An IgE immediate reaction to thiocolchicoside.

Hypersensitivity reactions due to muscle relaxant drugs may be related either to a nonspecific release of allergic mediators or to allergic reactions induced by the molecules themselves. Rare cases of hypersensitivity reactions have been associated to thiocolchicoside, and no case of IgE-mediated immediate reaction has actually been reported to date. We report the first documented case of immediate anaphylaxis to thiocolchicoside

Eletrodos de SrTiO3 através de um novo método de precursores poliméricos.

Entrada padronizada: RIBEIRO, C

Risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome after 2010–2011 influenza vaccination

Influenza vaccination has been implicated in Guillain Barré Syndrome (GBS) although the evidence for this link is controversial. A case–control study was conducted between October 2010 and May 2011 in seven Italian Regions to explore the relation between influenza vaccination and GBS. The study included 176 GBS incident cases aged ≥18 years from 86 neurological centers. Controls were selected among patients admitted for acute conditions to the Emergency Department of the same hospital as cases. Each control was matched to a case by sex, age, Region and admission date. Two different analyses were conducted: a matched case–control analysis and a self-controlled case series analysis (SCCS). Case–control analysis included 140 cases matched to 308 controls. The adjusted matched odds ratio (OR) for GBS occurrence within 6 weeks after influenza vaccination was 3.8 (95 % CI: 1.3, 10.5). A much stronger association with gastrointestinal infections (OR = 23.8; 95 % CI 7.3, 77.6) and influenza-like illness or upper respiratory tract infections (OR = 11.5; 95 % CI 5.6, 23.5) was highlighted. The SCCS analysis included all 176 GBS cases. Influenza vaccination was associated with GBS, with a relative risk of 2.1 (95 % CI 1.1, 3.9). According to these results the attributable risk in adults ranges from two to five GBS cases per 1,000,000 vaccinations

Ultrasound-assessed lung aeration correlates with respiratory system compliance in adults and neonates with acute hypoxemic restrictive respiratory failure: an observational prospective study

Background: Lung ultrasound allows lung aeration to be assessed through dedicated lung ultrasound scores (LUS). Despite LUS have been validated using several techniques, scanty data exist about the relationships between LUS and compliance of the respiratory system (Crs) in restrictive respiratory failure. Aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between LUS and Crs in neonates and adults affected by acute hypoxemic restrictive respiratory failure, as well as the effect of patients' age on this relationship. Methods: Observational, cross-sectional, international, patho-physiology, bi-center study recruiting invasively ventilated, adults and neonates with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), neonatal ARDS (NARDS) or respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) due to primary surfactant deficiency. Subjects without lung disease (NLD) and ventilated for extra-pulmonary conditions were recruited as controls. LUS, Crs and resistances (Rrs) of the respiratory system were measured within 1 h from each other. Results: Forty adults and fifty-six neonates were recruited. LUS was higher in ARDS, NARDS and RDS and lower in control subjects (overall p < 0.001), while Crs was lower in ARDS, NARDS and RDS and higher in control subjects (overall p < 0.001), without differences between adults and neonates. LUS and Crs were correlated in adults [r = - 0.86 (95% CI - 0.93; - 0.76), p < 0.001] and neonates [r = - 0.76 (95% CI - 0.85; - 0.62), p < 0.001]. Correlations remained significant among subgroups with different causes of respiratory failure; LUS and Rrs were not correlated. Multivariate analyses confirmed the association between LUS and Crs both in adults [B = - 2.8 (95% CI - 4.9; - 0.6), p = 0.012] and neonates [B = - 0.045 (95% CI - 0.07; - 0.02), p = 0.001]. Conclusions: Lung aeration and compliance of the respiratory system are significantly and inversely correlated irrespective of patients' age. A restrictive respiratory failure has the same ultrasound appearance and mechanical characteristics in adults and neonates

Monitoraggio e gestione delle infezioni virali in riceventi pediatrici di trapianto renale

Abstract non disponibil

Genomic characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus strains associated with high within-herd prevalence of intramammary infections in dairy cows

