Microbiologically influenced corrosion in petroleum product pipelines--a review.

Microbiologically influenced corrosion is responsible for most of the internal corrosion problems in oil transportation pipelines and storage tanks. One problematic area in treating gas lines is the occurrence of the stratification of water in the line. Under these conditions, corrosion inhibitors do not come into contact properly and oil and inhibitors undergo degradation. The role of bacteria on oil degradation, the consequences of oil degradation in fuel systems and its influence on corrosion have been explained in detail. Besides, factors influencing on degradation of oil and corrosion inhibitors have also been discussed. Mechanism of microbiologically influenced corrosion in oil pipeline has been explained. Many of the misapplication of biocides/inhibitors occur mainly because the characteristics of biocides/inhibitors are not considered before use in pipeline industry. List of biocides and monitoring programme have been collected from literature and presented.

Perinatal risk factors in neonatal infections.

Perinatal risk factors were studied among 50 cases of neonatal septicemia and 200 matched normal neonates during one year period. The consanguinity among parents, birth order and sex of the baby did not increase the risk for developing septicemia. There was significant increase in the risk for septicemia when the duration of labour was more than 24 hours (P less than 0.01), time interval between rupture of membrane and delivery of baby was more than 12 hours (P less than 0.001), liquor was meconium stained or foul smelling (P less than 0.001) and delivery was operative (P less than 0.01). The neonatal factors identified with risk for septicemia were preterm delivery (P less than 0.01), low birth weight (P less than 0.01), birth asphyxia (P less than 0.001) assisted ventilation (P less than 0.001) and intravenous alimentation (P less than 0.02). Identification of high risk pregnancies and appropriate management can minimize many of the above risk factors which in turn will reduce the occurrence of neonatal sepsis.

Neonatal septicaemia among inborn and outborn babies in a referral hospital.

Neonatal sepsis was studied among one hundred neonates (50 hospital born and 50 outborn babies) over one year period. The incidence of neonatal septicaemia was 15.5 per 1000 live births in the hospital. Among outborn babies it accounted for 6.1% of total pediatric admissions and 43.7% of sick neonates referred from outside. Low birth weight and prematurity were important predisposing factors in both the groups. Blood culture was positive among 32% of outborn and 34% of inborn babies. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, Klebsiella and Acinetobacter were the common causative organisms. All isolated organisms were sensitive to Gentamicin whereas 75% of them were resistant to Ampicillin. Mortality among outborn neonates (32%) was much higher in comparison to (10%) hospital born babies. Early identification of high risk antenatal cases and neonates and appropriate referral can bring down mortality and morbidity from neonatal sepsis.