Pesticides removal in the process of drinking water production.

The aim of this research work was to study the effectiveness of the treatments commonly used in drinking water plants in Spain to degrade 44 pesticides systematically detected in the Ebro River Basin. The pesticides studied are: alachlor, aldrin, ametryn, atrazine, chlorfenvinfos, chlorpyrifos, pp'-DDD, op'-DDE, op'-DDT, pp'-DDT, desethylatrazine, 3,4-dichloroaniline, 4,4'-dichlorobenzophenone, dicofol, dieldrin, dimethoate, diuron, alpha-endosulphan, endosulphan-sulphate, endrin, alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, gamma-HCH, delta-HCH, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide A, heptachlor epoxide B, hexachlorobenzene, isodrin, 4-isopropylaniline, isoproturon, metholachlor, methoxychlor, molinate, parathion methyl, parathion ethyl, prometon, prometryn, propazine, simazine, terbuthylazine, terbutryn, tetradifon and trifluralin. The techniques applied are: preoxidation by chlorine or ozone, chemical precipitation with aluminium sulphate and activated carbon adsorption. Oxidation by chlorine removes 60% of the studied pesticides, although combining this technique with a coagulation-flocculation-decantation process is more effective. The disadvantage of this treatment is the formation of trihalomethanes. Oxidation by ozone removes 70% of the studied pesticides. Although combination with a subsequent coagulation-flocculation-decantation process does not improve the efficiency of the process, combination with an activated-carbon absorption process gives rise to 90% removal of the studied pesticides. This technique was found to be the most efficient among the techniques studied for degrading the majority of the studied pesticides.

Eight-channel ultrasonic device for non-invasive quality evaluation in packed milk.

An eight-channel ultrasonic detecting device for microbiological quality evaluation of packed liquid foods is presented in this paper. This device makes possible a non-invasive detection of the microbial growth in liquid foods with no need to open the carton-based packages where they are contained. Thermal and humidity stabilization are required inside the measuring chamber. The changes in the liquid media produced by the microorganism growth induce variations in the ultrasonic propagation parameters giving a non-invasive evidence of the developing contamination. For that purpose, the amplitude and time of flight of an ultrasonic 800kHz tone burst travelling through an UHT milk pack are analysed. Inoculated and sterile packs were tested to evaluate the performance of this new non-invasive ultrasonic microbiological quality sensor.

Risk factors in the development of early technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scintigraphy lesions during first urinary tract infection in children.

AIM: To establish the variables that correlate with uptake defects in dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy performed in the acute phase of a first episode of urinary tract infection (UTI). METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted in a cohort of 158 consecutive children with a first episode of symptomatic UTI. The therapeutic delay time (TDT) was recorded. DMSA scintigraphy was performed in all children and voiding cystourethrography in 150 of them. RESULTS: 85% of the patients were younger than 2 y. Mean TDT was 33.5 h. The aetiological agent was Escherichia coli in 140 children. DMSA scintigraphy was normal in 81. Vesicoureteric reflux was detected in 33. After a multivariate logistic regression analysis the following variables were retained in the final model: TDT > or = 48 h, growth of bacteria other than E. coli, percentage of polymorphonuclear cells > or = 60% and C-reactive protein > or = 30 mg l(-1). CONCLUSION: TDT > or = 48 h, bacteria other than E. coli, percentage of polymorphonuclear cells > or = 60% and CRP > or = 30 mg l(-1) influence the findings detected in the DMSA scintigraphy performed in the acute phase of a first episode of UTI.

Non-heart-beating donors from the streets: an increasing donor pool source.

BACKGROUND: Non-heart-beating donors have become a source for organ donation, especially kidneys. The emergency room and the critical care unit are the two sources for this kind of donor. Three years ago, our hospital began a policy of obtaining organs and tissues successfully from subjects who died in the streets. METHODS: We consider as potential organ donors people who die out-of-hospital, are less than 50 years old, with less than 15 min of asystolia without cardiac massage, with a known etiology of death, and without general contraindications for donating. After death diagnosis, the cadaver is taken to the hospital where an emergency room doctor certifies the death. Afterward, the cadaver is transferred to the operating room where a cardiopulmonary bypass is performed to preserve the organs while the legal aspects of donation go on. RESULTS: Up to now, 111 cadavers have been taken as non-heart-beating donors; 53 of them have been actual donors. The average time before arrival to the hospital was 68+/-2.64 min, and the average interval between cardiac arrest and the beginning of cardiopulmonary bypass was 111.33+/-7.09 min. We have obtained 105 kidneys, 12 livers, 84 corneas, and 31 pancreata for islets isolation as well as 49 long bones. Seventy-two kidneys were transplanted, with a probability of survival of 83% at 36 months. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience indicates that it is possible to obtain organs for transplant from donors who die in the streets and are brought to the hospital under strict selection criteria.

[Clenbuterol poisoning. Clinical and analytical data on an outbreak in Móstoles, Madrid]. / Intoxicación por clenbuterol. Datos clínicos y analíticos de un brote epidémico en Móstoles, Madrid.

