ABSTRACT
The capillus HIV-1/HIV-2 latex agglutination (LA) test was evaluated for its potential as an initial screening test in primary health care. For the serum study, panels totalling 289 HIV-positive sera and 323 known HIV-negative sera plus 50 individual seroconversion samples were tested by capillus. Paired blood specimens were also collected in heparinized and plain tubes from 501 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) attending an STD clinic at a Transvaal hospital. Overall, an initial sensitivity of 99.3% and an initial specificity of 99.7% were obtained by visual reading of the capillus HIV-1/ HIV-2 LA tests on serum samples. Capillus also detected 40 (80%) of the 50 seroconversion samples. Of the 501 paired plain and heparinized blood specimens, serum testing by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and indirect immunofluorescence/ Western blot (IFA/WB) showed 147 (29%) to be HIV Ab positive. Capillus testing of the paired specimens correctly identified all 147 known positive patients and 345 of the 346 negative patients, thus showing an initial sensitivity of 100% and an initial specificity of 99.7% for the testing of heparinized whole blood by a relatively unskilled health worker. It was concluded that the capillus HIV-1/HIV-2 LA test would be suitable for use as a primary screening test in small outlying laboratories or primary health care clinics.
Subject(s)
HIV Infections/diagnosis , HIV-1/isolation & purification , HIV-2/isolation & purification , Latex Fixation Tests/methods , Blotting, Western , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods , Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect , HIV Antibodies/isolation & purification , HIV Infections/blood , HIV Seronegativity , HIV Seropositivity , Humans , Sensitivity and Specificity , Sexually Transmitted Diseases/complications , South AfricaABSTRACT
Gastric emptying in normal newborns was studied with use of a double marker technique. The volume of 200 to 400 mOsm carbohydrate solutions emptied from the stomach in 30 minutes was determined. To evaluate isocaloric solutions of different osmolalities, the osmolality of a 400-mOsm glucose solution was decreased to 300 and 200 mOsm/L by replacing a portion of the glucose with glucose oligosaccharides (GOSs). Because GOSs could be rapidly hydrolyzed in the duodenum, the effect of osmolality alone was studied by adding xylose to a 200-mOsm glucose solution to increase the osmolality to 300 and 400 mOsm/L. The volumes of the various solutions emptied in 30 minutes were not significantly different. These findings suggest that decreasing formula osmolality from 400 to 200 mOsm offers no intrinsic advantage with regard to gastric emptying.
Subject(s)
Carbohydrates/therapeutic use , Gastric Emptying , Infant Food , Infant, Newborn , Duodenum/physiology , Glucose/therapeutic use , Humans , Oligosaccharides/therapeutic use , Osmolar Concentration , Xylose/therapeutic useABSTRACT
A steerable small bowel biopsy apparatus was evaluated in 56 infants and children over a 15-mo period. A mean time of only 6 min was required to obtain small bowel biopsies. Biopsies were successfully obtained in 92% of patients on the first attempt; repeat attempts were successful in all cases. No complications were encountered. The steerable biopsy tube appears to be a safe and effective means of obtaining small bowel biopsies rapidly in infants and children.
