Successful Use of High-dose Daptomycin in a Child With Staphylococcus aureus Endocarditis.

We report the successful use of daptomycin in a child with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis with persistent bacteremia and clinical deterioration, despite treatment with vancomycin and rifampicin. She had acute kidney injury, requiring daptomycin dosage adjustment.

A rare presentation of atypical demyelination: tumefactive multiple sclerosis causing Gerstmann's syndrome.

Background: Tumefactive demyelinating lesions are a rare manifestation of multiple sclerosis (MS). Differential diagnosis of such space occupying lesions may not be straightforward and sometimes necessitate brain biopsy. Impaired cognition is the second most common clinical manifestation of tumefactive MS; however complex cognitive syndromes are unusual.

Vitamin D in pregnancy-time for action: a paediatric audit.

Maternal vitamin D deficiency is a significant public health issue. This retrospective multicentre audit was undertaken to identify the scale of maternal vitamin D deficiency in London, using infant vitamin D deficiency as a surrogate marker. During January 2006 to June 2008, 74 infants presented with symptomatic vitamin D deficiency, a prevalence of 1.

Force field for molecular dynamics studies of glycine/water mixtures in crystal/solution environments.

Defining a force field for the theoretical predictions of the structure and growth of pharmaceutical crystals is very difficult because of the complex intermolecular bonding found in these crystals. Here, we investigate the accuracy of the AMBER ff03 force field for alpha-glycine molecules using molecular dynamics. The validation of the force field is carried out in both solution and crystal/solution environments.

CT in children with abdominal cancer: should we routinely include the pelvis?

Background: It has been suggested that the pelvis should not be habitually included on abdominal CT examinations, but the potential benefit of such a practice in childhood abdominal malignancies is unknown.

Objective: To estimate the yield and potential diagnostic benefit of abnormal findings on CT of the pelvis in children with malignant primary tumours in the upper abdomen.

Materials And Methods: From a paediatric tertiary referral hospital we retrospectively included patients having abdominal CT for primary upper abdominal tumours (1997-2004), the scan range routinely including the pelvis.