Challenges of Screening Prospective Stool Donors for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation.

Despite high efficacy rates, significant costs and logistical challenges associated with procuring stool from healthy donors for fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) have presented barriers to broader institutional adoption and limited the availability of this life-saving treatment. Published outcomes for donor screening programs report donor deferral rates between 90% and 96%. Due to the paucity of FMT donor screening data, a secondary analysis on a cohort of previously screened donors (n = 7,968) was conducted to provide a synopsis of the observed trends and rationales for prospective stool donor deferrals.

Nutrition of Black Women During Pregnancy.

Objective: To examine the consistency and adequacy of nutritional intake in a population of Black women in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Design: This was a longitudinal descriptive study. Data were collected from women with low-risk pregnancies at 22- to 24-week prenatal visits and two subsequent visits.

Characterizing the Intestinal Microbiome in Infantile Colic: Findings Based on an Integrative Review of the Literature.

Approximately 20% of newborns will develop symptoms of infantile colic starting around 2 weeks of age. While health care providers have a greater understanding of the impact that inconsolable crying has on family dynamics, maternal-infant bonding, and health care resources, opportunities for study still exist in the area of intestinal microbiome research. Advances in molecular technologies utilizing 16S ribosomal RNA and ribosomal DNA created the opportunity for researchers to index the intestinal microbial composition to better understand its association with infantile colic.

Nutritional and immunological considerations relevant to infant nutrition.

Optimal nutrition during infancy is critical not only to support the dramatic growth and development that takes place during the first 12 months following birth but also for establishing a healthy immune response throughout childhood and across the life span. The normative standards for infant feeding and nutrition are breast-feeding and human breast milk. However, in cases in which human breast milk is not available, infant formula is substituted.

Incidence of central vein stenosis and occlusion following upper extremity PICC and port placement.

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of central vein stenosis and occlusion following upper extremity placement of peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) and venous ports. One hundred fifty-four patients who underwent venography of the ipsilateral central veins prior to initial and subsequent venous access device insertion were retrospectively identified. All follow-up venograms were interpreted at the time of catheter placement by one interventional radiologist over a 5-year period and compared to the findings on initial venography.