Assuntos
Dasatinibe , Dessensibilização Imunológica , Hipersensibilidade a Drogas , Hipersensibilidade Imediata , Humanos , Dasatinibe/efeitos adversos , Dasatinibe/administração & dosagem , Dessensibilização Imunológica/métodos , Hipersensibilidade a Drogas/diagnóstico , Hipersensibilidade a Drogas/imunologia , Hipersensibilidade a Drogas/terapia , Hipersensibilidade a Drogas/etiologia , Hipersensibilidade Imediata/imunologia , Hipersensibilidade Imediata/etiologia , Administração Oral , Feminino , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/efeitos adversos , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/administração & dosagem , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Antineoplásicos/efeitos adversos , Antineoplásicos/administração & dosagem , Leucemia Mielogênica Crônica BCR-ABL Positiva/tratamento farmacológico , Leucemia Mielogênica Crônica BCR-ABL Positiva/imunologiaAssuntos
Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Adolescente , Adulto Jovem , Adulto , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Antiasmáticos/uso terapêutico , Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/uso terapêutico , Eosinofilia Pulmonar/tratamento farmacológico , Asma/tratamento farmacológico , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Resultado do Tratamento , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), expressed on Natural Killer (NK) cells, activate/inhibit NK cell function through interactions with their HLA-A, B and C ligands. KIR3DL1 is one of the most polymorphic genes and its effect varies depending on the interaction of the specific allotype with its Bw4 ligand. We investigated the allelic diversity of KIR3DL1/S1 using sequence based typing and we typed as well, their Bw4 ligands in Mexican Mestizos of Mexico City. The results showed that this population has a great KIR3DL1 allelic diversity with ∗01502 (19.9%), ∗00101 (13.2%) and ∗00501 (12.8%) being the most common alleles, while KIR3DS1 showed predominance of ∗01301 (86%); these data agree with the diversity found in most populations studied. At least one KIR3DL1-HIGH surface expression allele was present in 67.5% of the subjects. Phylogenetic comparisons between Mestizos and 28 different populations showed that allelic diversity of KIR3DL1/S1 was similar in Mexican Mestizos from Mexico and in Hispanics from USA. Knowledge of KIR and MHC diversity worldwide is fundamental for understanding the impact of KIR and KIR-ligand polymorphism on NK cell effector functions and is relevant in genetic anthropology, disease association and transplantation.
Assuntos
Etnicidade/genética , Variação Genética , Antígenos HLA/genética , Receptores KIR3DL1/genética , Receptores KIR3DS1/genética , Adulto , Alelos , Feminino , Frequência do Gene , Humanos , Masculino , México , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Filogenia , Receptores KIR3DL1/classificação , Receptores KIR3DS1/classificação , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Antecedentes: La adecuada prestación de cuidados paliativos por parte de las enfermeras en las unidades de cuidados intensivos es esencial para facilitar una «muerte buena» a los pacientes críticos. Objetivo: Conocer las percepciones, experiencias y conocimientos de las enfermeras de cuidados intensivos en el cuidado al paciente terminal. Metodología: Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica en las bases de datos Pubmed, Cinahl y PsicINFO utilizando como términos de búsqueda: cuidados paliativos, UCI, percepciones, experiencias, conocimientos y enfermería, con sus respectivos sinónimos en inglés y combinados con los booleanos AND y OR. Asimismo, se revisaron 3 revistas especializadas en cuidados intensivos. Resultados: Se seleccionaron 27 artículos para revisión, la mayoría estudios de carácter cualitativo (n = 16). Tras el análisis de las publicaciones se ha identificado que, a pesar de que las enfermeras perciben la necesidad de respetar la dignidad del paciente, brindar cuidados dirigidos al bienestar y favorecer la inclusión de la familia en el cuidado, existe una falta de conocimientos de los profesionales de enfermería de intensivos en el cuidado al final de la vida. Conclusión: Esta revisión revela que para lograr unos cuidados de calidad al final de la vida es necesario fomentar la formación de las enfermeras en cuidados paliativos y favorecer su soporte emocional, llevar a cabo un trabajo multidisciplinar efectivo y la inclusión de la enfermera en la toma de decisiones
