Reducing risks in blood transfusion: process and outcome.

The last decade has seen substantial improvements in the provision of safe "infection-free' blood for patients in many countries. This has resulted from the combined effects of better donor education, selection, testing and exclusion processes. The residual risk of infection with HBsAg attributable to laboratory error is less than 0.

Xanthine oxidase promotes neutrophil sequestration but not injury in hyperoxic lungs.

Neutrophil accumulation in alveolar spaces is a conspicuous finding in hyperoxia-exposed lungs. We hypothesized that xanthine oxidase (XO)-derived oxidants contribute to retention of neutrophils in hyperoxic lungs. Rats were subjected to normobaric hyperoxia (100% O2) for 48 h, and lungs were assessed for neutrophil sequestration (morphometry and lavage cell counts) and injury (lavage albumin levels and lung weights).

Lung injury after experimental smoke inhalation: particle-associated changes in alveolar macrophages.

The role of smoke particles in the pathogenesis of smoke inhalation lung injury is enigmatic. We report an experimental model that facilitates study of this issue. Mice were exposed over a 30-min period to smoke released from a flexible polyurethane foam, heated at 400 degrees C.

Foreign-body pulmonary embolism.

The minimal incidence of pulmonary foreign-body embolism in a general pediatric pathology experience was ascertained by reviewing autopsy records, and the true incidence of pulmonary foreign-body embolism was determined by studying lung sections from 64 autopsies of patients who had undergone cardiac procedures. Seventeen cases of embolism were reported from 370 autopsies, an incidence of 4.6%.

Effects of smoke inhalation on surfactant phospholipids and phospholipase A2 activity in the mouse lung.

The effects of smoke inhalation on the pulmonary surfactant system were examined in mice exposed for 30 minutes to smoke generated from the burning of polyurethane foam. At 8 or 12 hours after exposure, surfactants were isolated separately from lung lavage (extracellular surfactant) and residual lung tissue (intracellular surfactant) for phospholipid analysis. Calcium-dependent phospholipase A2 (PLA2) was measured on a microsomal fraction prepared from the tissue homogenate.

Use of a fluid dispensing apparatus for bronchoalveolar lavage in mice.

The volume of the mouse lung is small, so bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in mice is generally performed with 1 ml syringes to infuse smaller volumes of fluid. Multiple infusions are required to obtain enough recovered fluid for multiple analyses. This paper introduces the use of one type of a simple fluid dispensing apparatus as an infusion device.

Anitschkow nuclear structure: a study of pediatric hearts.

Anitschkow nuclear structures are commonly found in hearts of children who have died of various disorders. The peculiar chromatin pattern, as shown by immunohistochemical methods, occurs in striated muscle cells, histiocytes, Schwann cells, nondescript mesenchymal cells of the heart, and, rarely, cells outside of the heart. They are most abundant in the atrioventricular valves and in valve rings of premature infants.

Development of a rational blood-ordering policy for obstetrics and gynaecology.

The relation between quantities of blood ordered to cover obstetrical and gynaecological diagnoses and quantities actually used was studied over a period of 3 months in one Scottish hospital. It appeared that the amount of blood ordered as 'cover' for many operative procedures and for patients under observation was, in many instances, uneconomic. On the basis of this a 'maximum surgical blood-ordering schedule' has been proposed which would reduce the amount of blood cross-matched as 'cover' by 65%.

A novel substituted guanidine with high activity in vitro against rhinoviruses.

THE number and diversity of the viruses which infect the upper respiratory tract, and cause the common cold, virtually preclude the control of this disease by conventional vaccines. From this, apart from symptomatic therapy, the only hope for effective treatment of this most prevalent of diseases is in the development of broad spectrum antiviral drugs. We have developed a substituted guanidine, ICI 65,709 (ref.

Antiviral effects of aphidicolin, a new antibiotic produced by Cephalosporium aphidicola.

Aphidicolin is an antibiotic of novel structure produced by the mold Cephalosporium aphidicola. It is a potent inhibitor of cellular deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis, and it also strongly inhibits the growth of herpes simplex virus both in tissue culture and in the rabbit eye. Aphidicolin is active against iododeoxyuridine-resistant herpes virus, and does not itself readily induce the formation of drug-resistant strains of herpesvirus.