Background: Oral mucositis is a frequent yet serious adverse event associated with chemotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia. Although a wide spectrum of drugs has been tested for prophylaxis of oral mucositis, few of them are satisfactory. There is currently substantial clinical interest in zinc (Zn) as an antioxidant and a protective agent against chemotherapy -relatednormal tissue injury. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated whether zinc prevents oral mucositis associated with chemotherapy in patients with AML. Methods: A total of 140patients with AML were randomly selected and divided into two groups where the case groups received zinc sulfate 220 mg orally and the control groups received placeboes 3 times a day during their chemotherapy course. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 15 software. Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate mucositis, and pain intensity. Results: The incidence rates of mucositis were all markedly lower in oral zinc sulfate group than in control (P = 0.004). Conclusions: Zinc is available for preventing the complications of oral mucositis, and thus for improving patient quality of life.
It appears that delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions may occur several days after the administration of donor red cells is true even though they have been shown to be compatible in cross match tests by the antiglobulin technique. A specific case was observed in our center, which confirms the fact. The patient was a 37-year-old male suffering from intermediate β-thalassemia. He had a history of two previous transfusions, with unknown transfusion reaction. In the last transfusion, laboratory data showed: Hb 7.8 g/dL and Hematocrit (Hct) 24.2%. The patient received two units of cross matched, compatible concentrated red blood cells (RBCs). After eight days a severe reaction was observed with clinical evidence of tachycardia, fatigue, fever, back pain, chest discomfort, jaundice, nausea and anorexia. Accordingly delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction was suspected, and anti-RBC antibodies were tested. Laboratory tests revealed the presence of three alloantibodies: Anti-N, anti-S, anti-K, and a monospecific autoanti-JKb.
The development of inhibitors against administered clotting factors may render replacement therapy ineffective for some hemophilia patients. Such patients are therefore at the highest risk of developing arthropathy. Elective orthopedic surgery (EOS) in hemophilic patients having such inhibitors remains a rare, expensive, and difficult surgery, whose management represents a significant challenge. We report the case of a 35-year-old man with a severe form of hemophilia A (factor VIII < 1%), who was suffering from repetitive spontaneous hemarthrosis, especially in his knee joints that had consequently become more susceptible to bleeding. The patient had a history of high levels of factor VIII inhibitor (> 5.0 Bethesda Unit [BU]/ml) as shown by the factor VIII inhibitor assay; therefore, we began treatment with factor VIIa for his mild-to-moderate bleeding (90 µg/kg intravenous bolus injections). The interval between injections varied with the severity of the hemorrhage in each bleeding episode. The inhibitor level reduced to 3.1 BU/ml after three months, to 1.6 BU/ml after six months, and disappeared completely after one year of treatment. We administered factor VIII at a dose of 50 IU/kg every eight hours during the first three post-operative days, then continued administration with a dose of 40 IU/kg every 12 hours for another four days, and observed a very good response to treatment with no bleeding. Recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) is not an inhibitor-removal strategy, but an inhibitor-bypassing product. However, in our patient, the treatment of mild-to-moderate bleeding with short-term use of rFVIIa and no exposure to factor VIII caused a gradual reduction in the inhibitor level over a period of 1 year.
Background: Due to the critical role of antibiotics and increasing trend of resistance in developing countries, comprehensive methods of antibiotic use is necessary to limit the threat of resistant microorganisms. In this study we compare antibiotics consumption by Defined Daily Dose (DDD) per 100 bed-days in Shahid Ghazi hospitals during three months in Tabriz, Iran. Methods: This is a retrospective study, which enrolled patients with malignancy who admitted to Shahid Ghazi hospital from January till March 2016. From all, 58 patients diagnosed with malignancy and received antibiotics for prophylaxis and/or treatment. For the purpose of Drug Utilization Evaluation (DUE) all antibiotics, antifungals and antiviruses consumption for any reason (prophylaxis, empiric therapy, targeted therapy) were recorded. Data on administered medications such as indication, duration, and dose were compared according to the guidelines of the NCCN 2.2016. The accuracy of antibiotics consumption was assessing by NCCN (2.2016) guideline. Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) code J01 was explained as defined daily doses per 100 bed- days (DDD/100) according to the ATC/DDD classification. The amount of consumption was assessed with DDD per 100 bed-days in three months. Results: from 56 patients, 46 of them had hematologic malignancy and 10 of them had solid tumors. The indication of antibiotics and antifungal prophylaxis were wrong in 19.6% of indications. The prophylaxis dosage of antibiotics, antifungal, antiviral and PCP were wrong in 8.8%, 41.7%, 80% and 50%, respectively. The prophylaxis duration of antibiotics, antifungal, antiviral and PCP were wrong in 69.4%, 61.2%, 80% and 100% respectively. The dose adjustment of antibiotics with GFR and renal status of patients, in 8 of 9 patients (88.88%) who received meropenem, and in 9 of 23 patients (39.13%) who received imipenem, were not applicable according standard guidelines. The total consumption of systemic antibiotics in Ghazi Hospital during 3 months was 5091 (Table 7). From all patients 75% of them received antibiotics according to the ATC/DDD classification System. Conclusion: Specific strategies should be employed in infection control development and engage rational antibiotic utilization in order to reduce future resistant strains and increase anti-microbial efficacy.