Background: Adequate provision of palliative care by nursing in intensive care units is essential to facilitate a good death to critically ill patients. Objective: To determine the perceptions, experiences and knowledge of intensive care nurses in caring for terminal patients. Methodology: A literature review was conducted on the bases of Pubmed, Cinahl and PsicINFO data using as search terms: cuidados paliativos, UCI, percepciones, experiencias, conocimientos y enfermería and their alternatives in English (palliative care, ICU, perceptions, experiences, knowledge and nursing), and combined with AND and OR Boolean. Also, 3 journals in intensive care were reviewed. Results: Twenty seven articles for review were selected, most of them qualitative studies (n = 16). After analysis of the literature it has been identified that even though nurses perceive the need to respect the dignity of the patient, to provide care aimed to comfort and to encourage the inclusion of the family in patient care, there is a lack of knowledge of the end of life care in intensive care units nurses. Conclusion: This review reveals that to achieve quality care at the end of life, is necessary to encourage the training of nurses in palliative care and foster their emotional support, to conduct an effective multidisciplinary work and the inclusion of nurses in decision making
Assuntos
Humanos , Cuidados Paliativos/estatística & dados numéricos , Enfermagem de Cuidados Paliativos na Terminalidade da Vida/educação , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Cuidados Críticos/métodos , Unidades de Terapia Intensiva/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Adequate provision of palliative care by nursing in intensive care units is essential to facilitate a "good death" to critically ill patients. OBJECTIVE: To determine the perceptions, experiences and knowledge of intensive care nurses in caring for terminal patients. METHODOLOGY: A literature review was conducted on the bases of Pubmed, Cinahl and PsicINFO data using as search terms: cuidados paliativos, UCI, percepciones, experiencias, conocimientos y enfermería and their alternatives in English (palliative care, ICU, perceptions, experiences, knowledge and nursing), and combined with AND and OR Boolean. Also, 3 journals in intensive care were reviewed. RESULTS: Twenty seven articles for review were selected, most of them qualitative studies (n=16). After analysis of the literature it has been identified that even though nurses perceive the need to respect the dignity of the patient, to provide care aimed to comfort and to encourage the inclusion of the family in patient care, there is a lack of knowledge of the end of life care in intensive care units' nurses. CONCLUSION: This review reveals that to achieve quality care at the end of life, is necessary to encourage the training of nurses in palliative care and foster their emotional support, to conduct an effective multidisciplinary work and the inclusion of nurses in decision making.
Assuntos
Competência Clínica , Unidades de Terapia Intensiva , Recursos Humanos de Enfermagem Hospitalar , Cuidados Paliativos , Cuidados Críticos , Humanos , Assistência TerminalAssuntos
Hipertrigliceridemia/terapia , Plasmaferese , Adamantano/análogos & derivados , Adamantano/uso terapêutico , Adulto , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/sangue , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/complicações , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/tratamento farmacológico , Dieta com Restrição de Gorduras , Quimioterapia Combinada , Emergências , Humanos , Hiperglicemia/sangue , Hiperglicemia/tratamento farmacológico , Hiperglicemia/etiologia , Hipertrigliceridemia/sangue , Hipertrigliceridemia/complicações , Hipertrigliceridemia/dietoterapia , Hipoglicemiantes/uso terapêutico , Insulina/uso terapêutico , Masculino , Metformina/uso terapêutico , Nitrilas/uso terapêutico , Pirrolidinas/uso terapêutico , VildagliptinaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: CAP is a common disorder with a great variability in clinical practice. The decision regarding the appropriate site of care is the most important for the level of treatment and costs. Recently a hospital in our region ( Hospital de Galdakao) developed a prediction rule based on the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) plus some additional criteria (hypoxemia <60, shock, previous correct treatment failure, social problems or inability to maintain oral intake, pleural effusion or unstable comorbidities) with an easy computer program to classify patients to be hospitalized or not. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate that computer program in the emergency department of our hospital. RESULTS: We included between December 02 and December 04,662 prospective patients with CAP admitted to our emergency department, 58 had a different final diagnosis. 285 (47%) were treated on outpatient basis. Readmission rate was 6%. There was no mortality in this group. 319 (53%) patients were hospitalized, 97 were PSI low risk patients (I-II), 61 of them were admitted to hospital because additional criteria. 45% of these "low risk patients" had significant complications. These results are similar to those obtained in Galdakao* CONCLUSIONS: The application of this computer risk stratifying program to assess admission to hospital in CAP is simple useful, secure and can be export to different settings. Additional criteria to PSI are necessary to detect low risk patients that complicate.
