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A Bertelli

Publications and source records attributed to A Bertelli.

154 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Survey of measures for the prevention of infections in bone marrow transplantation centers].

This paper reports on the results of a survey conducted on the organization of bone marrow transplant (BMT) centers in Italy, with particular attention to the measures routinely adopted for the prevention of infectious complications in BMT patients. In 1997, a questionnaire containing 53 questions with multiple-answers and 15 with single-answer was sent to the 65 Italian BMT centers. The topics addressed in the questionnaire were the following: general structural organization of the BMT center; personnel organization; type of transplants (autologous, allogenic, both); type of protective environment; hygiene measures and food; management of central venous catheters; microbiological surveillance. Fifty questionnaires out of 65 (77%) were available. The analysis of data indicated that most centers (more than 60%) use complex and multiple measures for the prevention of infections. These are mainly represented by careful personal hygiene of the patient, protective isolation of the patient from other patients and relatives; careful washing of personnels' hands before entering patients room; extensive microbiological surveillance. Furthermore, 52% of BMT centers adopt additional measures, such as filtered air, while 22% of centers, on the contrary, lack any air-conditioning apparatus. Overall, the results of the survey indicate that there is a substantial variability in the adoption and evaluation of the impact of such different measures on the incidence of infectious complications after BMT.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of 4'-O-tetrahydropyranyl-doxorubicin on isolated perfused rat heart and cardiac mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase activity.

The acute cardiac effects of the antitumour anthracycline 4'-O-tetrahydropyranyl-doxorubicin (THP) were studied on isolated, perfused, spontaneously beating rat hearts and on cardiac mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase activity. Perfusion for 1 hour with 2.5 or 5.0 micrograms/ml of THP was associated with a marked widening of the QRS complex and the S alpha T segment, as well as with a reduction of the R- and T-wave amplitude, the heart rate, the isometric systolic tension and the coronary flow. Heart perfusion with equimolar doses of doxorubicin (2.2 or 4.4 micrograms/ml) induced a significant enlargement of the SaT segment and a reduction in the heart rate and the coronary flow. Both anthracyclines inhibited the cytochrome c oxidase activity in a dose-dependent manner; however, THP exerted a significant inhibition at concentrations higher than doxorubicin (20 microM). Results demonstrate that THP induces a higher degree of acute cardiotoxicity on isolated rat hearts compared with doxorubicin. The reduced inhibitory effect of THP on the cytochrome c oxidase activity of isolated heart mitochondria is consistent with the lower degree of chronic cardiotoxicity displayed by THP in animals and humans.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Measures for the prevention of infections in patients with bone marrow transplantations].

One of the most frequent complications in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is represented by severe infectious episodes, neutropenia being the most important factor. Among preventive measures, those represented by careful hygenic and environmental procedures are of pivotal importance. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the infectious episodes in 295 patients subjected to BMT who have been treated with the same caring protocol. In 21.8% of patients an infectious event was recorded during the post-BMT period; in patients subjected to BMT from an unrelated donor the incidence of positive haemocultures was as high as 33.3%. Sixty-five per cent of isolated agents in haemocultures were Gram-positive, 33% Gram-negative and only 2% fungi. In 35% of patients with positive haemocultures, the same infectious agent had previously been isolated in a skin sample. Overall, the incidence of documented infections was lower than in other studies, suggesting that careful protocols of personal and environmental hygene may be very important for the prevention of infectious episodes in BMT patients.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Handling a central venous catheter in a bone marrow transplantation center: retrospective analysis on 203 patients. Experiences at the Florence Transplantation Center].

The insertion of a central venous catheter (CVC) is a compulsory invasive technique for bone marrow transplant patients. CVC are in fact used for the administration of treatments (chemotherapy, Total Parenteral Nutrition) and patients monitoring (blood samplings). The study reports on the results of a retrospective analysis on 213 CVCs implanted on 203 patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit (BMT) in Florence, from 1992 to 1996. Sixty-one per cent of implanted catheters were maintained in situ until the completion of the treatments, while 5% patients needed the CVC replacement. The major cause of CVC loss was spontaneous deiscence (7% of all implanted CVCs). The 80% of implanted CVCs had a satisfactory performance; in 14% a local infusion of urokinase was required to re-establish patency and in 6% of patients a peripheral venous line had to be started. Only 2% catheters had to be removed due to an infection.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