Systematic review with meta-analysis: ondansetron for vomiting in children with acute gastroenteritis.

BACKGROUND: Vomiting in children with acute gastroenteritis is a common symptom, and it is considered to be the main cause of failure of oral rehydration therapy. AIM: To systematically update evidence on the effects of ondansetron (5-HT3 serotonin antagonist) for vomiting in children with acute gastroenteritis. METHODS: The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched up to April 2016, with no language restrictions, for randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Reference lists of reviews and included studies were examined. RESULTS: Ten RCTs involving 1215 participants were included. Treatment with ondansetron compared with placebo increased the chance for vomiting cessation up to 1 h after drug administration, relative risk, RR, 1.49 (95% confidence interval 1.17-1.89), but there was no difference between the groups after 4, 24 and 48 h. Treatment with ondansetron compared with placebo reduced the risk of failure of oral rehydration therapy, RR 0.5 (0.37-0.69), increased the intake of oral rehydration solution in 1 h and 4 h, mean difference: 43 mL/1 h (15.5-70.5), and 91 mL/4 h (35-147), respectively, reduced the risk of hospitalisation, RR 0.53 (0.29-0.97), and reduced the need for intravenous rehydration, RR 0.45 (0.31-0.63); however, it had no effect on the need for return visits to the emergency department, RR 1.14 (0.72-1.8). Adverse effects were similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with placebo, ondansetron administration for vomiting in children with acute gastroenteritis can improve the efficacy of oral rehydration therapy.

The ossification of tarsal bones and distal end of the tibia in human foetus.

The ossification level of tarsal bones and the distal end of the tibia in human foetuses of both sexes from 4 to 9 month gestational age was estimated. Our results show that ossification of the cartilaginous model tarsal bones begins from 6 to 7 months of the gestational age with the appearance of a single ossification point in the ankle bone and two ossification points in the heel bone with the following ossification of the periosteum.

Fluconazol plus ofloxacin in prophylaxis of infections in patients with acute leukemia: a comparative study.

In a retrospective study the incidence of infections, number of afebrile days, duration of antimicrobial chemotherapy, and cost of antibacterials and antimycotics were compared in two groups of patients. One was a group of 57 patients who received no prophylaxis during induction remission therapy of acute leukemia treated in 1989-1990, the second was a group of 22 patients treated in 1991 where prophylaxis with fluconazol and ofloxacin was administered. For ethical reasons pertaining since 1991, when prophylaxis became mandatory, the study was not randomized. A decrease in the number of febrile days, the cost of antimicrobials and the duration of treatment with antibiotics and antimycotics was observed in the group receiving fluconazol and ofloxacin.

[Changes in indicators of nonspecific humoral immunity in carriers of N. meningitidis]. / Zmeny niektorých ukazovatel'ov nespecifickej humorálnej imunity pri nosicstve N. meningitidis.

The aim of the work was to assess the immunity response of the macroorganism to "sound" meningococcal carriership in relation to its length. Furthermore the author wanted to assess the state of immunity changes during the inter-epidemic period. Although the differences in the immunity response in different groups are not significant, they exist and correlate with data reported in the literature. The most important finding is that during the period of the maximum drop of IgG and IgM antibodies there is an increase of the IgA class of immunoglobulins and the C3 component of complement. This correlates with the maximum number of carriers in the investigated group. Despite existing described changes of non-specific humoral immunity, the author considers specific, in particular collective immunity which determines the epidemic process of meningococcal infections, decisive for the development of meningococcal carriership.

[Specific antibody response in carriers of N. meningitidis]. / Specifická protilátková odpoved na nosicstvo N. meningitidis.

When investigating the specific immune response, the authors found that as many as 97.95% subjects in the investigated community had positive titres of anti A meningococcal antibodies. The values of geometrical means of anti A antibody titres varied between 16.85 and 20.25. Short-time carriers have substantially higher antibody levels than long-term carriers, the difference being statistically significant p less than 0.001. In the course of the investigation antibody levels rose despite the fact that meningococci of group A were not isolated. The position as regards anti C meningococcal antibodies is much worse. There the percentage of positivity is only 24.48% and the values of the geometrical means of titres in positive subjects varied between 7.78 and 8.48. On the whole group of subjects the values were, however, 2.09-2.42. This means they did not by far reach the value of the 1:6 titre, which is considered the first positive titre. Similarly as in anti A antibodies, there is a significant difference between the antibody level in short-term and long-term carriers in favour of the short-term ones.

[Studies of the capacity of the retropelvic artery of the human fetal kidney]. / Badania nad pojemnoscia tetnicy zamiedniczkowej nerki plodowej czlowieka.

Studies were performed on material comprising 60 fetal kidneys of man. We have found that the arched and the s-shaped type of the retropelvic artery characterize by relatively stronger tendency for development but the statistical analysis reveals no regularity in this respect.

Extent of vascularization by the two branches of the renal artery in the brown bear (ursus arctos).

The renal arteries of four brown bears (Ursus arctos) have been investigated after filling with a polyester resin. It is shown that in all cases the renal artery devides into ventral and dorsal, sub- and suprapelvic arteries. The distribution of these arteries and the number of renculi supplied are described.