IntroductionInsulin resistance has been suggested as one of the known metabolic disorders during cachexia. This study hypothesized that cachexia in cancer patients might be due to insulin resistance as early as cachexia development. MethodThis study was performed on 46 patients with metastatic gastrointestinal cancer. Anthropometric characteristics and biochemical markers were assessed at baseline, second month, and third month. Insulin resistance was assessed using the HOMA IR method. SFQ-36 questions were used to assess the patients' quality of life at baseline, second and third months.ResultsPatients' anthropometric characteristic was significantly associated between pre-cachectic and non-pre-cachectic patients in the third month. Cholesterol (P-value: 0.93), albumin (P-value: 0.82), and serum creatinine (P-value: 0.88) in pre-cachectic patients decreased over three months. There was an increasing trend of insulin resistance between pre-cachectic and non-pre-cachectic patients in the third month. Cholesterol had an upward trend with a significant relation in cachectic patients [(P-value: 0.00), (P-value: 0.03), (P-value: 0.01)]. We detected a decreasing trend of insulin resistance between cachectic and non-cachectic patients from the second to the third month (Pvalue= 0.04). SFQ evaluation had no significant relation with cachectic status.ConclusionSignificant relation between anthropometric variables with pre-cachexia and cachectic conditions was concluded. Patients' outcome and its relation with insulin resistance (age of 30≤, and above 30≥) demonstrated a significant relation between the cachectic and non-cachectic patients in the third month. We also detected the increased serum cholesterol level in cachectic patients, moreover, higher cholesterol levels in expired cachectic patients than in the living.
Purpose Neutropenic fever remains a major complication in acute leukemia. Decolonization is assumed as a promising intervention for eradicating causative agents of infection Methods In this randomized clinical trial, 96 patients with acute leukemia were assigned randomly to mupirocin nasal drop 2% (n = 32), chlorhexidine mouthwash 0.2% (n = 33), and control group (n = 31). In control group patients did not receive any medication for decolonization. All patients received treatment for 5 days (2 days prior to chemotherapy until 3 days after chemotherapy). Pharynx and nasal swabs were taken prior to the intervention and at the end of decolonization period in all groups. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by the disc diffusion method in order to identify bacterial isolates. Results Bacterial recovery of both nasal and pharynx swabs was observed after global decolonization with mupirocin nasal drop. Decolonization with mupirocin significantly eradicated Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CONS) in both nasal and pharynx swabs (p-value = 0.000). Moreover, mupirocin decreased pseudomonas aeruginosa and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) species. Chlorhexidine mouthwash significantly eradicated CONS in pharynx swabs (p-value = 0.000). In addition, both decolonization strategies decreased both antibiotic use and frequency of fever in leukemic patients. Conclusion Global decolonization with mupirocin nasal drop not only eradicates both nasal and pharynx microorganisms, but also reduces antibiotic requirement and frequency of fever in patients with acute leukemia. The protocol of the present study was approved on December 2016 (registry number: IRCT20160310026998N6).
Background: Insulin resistance has been suggested as one of the known metabolic disorders during cachexia. This study hypothesized that cachexia in cancer patients might be related to insulin resistance as early as cachexia development. Methods: This study was performed on 46 patients with metastatic gastrointestinal cancer. Anthropometric characteristics and biochemical markers were assessed at baseline, second and third month. Insulin resistance was assessed using the homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA IR) method. SFQ-36 questions were used to assess the patients' quality of life at baseline, second and third months. Results: Anthropometric characteristic was significantly associated between pre-cachectic and non-pre-cachectic patients in third month. Cholesterol (P-value = 0.93), albumin (P-value: 0.82), and serum creatinine (P-value = 0.88) in pre-cachectic patients decreased over three months. There was an increasing trend of insulin resistance between pre-cachectic and non-pre-cachectic patients in third month. Cholesterol had an upward trend with a significant relation in cachectic patients [(P-value = 0.00), (P-value = 0.03), (P-value = 0.01)]. We detected a decreasing trend of insulin resistance between cachectic and non-cachectic patients from second to third month (P-value = 0.04). SFQ evaluation had no significant relation with cachectic status. Conclusion: Previous studies showed that the use of NSAIDs, progesterone’s, corticosteroids, COX-2 inhibitors, anabolic agents and drugs targeting inflammatory cytokines may be beneficial for improving of symptoms of cachexia. Significant relation between anthropometric variables with pre-cachexia and cachectic conditions was concluded. Patients' outcome and its relation with insulin resistance demonstrated a significant relation between the cachectic and non-cachectic patients in the third month. We also detected the increased serum cholesterol level in cachectic patients, moreover, higher cholesterol levels in expired cachectic patients than in the living.
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