Study of an organoclay for the sorption of dissolved organic compounds in the wastewaters from offshore platform operation.

The goal of this research work was to find a sorbent able to selectively retain the harmful dissolved compounds in the wastewaters from offshore platform operation but not the carboxylic acids and to study the effects of the most important parameters on the sorption process. BTX compounds (benzene, toluene and p-xylene) and acetic acid were chosen as the representatives of the harmful compounds and carboxylic acids groups respectively since they are found in the highest concentrations. An organically modified clay was determined to be the most suitable sorbent, where performance was evaluated at different values of pH (3, 5 and 8), acetic acid concentration (0, 160 and 320 mg/l), salinity (0, 35 and 70 g/l) and temperature (20, 40 and 60 degrees C). Results show that there is a sorption competition between BTX and acetic acid. Sorption of BTX compounds decreased with increasing initial acetic acid concentration and temperature, and increased proportionally with the salinity. Sorption of acetic acid, however, decreased with increasing pH, temperature and salinity.

[Postoperative and posttraumatic meningitis. Comments on 87 cases]. / Meningita postoperatorie si posttraumatica. Consideratii pe 87 cazuri.

Iatrogenic and traumatic cerebromeningitis infections are increasing in frequency in the last two decades. Retrospective analysis of 87 patients iatrogenic and traumatic bacterial meningitis were admitted in the Clinic of Infectious Diseases from Iasi between 1, 01, 1990-31, 12, 1994. Head trauma, lumbar punctures and iatrogenic meningitis infections were the causes cerebromeningitis infections. The diagnosis is usually difficult because of the poor specificity of the clinical signs. Predominant pathogens were gram-negative bacteria and Staphylococcus in iatrogenic meningitis and gram-positive bacteria (S. pneumoniae) in traumatic meningitis. The treatment was based on the use penicillin G + chloramphenicol, 3rd generation cephalosporins and sometimes 2nd generation quinolones. Ten of the 87 patients with iatrogenic and traumatic cerebromeningitis infections died (10.3%).

[Acute nosocomial bacterial meningitis. Apropos 27 cases]. / Meningite bacteriene acute nosocomiale. Consideratii asupra 27 cazuri.

Our series includes 27 patients with nosocomial meningitis (22 post neurosurgery and 5 post spinal puncture) of whom 15 with stated etiology (gram-negative bacilli and staphylococcus aureus in equal shares). Under the treatment with chloramphenicol + rifampicin + gentamicin a cure was obtained in 22 cases, improvement in 3 cases and 2 patients died.

[Bacterial liver abscess cured by nonsurgical treatment. Comments on 8 cases]. / Abcesul hepatic bacterian vindecat sub tratament nechirurgical. Consideratii asupra opt cazuri.

Eight cases (3 children aged 7-15 years and 5 adults aged 16-46 years) of hepatic abscess in whom a cure was obtained by medical therapy are presented. The abscess occurred during septicemia (2 cases), cutaneous staphylococcosis (2 cases) and pyocholecystitis (1 case). In 3 patients the abscess remained cryptogenic. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by scintigraphy, ultrasonography and in one case by radiography with contrast substance in the abscess. The microorganisms, isolated in 3 patients from the abscess and in one patient from hemoculture, were S. aureus (3 cases) and gram negative bacilli (1 case). The systemic antibiotic therapy consisted in the administration of gentamicin and oxacillin or rifampicin in 4 cases and gentamicin and chloramphenicol or ampicillin and metronidazole in other 4 cases for an average interval of 39 days. The associated local therapy (3 cases) consisted in one or more punctures, followed by the injection of gentamicin.

Presence of viral and inframicrobial germs detected by immunofluorescence reaction in 0-5-year-old children with acute respiratory infections.

The presence of viral and/or inframicrobial antigens was investigated by the immunofluorescence (IF) technique in exfoliated pharyngeal cells collected from 85 children aged 0-5 years, with acute infections of the upper or lower respiratory tract. Positive IF reactions were recorded in 83% of the children with bronchopneumonia, 81.8% of those with acute pharyngitis, 77.7% of those with acute upper respiratory tract infections and 66.6% of those with acute bronchitis. In 68.75% of the IF-positive cases 2-5 different antigens were simultaneously visualized. Herpes and parainfluenza virus antigens appeared to be predominant. The proportion of positive IF reactions was much lower (20%) in a control group of 20 apparently healthy children, where a single viral antigen (parainfluenza 1) was detected.