Assuntos
Modelos Teóricos , Pneumonia Bacteriana/tratamento farmacológico , Pneumonia Bacteriana/epidemiologia , Software , Infecções Comunitárias Adquiridas/tratamento farmacológico , Infecções Comunitárias Adquiridas/epidemiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Medição de Risco/métodosRESUMO
La ligadura inmediata del cordón umbilical en el proceso delparto es la práctica más utilizada en el campo de la obstetricia.Es una técnica realizada casi siempre con prisa, con laintención de asistir lo más rápido posible al recién nacido. Enmuchas ocasiones los profesionales nos cuestionamos sihacemos lo correcto o si, en caso de partos normales en quelos recién nacidos no están hipóxicos, deberíamos dejar latirel cordón umbilical unos minutos antes de realizar la ligadura.Nuestro objetivo es describir y comparar los beneficios dela ligadura tardía frente a la ligadura inmediata. Se ha realizadouna revisión bibliográfica en las bases de datos Medliney la base de registro de ensayos clínicos controlados y aleatorizadosde la Cochrane Library publicados en los últimos16 años y utilizando como palabras clave ligadura cordónumbilical, hiperbilirrubinemia, anemia y hematocrito(AU)
Tying off the umbilical cord during birth is the most utilizedpractice in the field of obstetrics. This technique is almostalways carried out quickly, as a manner to aid the newbornchild as rapidly as possible. On many occasions, professionalsask themselves if they do the correct thing or if in normalbirth where a new born child does not suffer hypoxia, professionalsshould let the umbilical cord beat for some minutesbefore tying it off. The authors objective is to describeand compare the benefits of a later tying off of the umbilicalcord compared to an immediate tying off. The authorscarried out a bibliographical review on Medline data basesand the Cochrane Library registry for controlled and aleatorialclinical tests published over the past 16 years utilizing askey words for their search umbilical cord tying, hyperbilirubinemia,anemia and hematocrit(AU)
Assuntos
Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Recém-Nascido , Cordão Umbilical , Ligadura/enfermagem , Asfixia Neonatal/complicações , Hiperbilirrubinemia Neonatal/complicações , Anemia Neonatal/complicações , HematócritoRESUMO
Introducción: La neumonía adquirida en la comunidad (NAC) es una patología muy común y con una gran variabilidad en la práctica clínica. La decisión de hospitalizar o no a un paciente es la más importante en cuanto al nivel de tratamiento y costes. Recientemente un hospital de nuestra comunidad (Hospital de Galdakao) ha desarrollado una regla predictiva basada en el Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI), modificado por varios criterios adicionales (hipoxemia < 60, shock, fracaso de tratamiento previo correcto, problemas sociales o incapacidad para la ingesta oral, derrame pleural o comorbilidad inestable) mediante un sencillo programa informático para ayudar en la decisión de ingresar o no a un paciente. Objetivos: Evaluar la utilidad de ese programa informático en el servicio de urgencias de nuestro hospital. Resultados: Incluimos de forma prospectiva 662 pacientes con NAC que acudieron a urgencias del Hospital de Txagorritxu, entre Diciembre 2002 y Diciembre 2004. De ellos 58 tuvieron un diagnóstico final diferente. El 47% (285) fueron tratados de forma ambulatoria. La tasa de reingresos en este grupo fue del 6% y no hubo ningún éxitus. Fueron hospitalizados 319 pacientes, de ellos 97 pertenecían a clases de riesgo bajo del PSI, 61 de los cuales ingresaron por los criterios adicionales elegidos por nosotros, sufriendo el 45% de ellos complicaciones significativas. Estos resultados son similares a los obtenidos en el estudio del hospital de Galdakao. Conclusiones: La aplicación de este programa informático para estratificar riesgo y ayudar a la decisión de ingreso en la NAC es simple, útil, seguro y puede ser exportado a diferentes ámbitos clínicos. Son necesarios criterios adicionales al PSI para detectar los pacientes de bajo riesgo que tienen alguna complicación
