Community based, effective, low cost approach to the treatment of severe malnutrition in rural Jamaica.

Moderate and severe malnutrition are endemic in much of the developing world and in association with pockets of deprivation in the developed world. The cost in terms of individual and social development is high. The principles of effective management are clearly documented. A low cost, community based treatment programme for moderately and severely malnourished children under 3 years of age was established at a health centre in rural Jamaica. Children were followed up monthly and defaulters were rigorously recalled. Management consisted of carefully delivered dietary advice, antibiotics, anthelminthics, and vitamin supplements. All children improved and the response of 36 children, who were treated in the first year, showed an accelerated weight gain, with catch-up growth and the maintenance of length gain. There was a significant increase in the weight for age, at 1.9% per month over six months, which exceeds the rate reported with food supplementation programmes and nutrition rehabilitation centres.

Ketoconazole pharmacokinetics during chronic dosing in adults with haematological malignancy.

Ketoconazole pharmacokinetics were determined in nine adults with haematological malignancy after one week on a 200 mg daily dose and later after one week on a 400 mg daily dose. The area under the serum concentration time curve (AUC) reached 12.3 +/- 7.7 mg/l.h (mean +/- S.D.) on the 200 mg dose and increased to 23.0 +/- 18.2 mg/l.h on the 400 mg dose (p less than 0.05). The half-life of ketoconazole was 3.1 +/- 1.9 h on the 200 mg dose and 3.5 +/- 1.7 h on the 400 mg dose. Peak concentrations were 3.2 +/- 1.8 mg/l and 4.6 +/- 3.2 mg/l on the 200 mg and 400 mg doses, respectively. Trough ketoconazole concentrations were undetectable 24 h after either dose. There was no correlation between the leucocyte count and any pharmacokinetic parameter for ketoconazole. Variation in AUC was 20-fold on the 200 mg daily dose and 8-fold on the 400 mg per day regimen. Measurement of serum levels during ketoconazole treatment appears necessary in view of the unpredictable concentrations achieved. Once-a-day dosage regimens of ketoconazole in immunocompromised patients may be inappropriate. Future clinical trials should adopt a two or three times a day dosing regimen, as this may confer a pharmacokinetic and therapeutic advantage.

Rapid falls in maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein concentrations.

The pronounced falls in AFP concentration sometimes seen in samples taken for screening in early pregnancy are consistent with the range of AFP half lives measured in 14 postpartum women of 59-133 h.