The SIESTA method; developments and applicability.

Recent developments in and around the SIESTA method of first-principles simulation of condensed matter are described and reviewed, with emphasis on (i) the applicability of the method for large and varied systems, (ii) efficient basis sets for the standards of accuracy of density-functional methods, (iii) new implementations, and (iv) extensions beyond ground-state calculations.

Influencia de la aprotinina en el sangrado postoperatorio de la artroplastia total de rodilla / Effect of aprotinin on postoperative bleeding in total knee replacement

Objetivo. Estudiar el efecto de la administración de aprotinina sobre el sangrado postoperatorio de la artroplastia total de rodilla. Material y método. Estudio retrospectivo sobre 64 pacientes divididos en un grupo de casos (30 pacientes) que recibió una dosis de aprotinina de 2 x 106 unidades inhibidoras de kalicreína (KIU), y un grupo de control (34 pacientes) que no recibió ninguna dosis del fármaco. Se estudiaron la hemoglobina, el hematocrito y el número de plaquetas en hemogramas preoperatorio y postoperatorio (entre las 6 y 12 horas y a las 24 horas de la intervención). Se registró el volumen de sangre obtenido por los drenajes de Redon. Se contabilizó el número de concentrado de hematíes transfundidos en cada caso. Resultados. Los pacientes a los que se administró aprotinina tuvieron un menor descenso de los valores de hemoglobina y hematocrito y un menor volumen de sangre recogido en los drenajes de Redon que el grupo control. Durante el postoperatorio se transfundió a menos pacientes del grupo de casos que del grupo de control. Las diferencias entre los valores estudiados de ambos grupos resultaron estadísticamente significativas. Conclusión. La administración de aprotinina contribuye a reducir el descenso de hemoglobina y hematocrito, así como las pérdidas en los drenajes y la administración de hemoderivados en el postoperatorio de la artroplastia total de rodilla

Aim. To study the effect of the administration of aprotinin on postoperative bleeding in total knee replacement (TKR). Materials and methods. A retrospective study was performed on 64 patients divided into a treatment group (30 patients) that received a dose of aprotinin of 2x106 inhibitory units of kalicrein and a control group (34 patients) that did not receive any drug. Different variables were studied: hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelets in preoperative and postoperative (6-12 hs and 24 hs) hemograms. The volume of blood in Redon high-vacuum drainage was registered. The number of packed red blood cell concentrate (pRBC) units transfused were also registered. Results. The patients that received aprotinin had a smaller decrease of hemoglobin and hematocrit than the patients in the control group. The volume of blood collected in the Redon drainage for these patients was also smaller than in the control group. During the postoperative period fewer patients in the treated group received transfusions than in the control group. The differences in the variables studied in both groups were statistically significant. Conclusion. The administration of aprotinin helps reduce the fall in hemoglobin and hematocrit, the blood losses into drainage and the administration of transfusions during the postoperative period in TKR

Diagnosis of allergy to cat epithelium in clinical practice. I. Value of skin tests.

Seventy atopic patients were studied. Pin-prick skin tests with cat epithelium extract (Ifidesa-Aríste-gui) were made. The results were compared by dividing the patients into a group with clinical manifestations of contact with cats and a group without clinical manifestations of contact with cats. Our results show that skin tests for cat epithelium, such as those carried out routinely in clinical practice, are not very sensitive or specific, and, therefore, are not suitable for diagnosis or prevalence studies.

Allergy to Alternaria. I. Clinical aspects.

We studied 66 patients allergic to mould Alternaria. 53% males and 47% females, with 60% diagnosed as having asthma versus 40% rhinitis, only 29% had allergy to Alternaria without any other cutaneous reactivity while 71% were polisensitized, more frequently to D. pteronyssinus, grass pollen, Cladosporium and cat epithelium. We compared the patients allergic to Alternaria with those allergic to grass pollen and D. pteronyssinus.