Background: CAP is a common disorder with a great variability in clinical practice. The decision regarding the appropriate site of care is the most important for the level of treatment and costs. Recently a hospital in our region ( Hospital de Galdakao) developed a prediction rule based on the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) plus some additional criteria (hypoxemia <60, shock, previous correct treatment failure, social problems or inability to maintain oral intake, pleural effusion or unstable comorbidities) with an easy computer program to classify patients to be hospitalized or not. Objective: Evaluate that computer program in the emergency department of our hospital. Results: We included between December 02 and December 04 662 prospective patients with CAP admitted to our emergency department, 58 had a different final diagnosis. 285 (47%) were treated on outpatient basis. Readmission rate was 6%. There was no mortality in this group. 319 (53%) patients were hospitalized, 97 were PSI low risk patients (I-II), 61 of them were admitted to hospital because additional criteria. 45% of these low risk patients had significant complications. These results are similar to those obtained in Galdakao* Conclusions: The application of this computer risk stratifying program to assess admission to hospital in CAP is simple useful, secure and can be export to different settings. Additional criteria to PSI are necessary to detect low risk patients that complicate
Assuntos
Humanos , Infecções Comunitárias Adquiridas/terapia , Pneumonia Bacteriana/terapia , Tomada de Decisões Assistida por Computador , Fatores de Risco , Risco Ajustado/métodos , Aplicações da Informática Médica , Antibacterianos/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
Se analiza en una muestra de 142 centros, la mayoría de drogodependencias y algunos de alcoholismo, de 11 comunidades autónomas españolas, los programas que realizan para el tratamiento del tabaquismo. El 55.6% llevan a cabo tratamiento de fumadores. A lo largo del año 2004 en dichos centros hubo una demanda de tratamiento por parte de 3.771 personas. Fueron tratadas unas 3.000, finalizando el tratamiento la mitad de ellas. Los niveles de abstinencia indicados para el final del tratamiento como en los seguimientos a los 6 y 12 meses son buenos, en relación a los estudios clínicos publicados. El tratamiento más utilizado es el combinado (psicológico y farmacológico) seguido del psicológico. Suelen ser los distintos profesionales del equipo terapéutico los que llevan a cabo el tratamiento. Indican varias limitaciones para realizar este tratamiento, incluidos los presentes en cualquier adicción (ej., baja motivación de los fumadores), carencia de tiempo, poco personal, etc. Aprecian un claro incremento de la demanda, tanto de personas que acuden con solo dependencia de la nicotina como de sus usuarios clásicos que están a tratamiento por otras dependencias. Tienen clara su relevancia profesional en el tratamiento de esta adicción y la alta eficacia de los tratamientos que llevan a cabo con los fumadores. Ven necesario que se les aporten más medios para hacer frente al incremento continuo de demanda que están teniendo para el tratamiento de la dependencia de la nicotina en sus centros
We analyzed in a sample of 142 Centers of Drug Abuse and Alcoholism, in 11 regions of Spain, the programs that they carry out for smoking cessation. The 55.6% of centers carries out treatment of smokers. Along the year 2004 in this centers had a treatment demand of 3,771 smokers, 3,000 were treated, concluding the treatment half of them. The levels of abstinence for the end of the treatment and in the 6- and 12-months followup are good, in relation to the published clinical studies. The most utilized treatment are the combined (psychological and pharmacological) followed by the psychological treatment. They are usually apply by diferent professionals as therapits. They indicate several limitations to carry out this treatment, included usual in any addiction (e.g., the smokers low motivation), lack of time, limited personal, etc. They appreciates a clear increment of the demand, so much of people that they go with single nicotine dependence like of its classic users that are to treatment for other dependences. This data indicated the professional relevance of Centers of Drug Dependence in the treatment of nicotine dependence and the high effectiveness of the treatments that carry out with the smokers. They consider necessary that they have more means to make in front of the continuous increment of demand that they are having for the treatment of the nicotine dependence in their centers
Assuntos