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important causes of mastitis in dairy cattle. Based on previous research, Staph. aureus genotypes with different pathogenic and contagious properties can cause intramammary infection (IMI) and coexist in the same herd. Our study aimed to compare Staph. aureus strains from herds that differed in IMI prevalence using different molecular approaches such as ribosomal spacer (RS)-PCR, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), spa typing, ribotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multiplex PCR. For this purpose, 31 dairy herds with Staph. aureus IMI were selected, and 16 of these were chosen for a comparison study: the 8 high-prevalence (HP) herds had Staph. aureus IMI prevalence >28% and the 8 low-prevalence (LP) herds had an IMI prevalence <4%. A total of 650 isolates of Staph. aureus from mammary quarters of all positive cows were genotyped with RS-PCR, a technique based on amplification of a portion of the intergenic spacer 16S-23S rRNA, and a subset of 54 strains was also analyzed by multiplex PCR, ribotyping, PFGE, MLST, and spa typing. The RS-PCR analysis revealed 12 different profiles. Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from 5 out of 8 HP herds showed a profile identical to the genotype B (GTB), described in previous studies as being strongly associated with high within-herd prevalence of Staph. aureus mastitis and the presence of the genes coding for enterotoxins sea, sed, and sej, a long x-region of spa gene, and 3 lukE fragments. Moreover, all strains isolated in the HP herds possessed genes coding for staphylococcal enterotoxins. In LP herds, a limited number of strains of 6 genotypes, different from those isolated in HP herds, were identified and GTB was not found. Within these genotypes, 4 strains were positive for the mecA gene. Preliminary results and comparison with other genotyping methods confirmed that genotyping by RS-PCR is an accurate, rapid, and inexpensive tool for future field studies on Staph. aureus mastitis strains and generates clinically relevant results

Hypovolemic shock due to severe gastrointestinal bleeding in a child taking an herbal syrup

We report the case of a 4-years-old boy who was admitted with hypovolemic shock due to a severe gastrointestinal bleeding. The esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGDS) showed hiatus hernia, erosions and ulcerations of the lower esophagus, possibly due to a gastroesophageal reflux, and a small duodenal erosion. The child was previously healthy and he had never shown any symptoms related to this condition. The only product taken by the child in the previous days was a syrup containing several herbs, among which Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim. and Salix spp. (known to contain salicylates), marketed as food and prescribed by his paediatrician to treat a mild cold accompanied by fever. Quali-quantitative analysis confirmed the presence of salicylates in the syrup. Naranjo algorithm showed a probable correlation between the onset of symptoms and the consumption of the herbal remedy. The child recovered after receiving intensive care. The product was withdrawn from Italian market

Effects of n-3 fatty acids, EPA v. DHA, on depressive symptoms, quality of life, memory and executive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a 6-month randomised controlled trial

First published online 20 September 2011Depressive symptoms may increase the risk of progressing from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia. Consumption of n-3 PUFA may alleviate both cognitive decline and depression. The aim of the present study was to investigate the benefits of supplementing a diet with n-3 PUFA, DHA and EPA, for depressive symptoms, quality of life (QOL) and cognition in elderly people with MCI. We conducted a 6-month double-blind, randomised controlled trial. A total of fifty people aged >65 years with MCI were allocated to receive a supplement rich in EPA (1·67 g EPA + 0·16 g DHA/d; n 17), DHA (1·55 g DHA + 0·40 g EPA/d; n 18) or the n-6 PUFA linoleic acid (LA; 2·2 g/d; n 15). Treatment allocation was by minimisation based on age, sex and depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale, GDS). Physiological and cognitive assessments, questionnaires and fatty acid composition of erythrocytes were obtained at baseline and 6 months (completers: n 40; EPA n 13, DHA n 16, LA n 11). Compared with the LA group, GDS scores improved in the EPA (P=0·04) and DHA (P=0·01) groups and verbal fluency (Initial Letter Fluency) in the DHA group (P=0·04). Improved GDS scores were correlated with increased DHA plus EPA (r 0·39, P=0·02). Improved self-reported physical health was associated with increased DHA. There were no treatment effects on other cognitive or QOL parameters. Increased intakes of DHA and EPA benefited mental health in older people with MCI. Increasing n-3 PUFA intakes may reduce depressive symptoms and the risk of progressing to dementia. This needs to be investigated in larger, depressed samples with MCI.Natalie Sinn, Catherine M. Milte, Steven J. Street, Jonathan D. Buckley, Alison M. Coates, John Petkov, and Peter R. C. How