Improving mealtimes for paediatric intensive care children and families: A quality improvement initiative.

Background: Many critically ill children can be fed orally at some point during their paediatric intensive care (PICU) stay, but reduced appetite and other factors may impact their intake. At home, oral feeding is usually delivered by parents, so involving parents more actively during mealtimes in the PICU may contribute to improved patient/family satisfaction.

Aim: To assess the impact of a new "room service" initiative involving parents on mealtime quality and on both family and health care professional (HCP) satisfaction.

Stereochemistry of the human macular carotenoids.

Purpose: To complete identification of the major components of the human macular pigment.

Methods: Chemical ionization mass spectra of the macular pigment components were obtained and compared with those of zeaxanthin and lutein standards. A comparison was also made using chiral column high-performance liquid chromatography, which is capable of resolving individual stereoisomers of these carotenoids.

Inactivation of Kell blood group antigens by 2-aminoethylisothiouronium bromide.

Human red cells incubated with a solution containing 6% 2-aminoethylisothiouronium bromide (AET) lose activity of antigens that are part of, or related to, the Kell blood group system. However, Kx antigen is not inactivated. Studies on a wide range of other blood-group antigens show no other evidence of changes and AET appears to react specifically with red-cell membrane structures that have Kell activity.