Masculino , Feminino , Adulto , Adolescente , Humanos , Tabagismo/terapia , Centros de Tratamento de Abuso de Substâncias/métodos , Centros de Tratamento de Abuso de Substâncias/organização & administração , Centros de Tratamento de Abuso de Substâncias , Tabagismo/terapia , Tabagismo/diagnóstico , Inquéritos e Questionários , Epidemiologia Descritiva , Centros Comunitários de Saúde Mental , Espanha/epidemiologia , Síndrome de Abstinência a Substâncias/terapiaRESUMO
Fundamento. El estrés laboral conduce a una situación de insatisfacción que podría ser una de las causas de desmotivación que sufren los profesionales de la salud y dentro de éstos, las enfermeras/os en el momento actual. El objetivo de este estudio es contrastar si las enfermeras/os de nuestro hospital identifican como estresores los mismos agentes, independientemente del área del hospital donde trabajen. Población y métodos. Estudiamos una muestra de 223 enfermeras/os del Complejo Hospitalario Cristal-Piñor, de Ourense, seleccionados por muestreo aleatorio estratificado por área de trabajo, a los que se pasó un cuestionario autoadministrado elaborado al efecto. Resultados. Obtuvimos el 78,92 por ciento de respuestas. Se encontraron diferencias significativas con respecto a la edad, antigüedad en la Seguridad Social y antigüedad en la Unidad. Los factores estresantes tienen una distribución similar en las cuatro áreas de trabajo estudiadas. Encontramos diferencias significativas según que los profesionales tuvieran o no hijos en relación a cuestiones organizativas y a relaciones laborales. Discusión. El perfil del sujeto de estudio es una enfermera de 40 años de edad, casada, con hijos, con una situación laboral fija, con turno de trabajo rotatorio, con 15 años de antigüedad en la Seguridad Social y 8 años de antigüedad en la Unidad. Las cuestiones que causan mayor estrés son: sobrecarga de trabajo, ver morir a un paciente especial, pacientes graves, recibir sueldo no acorde y trabajo físicamente agotador. No parece que el área de trabajo modifique significativamente el grado de estrés de los profesionales de enfermería (AU)
Assuntos
Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Estresse Fisiológico/psicologia , Enfermeiras e Enfermeiros/psicologia , Enfermeiras e Enfermeiros/psicologia , Hospitais Gerais , Fatores EtáriosRESUMO
Objetivos: La Historia Clínica (HC) es una herramienta esencial para el trabajo médico y útil para el proceso y evaluación de control de calidad asistencial. Hemos estudiado el grado de cumplimentación y la concordancia entre los sistemas de registro de nuestro Servicio de Urgencias Extrahospitalario (HC y libro de registro). Método: Estudio retrospectivo descriptivo y comparativo. Muestra de 320 HC, escogidas de modo aleatorio de un total de 36.174 pacientes atendidos durante 1998. Criterio de inclusión: estar anotados en el libro de registro general de consulta para ser cotejados con las HC realizadas. Variables a estudio: Datos de Identificación: administrativos, clínicos y de identificación del facultativo. Variables dicotómicas (sí/no) y análisis estadístico de Epi-Info V 6-04, con proporciones, chi cuadrado, F de Snedecor, Índice de Kappa. Resultados: De los 320 registros seleccionados, 296 (92,5 por ciento) tenían HC y 24 (7,5 por ciento) no. La concordancia entre datos anotados en "libro de registro" y HC coincidieron en un 98,7 por ciento. El 0,61 por ciento de la muestra correspondió a días festivos y el resto laborales. El registro de Identificación Personal (IDP) fue incompleto en un 97,8 por ciento a expensas de la dirección, el teléfono y DNI del paciente (89,6 por ciento: p < 0,01). Las odontalgias eran las patologías que menos HC generaban (F = 18.004; p < 0,001). Conclusiones: La realización de la HC a los pacientes anotados en el libro general de registro muestra un porcentaje aceptable. El bajo número de registro de IDP fue a expensas de la dirección, teléfono y DNI, situación que se podría resolver con la informatización de dichos registros. Las constantes vitales, anamnesis y pruebas complementarias y su transcripción son de baja cumplimentación, lo que resta calidad a la HC, justificable por ser patologías más banales las observadas en estos centros. No se cumplimenta adecuadamente la identificación del médico (AU)
Assuntos
Humanos , Ficha Clínica , Serviço Hospitalar de Emergência/estatística & dados numéricos , Coleta de Dados/estatística & dados numéricos , Anamnese/estatística & dados numéricos , Estatística como Assunto , Registro Médico Coordenado/métodos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Epidemiologia DescritivaRESUMO
