Evolution of the scientific literature on drug delivery: A 1974-2015 bibliometric study.

This study charts the growth of the drug delivery literature published during 1974-2015 from journals indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded database. The growth of publications on drug delivery paralleled the total scientific publications for three decades (1974-2003); however, from 2004 to 2015 it exploded fourfold, while the total increased only 1.75 fold. Industrialized countries (USA, UK, Germany, Japan, Italy, France and Canada) were the most prolific during the first decades, but in 2014-2015 China, India and South Korea ranked 1st, 3rd and 4th respectively among the productive countries. The number of participating countries increased fivefold (from 19 to 96). During the last 15years, the journals targeted by drug delivery research increased nearly 2.4 fold (416 to 1001) and three journals (Journal of Controlled Release, Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, and International Journal of Pharmaceutics) published nearly one-fifth of the drug delivery research in 2014-2015.

[The use of ondansetron in acute gastroenteritis. Its impact in a pediatric emergency department]. / L'impiego dell'ondansentron nella gastroenterite acuta e la sua efficacia in un pronto soccorso pediatrico.

BACKGROUND: Ondansentron is in consideration in literature for its use in vomiting secondary to acute gastroenteritis in children. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate its usefulness in children with acute gastroenteritis referred to a paediatric emergency department. METHODS: A retrospective study considered 967 children treated with ondansetron (0,06 mg/kg IM) plus oral rehydration, with a control group of 286 children who received only oral rehydration. RESULTS: The time spent into the short-stay observation unit and the total emergency department stay were significantly reduced in children receiving ondansentron. No adverse reactions to the drug were recorded.

[The use of ondansetron in acute gastroenteritis. Its impact in a pediatric emergency department]. / L'impiego dell'ondansentron nella gastroenterite acuta e la sua efficacia in un pronto soccorso pediatrico.

BACKGROUND: Ondansentron is in consideration in literature for its use in vomiting secondary to acute gastroenteritis in children. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate its usefulness in children with acute gastroenteritis referred to a paediatric emergency department. METHODS: A retrospective study considered 967 children treated with ondansetron (0,06 mg/kg IM) plus oral rehydration, with a control group of 286 children who received only oral rehydration. RESULTS: The time spent into the short-stay observation unit and the total emergency department stay were significantly reduced in children receiving ondansentron. No adverse reactions to the drug were recorded.

Henoch-Schönleinnephritis triggered by Salmonella enteritidis infection

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Rechazo agudo en el injerto pancreático / No disponible

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[Children feeding practices in Pakistani families immigrant to Italy]. / Indagine sulle abitudini alimentari dei bambini di famiglie pakistane emigrate in Italia.

BACKGROUND: Immigration to Italy from Asian countries is sharply increasing, but little we know about the integration of children born in Italy from migrant families. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate which changes in feeding practices has occurred in respect of their original culture. METHODS: A cross-sectional study investigated the eating habits of 53 children (aged 2-14 years), born in Italy from parents who recently moved from Pakistan. Data were collected through a questionnaire and interviews. RESULTS: Religious beliefs and poor economical conditions interact with the feeding habits of the families. Prolonged, but not exclusive breastfeeding is common. According the Pakistani uses, many beverages are introduced early in addition to maternal milk. Whereas protein intake is usually low in the first two years of life, it tends to becomes excessive during school-age. Besides the traditional diet, children widely use savoury and sweet convenience food.

Streptococcus Pneumoniae infection and hemolytic uremic syndrome

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[The short-stay observation unit: an experience of the Pediatric Department in Modena]. / Osservazione breve intensiva (OBI) in pediatria: l'esperienza del Policlinico di Modena.

The use of a short-stay observation unit (OBI) in a pediatric department has reduced the number of admissions. Significant cost savings and a better care for children and their families have been also achieved. During the year 2003 in our department 1759 children received OBI. 226 (12.8%) were then admitted. 1553 (87.2%) were discharged after a nine-hour mean stay. Descriptive statistics are used to outline the sample of patients and used treatments.

[Favorable course of cerebral candidiasis in a low-birth newborn treated with liposomal amphotericin B]. / Decorso favorevole di una candidiasi cerebrale in un neonato di basso peso trattato con amfotericina B liposomiale.

A very low birth weight female infant developed a systemic infection by Candida albicans. Her clinical conditions were very poor; involvement of CNS was demonstrated my multifocal hyperechogenic images, spreading to the periventricular and subcortical areas of brain, confirmed by CT as circumscribed hyperdense punctiform granulations suggesting initial cerebritis. The introduction of liposomal Amphotericin-B in the therapy resulted in a marked improvement of clinical conditions together with the disapparance of pathological brain images. Longitudinal examinations carried out every three months during the first year, and every six months during the second, have shown adequate psychomotor development. The results of late cerebral nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging were within the norm. The patient is now seven-years-old and shows a well-balanced neuropsychological development. Systemic Candida infections of VLBW infants with CNS involvement have usually a very poor prognosis in terms of death or residual brain damage. The use of liposomal Amphotericin-B allowed us to achieve the complete cure of our patient, suggesting an high efficacy together with at a lower toxicity in respect of traditional treatments.

[Unusual cause of ileal occlusion: a coconut bezoar]. / Una causa insolita di occlusione ileale: un bezoario da noce di cocco.

A coconut phytobezoar was detected in the distal ileum of a 4-year-old boy, admitted for suspected appendicitis. While persimmon or citrus fruit ingestion has been previously reported as cause of phytobezoar intestinal occlusion, it is the first time that coconut pulp is described to cause ileal obstruction in children. No predisposing factor as previous gastric surgery or Meckel's diverticulum was present. The bezoar was successfully milked past the ileocecal valve into the right colon.

