Bowel management for the treatment of pediatric fecal incontinence

Fecal incontinence is a devastating underestimated problem, affecting a large number of individuals all over the world. Most of the available literature relates to the management of adults. The treatments proposed are not uniformly successful and have little application in the pediatric population. This paper presents the experience of 30 years, implementing a bowel management program, for the treatment of fecal incontinence in over 700 pediatric patients, with a success rate of 95%. The main characteristics of the program include the identification of the characteristics of the colon of each patient; finding the specific type of enema that will clean that colon and the radiological monitoring of the process

New Hybrid Organic-inorganic Multifunctional Materials Based on Polydopamine-like Chemistry

A simple one-pot procedure under mild conditions has been developed with the aim of preparing a set of hybrid organic-inorganic multifunctional materials. This procedure is based on the use of catechol and KIO4 as oxidizing agent in conjunction with 3-aminopropyl-, substituted 3-aminopropyl- and 3-methylimidazolium-1-trimethoxypropylsilane mimicking polydopamine-like chemistry. Reactions were carried out in water at room temperature and 70 °C to give fifteen materials that were characterised by using several techniques (nitrogen physisorption, TGA, XPS, 13C and 29Si CP-MAS NMR, IR, pHPZC). Knoevenagel reaction was chosen as a good probe to investigate the availability of functional groups on the surface of the materials. The most active catalytic materials were tested in recycling procedures. Such simple procedure is of broad interest for the scientific community and it open the doors to the development of new hybrid organic-inorganic multifunctional materials for several purposes

Surface-functionalized mesoporous gallosilicate catalysts for the efficient and sustainable upgrading of glycerol to solketal

Two series of functionalized mesoporous Ga silicates were prepared in a straightforward and sustainable one-pot procedure using different alkyl silanes. The efficacy of the adopted co-synthetic approach based on aerosol processing has been proved by 29Si solid-state NMR experiments revealing a degree of functionalization close to the theoretical value. The successful incorporation of gallium as single sites within the silica framework was confirmed via71Ga solid-state magic-angle-spinning NMR measurements. These materials were tested as catalysts for the synthesis of solketal from glycerol at low temperature and under solventless conditions. A systematic study evidenced the importance of a careful tuning of surface polarity, achievable with surface functionalization as well as with different thermal treatments. The solids functionalized with a low degree of methyl groups (5%) displayed enhanced performances compared to the non-functionalized analogues, highlighting the highly beneficial role of surface hydrophobicity as well as the importance of the careful tuning of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance. The best functionalized catalysts proved to be easily reusable for multiple catalytic runs. With such a high-performance catalyst in hand, we propose a process which shows a favorable E-factor, indicating that the production of solketal can be envisaged in a sustainable way

Etude préliminaire pour l’implémentation d’un dose-banding de chimiothérapie anticancéreuse

« Dose-banding » is a concept of cytotoxic drugs standardization allowing the preparation in advance of standardized rounded doses (SRD) covering the most frequently prescribed doses rounded to ± 5%. Standard doses will be prepared in advance by batch in order to increase production capacity and at the same time to regulate pharmacy workflow as well as to reduce patient waiting time

Hafnium-doped silica nanotubes for the upgrading of glycerol into solketal: Enhanced performances and in-depth structure-activity correlation

An unprecedented type of Hf-doped silica nanotubes was synthesized using a straightforward one-pot sol–gel procedure. The well-defined nanotubes with a diameter of 14–20 nm exhibited high specific surface area and a widely open texture. The method – involving a key pH adjustment step – allowed a quantitative insertion of hafnium in the materials (Si/Hf = 74) and favored the insertion of Hf as dispersed species. Depending on the synthesis parameters, the chemical environment around Hf was modified, as evidenced by XPS, NH3-TPD and NH3-IR. Hf-doped silica nanotubes showed excellent activity in the conversion of glycerol to solketal, a reaction of high relevance in the context of biorefineries. Importantly, the turnover frequency and the acidity were unambiguously correlated with the insertion of Hf in the silica matrix. The best catalyst was proven to be stable and recyclable, and this sustainable reaction was also amenable to further catalytic enhancement upon optimized reaction conditions

The high activity of mesoporous Ga-SiO2 catalysts in the upgrading of glycerol to solketal explained by in-depth characterization

Mesoporous Ga-silicates were prepared using a sustainable and continuous aerosol synthesis procedure. The novel solids showed record activity in the synthesis of solketal from glycerol and acetone. Three different Si/Ga ratios of 34, 74 and 148 were investigated and all materials displayed favorable features for catalytic applications such as high surface area and calibrated mesoporosity. An in-depth characterization allowed to elucidate the remarkable catalytic performance. The insertion of Ga predominantly as single site in tetrahedral coordination in the silica framework was highlighted by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), using the Auger parameter of Ga in a Wagner plot representation. The speciation of Ga was further clarified using solid state 71Ga NMR spectroscopy, confirming the formation of mainly isolated Ga species. Consistently, the aerosol-made Ga-silicates displayed outstanding turnover frequencies (up to 677 h−1) and selectivity, markedly outcompeting other reference metallosilicate catalysts reported in literature. Moreover, the most active catalyst was successfully reused in multiple catalytic cycles thus proving its stability under the selected reaction conditions

Physical stability of highly concentrated injectable drugs solutions used in intensive care units.

The intensive care department of the institution use drug solutions within higher concentration to avoid fluid overload. The purpose of the study is to prove the physical stability of different injectable drugs within high concentration (amiodarone 25mg/mL, isosorbide 0.60mg/mL, lorazepam 0.16mg/mL, noradrenalin 0.120 and 0.240mg/mL, salbutamol 0.06mg/mL and sodium valproate 12mg/mL) to ensure the patients safety

Long-Term Stability of Lorazepam in Sodium Chloride 0.9% Stored at Different Temperatures in Different Containers

Infusion containing lorazepam is used by geriatric department to limit anxiety disorders in the elderly. Currently, these infusions are prepared according to demand by the nursing staff, but the preparation in advance in a centralized service could improve quality of preparation and time management. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term stability of this infusion in polypropylene syringes stored at 5 ± 3°C. Then, results obtained were compared with stability data of lorazepam in syringes stored at room temperature, glass bottles at 5 ± 3°C, and glass bottles at room temperature. Eight syringes and 6 bottles of infusion were prepared by diluting 1 mL lorazepam 4 mg in 23 mL of NaCl 0.9% under aseptic conditions. Five syringes and 3 bottles were stored at 5 ± 3°C and 3 syringes and 3 bottles were stored at room temperature for 30 days. During the storage period, particle appearance or color change were periodically checked by visual and microscope inspection. Turbidity was assessed by measurements of optical density (OD) at 3 wavelengths (350 nm, 410 nm, 550 nm). The stability of pH was also evaluated. The lorazepam concentrations were measured at each time point by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detector at 220 nm. Solutions were physically unstable in syringes at 5 ± 3°C after 4 days: crystals and a drop of OD at 350 nm were observed. However, pH was stable. After 2 days, solutions were considered as chemically unstable because a loss of lorazepam concentration higher than 10% was noticed: the lower 1-sided confidence limit at 95% was below 90% of the initial concentration. To assess temperature and polypropylene influence, results were compared with those obtained for syringes at room temperature and bottles at 5 ± 3°C and room temperature. Precipitation, drop of OD at 350 nm, and chemical instability were observed in all conditions. Solutions of lorazepam were unstable after 2 days in syringes at 5 ± 3°C. Preparation in advance appears, therefore, not possible for the clinical use. Storage conditions (temperature and form) do not improve the stability