Cost-minimization analysis in the treatment of spasticity in children with cerebral palsy with botulinum toxin type A: an observational, longitudinal, retrospective study.

Objective: Cost-minimization analysis of onabotulinumtoxinA and abobotulinumtoxinA, taking into account the real dose administered to children with spasticity associated with dynamic equinus foot deformity due to cerebral palsy.

Method: A single centre, observational, longitudinal, and retrospective study which included spastic paediatric patients aged 2-to-18-years and treated with onabotulinumtoxinA or abobotulinumtoxinA from December 1995 to October 2012, in the Paediatric Neurology Unit of a first-level Spanish hospital. A longitudinal analysis of spasticity severity was made to confirm the similar efficacy of both treatments.

Data acquisition electronics for gamma ray emission tomography using width-modulated leading-edge discriminators.

We present a new high-performance and low-cost approach for implementing radiation detection acquisition systems. The basic elements used are charge-integrating ADCs and a set of components encapsulated in an HDL (hardware definition language) library which makes it possible to implement several acquisition tasks such as time pickoff and coincidence detection using a new and simple trigger technique that we name WMLET (width-modulated leading-edge timing). As proof of concept, a 32-channel hybrid PET/SPECT acquisition system based on these elements was developed and tested.

Design and performance evaluation of a coplanar multimodality scanner for rodent imaging.

This work reports on the development and performance evaluation of the VrPET/CT, a new multimodality scanner with coplanar geometry for in vivo rodent imaging. The scanner design is based on a partial-ring PET system and a small-animal CT assembled on a rotatory gantry without axial displacement between the geometric centers of both fields of view (FOV). We report on the PET system performance based on the NEMA NU-4 protocol; the performance characteristics of the CT component are not included herein.

[Needlestick injuries in health care workers: analysis of non preventable risk factors through standard precautions].

Objective: To identify potential risk factors of occupational needlestick injuries that were not prevented despite adherence to standard precautions.

Patients And Method: Multicentre case control study. Cases were defined as any workers who reported a needlestick injury despite documented use of standard precautions.

A nosocomial outbreak of influenza during a period without influenza epidemic activity.

The objective of this study was to describe a nosocomial outbreak of influenza during a period without influenza epidemic activity in the community. Outbreak investigation was carried out in an infectious diseases ward of a tertiary hospital. Presence of two or more of the following symptoms were used to define influenza: cough, sore throat, myalgia and fever.

Plantain allergy (Plantago lanceolata): assessment of diagnostic tests.

A study was made of 55 patients with skin prick test results for Plantago lanceolata of 3 mm2 or more. They were evaluated in relation to the response elicited by 10 mg/ml of histamine HCl. Patients with a response to Plantago less intense than the response to histamine were considered as having a "negative" response, whereas those whose response to Plantago was more intense than the response to histamine were considered as having a "positive" response.

Allergy to Alternaria. II. Diagnostic comparison of skin-tests and RAST.

The diagnosis of Alternaria allergy is difficult and tests in vivo and in vitro usually do not give results as satisfactory as those obtained with other allergens. We studied 33 patients with a cutaneous response of 2 mm2 or more to skin-prick tests for Alternaria (extract containing 104 micrograms/ml of Alt-1). Results were compared with those of RAST.

Diagnosis of allergy to cat epithelium in clinical practice. I. Value of skin tests.

Seventy atopic patients were studied. Pin-prick skin tests with cat epithelium extract (Ifidesa-Aríste-gui) were made. The results were compared by dividing the patients into a group with clinical manifestations of contact with cats and a group without clinical manifestations of contact with cats.

Allergy to Alternaria. I. Clinical aspects.

We studied 66 patients allergic to mould Alternaria. 53% males and 47% females, with 60% diagnosed as having asthma versus 40% rhinitis, only 29% had allergy to Alternaria without any other cutaneous reactivity while 71% were polisensitized, more frequently to D. pteronyssinus, grass pollen, Cladosporium and cat epithelium.