Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus antibodies in blood donors from the province of Latina, Italy.

In order to calculate the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in blood donors and to verify the efficacy of the pre-donation method (testing blood samples of potential donors at least 3 months in advance of their first donation), we performed a retrospective cohort study in 1995 and in the period 1996-2000 at the blood transfusion unit in Latina (Italy). Third generation ELISA method as well as RIBA-3 were used. 5,978 donors in 1995 and 20,741 in the 1996-2000 period were analysed. The age of donors (prevalently male, 78.5%) was between 18 and 65 (median 38). A total of 110 borderline and 62 positives were found with ELISA, of which 75 borderlines and 42 positives in 1995, and the remaining in the 1996-2000 period (p > 0.5). Percentage of HCV antibodies dropped from 8.5% in 1995 to 5.45% in the 1996-2000 period. The non reactivity and undetermined status were found in 82.1 and 9.4% respectively in 1995, and 69.1 and 25.45% respectively in the 1996-2000 period. The incidence of HCV antibodies was 167.28 cases per 100,000 person-years in 1995 and 4.13 per 100,000 person-years in the 1996-2000 period, 2.5 times lower than the national one. There was a statistically significant association between dental care and RIBA positivity (RR: 2.63; p = 0.045). This study, moreover, evidences how pre-donation practices, if extended to a national basis, may be able to nullify the dangers associated with post-transfusional hepatitis and to reduce the number of false positives and of blood packs donated but either unused or destroyed.

[The effects of succinylcholine on heart rate and rhythm in infants]. / Studi sugli effetti della succinilcolina sulla frequenza e sul ritmo cardiaco del lattante.

The authors examined the possible variations of cardiac activity in 91 infants aged between a few days and six months in order to study the changes following administration of succinylcholine during general anaesthesia. No variations in rhythm and/or heart rate occurred, not even in those children to whom atropine had not been injected intravenously before succinylcholine.

[Anesthesia for cerebral computerized tomography in pediatrics]. / L'anestesia per la tomografia computerizzata (T.C.) cerebrale in pediatria.

This report carries the results of more than 2000 anaesthesias for the sedation of the children who have to undergo a cerebral C.T. According to the Authors the most quick-acting and, at the same time, the most efficient anaesthesia results to be the inhaling one with Halothane.

Clinical manifestations of choanal atresia in infancy.

The clinical features of 41 infants with various types of nasal obstruction were reviewed to study the correlation between the degree of nasal obstruction and clinical manifestations. Twenty-one subjects had bilateral choanal atresia/stenosis; 12 had unilateral choanal atresia/stenosis, and eight who were referred with suspected choanal atresia had a simple inflammatory nasal obstruction. Patients with bilateral choanal obstruction and patients with unilateral choanal obstruction or rhinitis showed no differences in clinical picture or in referral age. Many infants with either unilateral or bilateral choanal obstruction had one or more symptoms not fully relieved after surgical repair, although the choanae were widely patent. At long-term follow-up the surviving patients showed spontaneous recovery and good nasal respiration. Overall, five patients died. Since the common syndrome appeared to be related to a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, we conclude that any type of nasal obstruction may exacerbate or precipitate an underlying maturational autonomic disturbance.

Reduction and disappearance of anomalous fluorescence patterns by means of absorption of HIV and EBV positive sera to guinea pig kidney and calf erythrocytes: a preliminary study.

Anomalous pictures observed in HIV infected H9 line cells by immunofluorescence technique, were investigated on sera of drug addicts and on controls. Strong fluorescence artifacts were markedly reduced after an overnight incubation at 4 degrees C. A complete disappearance was obtained after absorption to guinea pig kidney and calf erythrocytes of anti EBV positive sera. This result was fully independent of any anti HIV positivity.

Does fetal gut obstruction cause hydramnios and growth retardation?

In order to study the effects of impaired fetal intestinal absorption of amniotic fluid, two series of neonates (551 from Liverpool and 172 from Rome) with different types of congenital gut obstruction were divided into two groups and compared. Group A consisted of patients with complete obstruction at or above the proximal jejunum (within 15 cm of the ligament of Treitz). Patients of group B had either incomplete obstruction at group A level or either incomplete or complete obstruction at a lower level. Maternal hydramnios and fetal growth retardation rates were found to be significantly higher in group A than in group B. Maternal hydramnios was associated with an increased prematurity rate (P less than .001). Fetal growth retardation was not related to the presence of additional anomalies. In group A growth retardation was more frequent in babies born after 37 weeks of gestation (P less than .05). No differences were found between the Liverpool and Rome series of patients. These findings suggest that fetal gut function not only contributes to the control of amniotic fluid volume but also, in the final stages of pregnancy, to normal fetal growth. Maternal hydramnios may be the cause of premature delivery of fetuses with upper gut obstructions.

[CEA and CA 19.9: an evaluation by new statistical technics on a group of elderly patients]. / Il CEA ed il CA 19.9: una valutazione con nuove tecniche statistiche in un gruppo di pazienti in età geriatrica.

New parametric and non parametric statistical methods have been compared in the evaluation of experimental data of CEA and CA 19.9 using a brief program in BASIC. We have found that the distribution of the two markers is the same of that described in literature except for both the means that we have found being slightly higher than that ones described by other authors.

[A case of fast variant alloalbuminemia]. / Studio di un caso di alloalbuminemia variante fast.

A new albumin variant of a family in Rome has been studied and, in respect of CISMEL standards, it has been classified as "very fast type gent". According to conventional nomenclature it has been denominated RM/RM.

Angiographic diagnosis of jugular venous system dilatation in children. A report of five cases.

We report five children with a soft mass in the neck due to congenital jugular venous ectasia. Three had fusiform dilatation of the internal jugular vein, which in one case was associated with dilatation of the ipselateral external jugular vein. Two children had aneurysmal dilatation of the superficial cervical communicating vein. The first four cases required angiographic studies for final diagnosis. Venography via the femoral vein was most valuable for visualization of the dilated segments of internal jugular veins but failed to show the vascular mass communicating with the superficial vein of the neck. These were best visualized by direct injection of the contrast medium into the vessel. In the fifth case a correct diagnosis was obtained with xeroradiography alone.