Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy of Rat Kidney with Regard to Fa- tal Hyperthermia / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the chemical groups changing in rat kidney with regard to fatal hyperthermia by Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIR-MSP) and to provide a new method to diagnose fatal hyperthermia.@*METHODS@#Rats were sacrificed by hyperthermia, brainstem injury, massive hemorrhage and asphyxiation and divided into groups. The renal samples were dissected immediately after death. The data of infrared spectroscopy in glomerulus were measured by FTIR-MSP.@*RESULTS@#The absorbances of 3290, 3070, 2850, 1540 and 1396 cm(-1) significantly increased (P < 0.05), and the ratios of Al650/A3290 and A1650/A1540 significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in group of hyperthermia.@*CONCLUSION@#FTIR-MSP can analyze the changes of chemical groups of kidney as an auxiliary diagnosis for discriminating hyperthermia with other causes of death.

Iatrogenia institucional y muerte materna: semmelweis y la fiebre puerperal / Institutional iatrogeny and maternal death: semmelweis and puerperal fever

La fiebre puerperal es una enfermedad que asume carácter epidémico en el siglo XVIII como consecuencia de dos factores: las masas trabajadoras urbanas generadas por la revolución industrial, y la progresiva hegemonización y medicalización de la atención del parto en grandes hospitales públicos. La mortalidad materna institucionalizada alcanza cifras superiores al 30%, en tanto con la atención por parteras es menor al 2%. Semmelweis, médico húngaro, postula que los médicos contaminaban a las parturientas por insuficiente higiene luego de realizar necropsias, e implanta medidas profilácticas en el Hospital de Viena, las cuales reducen dramáticamente la mortalidad, pero sus ideas son rechazadas por que afectan el proceso de institucionalización de la medicina basado en el altruismo y honor, por los que supuestamente era imposible que causen daño a sus pacientes. Es obligado a retirarse del Hospital de Viena, y continua su lucha en Budapest, pero el rechazo y la incomprensión de sus colegas por su doctrina afecta su salud mental. Muere en un asilo, pocos años antes que Pasteur y Koch demuestren las bacterias causantes de enfermedades como la fiebre puerperal.

Puerperal fever is a disease that becomes epidemic in the eighteenth century as a result of two factors: the urban working masses generated by the industrial revolution and the progressive hegemonization and medicalization of birth care in large public hospitals. Institutionalized maternal death reached figures above 30%, while in the case of birth care provided by midwives, it was than 2%. Semmelweis, an Hungarian physician, sustained that physicians contaminated women in labor due to insufficient hygiene after performing necropsies and established prophylactic measures in the Vienna Hospital that reduced mortality dramatically. However, his ideas were rejected because they affected the institutionalization process of medicine, based on altruism and honor, which would make it impossible to cause harm to patients. He was forced to leave Vienna Hospital and he continued his struggle in Budapest, but the rejection and disagreement of his peers with his doctrine affected his mental health. He died in an asylum, a few years before Pasteur and Koch proved the existence of the bacteria that caused diseases such as puerperal fever.

An Analysis of the Excess Mortality Profile during the 2006 Chikungunya Fever Epidemic in Mauritius

The Island of Mauritius was affected by a large scale epidemic outbreak of Chikungunya Fever (CHIKF) from February to April 2006. It was observed that this epidemic was associated with an excess mortality during the months of March to May 2006 in Mauritius. This study was aimed to analyze the gender and age group distribution of the excess mortality. Population and mortality data were obtained from the Mauritius Central Statistics Office for the years 2000 to 2006. The excess monthly mortality was computed for 2006 and the distribution of excess mortality according to gender and age groups was analyzed. For both genders combined; the excess mortality was 91.5in the age group ? 50 years. For the ? 50-year age group; the total male excess death rate (EDR) exceeded the total female EDR by 66. Our results indicate that CHIKF is associated with an increased mortality particularly in the ? 50-year age group with males being more vulnerable than females to mortality. Although there have been reports of CHIKF related deaths in other studies; the profile of the excess mortality during a CHIKF outbreak has not been previously scribed

Preoperative vaginal preparations for abdominal hysterectomy for the prevention of febrile morbidity: savlon douching vs povidone-iodine painting.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness between savlon solution was douching and povidone-iodine solution painting for reducing febrile morbidity after total abdominal hysterectomy. Study design: Clinical trial. MATERIAL AND METHOD: One hundred and fifty patients at Srinagarind Hospital were scheduled for total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH). All subjects were non-randomly allocated to receive either savlon (1:1000 solutions) douching or povidone-iodine (1% solution) painting as pre-operative vaginal preparations. They also received Cefazolin 1 gm. intravenously before the operation. The principal outcome of the study was febrile morbidity. RESULTS: The overall rate of febrile morbidity was 21 percent. The incidence of febrile morbidity in the savlon vs. povidone-iodine groups was 16 (12/75) and 25 (19/75) percent, respectively. No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups (p-value = 0.16). The odds ratio was 1.78 (95%CI 0.79 to 3.99) and adjusted odds ratio was 2.09(95%CI 0.86 to 5.10) CONCLUSION: The effectiveness between savlon solution douching and povidone-iodine solution painting in conjunction with a prophylactic antibiotic before TAH for reducing febrile morbidity was not significant different.

