ABSTRACT
This prospective study evaluates the clinical practicality of assessing free amniotic fluid in instances of premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) before term. The presence of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) provided evidence of fetal pulmonary maturity. Daily aspirations of vaginally pooled amniotic fluid were performed on 55 consecutive patients with preterm PROM and met with a success rate of 80% (79 of 99 attempts). Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) occurred in none of 28 neonates in whom PG was present prior to delivery, and in four of 19 in whom PG was absent. Evidence of surfactant maturation at the time of initial sampling was noticed in 24% of fetuses at 28 to 34 weeks' gestation. Those who initially lacked PG showed an acceleration of its appearance in the aminotic fluid with time, and almost all required a minimum of 48 to 72 hours. Sampling free amniotic fluid for PG is reliable, noninvasive procedure which can be usefully applied to the management of preterm PROm.
Subject(s)
Amniotic Fluid/analysis , Fetal Membranes, Premature Rupture/therapy , Phosphatidylglycerols/analysis , Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/prevention & control , Adult , Female , Fetal Organ Maturity , Gestational Age , Humans , Infant Mortality , Infant, Newborn , Lung , Pregnancy , Prospective StudiesSubject(s)
Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/therapy , Myelin Basic Protein/administration & dosage , Animals , Brain/blood supply , Capillary Permeability , Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/prevention & control , Female , Injections, Intravenous , Injections, Intraventricular , Male , Myelin Basic Protein/therapeutic use , RatsSubject(s)
Hypersensitivity, Delayed , Nerve Tissue Proteins/immunology , Spinal Cord Injuries/immunology , Animals , Cell Migration Inhibition , Guinea Pigs , Hypersensitivity, Delayed/etiology , Lymphocyte Activation , Macrophages , Myelin Basic Protein/immunology , S100 Proteins/immunology , Skin Tests , Spinal Cord Injuries/complicationsABSTRACT
A variety of treatment modalities upon a compressive model of spinal cord injury in ferrets was tested. Several of the treatments seemed to increase the degree of anatomical and/or functional sparing, but only dexamethasone did so in a statistically significant manner.
Subject(s)
Dexamethasone/therapeutic use , Spinal Cord Injuries/drug therapy , Animals , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical , Ferrets , MaleABSTRACT
We report here a model of submaximal spinal cord injury, employing direct thoracic cord compression in ferrets. This yields consistent and reproducible long term consequences on local cellular structure and on locomotive function. We show also that both the anatomical and functional losses can be measured objectively using simple techniques, and that useful long-tract mediated locomotion is preserved after severe axonal losses at the site of injury.
