Characterization of Phytophthora nicotianae isolates in southeast Spain and their detection and quantification through a real-time TaqMan PCR.

BACKGROUND: The soil-borne pathogens Phytophthora nicotianae and P. capsici are the causal agents of root and stem rot of many plant species. Although P. capsici was considered the causal agent in one of the main pepper production areas of Spain to date, evidence of the presence of P. nicotianae was found. We aimed to survey the presence of P. nicotianae and study the variability in its populations in this area in order to improve the management of Tristeza disease. RESULTS: A new specific primer and a TaqMan probe were designed based on the internal transcribed spacer regions of ribosomal DNA to detect and quantify P. nicotianae. Both morphological and molecular analysis showed its presence and confirmed it to be the causal agent of the Phytophthora disease symptoms in the studied area. The genetic characterization among P. nicotianae populations showed a low variability of genetic diversity among the isolates. Only isolates of the A2 mating type were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Not only is a specific and early detection of P. nicotianae essential but also the study of genetic variability among isolates for the appropriate management of the disease, above all, in producing areas with favorable conditions for the advance of the disease.

Stability studies of binary and ternary mixtures containing morphine, midazolam, levomepromazine and hyoscine butylbromide for parenteral administration.

OBJECTIVES: [corrected] Parenteral (intravenous or subcutaneous) administration is routinely used in palliative medicine because patients are not able to take drugs orally. To avoid excessive injections, several drugs are usually given in the same dose, but the stability of these drugs when mixed is not always known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the stability of several mixtures of drugs (morphine, midazolam, levomepromazine and hyoscine butylbromide) kept under different storage conditions. METHODS: Stability was evaluated on the basis of percentage of drug remaining, pH, change of colour and gas or precipitate formation. KEY FINDINGS: The most notable results of the study showed that levomepromazine is rapidly degraded in 0.9% NaCl in all cases, and at high concentrations, morphine can precipitate when stored at 4°C. CONCLUSIONS: Mixtures containing levomepromazine are rapidly degraded under experimental conditions.

Errores con medicación anticoagulante oral / No disponible

No disponible

Pharmaceutical care: pharmacy involvement in prescribing in an acute-care hospital.

BACKGROUND: [corrected] Pharmaceutical care implies reaching a consensus with physicians on prescriptions in cases that call for the substitution of one active ingredient for another, a modification in dose, frequency, route of administration, etc., through the unit-dose distribution system. The goal of pharmacist interventions in the hospital should be to achieve a rational use of drugs; to ensure this, a daily review of patient prescriptions by a pharmacist is necessary. Most of the incidence of drug-related morbidity and mortality is predictable and can be avoided, thus reducing the overall cost of health care and the duration of hospitalization while improving the quality of care. The optimum quality of physician or pharmacist care to be achieved would be one that which maximizes benefits and minimizes risks and costs. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate pharmacist interventions at the Hospital of Barcelona over a six-month period and their clinical and economic repercussions and the degree of compliance. METHOD: The interventions were recorded on a card and classified by type: antibiotic or thromboembolic prophylaxis; substitution of an active principle not included in the hospital's Pharmacotherapeutic Guide; change in dose or route of administration; therapeutic duplication; dose adjustment of aminoglycosides and vancomycin; and inappropriate treatment duration. The economic evaluation considered the average cost of a hospital stay and of the procedures and diagnostics in 1998 and applied data on published probability rates and drug costs. RESULTS: A total of 3,136 interventions were analyzed prospectively during the study period. The interventions represented savings of 129,058.31 euros. Those that contributed most to these savings were recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis, thromboembolic prophylaxis and pharmacokinetics studies: 49.4, 47 and 5.7% of interventions, respectively, and 79, 3.6 and 15% of total savings, respectively. CONCLUSION: In general, the degree of acceptance of the interventions was high (88.8%), as a result of the growing compliance by physicians with the hospital's established protocols. It can be concluded that pharmacist interventions have been useful to improve patient care and have been important to help educate physicians on the quality of drug therapy.