[Tracheostomy cannulas]. / Cánulas de traqueostomia.

Tracheostomic clyster pipes are mechanisms which allow one to artificially maintain the permeability of the air passageway under those circumstances when it is not possible to breathe by the conventional way. Nowadays, there is a wide variety of clyster pipes available to medical professionals. Each of these has its own traits and precise applications. This article describes those clyster pipes most frequently used in hospitals and outpatient clinics; furthermore, their use, care and therapeutic applications are mentioned.

The use of the SeDeM diagram expert system for the formulation of Captopril SR matrix tablets by direct compression.

The SeDeM diagram expert system has been used to study excipients, Captopril and designed formulations for their galenic characterization and to ascertain the critical points of the formula affecting product quality to obtain suitable formulations of Captopril direct compression SR matrix tablets. The application of the SeDeM diagram expert system enables selecting excipients with in order to optimize the formula in the preformulation and formulation studies. The methodology is based on the implementation of ICH Q8, establishing the design space of the formula with the use of experiment design, using the parameters of the SeDeM diagram expert system as system responses.

Impact of physical parameters on particle size and reaction yield when using the ionic gelation method to obtain cationic polymeric chitosan-tripolyphosphate nanoparticles.

Ionic gelation is the most frequently used method to obtain chitosan-tripolyphosphate nanoparticles due to its simplicity and because it does not generate waste solvents in the samples prepared. This paper presents a study of the physical factors involved in this method for obtaining nanoparticles in order to determine which of them significantly influences the particle size of polymeric nanoparticles made from low-molecular-weight chitosan, without any additional chemical treatment, with the aim of standardising and optimising the method conditions, in addition to establishing the reaction yield. The results indicate that stirring speed during ionic gelation reaction is decisive for the size of the nanoparticles obtained. Furthermore, it thus follows that the stirring speed during ionic gelation significantly affects reaction yield, and therefore, by manipulating this parameter a greater proportion of nanoparticles of a given size range can be obtained.

Growth hormone secretory status evaluated by growth hormone peak after two pharmacological growth hormone release stimuli did not significantly influence the two-year catch-up growth induced by growth hormone therapy in 318 prepubertal short children with idiopathic growth retardation.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In prepubertal short children with idiopathic growth retardation, growth hormone (GH) peak after GH release stimuli classifies patients as growth hormone- deficient (GHD) or non-GHD. This study compared a 2-year growth response to GH therapy in 318 prepubertal short children. METHODS: Patients were classified as: severe GHD (GH peaks <5 ng/ml after 2 stimuli; n = 54), mild GHD (GH peaks <10 ng/ml, but one or two between 5 and 10 ng/ml; n = 140), dissociated GH release (GH peak ≥ 10 ng/ml after 1 stimulus and <10 ng/ml after the other; n = 89), and normal GH release (GH peaks ≥ 10 ng/ml after 2 stimuli; n = 35). RESULTS: Two-year height gain did not differ statistically among the 4 groups: 1.39 ± 0.51 SD, 16.4 ± 2.3 cm; 1.23 ± 0.56 SD, 15.8 ± 2.1 cm; 1.18 ± 0.53 SD, 15.3 ± 2.0 cm, and 1.14 ± 0.53 SD, 15.4 ± 2.0 cm, respectively, as was also the case for bone age gain: 2.5 ± 0.6, 2.4 ± 0.7, 2.6 ± 0.7 and 2.3 ± 0.5 years, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that GH release stimuli are of little help for deciding on GH therapy in the clinical management of prepubertal short children with idiopathic growth retardation, while well-defined anthropometric and biochemical criteria may be useful.

Enfermedad de Kawasaki. Actualización y revisión de la casuística en nuestro centro en los últimos 10 años / Kawasaki disease. Update and review of the casuistic in our center int he last 10 years

La enfermedad de Kawasaki (EK) es una vasculitis sistémica, aguda y autolimitada, con complicaciones potentcialmente peligrosas, que afecta principalmente a lactantes y niños pequeños (edad< 5 años), aunque también se observa en adolescentes y adultos. Es la principal causa de cardiopatía adquirida en niños de los países desarrollados; su incidencia es de 15,1/100.000 niños de edad < 5 años/año, siendo similar en EE.UU. y Europa. Sin tratmiento, hasta 25% de lso casos desarrolla ectasias o aneurismas coronarios, con riesgo de infarto agudo de miocardio y muerte súbita. Revisamos las manifestaciones clíncias, los criterios diagnósticos, el diagnóstico diferencial, el tratamiento y los marcadores predictivos de no respuesta al tratamiento con inmunoglobulinas. Finalmente, comentaremos los datos de un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo de lso casos de EK diagnosticados en nuestro centro desde enero de 2002 hasta diciembre de 2012 (AU)

Kawasakii disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis, acute, self-limited, with potentially dangerous complications, which potentially dangerous complications, which manly affects infants and young children (age<5 years), but also seen in adolescents and adults. The EK is the leading cause o acquired heart disease in children in developed countries and their impact on our environment is 15.1/100,000 children < 5 years/year, similar to the U.S. and European countries. Without treatment, up to 25% fo cases of KD develop coronary ectasia or aneurysms with risk of acute myocardial infarction and sudden death. In this work we will review clincial manifestations, diagnostic criteria, differential diagnsois, therapy and predictive markers of non response immunoglobulins. We also present data of a retrospective study of children diagnosed in our center from January 2002 to December 2012 (AU)