[Coexistence of cystic fibrosis and celiac disease. Description of a clinical case and review of the literature]. / Compresenza di fibrosi cistica e malattia celiaca. Descrizione di un caso clinico e revisione della letteratura.

A 14-month-old female infant with chronic diarrhea, recurrent respiratory infections and stunted growth was diagnosed as celiac disease with AGA detection and a positive intestinal biopsy. A gluten-free diet was introduced with a poor response. A sweat test was positive and heterozygosis for mutation of CFTR gene (both F508 and G542X) was found, demonstrating an association in the infant between cystic fibrosis and celiac disease. Fifteen cases of such association have been previously described in literature, but only three have been genetically studied. The co-existence of cystic fibrosis and celiac disease in the same subject has to be considered till now a casual finding, but are also discussed hypothesis of a non-casual linkage, formulated by some authors.

Azithromycin compared with clarithromycin for the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis in children.

The treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis with azithromycin (10 mg/kg orally once daily for 3 days) or clarithromycin (7.5 mg/kg orally twice daily for 10 days) was compared in a randomized observer-blind study carried out in 174 children with documented Streptococcus pyogenes infection. The observed cure rate 10 days after the beginning of treatment was 61/63 (96.8%) in the clarithromycin group and 71/74 (95.9%) in the azithromycin group. At days 17-20 the bacteriological eradication rate was 95.2% for clarithromycin and 94.6% for azithromycin. When children who did not complete treatment were included in the analysis the eradication rate was higher for azithromycin (93.6% compared with 82.9%; P < 0.05); the difference was due to better compliance with the azithromycin regimen.

[Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and food allergy: a study on possible correlations]. / Porpora trombocitopenica idiopatica ed allergia alimentare: uno studio sulle possibili correlazioni.

UNLABELLED: Eight children affected by idiopathic chronic thrombocytopenia were studied for history of food allergy, anti-platelet antibodies, total IgE, prick test for food antigens, AGA and EMA. They were free of treatment for thrombocytopenia since at least six months before. Three children had in the first year of life intolerance to cow's milk proteins with atopic dermatitis and/or poor growth. None had AGA or EMA positivity. 6/8 had positivity for anti-platelet antibodies. A 15-days oligoantigenic diet was instituted in all of them. Platelet count was unaffected in all but one, in which a sharp increase was noted (from 19x 10(9)/l. to 150x 10(9)/l.). He was a 12-year-old boy with a previous history of cow's milk intolerance and actual skin prick test positivity for casein and lactoglobulin. A one-year follow up for this case was instituted and he was put on two further 15-days periods of oligoantigenic diet, but no change in platelet count was noted any more. CONCLUSION: we were not able to correlate chronic thrombocytopenia to food allergy.

[Migrant polyarthritis and EBV infection]. / Poliartrite migrante ed infezione da EBV.

A twelve-years-old boy developed fever, pharyngitis and acute migrant polyarthralgia. An increasing ASO titre was observed, so that rheumatic fever was firstly diagnosed. Finally splenomegaly and positive IgG and IgM against Epstein Barr virus led to the diagnosis of acute EBV infection with polyarthritis. EBV infection should be considered into the differential diagnosis of migrant polyarthritis.

[Head injuries in the pediatric emergency department: a 5-year experience at the Pediatric Clinic of Modena]. / Il trauma cranico in accettazione pediatrica: esperienza di cinque anni nella clinica pediatrica di Modena.

We re-evaluated the cases of 436 children with minor head injury admitted in the paediatric department of Modena University Hospital in the years 1991-1995 in order to revise diagnostic and therapeutic protocols. The external lesions, the presence of loss consciousness, vomiting, vegetative reactions, late complications, skull X ray, TC scan and EEG were considered. Signs and symptoms at admission have been faced with instrumental findings and eventual late complications to evaluate the prognostic significance. External lesions and vomiting did not correspond to TC scan and EEG positivity or significant sequelae. A more close connection to these parameters was found when an history of immediate loss of consciousness after trauma, or presence of vegetative reactions. Skull X ray appeared useless both to judge the seriousness of the lesion and to formulate a prognosis. EEG appeared a sensible tool to evaluate the gravity of the trauma and its late consequences. TC has confirmed to be the unique instrument able to solve any diagnostic or prognostic doubt. When symptoms suggest a bad prognosis, diagnostic procedures should be limited to TC and EEG. By our point of view, patients that at admission have a normal neurological examination at the Glasgow Coma Scale, no significant symptoms and signs, an history of a minor impact dynamic and no signs of child abuse, can be discharged from the emergency department; in this case parents should be instructed how to do an observation at home in order to evaluate eventual complications.

Cricoarytenoid arthritis as an early sign of juvenile chronic arthritis.

A 14-month-old girl developed chronic stridor and dyspnoea. Four months later she presented arthritis, anterior uveitis and positive ANA. Juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) was diagnosed. Laryngoscopy demonstrated the presence of cricoarytenoid arthritis (CA). The left vocal cord was adducted and immobile, while the right vocal cord had decreased mobility. Erythema and swelling of the arytenoid cartilage on both sides was seen. Steroid treatment resulted in the resolution of these symptoms and made airway control unnecessary. This case demonstrates that CA may be the first sign of JCA, preceding peripheral arthritis. CA should be considered in every child with chronic stridor and laryngeal obstruction.