Pain related to Optiva 2, Biovalve, and Venflon 2 intravenous catheters.

Pain related to the insertion of intravenous catheters is a major issue for many patients. This study investigated differences in pain on insertion for three different catheters - Optiva 1, Biovalve and Venflon 2 - as assessed by 100 volunteers. Clinicians also assessed a variety of parameters related to their overall ease of use. This study demonstrates that Optiva 2 can offer significant benefits for both patient and clinician. Pain on insertion was significantly lower with Optiva 2 than with Venflon 2, but comparable with Biovalve. Ease of insertion and flashback were significantly better for Optiva 2 than for Venflon 2, but similar to Biovalve. For the parameters 'ease of catheter advancement' and 'overall ease of use', the operators rated Optiva 2 significantly better than Biovalve and Venflon 2.

Placebo-controlled comparison of the efficacy and tolerability of once-daily moxonidine and enalapril in mild to moderate essential hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the antihypertensive efficacy and tolerability of the imidazoline I1-receptor agonist moxonidine, administered as a single daily dose of 0.6 mg, with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril (20 mg o.d.) in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. METHODS: A total of 154 patients were enrolled and randomized to placebo (n = 50), moxonidine (0.2 mg o.d.; n = 51) or enalapril (5 mg o.d.; n = 53) for 2 weeks. Dosages were then increased to moxonidine 0.6 mg o.d. or enalapril 20 mg o.d. for a further 6 weeks. Blood pressure responses to therapy were measured using conventional office techniques and by 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. RESULTS: The average reduction in sitting blood pressure with moxonidine was similar to that achieved with enalapril (24.9 +/- 20.7/13.2 +/- 8.4 mmHg vs 21.9 +/- 17.1/11.9 +/- 7.5 mmHg, respectively) and significantly superior to that seen with placebo (1.2 +/- 14.4/2.3 +/- 7.0 mmHg; p < 0.001). Reductions in blood pressure after 8 weeks of treatment were as follows: moxonidine, from 166.2 +/- 15.5/101.3 +/- 4.0 to 141.2 +/- 15.7/88.1 +/- 7.7mmHg; enalapril, from 165.4 +/- 14.3/101.1 +/- 4.4 to 143.5 +/- 12.7/89.2 +/- 7.4 mmHg; and placebo, from 162.5 +/- 14.4/99.9 +/- 3.9 to 161.3 +/- 17.9/97.6 +/- 6.6 mmHg. Both moxonidine and enalapril produced sustained reductions in blood pressure during 24-h recording (p < 0.01 for overall effect of either drug vs placebo). Average 24-h blood pressure was reduced from 149.8 +/- 14.3/92.2 +/- 7.0 to 134.0 +/- 13.1/82.3 +/- 8.9 mmHg with moxonidine and from 146.5 +/- 13.0/ 92.5 +/- 7.2 to 131.1 +/- 11.0/82.1 +/- 8.8 mmHg with enalapril; the change with placebo was small (from 147.3 +/- 13.3/90.0 +/- 6.2 to 144.8 +/- 12.9/89.5 +/- 8.0 mmHg). Both drugs were generally well tolerated. No patients withdrew from the study because of drug-attributed adverse events. CONCLUSION: Moxonidine 0.6 mg o.d. and enalapril 20 mg o.d. have similar antihypertensive efficacy.

Is seminal fluid a suitable specimen for detecting chlamydial infection in men?

As genital chlamydia infection is considered the most prevalent sexually transmitted bacterial disease worldwide, its correct diagnosis has a great clinical and epidemiological importance. Urethra is the recommended site for collecting specimen for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in men, but urethral swabbing is very inconvenient for the patients. Testing of seminal fluid has two advantages: taking the sample is more convenient for the patient, and the ejaculate would provide more information on the possible infection of the upper genital tract. Three non-culture methods-enzyme immunoassay (EIA), DNA hybridization, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-were used for evaluation of suitability of seminal fluid as a sample for detection of Chlamydia in 4 patient groups comprising 259 symptomatic and asymptomatic, urology and andrology patients. The seminal fluids were tested parallel with the urethral samples. In one group of patients with typical prostatic complaints expressed prostatic secretion was examined parallel with urethral swab. C. trachomatis positivity rates were much higher in symptomatic (49.1%) than in asymptomatic patients (12.3%) in all kinds of sample. Seminal fluid was somewhat more frequently positive (7.9%) than urethral sample (6.2%). Simultaneous positivity was relatively rare (3.3%), it occurred most frequently in samples of patients with possible accessory gland infection tested by EIA. In a group of 17 patients with typical prostatic complaints the expressed prostatic secretion alone was positive in 7 cases, whereas only other two of the parallel urethral samples proved positive by PCR, simultaneous positivity occurred in one case. These findings suggest that testing of the ejaculate and/or the prostatic secretion parallel with the urethral sample would improve the sensitivity of detection of chlamydial infections.

[Effect of serum from patients with kerion celsi on organ culture of chick embryo skin]. / Azione dei sieri di pazienti affetti da kerion celsi su culture organotipiche di cute embrionale di pollo.

In the present work the Authors have studied the differentiation and the cellular multiplication of chick embryo skin incubated in vitro with normal human sera or with pathological human sera from patients affected by Kerion Celsi. In the following research the Authors have studied the skin structure by an optical and electron microscope and the thymidine 3H incorporation. The result demonstrates that the pathological human serum does not interfere with the multiplication and the differentiation of the skin in vitro, but displays a cytoaggressive action that induces a noticeable cytoplasmic vacuolation.

Further researches on the action of hepatectomized rat serum on epithelial differentiation in chick embryo skin.

Skin explants obtained from 12-day old chick embryos, maintained in organ culture containing adult rat serum, show a lower epidermal growth in comparison with skin explants cultured with other adult animal serum; nevertheless the keratogeneous differentiation of the epidermal cell is evident. When the cultures are incubated with medium containing partially hepatectomized rat serum epidermal-cell differentiation and proliferation are absent.

[Incorporation of H3 uridine in chick embryo skin cultured in media containing histones]. / Incorporazione di urinina H3 in espianti di cute di embrione di pollo coltivati con istoni.

In this paper the authors have carried out further research on the differentiation of six-day limb skin from chick embryos cultured in vitro in mediam containing histones. When 3H-uridine is added to this modified medium, a decrease of 3H-uridine uptake and incorporation is observed. The authors conclude that in their system the histones not only interfere with the regulation of genetic transcription by inhibiting DNA-dependent RNA synthesis, but they also change cellular permeability.

[The problem of low-weight newborns (author's transl)]. / Das Problem der untergewichtigen Neugeborenen.

The authors had on their own ward 5.242 deliveries, over the past five years. Relative underweight was recorded from 311 in 5.282 newborns. The case histories of mothers of the low-weight newborns were taken down by means of a questionnaire and statistically evaluated. The results then were compared with data obtained from a control group equal in number. The conclusion was drawn that birth of a low-weight child could be expected in situations in which conditions were adverse prior to and during pregnancy. The birth of a low-weight child could be predicted with mathematical accuracy, if unfavourable conditions accumulated. - Perinatal problems and mortality were analysed, with reference being made to diagnoses and therapeutic steps. - The point was also made that decline in the number of newborns with underweight will probably result from further enhancement of cultural and social living standards. At present, almost eleven per cent of all newborns in Hungary are delivered prematurely.