[Low molecular heparin for treatment of venous thrombosis in two very low-birth-weight pre-term infants with genetic risk factors]. / Niedermolekulares Heparin bei Frühgeborenen mit hereditären Risikofaktoren und venösen Thrombosen.

We describe the use of low molecular weight heparin to treat venous thrombosis in two very low-birth-weight pre-term infants (GA: 30 and 27 weeks) both with genetic and acquired prothrombotic risk factors. Initially both infants were treated with unfractionated heparin. Since in one infant no effect on the thrombus size was observed and in the other infant there was an increase in size, the anticoagulation therapy was switched to subcutaneously injected low molecular heparin (Enoxaparin). During enoxaparin therapy the anti-Xa-level was carefully monitored and dosages were adjusted accordingly. Partial resolution of the thrombosis was achieved in both infants during enoxaparin therapy. No clot extension or recurrence of thrombosis occurred. An accidental overdose of Enoxaparin (100 times the required dosage) was administered to one infant without any consequences. Our data suggest that the use of low molecular weight heparin (Enoxaparin) for treatment of venous thrombosis in our two preterm infants was practical, safe and effective.

Avoidant personality disorder and implicit schema-congruent information processing bias: a pilot study with a pragmatic inference task.

Cognitive theory of personality disorders hypothesizes that each personality disorder is characterized by typical maladaptive schemes and that these schemas direct the processing of information resulting in schema-congruent biases. With regard to the avoidant personality disorder, these hypotheses were put to an initial test in a pilot study, using a self-report questionnaire to asses DSM-III-R personality pathology, a belief questionnaire to assess avoidant schemas and a pragmatic inference task to assess schema-congruent implicit attributional bias. Participants were students (n = 57) who scored high or low on DSM-III-R avoidant personality pathology. As predicted from cognitive theory, DSM-III-R avoidant personality pathology was associated with avoidant beliefs (t(45.1) = 4.68, p < 0.001) and avoidant beliefs were associated with schema-congruent information processing bias (t(55) = 2.17, p = 0.02, one-tailed test). However, DSM-III-R avoidant personality pathology was not associated with schema-congruent information processing bias (t(55) = 0.17, p = 0.43, one-tailed test). In addition to avoidant beliefs, low self-esteem was also related to the information processing bias. Social phobia and general personality pathology, two other control variables, were not. The findings warrant further study using the pragmatic inference task in a clinical group.