1,721,066 research outputs found
A new pediatric protocol for rapid desensitization to monoclonal antibodies.
No full textMonoclonal antibodies are important therapeutic tools, but their usefulness may be limited when patients experience acute hypersensitivity reactions. Patients reporting a history of adverse allergic reaction are likely to discontinue their therapeutic protocol or be switched to an alternative drug, which is sometimes less effective than that originally prescribed. Drug desensitization has proven to be a highly effective strategy to readminister a drug in a patient who has experienced a hypersensitivity reaction. It involves forcing the patient's immune system to accept and tolerate the allergen. Nevertheless, such a procedure is still empiric for monoclonal antibodies and not common in the pediatric population. The aim of our study is to demonstrate the clinical success of a new protocol of rapid desensitization to infliximab in a pediatric patient affected by ulcerative colitis, who developed an anaphylaxis to the drug. We used a protocol of rapid desensitization consisting of 13 steps, with the first being 1/1,000,000 of the cumulative and total dose. Such a protocol has proven to be able to induce a temporary tolerance to infliximab, allowing the patient to achieve complete control of his diseas
Cow's milk allergy: how to deal with it?
Get PDFCow's milk allergy (CMA) is one of the most frequent allergic pathologies in early childhood, affecting up to 7.5 % of infants. Epidemiologically, it has been noted that those children who present with IgE-mediated CMA not only have a higher incidence of inhalant sensitisation, but they also show a general higher incidence of other food allergies, including egg proteins.
Physicians are increasingly asked to evaluate patients for possible food allergy. In any case in which a child presents with a suspicion of CMA and with gastrointestinal, respiratory and/or cutaneous symptoms, diagnosis should be considered. Clinicians need to reach an accurate diagnosis, which is essential, in order to reassure parents and also to set an adequate treatment which can actually decrease the risk of allergic reactions
Efficacy of Grintuss® pediatric syrup in treating cough in children: a randomized, multicenter, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
No full textBackground:Cough is an extremely common problem in pediatrics, mostly triggered and perpetuated by inflammatory processes or mechanical irritation leading to viscous mucous production and increased sensitivity of the cough receptors. Protecting the mucosa might be very useful in limiting the contact with micro-organisms and irritants thus decreasing the inflammation and mucus production. Natural molecular complexes can act as a mechanical barrier limiting cough stimuli with a non pharmacological approach but with an indirect anti-inflammatory action.
OBJECTIVE:
Aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of a medical device containing natural functional components in the treatment of cough persisting more than 7 days.
METHODS:
In this randomized, parallel groups, double-blind vs. placebo study, children with cough persisting more than 7 days were enrolled. The clinical efficacy of the study product was assessed evaluating changes in day- and night-time cough scores after 4 and 8 days (t4 and t8) of product administration.
RESULTS:
In the inter-group analysis, in the study product group compared with the placebo group, a significant difference (t4 study treatment vs. t4 placebo, p = 0.03) was observed at t4 in night-time cough score.Considering the intra-group analysis, only the study product group registered a significant improvement from t0 to t4 in both day-time (t0 vs. t4, p = 0.04) and night-time (t0 vs. t4, p = 0.003) cough scores.A significant difference, considering the study product, was also found in the following intra-group analyses: day-time scores at t4 vs. t8 (p =0.01) and at t0 vs. t8 (p = 0.001); night-time scores at t4 vs. t8 (p = 0.05), and at t0 vs. t8 (p = 0.005). Considering a subgroup of patients with higher cough (≥ 3) scores, 92.9% of them in the study product group improved at t0 vs. t4 day-time.
CONCLUSIONS:
Grintuss® pediatric syrup showed to possess an interesting profile of efficacy and safety in the treatment of cough persisting more than 7 days
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Clinical assessment of nasal decongestion test by VAS in adolescents.
Get PDFNasal airflow, as measured by rhinomanometry, is frequently impaired in allergic rhinitis (AR). The decongestion test evaluates whether the application of an intranasal vasoconstrictor drug increases nasal airflow. The aim of this study was to verify the suitability of the use of the visual analogue scales (VAS) as a surrogate for rhinomanometry in the decongestion test assessment in adolescents with atopic rhinitis.
The results show that the use of VAS appears as clinically relevant, in that it allows, with a fair reliability, to perform the decongestion test in the absence of rhinomanometry
Acute isolated sphenoid sinusitis in children.
No full textBACKGROUND:
Isolated pediatric sphenoidal sinusitis is an uncommon disorder with sphenoiditis more commonly found as part of pansinusitis. Recognizing the condition on history and examination alone is difficult and delayed diagnosis many occur in many cases. Nasal endoscopy, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are essential adjuncts to confirm diagnosis. This study was designed to confirm the clinical features and diagnostic difficulties associated with isolated sphenoidal sinusitis in children.
METHODS:
A 16-year review was performed of cases diagnosed and treated in a tertiary teaching hospital.
RESULTS:
Two different groups of patients were identified. One group presented with fever and headache, frequently associated with neurological complications. Swimming and/or diving could be identified as possible causative agents. The second group presented with headache alone and a less severe clinical presentation.
CONCLUSION:
Isolated pediatric sphenoidal sinusitis may be more prevalent than was previously thought with CT/MRI helping establish the diagnosis in many cases. Pediatricians should be aware of this unusual but still potentially devastating condition. A nasal endoscopy is a useful diagnostic tool in this patient group, being noninvasive and well tolerated in children and adolescent
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