24-hour urinary calcium in primary hyperparathyroidism.

Objective: To establish whether urinary and serum calcium levels are correlated in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and to evaluate related factors including serum levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and vitamin D, age, gender and renal function.

Design: Retrospective review on patients undergoing a parathyroidectomy for PHPT from 2000- 2008. Data collected included: age, sex, preoperative serum calcium (ionized and total), creatinine, PTH, postoperative ionized calcium, vitamin D, and 24-hour urine calcium and creatinine.

Current concepts regarding the effect of wound microbial ecology and biofilms on wound healing.

Biofilms are a collection of microbes that adhere to surfaces by manufacturing a matrix that shields them from environmental elements. Wound biofilms are difficult to evaluate clinically, and standard culture methods are inadequate for capturing the true bioburden present in the biofilm. New molecular techniques provide the means for rapid detection and evaluation of wound biofilms, and may prove to be useful in the clinical setting.