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We investigated in 15 patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix or endometrium, who were undergoing postoperative radiation therapy, the effects of different fractionated radiation exposures on counts of fecal bacteria, on the growth of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin production. We observed a generally significant decrease in intestinal microflora after the first radiation exposure, whereas at the end of radiotherapy all bacteria increased and reached basal values except Enterococcus faecium 1, lactobacilli and total anaerobes. In some patients we observed an overgrowth of some Clostridium spp. which were potential pathogens associated with clinical symptoms. We did not observe an influence of multiple radiations on C. perfringens enterotoxin fecal contents. We conclude that patients receiving radiotherapy may benefit from the intake of oral bacteriotherapy, i.e. live beneficial bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis at the beginning of the irradiation exposure.

Aztreonam (30 mg/kg of body weight) was administered intravenously over 3 min every 12 h to 30 preterm neonates divided into two groups according to gestational age (mean age for group A was <30 weeks and mean age for group B was >30 weeks) and birth weight (mean weight for group A was <1,500 g and mean weight for group B was >1,500 g). Blood and urine samples were analyzed by microbiological assay. The pharmacokinetics were described by one-compartment and noncompartment models. The mean half-life and clearance for premature infants weighing less than 1,500 g were 5.33 ± 3.61 h and 1.52 1.33 ml/min/kg, respectively; for those weighing more than 1,500 g, the values were 4.

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