A primary care approach to the infertile couple.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 20% of reproductive age couples have difficulty conceiving or maintaining an established pregnancy. The family physician is in a unique position to provide patient education, begin initial evaluation, make appropriate referrals, and offer ongoing counseling and support to couples who experience problems with fertility. METHODS: And extensive clinical review was conducted based on a MEDLINE search, the Cochrane database of systematic reviews, and other supporting evidence. RESULTS: Major physiologic influences affecting live birth rates include age, coital frequency, and duration of infertility. Male factor is associated with approximately 40% of these cases and should be addressed early in the evaluation. CONCLUSION: Many conditions once considered untreatable can now be routinely corrected. As managed care programs expand coverage to include infertility services, primary care providers will be asked to participate in the initial phase of this care. This article offers a practical approach.

Incidence of anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies in non-A, non-B post-transfusion hepatitis in an area of northern Italy.

A total of 210 patients consecutively submitted to heart surgery at the Parma University Hospital and transfused with 1,898 units of blood were followed after transfusion in order to evaluate both the incidence of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) seroconversion in non-A, non-B post-transfusion hepatitis (PTH-NANB) cases and the usefulness of the screening for anti-HCV in comparison with that for serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) values in preventing PTH-NANB transmission. Fifteen recipients developed PTH-NANB (group A); ten of them (66.6%) showed anti-HCV seroconversion within 3-12 months. Eight of the ten anti-HCV positive patients developed chronic hepatitis, but none of the five PTH-NANB anti-HCV negative did. None of the 15 controls (group B) randomly chosen among the patient population showed anti-HCV seroconversion. A close correlation with the transmission of PTH was showed by anti-HCV positivity but not by SGPT elevation in blood donors. Eleven of 172 blood products transfused to group A but none of 139 products transfused to group B were anti-HCV positive. The incidence of elevated SGPT values was similar between the two groups of the transfused blood products. Nevertheless, the correlation observed between anti-HCV positivity and SGPT levels in the blood products involved in PTH confirms the need to exclude blood donors with abnormal SGPT values. On the whole, anti-HCV screening of donors showed a predictive value higher than that of SGPT (100% vs. 53.3%), allowing a minor blood donation exclusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Renal colic: behavior of urinary parameters in the assessment of lithogenic risk]. / Colica renale: comportamento dei parametri urinari di valutazione del rischio litogeno.

In patients with renal colic we studied lithogenic urinary risk factors before and after the stone passage. We showed abnormalities in water, electrolytes and other substances excretion due to retention and metabolic disorders. The effects more pronounced is on urinary sodium, calcium, magnesium and ammonium. Citrate behaviour suggests a transient intracellular acidosis.