California expands the duty to warn patients exposed to and infected with HIV. Reisner v. Regents of the University of California.

There is still no general definitive guide for hospitals and other health care providers concerning the extent of their duty to warn third parties of a patient's HIV status. However, even in states like California that have statutorily eliminated any duty to directly inform third parties, the Reisner case clearly indicates that liability to third parties may arise indirectly based on a failure to warn HIV-exposed or -infected patients of their status and the risks of communicating the virus to others. Accordingly, health care providers should take several actions: 1. Ascertain, with the assistance of legal counsel, the precise dictates of applicable state statutes and case law regarding (a) a provider's obligation to warn HIV-exposed or -infected individuals of the potential of communicating the virus to others; (b) additional statutory requirements such as notification of public health authorities; and (c) whether notice to third parties at risk of exposure from the patient is required or even permitted. 2. Develop and implement written policies regarding notification and counseling of exposed or infected patients, including counseling patients on the risks of communicating the virus to third parties; and 3. Develop and implement written policies regarding permissive or mandatory notification and counseling of exposed or infected third parties. In this context, providers should be aware that patient confidentiality and privacy laws may prohibit disclosure of the identity of exposed or infected patients to third parties.

Cefaclor vs amoxicillin in the treatment of acute, recurrent, and chronic sinusitis.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of acute, recurrent, and chronic sinusitis remains controversial because of the presence of a wide variety of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in the sinuses. DESIGN: This double-blind, randomized trial compared cefaclor with amoxicillin in the treatment of acute, recurrent, and chronic maxillary sinusitis using clinical evaluation, roentgenography, and microbiologic evaluation of antral aspirates. SETTING: Outpatient office of five otorhinolaryngologists in Salt Lake City, Utah. PATIENTS: One hundred eight adult patients with acute, recurrent, or chronic maxillary sinusitis. INTERVENTION: Oral treatment with cefaclor (500 mg) twice daily or amoxicillin (500 mg) three times daily for 10 days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Clinical response to treatment with cefaclor vs amoxicillin. RESULTS: Fifty-six patients with acute sinusitis, 25 with recurrent sinusitis, and 15 with chronic sinusitis were evaluable. Although multiple organisms were common in each group, patients with acute sinusitis were more likely to have Haemophilus influenzae or Streptococcus pneumoniae, and patients with recurrent or chronic sinusitis were more likely to have anaerobes in sinus aspirate. Whether treated with cefaclor or amoxicillin, clinical improvement occurred in 86% of patients with acute sinusitis and 56% of patients with recurrent sinusitis. Patients with chronic sinusitis were too few to allow statistical analysis of the differences in outcome between them and patients with recurrent or acute sinusitis. Resistance of the cultured organisms to the study drug used was unrelated to treatment outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of clinical improvement was high in patients with acute sinusitis but was less favorable in those with recurrent and chronic disease regardless of the study drug used. The susceptibility of organisms isolated to the study drugs was unrelated to outcome.

Capillary column GLC-mass spectrometric assay with selected-ion monitoring for timolol and [13C3]timolol in human plasma.

A method for the measurement of the beta-blocker timolol and its 13C3-labeled analog in human plasma is described. A known amount of an internal standard, [2H9]timolol, is added to each plasma sample. The method employs a reversed-phase C18 cartridge for isolation of the drug-containing fraction, capillary column GLC of the trimethylsilyl derivatives, and detection via selected-ion monitoring. The ions monitored for quantification (m/e 86 from timolol and m/e 89 and 95 from the 13C3- and 2H9-labeled analogs, respectively) arise from the side chains of the three compounds [e.g., CH2N+HC(CH3)3 for m/e 86]. Plasma levels of timolol and [13C3]timolol in human subjects given 5 or 10 mg of each compound were followed simultaneously for 12 hr postdosing. A detection level of 0.5 ng/ml of plasma was found. No evidence was found for a metabolic kinetic isotope effect since the ratios of the two species of drug in the plasma samples were the same as the ratios in the administered dose.

Electronic flow rate controller for a portable insulin infusion pump.

An electronic controller is described that regulates the flow of infusate by controlling the fraction of time that a pump is energized. Using the integral programming capability of the device, any one of 256 possible basal rates between 0 and 49.6% of the maximum rate can be chosen. An externally triggerable single meal-associated pulse can also be configured. The rate during the meal pulse can be any one of the 255 equally spaced rates in the range of 0--99.7%. The duration of this pulse can be chosen in 3-min steps to a maximum of 12.75 h, after which the rate automatically returns to the basal value. The controller consumes a minimum amount of power and can continuously operate a dc motor-driven pump at 3.0 V for 36 h. It drives the pump in an on-off mode in order to control the average flow rate digitally. In this way a significant reduction in the power requirements is realized and the system can be run for many days using small rechargeable batteries. One year of experience with 20 of these controllers was obtained in the research laboratory and clinical investigation unit. The results of this experience indicated the reliability and precision of these controllers, gave insight into their modes of failure, and provided valuable biomedical data for their improvement.