Administration of platelets to ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm patients before open surgery: a prospective, single-blinded, randomised study.

BACKGROUND: In patients undergoing open surgery for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA), survivors demonstrate a high platelet count, and proactive administration of platelets (and fresh frozen plasma) appears to influence mortality. OBJECTIVES: This trial investigated the effect of platelets administered before transport to surgery. METHODS: In a prospective study design, patients were randomised to receive platelets (intervention; n = 61) or no platelets (control; n = 61) before transport to vascular surgery from 11 local hospitals. The study was terminated when one of the vascular surgical centres implemented endovascular repair for rAAA patients. RESULTS: Thirty days after surgery, mortality was 36% for patients with intervention vs 31% for controls (P = 0·32). Post-operative thrombotic events (14 vs 15; P = 0·69), renal failure (11 vs 10; P = 0·15) and pulmonary insufficiency (34 vs 39; P = 0·15) were similar in the two groups of patients. No adverse reactions to platelet administration were observed. In addition, length of stay in the intensive care unit was unaffected by intervention. CONCLUSIONS: For patients planned for open repair of a rAAA, we observed no significant effect of early administration of platelets with regard to post-operative complications and stay in the ICU or in hospital and also no significant effect on mortality.

Routine noninvasive prenatal screening for fetal RHD in plasma of RhD-negative pregnant women-2 years of screening experience from Denmark.

OBJECTIVE: Prenatal and postnatal RhD prophylaxis reduces the risk of RhD immunization in pregnancies of RhD-negative women. Based on the result from prenatal screening for the fetal RHD gene, prenatal RhD prophylaxis in Denmark is targeted to RhD-negative women who carry an RhD-positive fetus. Here, we present a 2-year evaluation of a nationwide prenatal RHD screening. METHODS: Blood samples were drawn from RhD-negative women in gestational week 25. DNA was extracted from maternal plasma and analyzed for the RHD gene. The prenatal RHD results were compared with the serological typing of newborns in 12,668 pregnancies. Early compliance was assessed for 690 pregnancies. RESULTS: The sensitivity for the detection of fetal RHD was 99.9% (95% CI: 99.7-99.9%). Unnecessary recommendation of prenatal RhD prophylaxis was avoided in 97.3% of the women carrying an RhD-negative fetus. Fetuses that were seropositive for RhD were not detected in 11 pregnancies (0.087%). The sample uptake percentage was 84.2%, and the compliance for prenatal anti-D administration was 93.2%. CONCLUSION: The high sensitivity, maintained over 2 years, underlines the reliability of routine prenatal fetal RHD screening in RhD-negative pregnant women, specifically at 25 weeks of gestation. The remaining challenges are logistical and are related to program compliance.

Hepatitis B core antibodies in Danish blood donors: a surrogate marker of risk behaviour.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work was to determine the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) among Danish blood donors and to correlate this with risk factors for blood-borne and sexually transmitted diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During a 5-month period, 10 862 consecutive donors in the County of Funen were screened for anti-HBc, and repeat-reactive samples were confirmed by supplementary testing. Information on risk factors was assessed by questionnaire in 585 consecutive anti-HBc-negative blood donors and compared with information obtained from confirmed positive donors. RESULTS: The prevalence of confirmed positive anti-HBc among donors was 0.70% (76/10 862, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.55-0.87). One donor was positive for anti-HBc immunoglobulin M (IgM); none tested positive for hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA. In a logistic regression analysis, age, female gender, tattoos and commercial sexual relations, were independent predictive factors for the presence of anti-HBc. CONCLUSION: Anti-HBc is a surrogate marker for previous risk behaviour in the Danish blood donor population. We suggest that screening for anti-HBc may be used among new donors to supplement interviews on risk behaviour.

[Mycobacterium avium complex infection in a patient with idiopathic CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia]. / Mycobacterium avium complex-infektion hos en patient med idiopatisk CD4+ T-lymfocytopeni.

Primary cutaneous infections with MAC are extremely rare. We report a case of primary cutaneous infection with MAC, in a 69 year-old HIV-negative male. Idiopathic CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia was diagnosed.