Neutropenia febril de alto riesgo en leucemia aguda. Experiencia en un hospital público. Programa Nacional de Drogas Antineoplásicas del Adulto (PANDA), Hospital del Salvador, 1991-2001 / High risk febrile neutropenia in acute leukemia. The experience of a public hospital. National Program of Antineoplastic Drugs in Adult, Hospital del Salvador, 1991-2001

BACKGROUND: Febrile neutropenia is one of the most important problems to face during the treatment of acute leukemia. AIM: To assess the results of a standardized protocol for the treatment of febrile neutropenia and compare it with a period in which treatment was not standardized. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and eight episodes of febrile neutropenia in 69 patients, treated with a standardized antimicrobial protocol between 1996 and 2001, were analyzed. The protocol consisted in the use of a combination of antimicrobial whose spectrum was broadened progressively according to the isolated microorganisms and the involved foci. These were compared with 83 episodes in 54 patients, treated without standardized protocols between 1990 and 1995. RESULTS: Both groups of patients were comparable. Their ages ranged from 15 to 65 years old. The male/female ratio was 1.3 and the lymphoblastic/myeloid leukemia ratio was 1.4. Sixty one percent of episodes occurred during induction chemotherapy and mean duration of neutropenia was 17 days. A clinically significant focus was identified in 72 per cent of episodes and a microorganism was isolated blood culture in 35 per cent of them. There was a predominance of gram negative organisms. The mortality decreased from 18 to 9 per cent in the period 1996-2000 (p = 0.094). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a standardized antimicrobial protocol reduced the mortality in febrile neutropenia, even when colony stimulating factors and filtered air rooms are unavailable.

A Strategy for home based management of fever in Uganda

A significant proportion of morbidity and mortality in Uganda is due to malaria and malaria-related illnesses. Malaria accounts for 46of illnesses in children; 20-40of outpatient visits 25of admissions to hospitals and 14of inpatient deaths (MOFPED 1995). Unfortunately; the magnitude of the malaria problem in the country is worsening for instance malaria accounted for 25-40of the OPD cases in 1922/3; 27-51in 1998 and 29-50in 1999 (MOH 2001). Some of the reasons for this include mismanagement of malaria cases; misuse of anti-malarial drugs and resistance of malaria parasites to drugs resulting in increasing level of treatment failures

Modified Glasgow Coma Scale to predict mortality in febrile unconscious children.

A prospective hospital based study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics of the Kasturba Hospital, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha to predict the mortality in children admitted with fever and unconsciousness using the Modified Glasgow Coma Scale (MGCS) score. Forty eight children were admitted with fever and unconsciousness; cases of febrile convulsions, epilepsy and cerebral palsy were excluded. MGCS scores were assessed on admission and repeated at 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours after admission in each case. Diagnosis in each case was confirmed by history, examinations and investigations. All the cases were regularly followed up till death/discharge. The overall mortality was 29.1% (14/48) out of which 85% (12/14) died within the first 24 hours. Mortality was highest in the toddler age group and in patients with pyogenic meningitis. There was a significant association between death and MGCS scores on admission with a post test probability for discharge being only 10% with a score of less than 5 and 99% with a score of more than 10 respectively. MGCS scores on admission can be used to predict mortality in patients hospitalized with fever and unconsciousness. The scale is simple, easy, can be applied at bed side and does not need any investigations. Its application in developing countries with limited investigative and intensive care facilities can help the treating physician decide regarding referral and counseling the parents regarding the probable clinical outcome.

Criterios de bajo riesgo de mortalidad en niños con neutropenia y fiebre durante la quimioterapia por cancer / Criteria of low risk of mortality in children with neutropenia and fever during cancer chemotherapy

Con el objetivo de validar el uso de un perfil de bajo riesgo de mortalidad, y evaluar la eficacia de un esquema de tratamiento secuencial parenteral-oral en niños con neutropenia y fiebre durante la terapia de enfermedades malignas, se llevó a cabo un estudio prospectivo entre mayo de 1997 y diciembre de 1999. En el período de estudio fueron incluídos 247 episodios de neutropenia y fiebre en 215 pacientes. Los niños en tratamiento por enfermedades malignas que presentaban: neutropia (recuento absoluta de neutrófilos<500/mm3), fiebre (> 38§C) buen estado general, que no presentaban un foco clínico de riesgo, que no tenían factores comorbilidad severos asociados, sin bacteriemia y familias continente, fueron elegidos para recibir un tratamiento inicial con ceftrixona y amikacina en el hospital seguido de cefixima o ciprofloxacina por vía oral en forma ambulatoria hasta completar 7 días. La edad media de los niños fue de 64 meses (r: 8-200). El 48 porciento (118) tuvo leucemia y el 57 porciento (141) catéteres endovasculares. El 47 porciento (122) tuvo foco clínico de infección, donde predominó la infección respiratoria alta (81 porciento). El tiempo medio de fiebre fue de 1.1 días (r: 1-8) y de neutropenia 3.9 días (r: 1-9). El 61 porciento (150) de los niños fue dado de alta con neutropenia. La media de internación fue de 1.5 días. Se registraron 4 fallos (1.6 porciento), los cuáles fueron tratados satisfactoriamente y ninguno presentó complicaciones mayores, falleció o abandonó el tratamiento. El perfil de riesgo utilizado fue seguro, y el tratamiento secuencial fue eficaz en el manejo de los niños con neutropenia y fiebre de origen hemato-oncológico y bajo riesgo de mortalida.