Holotranscobalamin is a useful marker of vitamin B12 deficiency in alcoholics.

BACKGROUND: Measurement of serum cobalamin (Cbl) levels is the standard investigation for assessing vitamin B12 deficiency. Falsely increased values of Cbl can be caused by alcoholic liver disease. Measurement of total vitamin B12 serum levels might be misleading in alcoholics, because a tissue metabolic deficiency is possible even with normal serum Cbl levels. Holotranscobalamin (HoloTC), the Cbl metabolically active fraction, is considered as a better index of vitamin B12 deficiency. METHODS: For assessing vitamin B12 status, we evaluated 22 adult alcoholic male patients by measuring in parallel serum Cbl, serum folate and red blood cell folate levels, HoloTC levels by the AxSYM assay. RESULTS. HoloTC values were reduced in 3 alcoholics with borderline-low Cbl values. Significant positive correlations were found between serum Cbl and HoloTC levels, serum Cbl and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT). CONCLUSION: HoloTC measurement is a useful option for assessing vitamin B12 status in alcoholics, particularly in the subjects with borderline Cbl values and may be considered an early marker of vitamin B12 deficiency.

A hierarchical communication architecture for oceanic surveillance applications.

The interest in monitoring applications using underwater sensor networks has been growing in recent years. The severe communication restrictions imposed by underwater channels make that efficient monitoring be a challenging task. Though a lot of research has been conducted on underwater sensor networks, there are only few concrete applications to a real-world case study. In this work, hence, we propose a general three tier architecture leveraging low cost wireless technologies for acoustic communications between underwater sensors and standard technologies, Zigbee and Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), for water surface communications. We have selected a suitable Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, after making a comparison with some common MAC protocols. Thus the performance of the overall system in terms of Signals Discarding Rate (SDR), signalling delay at the surface gateway as well as the percentage of true detection have been evaluated by simulation, pointing out good results which give evidence in applicability's favour.

Functional vitamin B12 deficiency in alcoholics: an intriguing finding in a retrospective study of megaloblastic anemic patients.

BACKGROUND: Measurement of serum cobalamin levels is the standard investigation for assessing Vitamin B12 deficiency. However some patients with clinical evidence of cobalamin deficiency may have serum levels within the normal range. Since falsely increased values of cobalamin can be caused by alcoholic liver disease, we evaluated the impact of this disease on the diagnosis of cobalamin and folic acid deficiency. METHODS: We reviewed data of 101 adult patients with megaloblastic anemia assessed by measuring in parallel serum cobalamin, serum folate and red blood cell folate levels. Further tests were performed in order to find the cause of megaloblastosis. All patients were treated with cobalamin and/or folic acid therapy. RESULTS: Vitamin B12, folate and both deficiency were found in 86, 5 and 6 cases respectively. Normal cobalamin serum levels, normal serum and erythrocyte folate levels were found only in 3 patients, all alcohol-dependent, while in another alcoholic borderline vitamin B12 serum levels were found. All the four patients responded to cobalamin treatment. CONCLUSION: Some alcohol-dependent patients with megaloblastic anemia may respond to vitamin B12 treatment despite normal cobalamin serum levels; therefore in alcoholics caution is urged in the interpretation of these vitamin assays, because of possible functional vitamin B12 deficiency.

O uso da ausculta cervical na inferência de aspiração traqueal em crianças com paralisia cerebral / The use of cervical auscultation in tracheal aspiration in children with cerebral palsy

OBJETIVO: comparar a detectabilidade da ausculta cervical na avaliação clínica com a comprovação da aspiração na videofluoroscopia da deglutição em crianças com paralisia cerebral tetraparética espástica com disfagia orofaríngea. MÉTODOS: estudo retrospectivo com análise de 101 prontuários de crianças, na faixa etária de 1 a 12 anos, pertencentes a uma instituição, com diagnóstico de paralisia cerebral tetraparética espástica e que foram encaminhadas e avaliadas por equipe interdisciplinar. Foi realizada anamnese com avaliação clínica da alimentação com ausculta cervical e videofluoroscopia da deglutição. RESULTADOS: os resultados estatísticos mostraram que há relação significante entre a ausculta cervical positiva e a penetração ou aspiração laríngea constatada na videofluoroscopia da deglutição e que a ausculta cervical negativa está mais associada à não penetração/aspiração. CONCLUSÃO: concluiu-se que a ausculta cervical pode ser utilizada para inferência do risco de aspiração e, portanto, como alerta para atuação precoce nessa população, além da vantagem de ser um método não invasivo.

