Major burns in pregnants

Pregnancy is a stress full physiological situation which, if combined with major burns, makes a very serious threat for the patient and her foetus. Ten pregnant ladies with burns over 20% surface area were studied. The impact of the pregnancy on the evolution and treatment of the bum was studied. Also the effect of the burn on the foetus, its fate and its handling was critical. In first trimester foetal survival depends on maternal survival and we should concentrate on the mother. In the second and third trimesters with burns above 50% burnt surface area, the prognosis is dismal and worse than in non pregnants. So the patient is better off without her baby. On the other hand, considering the available intensive care given at the modern N.I.C.U. the baby in the late third trimester could even be at a better situation in his incubator away from his septicaemic, haemodynamically unstable mother flooded with drugs

Treatment of metastatic colorectal carcinoma with 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid: a pilot study

Twenty four evaluable patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma were entered into a pilot study that used 3 consecutive days of 5- fluorouracil [600 mg/m2 as 24 hours infusion] and folinic acid [120 mg/m2 as 4 hours infusion]. This regimen was repeated on 3 weekly basis. Eight patients [33%] were considered to be refractory to previous fluorouracil monotherapy. Objective response [including one complete remission] was seen in 33% of the patients. Two out of the 8 previously treated patients [25%] exhibited partial remission. The mean survival time was 13.5 months for responders 8.5 months for stable disease and 3.8 months for progressive disease [P less than 0.01]. Treatment related toxicity was generally mild with no single life threatening complication. Diarrhea and oral mucositis were the 2 most commonly encountered adverse effects