7 children). Forty-seven per cent of those with acute mastoiditis were under one year but the 27 per cent with cholesteatoma as the precipitating cause were 4-12 years. Twenty-three per cent had significant complications. Typmano-mastoid surgery was employed to resolve uncontrolled CSOM. Children were between 2-12 years and 62 per cent were below the 25th centile for weight. Seventy-nine per cent of the tympanic membrane grafts were successful. The children with cholesteatoma were between 3-12 years and 76 per cent were below the 25th centile for weight. Eight of them only presented after the onset of acute mastoiditis. One child had a definite congenital cholesteatoma. Only one had a pars flaccida origin of the cholesteatoma sac and only eight an origin from the postero-superior pars tensa. All had open cavity surgery. When the cavity was lined by temporalis fascia, healing was improved markedly.
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Interviews and laboratory testing were conducted for 168 contacts referred by former blood donors identified as seropositive for antibody to human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) or type II (HTLV-II). Thirty-two (28%) of 114 heterosexual contacts of seropositive donors, including 12 women and 20 men, were found to be antibody positive. None of 40 offspring (except one adult man who reported sexual contact in Puerto Rico) or 14 other (nonspousal) family members were seropositive. Thirty-one of the seropositive contacts were typeable as having either HTLV-I (52%) or HTLV-II (48%). Assessment of couples found that the median duration of the sexual relationship was significantly longer (p = 0.03) for those in which both partners were infected than in discordant pairs. Analysis of risk history data for 22 infected couples revealed that, in three cases, risk factors (Japanese ancestry or sexual contact with an injecting drug user) could be identified in the women, but not in their male partners. Among couples in which the male had the greater risk history, the risk factor was either a history of transfusion, birth or sexual exposure in an endemic area, or injected drug use. Counseling strategies for individuals with HTLV-I or HTLV-II infection should take into account the relatively high seroprevalence in their partners and should address the potential for sexual transmission in both directions.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Tetanus is nowadays largely under control, as a result of the preventive immunization programme. This prophylactic measure is important also because there is no specific treatment. In Germany tetanus occurs almost exclusively in elderly, not adequately immunized persons. This study determined the existing immune status of plasma donors in the region of Ingolstadt, Bavaria. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Tetanus IgG antibody concentrations were measured with the ELISA test in serum of 1742 plasma donors (891 women, 851 men, age range 18-64 years). RESULTS: An adequately protective immunity against tetanus was found in 98.7% of men and 94.1% of women, while 5 women and 3 men had no protection. Demographic data indicated that the immunization protected males longer than females, regardless of age, especially in those over 50 years of age (85% of females, 99% of males). CONCLUSION: Adequate tetanus protection was achieved in the overwhelming majority of test subjects. This demonstrates that the prevalence of protection is lower in females than in males, a difference most marked in those over 50 years of age. It is important that this age group in particular should, as part of health care, be informed by their medical practitioner of the dangers of tetanus and the advantages of immunization.
The effect of high-dose intravenous gammaglobulin (IVG) therapy with a CLB preparation was studied in 42 patients: 8 patients had acute and 26 patients had chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP); 5 patients had thrombocytopenia accompanied by various diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, auto-immune haemolytic anaemia and neutropenia; 3 patients had hypoplastic anaemia and 1 patient had neutropenia and rheumatoid arthritis. After treatment, a rise in platelet count occurred in about 75% of the patients with ITP, although there was no sustained response in any of the patients. There was no correlation between the strength of platelet antibodies as detected by the direct immunofluorescence test before infusion and the pattern of response to the infusion. In most cases of ITP, no immune complexes, as measured by Clq-binding assay, were observed. Furthermore, we found no relationship between the amount of Clq-binding activity of patients' sera and the reaction pattern after infusion of IVG. Splenectomy of the patient had no influence on the outcome of IVG therapy.
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OBJECTIVE: To describe and quantify patterns of injury from antipersonnel mines in terms of distribution of injury, drain on surgical resources, and residual disability. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: Two hospitals for patients injured in war. SUBJECTS: 757 patients with injuries from antipersonnel mines. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Distribution and number of injuries; number of blood transfusions; number of operations; disability. RESULTS: Pattern 1 injury results from standing on a buried mine. These patients usually sustain traumatic amputation of the foot or leg; they use most surgical time and blood and invariably require surgical amputation of one or both lower limbs. Pattern 2 injury is a more random collection of penetrating injuries caused by multiple fragments from a mine triggered near the victim. The lower limb is injured but there is less chance of traumatic amputation or subsequent surgical amputation. Injuries to the head, neck, chest, or abdomen are common. Pattern 3 injury results from handling a mine: the victim sustains severe upper limb injuries with associated face injuries. Eye injuries are common in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who survive standing on a buried mine have greatest disability. Non-combatants are at risk from these weapons; in developing countries their social and economic prospects after recovery from amputation are poor.
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BACKGROUND: The medium-stay or convalescent care geriatric units were defined by the Spanish National Health Institute in 1996 as being the level of geriatric hospital care aimed at recovering those functions, activities or sequelae having undergone changes as a result of different prior processes. This study is aimed at evaluating the characteristics of patients related to functional gain and stay in medium-stay geriatric units. METHODS: A study was made of all those patients admitted throughout the May 2000-December 2001 period. The weekly and overall functional gain was evaluated using the Barthel Index (BI), the hospital stay and the effectiveness (BI at discharge-BI at admission/during stay) having been evaluated. An improvement in the weekly gain of BI>5 points was set at the effectiveness threshold. RESULTS: A total of 459 patients averaging age 80.56 (+/-7.45) admitted for functional recovery from sequelae of ictus (48.4%), orthopedic disorders (26.3%) and immobility due to other ailments (23.5%) were evaluated. The total functional gain was 29.71 (+/-16.75) Barthel Index points, entailing an average stay of 24.93 (+/-12.94) days and a 1.44 (+/-1.02) effectiveness. The weekly functional gain was above the threshold set during the first three weeks, independently of the age and disorder for which admitted. In the multivariate regression analysis, the age, admission due to ictus, functional impairment prior to admission, cognitive impairment at admission, comorbility and delay in admission were related to a lesser functional gain. Admission due to ictus and a better functional condition prior to admission and better cognitive condition at admission were related to a longer stay. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital stays in medium-stay geriatric units is adequate, at least during the first three weeks. A comparison of the results among units should be adjusted by age, the disorder for which admitted, comorbility and functional and cognitive condition of the patients.
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Thai commercial antivenom raised to Bungarus fasciatus venom neutralized the lethal activity of all Thai Bungarus venoms tested in in vitro neutralization experiments. The neutralizing capacities against B. fasciatus and B. candidus venoms were almost the same, but that against B. flaviceps venom was significantly greater. The efficacy of the antivenom was confirmed in in vivo neutralization experiments also. Results of immunochemical analyses supported results of the animal experiments suggesting the presence of genus specific neutralization.
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