Influenza vaccination of elderly people has been shown to be useful. All vaccine types are well tolerated by higher age group vaccinees. Actually, whole virus vaccine, split virus vaccine and subunit vaccine are used in the vaccination of the elderly. Some studies have suggested that the induction of serum influenza antibody production was reduced in elderly persons when compared with that elicited in younger persons. However, investigations on the protective efficacy of influenza vaccination in the elderly have demonstrated a clinical protection of > or = 50% for preventing hospitalization. Live attenuated influenza vaccine conferred protection similar to that obtained with a conventional subunit vaccine. A virosomal unilamellar trivalent hemagglutinin vaccine showed promising serological results compared with those obtained with a whole cell vaccine and with a subunit vaccine, respectively. The actual policy is to vaccinate persons > or = 65 years of age and the groups that can transmit influenza to them. Each year's vaccine should contain three virus strains representing the influenza viruses that are likely to circulate in the upcoming winter.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hyperbaric indices (HBI) assess the extent and timing of deviant blood pressure in patients under treatment.

Fourteen patients provided data from ambulatory monitoring at 7.5-min intervals for 24h. Rhythm characteristics and measures of blood pressure excess (hyperbaric indices along the 24-h scale) are presented in mmHg/h. A 10-year projection of blood pressure excess exceeded the 1,000,000 mmHg/h limit for systolic blood pressure in 4 cases and for diastolic blood pressure in 1 case. In such cases, additional treatment is urgently indicated, whether or not the mean blood pressure is near or even below the limits indicated by current guidelines.

Blood Pressure↗