Impact of platelet transfusion on survival of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage after administration of anti-platelet agents at a tertiary emergency center.

This study examined the impact of platelet transfusion (PLT) on the survival of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients who had been administered anti-platelet agents (APA). This retrospective cohort analysis investigated 432 patients (259 men, 60%) who were newly diagnosed with ICH between January 2006 and June 2011 at the tertiary emergency center of Kitasato University Hospital. Median age on arrival was 67.0 years (range, 40-95 years). ICH was subcortical in 72 patients (16.7%), supratentorial in 233 (53.9%), and infratentorial in 133 (30.8%). PLT was performed in 16 patients (3.7%). Within 90 days after admission to the center, 178 patients (41.2%) had died due to ICH. Before the onset of ICH, 66 patients had been prescribed APA because of atherosclerotic diseases. Multivariate regression analysis indicated APA administration was an independent risk factor for death within 7 days (odds ratio, 5.12; P = 0.006) and within 90 days (hazard ratio, 1.87; P = 0.006) after arrival. Regarding the effect of a PLT in ICH patients with APA, no patient with PLT died. PLT had a survival benefit on patients with ICH, according to our analysis. Further prospective analysis is necessary to confirm the effects of PLT on survival in ICH with APA.

Quantitative analysis of the effects of antimycotic agents on the hyphal growth of Trichophyton rubrum: a preliminary study.

The thallus diameter is commonly used as a quantitative parameter to evaluate hyphal growth. However, a different parameter is required to evaluate hyphal growth more precisely. The hyphal growth of Trichophyton rubrum in the presence of antimycotic agents was evaluated using the number of hyphal crossings as a quantitative parameter. Continuous video images of hyphal growth were taken for 48 h. Culture medium contained 0.4 µg ml(-1) of terbinafine (TBF) and itraconazole (ITCZ). Image analyses were performed every 6 h using a 50 µm square grid. The mean density of the hyphal crossings in each sampling frame was used as a parameter of hyphal growth. The mean ratio of hyphal crossings on distressed hyphae to total hyphal crossings was used as a parameter representing the antimycotic effects of TBF and ITCZ. The mean density of total hyphal crossings in the TBF group was significantly lower than in the control and ITCZ groups. The ratio of distressed hyphae significantly increased during the 48-h time course in the TBF group, but not in the ITCZ group. Counting the number of hyphal crossings provides a new method for assessing hyphal growth and antimycotic activity quantitatively.