[Inaccuracy of glucose meters. Automatic correction for hematocrit variations and the presence of exogenous interfering components]. / Inexactitude des lecteurs de glycémie. Correction automatique pour les variations de l'hématocrite et la présence d'interférents exogènes.

Seven hospital-based glucose monitoring systems (meters) were evaluated with particular attention to those analytical interferences encountered in intensive care patients. Imprecision differed little between meters and remained altogether within acceptable limits. Inaccuracy, as measured by comparison with a hexokinase method presented with significant differences, yet without exceeding acceptable limits either. All meters but one showed an important bias when hematocrit departed from the reference interval. Two meters would not distinguish maltose from glucose. Three showed an important positive bias in the presence of acetaminophen and four a comparable bias in the presence of ascorbate. Only one meter was unaffected by both such exogenous interferences and hematocrit variations, owing to built-in hematocrit and electrochemical blank measuring devices. This meter also showed narrowest correlation with hexokinase methods. At a time when intensive care patients are being submitted to ever tighter glycemic control, it is desirable and our results show that it is now possible to tighten accordingly the acceptability criteria of glucose meters used to this end.

Prevalence of methadone injection in three Swiss cities.

OBJECTIVE: Intravenous methadone is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. A previous report from a methadone center in Fribourg, Switzerland, found a high prevalence (43%) of patients who injected oral methadone. We therefore wished to assess the prevalence of methadone injection among patients in oral methadone programs in 3 other Swiss cities--Lausanne, Geneva, and La Chaux-de-Fonds. METHOD: Subjects were randomly selected and interviewed by assistant psychologists who were not on the staff of the study centers. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. RESULTS: 164 patients participated in the study (n = 58 in Lausanne, 52 in Geneva, and 54 in La Chaux-de-Fonds). The prevalence of methadone injection was low (5%) and did not differ significantly between the cities. DISCUSSION: Less liberal policies cannot explain the lower prevalence of methadone injection in these three centers than in Fribourg. The high prevalence of methadone injection there is probably related to its separate methadone injection program: patients in oral methadone programs may be more likely to injection methadone when other patients authorized to do so. IN CONCLUSION: Although the 5% prevalence of methadone injection found in the 3 cities surveyed is low, it is not negligible. These results suggest that information on the risks associated with injection of methadone syrup should be provided to all methadone maintenance. This information is especially necessary when maintenance therapy is provided in the same center, or city as injectable methadone maintenance.

Getting to the point: integrating critical care tests in the patient care setting.

Implementing testing services in the patient care setting offers the lab manager many challenges. At this hospital system, an innovative data management solution addressed the problems of a simple user interface, automatic creation of test orders and accession numbers, remote review of test results by the central laboratory, and an interface to the LIS and HIS for complete data capture.

[Epidemiology and prevention of AIDS in the population]. / Epidemiologie und Prävention von AIDS in der Bevölkerung.

Routes of transmission of HIV which play an important role in the population are known. Sexual transmission, infection through needle sharing by i.v. drug addicts, accidental blood contacts and transmission from the infected pregnant mother to her child are seen. The number of new infections depends on the number of already infected individuals, the rapidity of spread and the spread potential. The infection can be rapidly spread among drug addicts, several drug users may be infected at the same time through needle sharing. In the general population the spread potential through sexual transmission is high. The AIDS prevention campaign in Switzerland aims at preventing new infections and at building up solidarity. With the STOP-AIDS campaign a broad effect in the population could be reached. The most important goals in the near future are to have an effect in depth in some target groups and to promote individual counselling.

The effect of specimen collection additives and sample storage on the Dupont ACA glucose method.

Two studies are described in this paper for the purpose of extending the application of the Dupont ACA glucose method to (1) analysis of specimens containing sodium fluoride and sodium iodoacetate, and (2) analysis of specimens containing EDTA, provided analysis is conducted immediately following specimen collection and sample processing.

Tissue concentrations of mast cells and lymphocytes of the bovine uterine tube (oviduct) during the estrous cycle.

Estrous cycle fluctuations in the mast cell and lymphocyte counts (per mm2 of tissue) of the ampulla and isthmus of the bovine uterine tube (oviduct) were determined. Four random sections of each region of the uterine tube were prepared at 2 micron thickness and stained with toluidine blue. The mast cell count of the isthmus was found to be significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than the mast cell count of the ampulla for all stages of the estrous cycle. A significant increase (P less than 0.01) in the mast cell value of the isthmus occurred during metestrus, diestrus, and proestrus. In the ampulla, metestrous and diestrous mast cells numbers were significantly higher (P less than 0.05) than mast cell numbers during estrus. The lymphocyte numbers remained relatively constant in both the ampulla and the isthmus except during diestrus, when ampullary lymphocyte numbers increased significantly (P less than 0.05). Lymphocytes were observed to migrate through the uterine tube epithelium and mast cells were observed only in the lamina propria.