Australian consensus guidelines for the safe handling of monoclonal antibodies for cancer treatment by healthcare personnel.

These consensus guidelines provide recommendations for the safe handling of monoclonal antibodies. Definitive recommendations are given for the minimum safe handling requirements to protect healthcare personnel. The seven recommendations cover: (i) appropriate determinants for evaluating occupational exposure risk; (ii) occupational risk level compared with other hazardous and non-hazardous drugs; (iii) stratification of risk based on healthcare personnel factors; (iv) waste products; (v) interventions and safeguards; (vi) operational and clinical factors and (vii) handling recommendations.

Hospital admissions caused by adverse drug events: an Australian prospective study.

Objective: To assess the frequency of adverse drug event (ADE)-related admissions (ADE-RAs) during a prospective medical record review of patients admitted to a metropolitan tertiary referral hospital.

Methods: Potential ADE-RA cases were identified by examination of case records of randomly selected patients. Cases were assessed by an expert panel to measure study outcomes, which were the frequency (ADEs and ADE-RAs) as well as type, likelihood of causality, severity, avoidability and detection of ADEs.

ReactNMR and ReactIR as reaction monitoring and mechanistic elucidation tools: the NCS mediated cascade reaction of α-thioamides to α-thio-β-chloroacrylamides.

On-flow ReactIR and (1)H NMR reaction monitoring, coupled with in situ intermediate characterization, was used to aid in the mechanistic elucidation of the N-chlorosuccinimide mediated transformation of an α-thioamide. Multiple intermediates in this reaction cascade are identified and characterized, and in particular, spectroscopic evidence for the intermediacy of the chlorosulfonium ion in the chlorination of α-thioamides is provided. Further to this, solvent effects on the outcome of the transformation are discussed.

What is the best method for measuring renal function in adults and children with cystic fibrosis?

To measure the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in adults and children with cystic fibrosis (CF) using a radio-isotope technique as the gold standard and to compare this to serum creatinine based equations, serum cystatin C levels and tobramycin clearance, and to determine which method correlates most closely with measured GFR in this population.

Renal dysfunction in cystic fibrosis: is there cause for concern?

Most people associate cystic fibrosis (CF) with lung disease. Although this is the major cause of morbidity and mortality, CF is in fact a multi-organ disease. Patients with CF are living longer.