Pharmacogenetic Interventions Improve the Clinical Outcome of Treatment-Resistant Autistic Spectrum Disorder Sufferers.

Background: Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are severe neurodevelopmental alterations characterised by deficits in social communication and repetitive and restricted behaviours. About a third of patients receive pharmacological treatment for comorbid symptoms. However, 30-50% do not respond adequately and/or present severe and long-lasting side effects.

Higher accuracy of genotypic identification compared to phenotyping in the diagnosis of coagulase-negative staphylococcus infection in orthopedic surgery.

Purpose: To determine whether Repetitive Extragenic Palindromic PCR (rep-PCR) genotyping can improve the diagnosis of coagulase-negative staphylococcal (CoNS) orthopaedic infections in comparison to phenotyping.

Methods: Prospective study comparing the results of phenotypic/genotypic (rep-PCR) testing in patients with suspected CoNS infection. Each strain was analysed using both methods.

[Neuromuscular block management during general anesthesia in a cohort of 1545 patients: a multicenter study].

Background And Objective: Neuromuscular blockers (NMBs) have traditionally been thought to increase the risk of respiratory complications, although drawing conclusions in this respect would require complex studies in large patient samples. The aim of this study was to analyze data from the ARISCAT study to obtain an overall picture of how NMBs are being used and blocks are reversed in Catalonia, Spain.

Material And Methods: NMB use as reflected in data from the ARISCAT study was analyzed.

Substance abuse in anaesthetists.

Purpose Of Review: Anaesthesiologists have a significantly higher frequency of substance abuse by a factor of nearly 3 when compared with other physicians. This is still a current problem that must be reviewed.

Recent Findings: Many hypotheses have been formulated to explain why anaesthesiologists appear to be more susceptible to substance abuse than other medical professionals (genetic differences in sensitivity to opioids, stress, the association between chemical dependence and other psychopathology or the second-hand exposure hypothesis).

Observational study of nonogenarians undergoing emergency, non-trauma surgery.

Background: Nonagenarian population is growing, and so is the number of them needing emergency surgery. Yet, their treatment is often based on the outcomes of younger patients: although old age is known to be a risk factor for surgery, its level is not clear. This is a prospective, observational study to describe the population.