PURPOSE: to compare the efficacy of cervical auscultation during the clinical evaluation with the confirmation of aspiration in the videofluoroscopy of deglutition in oropharyngeal dysphagic children with tetraparetic cerebral palsy. METHODS: retrospective study with analysis of 101 notes of children, between 1 and 12-year old, enrolled in one institution, with the diagnosis of cerebral palsy spastic quadriplegia and referred and evaluated by interdisciplinary team. Clinical history, clinical evaluation of feeding with cervical auscultation and videofluoroscopy of deglutition were performed. RESULTS: the statistical results showed significance between positive cervical auscultation and laryngeal penetration or aspiration during the videofluoroscopy of deglutition and a negative cervical auscultation is correlated to non penetration/aspiration. CONCLUSION: cervical auscultation can be used as an inference to risk of aspiration, therefore a sign to early intervention in this population. Furthermore, it is a non-invasive method.

Eficácia da fonoterapia em disfagia neurogênica usando a escala funcional de ingestão por via oral (FOIS) como marcador / Efficacy of speech therapy in neurogenic dysphagia using functional oral intake scale (FOIS) as a parameter

OBJETIVO: avaliar a eficácia da fonoterapia e a interferência dos fatores de risco para disfagia no atendimento de pacientes adultos internados com doença neurológica e sintoma de disfagia, tendo a escala funcional de ingestão por via oral como marcador da progressão segura da dieta por via oral. MÉTODOS: foi realizado estudo retrospectivo de 49 prontuários de pacientes com disfagia neurogênica, atendidos em fonoterapia no leito hospitalar e comparada a escala de ingestão de alimentação por via oral antes e depois da terapia - FOIS, (mede a quantidade e tipo de alimento que o paciente consegue ingerir por via oral de forma segura). Foram estudados também possíveis fatores de interferência na melhora via ingestão oral na fonoterapia como: doença de base, idade, condições respiratórias, condições clínicas, estado de consciência, tempo de terapia e número de sessões. RESULTADOS: dos 49 pacientes, 36 apresentaram melhora na FOIS após a fonoterapia. Quanto aos possíveis fatores de interferência nessa melhora, foram constatados: a piora clínica do doente, as intercorrências clínicas e o rebaixamento do nível de consciência, como estatisticamente significantes para a não evolução em fonoterapia visando à ingestão de alimentos por via oral. Os outros fatores analisados como: doença de base, idade, condições respiratórias, tempo e numero de sessões não demonstraram significância estatística, sugerindo não interferir na melhora ou piora do paciente. CONCLUSÃO: observa-se melhora efetiva da ingestão de alimentos por via oral nos pacientes com disfagia neurogênica atendidos em ambiente hospitalar em fonoterapia, salvo se apresentarem intercorrências clínicas e rebaixamento do nível de consciência durante o processo.

PURPOSE: to evaluate efficacy of speech therapy treatments and the interference of risk factors in adult patients admitted to the wards with neurological diseases and symptoms of dysphagia, using the functional oral intake scale as parameter of safe progression for oral feeding. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective study on forty-nine patients with neurogenic dysphagia under speech therapy sessions while in the wards and a comparison between the results of the functional oral intake scale before and after the therapy sessions(measuring the amount and type of orally-taken food in a safe manner by the patients). Possible factors affecting the therapy such as etiology of the neurologic disease, age, respiratory and clinical conditions, alertness, time and duration of the therapy sessions were studied. RESULTS: over the 49 studied patients, 36 showed improvement in the FOIS after speech therapy sessions. Regarding possible factors affecting the therapy, statistical analysis showed that deterioration of clinical condition, clinical intercurrences and decreased level of alertness were significant factors for the lack of progress to oral feeding during the speech therapy sessions. The other factors, etiology of disease, age, respiratory condition, time and number of sessions, did not demonstrate statistical significance. However, they did not interfere in improving or worsening the patients' clinical condition. CONCLUSION: there is an effective improvement in feeding by oral intake in patients with neurogenic dysphagia being treated by speech therapy sessions in the hospital wards. However, it cannot be achieved if the patient shows clinical intercurrences and decreased alertness level.

Response to erythropoietin and moxifloxacin in a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome non-respondent to erythropoietin alone.

We describe a low-risk myelodysplastic syndrome patient who did not respond to erythropoietin alone, but who did show a major erythroid response to combination therapy consisting of erythropoietin and moxifloxacin. This observation was exclusively empirical. The immunomodulatory effects of moxifloxacin may explain the synergy with erythropoietin.