Confusion and hypnotics in demented patients.

Eleven elderly confused patients were given a single dose of chlormethiazole, temazepam and placebo on separate nights with-in a 10-day period. There was no statistically significant difference between the three treatments the next morning in any of the tests, which included subjective and objective measures of mental ability, orientation and hangover effect. These results mirror those previously found in normal, healthy, elderly patients, and do not therefore support the contention that hypnotics increase confusion in demented patients, or that such patients are more sensitive to their actions. Indeed, plasma drug concentrations were on average twice as high in demented as in normal elderly subjects, thus raising the possibility of decreased sensitivity in the demented group. There was little correlation between plasma concentration and pharmacological effect.

Relationship between sexual intercourse and urinary-tract infection in women attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases.

The prevalence of urinary-tract infection (UTI), diagnosed by examination of a single midstream urine from sexually active women was found to be 6.4%. Significant bacteriuria was most common in women who presented within 24 h of coitus but was not related to the number of sexual partners. UTI occurred significantly more often in women who presented within 4 days of intercourse than in women seen after a longer interval. Whether frequency of intercourse affects the prevalence of UTI remains to be determined.

Urinary tract infection in a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases.

A study of the prevalence of urinary tract infection (UTI) in 430 women attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases and its relationship to sexual activity is presented. UTI, usually asymptomatic, was found to be slightly more common in women attending the clinic than in the general population, its prevalence being 4.9%. UTI was more commonly found in patients who gave a history of recent sexual intercourse, which suggests that recent coitus was a factor in the development of significant bacteriuria. The likelihood of finding significant bacteriuria was not related to the number of sexual partners in the previous year. Trichomoniasis was more common in the small group of patients with UTI than in other women. The most common causative organism of UTI was Escherichia coli, and the isolates were usually sensitive to ampicillin, sulphonamides, trimethoprim, and nitrofurantoin.

Serum lipoproteins and atherosclerosis in animals.

The lipoproteins have been examined in more than 300 serum or plasma samples taken during life or at post mortem from a fairly wide range of mammals, birds and reptiles. The material, which was collected over a period of several years, was subjected to a limited range of lipid analyses, but all specimens were submitted to electrophoresis with paper or cellulose acetate membrane as supporting medium. The lipoprotein pattern in mammals appears to be basically similar to that in man, but there are wide variations in lipid concentrations; the highest levels being found in bears, seals and primates. High concentrations were also observed in many birds and a few reptiles, but the lipoprotein patterns in these vertebrates differ from those in mammals and are further greatly modified by oviparity. Semi-quantitative data on the degree of atherosclerosis were available on the animals that died. There was only a crude positive correlation between the intensity of the arterial disease and high serum beta-lipoprotein levels, and it was concluded that the latter are probably of only secondary importance in the development of spontaneous atherosclerosis in animals.