The known action of uridine triphosphate (UTP) to contract some types of vascular smooth muscle, and the present finding that it is more potent than adenosine triphosphate in eliciting an increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in aortic smooth muscle, led us to investigate the mode of action of this nucleotide. With this aim, cultured bovine aorta cells were subjected to patch-clamp methodologies under various conditions. Nucleotide-induced variations in cytosolic Ca2+ were monitored by using single channel recordings of the high conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ (Maxi-K) channel within on-cell patches as a reporter, and whole-cell currents were measured following perforation of the patch. In cells bathed in Na(+)-saline, UTP (> 30 nM) induced an inward current, and both Maxi-K channel activity and unitary current amplitude of the Maxi-K channel transiently increased. Repetitive exposures elicited similar responses when 5 to 10 min wash intervals were allowed between challenges of nucleotide. Oscillations in channel activity, but not oscillation in current amplitude were frequently observed with UTP levels > 0.1 microM. Cells bathed in K+ saline (150 mM) were less sensitive to UTP (approximately 5-fold), and did not show an increase in unitary Maxi-K current amplitude. Since the increase in amplitude occurs due to depolarization of the cell membrane, a change in amplitude was not observed in cells previously depolarized with K+ saline. The enhancement of Maxi-K channel activity in the presence of UTP was not diminished by Ca2+ entry blockers or by removal of extracellular Ca2+. However, in the latter case, repetitive responses progressively declined. These observations, as well as data comparing the action of low concentrations of Ca2+ ionophores (< 5 microM) to that of UTP indicate that both agents elevate cytosolic Ca2+ by mobilization of this ion from intracellular pools. However, the Ca2+ ionophore did not cause membrane depolarization, and thus did not change unitary current amplitude. The effect of UTP on Maxi-K channel activity and current amplitude was blocked by pertussis toxin and by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), but was not modified by okadaic acid, or by inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC). Our data support a model in which a pyrimidinergic receptor is coupled to a G protein, and this interaction mediates release of Ca2+ from intracellular pools, presumably via the phosphatidyl inositol pathway. This also results in activation of membrane channels that give rise to an inward current and depolarization. Ultimately, smooth muscle contraction ensues.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Assuntos
Calcimicina/farmacologia , Cálcio/metabolismo , Músculo Liso Vascular/citologia , Músculo Liso Vascular/metabolismo , Uridina Trifosfato/farmacologia , Trifosfato de Adenosina/farmacologia , Animais , Cálcio/análise , Cálcio/farmacologia , Bovinos , Células Cultivadas , Citidina Trifosfato/farmacologia , Proteínas de Ligação ao GTP/fisiologia , Guanosina Trifosfato/farmacologia , Contração Muscular/efeitos dos fármacos , Contração Muscular/fisiologia , Músculo Liso Vascular/química , Toxina Pertussis , Canais de Potássio/análise , Canais de Potássio/fisiologia , Proteína Quinase C/fisiologia , Acetato de Tetradecanoilforbol/farmacologia , Fatores de Virulência de Bordetella/farmacologiaRESUMO
In 21 out of 466 full term newborn babies (4.5%) and in 5 out of 50 prematures (10%) a transient fibrinogen electrophoretic abnormality, anodic and cathodic, was found. The observation that the thrombin time in full term newborn babies is prolonged, compared with the adult levels, was confirmed (p less than 0.0005). The difference between the thrombin time in full term newborn babies without fibrinogen electrophoretic abnormalities and those who had them, was statistically significant (p = 0.005) suggesting that the abnormality is associated with the protein function. The normal electrophoretic component could be the "adult" equivalent of the protein and the cathodic variant, the "fetal" type of fibrinogen. This hypothesis could explained why the thrombin time of plasma in newborn normal babies is enriched with the "fetal" fibrinogen in variable proportion, and is delayed compared with that of the adults.