Antimicrobial agent prescription patterns for chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia in patients with hematological malignancies at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman

The aim of this study was to describe the antimicrobial prescription patterns of patients with hematological malignancies who developed febrile neutropenia [FN] at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital [SQUH] in Oman. This was a retrospective observational study covering a period of 3 years [January 2007-February 2010]. FN episodes were studied in patients with hematological malignancies in three different wards at SQUH. A total of 176 FN episodes were analyzed. Overall, 64% of the 107 patients studied experienced at least 2 episodes during the analysis period. Approximately, 69% of the febrile neutropenia episodes had severe neutropenia. The duration of neutropenia was less than 1 week in the majority of the episodes [57%]. The mean duration of treatment was approximately 7 days, with no significant difference between specialties or different types of malignancies. Only 34 [19%] episodes had positive cultures, and most of these were from blood samples [30 episodes, 88%]. The majority of isolates were gram-negative organisms [63%]. The initial empirical treatment included monotherapy [37%], dual therapy [60%] and triple therapy [3%]. This study demonstrates that there is a large variation in the antimicrobial treatment of FN episodes in patients with hematological malignancies at SQUH. All chosen drugs were within international guideline recommendations

Effect of gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity on the status of some essential metals in tissues, plasma and urine of rats

The present work examines the effect of treating rats with nephrotoxic doses of gentamincin [50 and 100 mg/kg/day for 6 days] on the concentration of some essential metals [Ca, Zn, Cu, Mg. Fe and Mn] in the liver, kidney cortex, plasma and urine. The concentration of these metals in the feed of the animals was also measured. The results indicated that gentamicin treatment [100 mg/kg] reduced the concentrations of Zn, Cu. Mg, Fe and Mn in the kidney, and Mg and Mn in the liver. In plasma, gentamicin [50 and 100 mg/kg] significantly increased the concentrations of Ca and Cu and reduced that of Zn and Mg. In addition, the urinary output of Ca, Cu and Fe were significantly increased and Zn and Mn were significantly decreased by gentamicin treatment [100 mg/kg]. The levels of measured metals in feed were found to be within the recommended dietary allowances. The data indicated that gentamicin produced mostly reduction in the concentration of the measured metals in the kidney probably because of the cell necrosis induced by the drug

Maladie de Bernard Soulier et thrombopenie peripherique severe: a propos de deux cas

The authors report two cases of Bernard-Soulier thrombopathy diagnosis was delayed in the two cased due to the clinical presentation suggestury a thrombopenic purpura Bernard-Soulier syndrom was established after corticotherapy and splenectomy failure by specific tests