Despite serum vancomycin concentration of approximately 17 microg/ml in each group, the vancomycin concentration in the venous hub of the catheter was only 0.2+/-0.6 microg/ml in the former group, in sharp contrast to 125. 6+/-13 microg/ml in the latter group. In the ex-vivo experiment, four uninfected PermCaths which had been removed were immediately fixed and studied with scanning electron microscopy. No cellular or fibrin barrier could be found at the terminal pore of the catheter interfering with the diffusion of vancomycin from plasma into the catheter lumen. In the in-vitro experiments, three PermCaths filled with standard heparin solution were incubated for 48 h in 100 ml of plasma containing 20 microg/ml of vancomycin. Vancomycin concentration was measured in 0.3-0.5 ml solution aspirated from each port of the catheters. Vancomycin concentration was 0.2+/-0.1 microg/ml in the aspirated samples. Finally, two PermCaths filled with the standard heparin solution were incubated for 48 h in 100 ml of plasma containing 20 microg/ml of vancomycin, after which the catheters were sectioned at 4-cm intervals. Only the distal 4 cm of the catheters had vancomycin concentrations of 2 and 5 microg/ml, the remaining segments had levels

Background and aim For years, interferon-based treatment has been offered to patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection; however, the complexity of the treatment, efficacy, and adverse effects were the primary concerns. All these concerns were addressed with the introduction of directly acting antivirals (DAAs) to treat chronic HCV. Sofosbuvir and velpatasvir are second-generation DAAs used in combination for the treatment of chronic HCV infection. The aim of our study was to determine and compare the efficacy and safety profile of the sofosbuvir and velpatasvir combination in treating patients with chronic hepatitis C with or without cirrhosis. Materials and methods This descriptive study was conducted at the Department of Medicine, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, from March 15th to September 15th, 2021 after approval from the Institution Research and Ethical Review Board (IREB). Diagnosis of HCV was based on the detection of hepatitis C ribonucleic acid (RNA) fragments by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Liver status was assessed with liver function tests and imaging. Sofosbuvir (400 mg) and velpatasvir (100 mg) were administered once daily for 12 weeks, followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HCV RNA after 12 weeks of completion of treatment for determination of sustained virologic response at 12 weeks (SVR12). Patients with cirrhosis also received weight-based ribavirin. Adverse events experienced by the study participants during the course of treatment were recorded. Data were collected regarding patients' demographics, laboratory parameters, SVR12, and adverse events, and were then analyzed using SPSS, version 22 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY). Results A total of 58 patients with cirrhosis and 58 patients without cirrhosis with chronic HCV were enrolled. The rate of SVR12 in patients with cirrhosis was 89.7% (52 patients achieved SVR12), compared to 98.3% in patients without cirrhosis (57 patients achieved SVR12). Subgroup analysis of patients with cirrhosis revealed that patients who have failed to achieve SVR12 were mostly males, had prolonged disease duration, and low hemoglobin at baseline; however, the association of these factors with SVR12 was not significant. The incidence of adverse events among all study participants was 46.5%. Among the cirrhotic cohort, 37 (63.8%) patients experienced adverse events, while only 17 (29.3%) patients among the non-cirrhotic cohort had adverse events. A total of 24 patients with cirrhosis (41.37%) reported mild complaints. The most commonly reported adverse event was gastrointestinal (GI) upsets (46.2%), followed by fatigue (33.9%), while 19.9% developed miscellaneous adverse events such as headaches, rash, and insomnia. Conclusion The combination of sofosbuvir and velpatasvir is highly effective and safe in patients with HCV with or without cirrhosis. However, this combination's efficacy was slightly higher in non-cirrhotic patient...

Objective Oral iron is poorly absorbed in chronic dialysis patients. We tested the hypothesis that a superpharmacologic dose of iron sulfate (260 mg elemental iron) administered on an empty stomach results in significant iron absorption in these patients. Design A prospective open controlled trial. Setting Outpatient department of a university hospital. Patients Nine stable chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients and seven normal control subjects. Method All subjects ingested a single dose of 4 tablets of iron sulfate (260 mg elemental iron total) in the morning while fasting. Outcome Measures Serum iron concentrations at baseline, and at 2 and 4 hours after the oral dose were compared between the two groups. Results The control group showed a significant rise in mean [± standard error (SE)] serum iron concentration, from a baseline value of 76.5 ± 7 μg/dL to 191 ± 10.5 μg/dL at 2 hours and to 190 ± 24 μg/dL at 4 hours. This result represents a percentage rise of 164% ± 32% at 2 hours and 152% ± 28.5% at 4 hours. In the PD patients, a significant rise in serum iron concentration was also seen, from a baseline value of 64 ± 8 μg/dL to 130 ± 3 μg/dL at 2 hours and 111 ± 18 μg/dL at 4 hours. This result represents a percentage rise of 105% ± 29% at 2 hours and 77% ± 23.5% at 4 hours. However, the absolute change in serum iron concentration in PD patients at 2 and 4 hours was approximately equal to 50% of the change in control subjects at those time points. None of the PD patients experienced gastrointestinal side effects; 4 control subjects experienced mild side effects. Conclusion Despite impaired oral iron absorption in chronic dialysis patients, a large pharmacologic dose given orally can result in significant iron absorption and may prove to be a more efficient means of oral iron supplementation therapy in these patients.

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