OBJECTIVE: To report the clinical manifestations and analytical findings in an epidemic outbreak of acute food poisoning with clenbuterol. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical manifestations, physical examination findings and results of complementary tests are reported of fifteen patients performed by veal liver contaminated with clenbuterol. The clinical course of patients at 72 hours is reported. A quantitative measurement of clenbuterol in urine specimens from patients and in a veal liver specimen was performed by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS: The male/female distribution of patients was 7/8 respectively, with age ranging from 6 to 44 years. Symptoms appeared after 30 minutes to 2 hours of having ingested veal liver in 93% of cases. Patients presented at the Emergency Department with tremors, palpitations, anxiety, malaise, nausea, and pruritus as the most common complaints. On physical examination tachycardia was noted in 100% of cases. The analytical data included mild hypokaliemia (66%) and leukocytosis (28%). Only one patient required hospital admission on account of an hypertensive crisis. After 72 hours, 67% of patients were asymptomatic. The remaining patients had mild symptoms which included headache, myalgia, asthenia and anorexia. Serum potassium values returned to normality (p < 0.05). Urine measurements of clenbuterol were positive for all analyzed cases (50 +/- 42 ng/ml). The concentration of clenbuterol in a veal liver sample was 500 ppb. CONCLUSION: Clenbuterol poisoning should be suspected when symptoms of adrenergic hyperstimulation occur after the ingestion of meal, usually liver. Common symptoms include tachycardia and mild hypopotasemia. Diagnosis is confirmed by quantitative measurement of clenbuterol in urine. Most patients improve spontaneously shortly afterwards.

["Nutrition": a program to facilitate the calculations of the composition of menus and diets]. / "Nutrición": un programa para facilitar los cálculos de composición de menús y dietas.

The methodology used to build a software program to compute the nutrient composition of menus and diets is discussed. Topics as the variability of food composition, the scarcity of local food composition data, the bias that may be incurred in nutrient data of food consumption studies are extensively discussed and also the possible solution through the software program. All of these topics must be taken into account in epidemiological studies as well as in computing diet composition.

[Food composition tables: a practical appraisal]. / Tablas de composición de alimentos: una valoración práctica.

We have revised the most common food composition tables published in Spain, France, Germany, England and the United States of America. In this article we have collected information concerning the points that may describe the size, format, numbers of items and numbers of nutrients in each table, so it can help professionals to know which of them may suit his needs properly.

Carotid body tumor: unusual cause of transient ischemic attacks.

Carotid body tumors are an unusual cause of transient ischemic attacks. The cases reported in the literature have been limited to the postoperative period. We report a patient with bilateral carotid body tumors and transient ischemic attacks as the presenting syndrome. A low-perfusion state could explain his symptomatology.

[The value of C-reactive protein in the diagnosis of acute pneumopathies in children]. / Valor de la proteína C reactiva en el diagnóstico de las neumopatías agudas de la infancia.

We have studied 164 children with pneumopathy, ranging from one month to 8 years old. They were classified in two groups according as clinical, biological and radiological criteria. Group I (probable bacterial etiology), 65 children; group II (presumable nonbacterial cause), 35 patients. An indeterminate pattern, 64 infants. The CRP was quantified by radial immunodiffusion method. In the group II, lowest CRP values (less than 30 micrograms/ml) were detected in 86% of the patients. In the group I, 88% of the cases offered values over 30 micrograms/ml. The CRP was a sensitive indicator of diagnosis of pneumopathies in children. High CRP values (greater than 30 micrograms/ml) are suggestive of a bacterial etiology, with statistical significance (p less than 0,001).

[Diagnostic value of C reactive protein in neonatal sepsis (author's transl)]. / Valor diagnóstico de la proteína C reactiva en la sepsis neonatal.

Seric levels of C reactive protein (C.R.P.) were determined in a series of 125 children under one month old. Of them, 75 were clinically healthy and 50 showed signs that suggested infection. In all this infants, in addition to C.R.P., different components of white blood cell differential count were determined, and a bacteriological study was undergone. Authors found high concentration of C.R.P. in 100% of children in which diagnosis of sepsis was bacteriologically confirmed. On the other hand, concentrations of this biological parameter were not substantially modified in newborns used in the control, nor in those other ones in which sepsis was not confirmed. Sensibility of C.R.P. showed itself significantly higher than other hematological indexes in study.

[C reactive protein as a standard of efficience in antiinfectious therapy (author's transl)]. / Utilidad de la proteína C reactiva como parámetro de eficacia terapéutica antiinfecciosa.

C reactive protein (CRP) levels are sequencially settled in 58 children, divided in three groups in dependence of their illness: acute bacterial pneumopathy, acute pyelonephritis or neonatal sepsis, all of them receiving antibiotic treatment. CRP values are compared with clinical, radiologic and bacteriologic findings, showing in patients of the first two groups a normalization between fourth and ninth day of treatment, together with clinical and radiologic improvement. In contrast, it was shown that normalization of CRP in neonatal sepsis group was quite slow related to the torpid evolution. The sequentially measure of CRP was prove useful as antibiotic treatment control in children affected with different infectious pictures.

[Familial vesicoureteral reflux (author's transl)]. / Reflujo vesicoureteral familiar.

Sixteen members of three families, eight of which had vesicoureteral reflux, are studied. Authors report a high incidence in females (7 cases) and atrophic chronic pyelonephritis (75% of the serie). Only one girl presented disminution of renal function. The types of inheritance was dominant autosomal in the A family and autosomal recessive in the B and C families. Finally the norms of investigation of the familial vesicoureteral reflux are appointed.