Pulmonary function tests and bronchial reactivity to methacholine (MCH) were measured in 34 randomly selected prematures (21 males, 13 females; mean age 11.6 years; mean gestational age 34.9 weeks; mean birth weight 1980 g) and in 34 siblings (22 males, 12 females; mean age 12.5 years, mean gestational age 39.5 weeks; mean birth weight 3030 g). None had suffered neonatal respiratory distress syndrome or had been artificially ventilated. Prematurely born children had a residual volume (RV) and residual volume/total lung capacity (RV/TLC) significantly (P < 0.01) increased compared to controls, although the mean values of both groups were still within the upper limits of normal. Furthermore, an increase of closing volume/vital capacity and closing capacity/total lung capacity (CC/TLC) was observed in most patients with increased RV and RV/TLC. No significant difference was observed for bronchial responsiveness to MCH between prematurely born and control children (11.8% and 5.9% of hyperreactive subjects, respectively). Maternal smoking during pregnancy was prevalent in prematures with impaired respiratory functions. In conclusion clinically normal children of smoking mothers who have survived prematurity but present some respiratory function impairment compared to their born-at-term siblings, should be fully informed and protected from risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adult life.

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Background: As a new intraoperative disinfection method, chlorhexidine-wetted textile napkins have been employed in order to cover the upper and lower eyelid edges, eyelid skin, eyelashes, lid margins and palpebral conjunctiva during phacoemulsification cataract extraction. This study was conducted to compare the antimicrobial activity of textile napkins before and after their use. Methods: This study evaluated 80 textile napkins wetted with 0.02% aqueous solution of chlorhexidine. All textile napkins were divided into groups. The study group consisted of 60 used textile napkins which were collected from 29 patients (30 eyes) at the end of phacoemulsification, and the control group included 20 unused sterile textile napkins. Antimicrobial assay was performed by means of measuring the growth inhibition zones of the standard or clinical isolate strains under the textile napkins on the surface of agar media. Results: The number of textile napkins and the diameter of the growth inhibition zones (mm) in the study group and in the control group relating to gram-positive, gram-negative, and fungi were: 24/31 vs. 8/31, 32/30 vs. 8/30, and 4/30 vs. 4/30. The diameter of the growth inhibition zones of gram-positive bacteria was more than other investigated microorganisms. In the growth inhibition zones, exogenous microorganism colonies were not found. Conclusion: Antimicrobial activity of textile napkins wetted with 0.02% aqueous solution of chlorhexidine against gram-positive bacteria is more than gram-negative bacteria and fungi, and is preserved to the end of the phacoemulsification.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of thiamphenicol glycinate hydrochloride (TGH) i.m. versus clarithromycin in acute lower respiratory infections due to Chlamydia pneumonia. 113 patients with suspected pneumonia were screened. 40 patients with IgM and/or IgA titers > or = 1:16 and/or IgG titers > or = 1:512 were assigned to 10 days of treatment with TGH 1500 mg daily or clarithromycin 1000 mg daily. 34 patients were considered a clinical success. 33 patients were a radiological success. 22 patients showed a decrease in IgG values. 3 patients had an increase in IgG values. Blood/urine values presented no clinically significant variations. Clinical efficacy was similar in both treatment groups. These are the first results confirming in vivo the recent in vitro evidence that TGH is effective against acute lower respiratory tract infections due to C. pneumoniae, thus representing an alternative therapy to clarithromycin.

Purpose To assess the refractive results, visual function, and safety of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in myopic breastfeeding women and compare them to healthy matched female controls. Methods Twelve mothers (23 eyes) who underwent PRK while they were still breastfeeding (B group) and continued it for at least three months participated in this retrospective matched cohort study. Twelve women (23 eyes) who were matched for age, refractive error, and operation data (NB group) were selected as the control group. Post-PRK results and complications were compared between the two groups. Results Twenty four breastfeeding mothers with a mean age of 29.70±1.8 (Standard Deviation) (range from 27 to 33years) were included. The average age in the study and the control group were 29.83 ± 1.80 and, 29.58 ± 1.98, prospectively, (P-value=0.749, T-test, poverty 0.1). The mean duration of breastfeeding was 47 weeks before surgery and 35 weeks after surgery. Conclusion Our study results did not indicate the adverse effects of breastfeeding on the results of PRK surgery. It seems that performing PRK is safe in the breastfeeding period.