Prophylactic probiotics to prevent death and nosocomial infection in preterm infants.

Background And Objective: It has been suggested that probiotics may decrease infant mortality and nosocomial infections because of their ability to suppress colonization and translocation of bacterial pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract. We designed a large double-blinded placebo-controlled trial using Lactobacillus reuteri to test this hypothesis in preterm infants.

Methods: Eligible infants were randomly assigned during the first 48 hours of life to either daily probiotic administration or placebo.

Very early surfactant without mandatory ventilation in premature infants treated with early continuous positive airway pressure: a randomized, controlled trial.

Background: Chronic lung disease is one of the most frequent and serious complications of premature birth. Because mechanical ventilation is a major risk factor for chronic lung disease, the early application of nasal continuous positive airway pressure has been used as a strategy for avoiding mechanical ventilation in premature infants. Surfactant therapy improves the short-term respiratory status of premature infants, but its use is traditionally limited to infants being mechanically ventilated.

Evaluation of passive and active rehabilitation and of tendon repair for partial tendon lacerations after three weeks of healing in canines.

Background: Both passive and active rehabilitation have been shown to be superior to immobilization following partial tendon laceration, but few studies have directly compared these two rehabilitation protocols. In addition, controversy still remains over whether a partial tendon laceration should be repaired.

Methods: We evaluated gap formation, adhesions, gliding function and structural properties of repaired and unrepaired tendons following 3 weeks of unrestricted active rehabilitation versus passive mobilization for partial laceration of canine flexor digitorum profundus tendons.