Lipid peroxidation in all-in-one admixtures for preterm neonates: impact of amount of lipid, type of lipid emulsion and delivery condition.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of lipid emulsion composition and delivery condition on lipid peroxidation in typical all-in-one parenteral admixtures for preterm neonates.

Methods: Malonedialdehyde (MDA) concentrations were assessed in different all-in-one admixtures. We evaluated the effects of fat blend (three lipid emulsions) and the amount of lipids, as well as the effects of protecting bags and/or tubing from ambient light and storage for 72 h.

[Assessment of inappropriate prescriptions in psychiatric in-patients].

Objective: To evaluate occurrence of the inappropriate prescriptions in a psychiatric department.

Methodology: In this prospective survey over a two-month period, the medical orders were analysed. Inappropriate prescription was defined as any discrepancy with summary of product characteristics (SPC) or our hospital treatment guidelines.

Full-length cytokeratin-19 is released by human tumor cells: a potential role in metastatic progression of breast cancer.

Introduction: We evaluated whether CK19, one of the main cytoskeleton proteins of epithelial cells, is released as full-length protein from viable tumor cells and whether this property is relevant for metastatic progression in breast cancer patients.

Methods: EPISPOT (EPithelial ImmunoSPOT) assays were performed to analyze the release of full-length CK19 by carcinoma cells of various origins, and the sequence of CK19 was analyzed with mass spectrometry. Additional functional experiments with cycloheximide, Brefeldin A, or vincristine were done to analyze the biology of the CK19-release.

Validation of a neonatal pain scale adapted to the new practices in caring for preterm newborns.

Unlabelled: BACKGROUND Neonatal pain assessment generally requires access to facial expression. Improved neonatology practices, such as greater protection against bright lights and non-invasive mask ventilation, have made facial observation more difficult.

Objective: To validate a 'faceless' acute neonatal pain scale (FANS), which does not depend on facial expression.

Flow cytometric assessment of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein: prognostic value of recurrent cardiovascular events after acute coronary syndromes.

Background: Clopidogrel fails to elicit an adequate antiplatelet response in 4-30% of patients. Assessing the phosphorylation of intraplatelet vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) is an easy and reliable method of evaluating biological response to clopidogrel.

Aim: To assess the prognostic value of clopidogrel in patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) without persistent ST-segment elevation.

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure decreases respiratory muscles overload in young infants with severe acute viral bronchiolitis.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) on respiratory distress symptoms and respiratory effort in young infants with acute respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: The paediatric intensive care unit of a university hospital.

Diagnosis of diffuse and localized arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia by gated blood-pool SPECT.

Unlabelled: This study aimed to assess the ability of global and local systolic parameters measured with gated blood-pool SPECT (GBPS) to diagnose and characterize the severity of diffuse or localized arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD).

Methods: Fifty-nine subjects with symptomatic ventricular arrhythmias were prospectively included in the study. With the International Society and Federation of Cardiology criteria for ARVD as a gold standard, these subjects were classified as subjects without ARVD (21 control subjects) and patients with localized ARVD (16 patients) or diffuse ARVD (22 patients).

Initial endoscopic description of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate initial endoscopic practices at diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in comparison with current recommendations. We wanted to develop a standard model for the endoscopy report which could be used in routine practice.

Patients And Methods: From January 2000 to December 2002, 122 patients were hospitalized for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Mycophenolate mofetil in combination with reduction of calcineurin inhibitors for chronic renal dysfunction after liver transplantation.

Unlabelled: The purpose of the study was to introduce mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in liver transplant recipients with renal dysfunction to decrease calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) dosages without increasing rejection risk. In this prospective, multicenter, randomized study, chronic CNI-related renal dysfunction was defined by an increase in serum creatinine with values >140 micromol/L and <300 micromol/L. Patients were randomized in 2 groups.

Accuracy and precision of perfusion lung scintigraphy versus 133Xe-radiospirometry for preoperative pulmonary functional assessment of patients with lung cancer.

Purpose: This study sought to determine whether (133)Xe-radiospirometry (XRS) successfully selects patients able to undergo lung resection without postoperative respiratory complications and whether perfusion lung scintigraphy (PLS) is likely to provide a similar selection of patients for certain tumour stages.

Methods: Two hundred and eighty-four patients with resectable lung cancer underwent preoperative assessment of postoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) by XRS and PLS. Correlations, Bland and Altman analysis and contingency tables were used to analyse the difference between the two predictive techniques.

The diagnostic accuracy of reverse transcription-PCR quantification of cytokeratin mRNA in the detection of sentinel lymph node invasion in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a comparison with immunohistochemistry.

Purpose: The main goal of sentinel lymph node (SLN) detection in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas is to limit neck dissections to pN+ cases only. However, intraoperative + diagnosis cannot be routinely done using the current gold standard, serial step sectioning with immunohistochemistry. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) is potentially compatible with intraoperative use, proving highly sensitive in detecting molecular markers.

Impact of systematic evaluation of pain and agitation in an intensive care unit.

Objective: To measure the impact of implementation of the systematic evaluation of pain and agitation by nurses using the Behavioral Pain Scale (BPS), the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain, and the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) associated with medical staff education in analgesia and sedation management in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

Design: Two-phase, prospective, controlled study.

Setting: Twelve-bed medical-surgical ICU in a university hospital.

Clonidine added to bupivacaine in neonatal spinal anesthesia: a prospective comparison in 124 preterm and term infants.

Background: Spinal anesthesia (SA) remains the 'gold standard' in neonatal anesthesia for inguinal herniorrhaphy but its short duration impedes its usefulness. We previously demonstrated that clonidine prolongs neonatal SA without immediate side effects.

Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study of 124 infants undergoing herniorrhaphy under SA with bupivacaine and clonidine.

Acoustic and aerodynamic measurement of speech production after supracricoid partial laryngectomy.

Background: Supracricoid partial laryngectomy (SCPL) results in laryngeal preservation in more than 95% of patients with T2 glottic carcinoma. After surgery, glottis function is characterized by an absence of vocal cords and poor glottis closure. Voice is an important postSCPL quality of life factor.

Long-term outcomes after cryoablation for ventricular tachycardia during surgical treatment of anterior ventricular aneurysms.

Intraoperative map-guided procedures have been widely advocated as the best surgical strategy for the treatment of ventricular tachycardia (VT), though favorable results have been reported with subendocardial resection without mapping. This study examined the very long-term results of encircling cryoablation without mapping during surgery for anterior left ventricular aneurysm complicated by VT. Between 1985 and 2003, this procedure was performed in 52 patients, 7 of whom (13.

Confirmation of the diagnosis of natural rubber latex allergy by the Basotest method.

Background: The flow cytometry CD63-based basophil activation test (Basotest has already been validated for the diagnosis of immediate-type allergy such as venom, house dust mite or cypress pollen allergies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance (specificity and sensitivity) of Basotest in the diagnosis of natural rubber latex allergy.

Methods: We included 46 latex allergic patients (clinical symptoms of latex allergy, positive latex skin prick tests and/or latex specific IgE) and 33 control subjects and performed Basotest on all subjects.