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Biomedical subjects

C Minutillo

Publications and source records attributed to C Minutillo.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Indices of renal tubular function in perinatal asphyxia.

AIMS: To determine and compare two urinary indices of renal tubular function, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG) and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2 M), in healthy term neonates and babies with perinatal asphyxia. METHODS: In a prospective case-control study using asphyxiated (n = 35) and normal control (n = 55) infants, urinary NAG and beta 2 M were assayed at 24-48 hours of life, 4-6 days, and 4-6 weeks. RESULTS: NAG and beta 2 M were significantly increased at 24-48 hours and 4-6 days in the asphyxiated infants compared with the controls. Increased NAG values reflect the degree of perinatal asphyxia more than do beta 2 M. Gentamicin also increased NAG excretion, but to a lesser extent than did perinatal asphyxia. CONCLUSIONS: NAG (+/- beta 2 M) may be a useful marker of perinatal asphyxia. Urinary NAG concentrations correlate with the severity of perinatal asphyxia.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1996

Late-onset infections of infants in neonatal units.

OBJECTIVE: To examine regional variations in the incidence of late-onset neonatal infections in Australian and New Zealand neonatal units. METHODOLOGY: A longitudinal, prospective surveillance study of systemic sepsis (septicaemia or meningitis) in 11 neonatal units: 10 in the Australian States of the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, and 1 in Christchurch, New Zealand. The results are reported of late-onset neonatal infection (defined as sepsis after 48 h) for the second year of prospective surveillance, data being collected from 1 October 1992 to 30 September 1993. RESULTS: Data were available on 24535 live births in Australia, representing approximately 10% of all live births in the country. There were 320 episodes of sepsis in Australian units affecting 294 babies. One hundred of these episodes (31%) were early-onset; 3.0% of babies admitted to six tertiary care neonatal units attached to maternity hospitals developed late sepsis, and this rate did not differ between units. The proportion of babies infected was inversely related to birthweight: 22.6% of babies under 1OOOg, but 0.6% over 2000g. Coagulase negative staphylococci were the commonest cause of late-onset sepsis. There were 26 episodes of S. aureus septicaemia, of which only one was due to MRSA. Meningitis occurred in 13 babies (5.9%) with late-onset sepsis. The mortality from late-onset sepsis was 7.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Coagulase-negative staphylococci are the commonest cause of late-onset sepsis of babies in neonatal units. There were no major regional differences in the incidence of, or the organisms causing, late sepsis.

Australia↗
PubMed1995

Systemic bacterial and fungal infections in infants in Australian neonatal units. Australian Study Group for Neonatal Infections.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the pattern and incidence of sepsis occurring in neonatal units in Australia. DESIGN: A one-year prospective study of babies with systemic sepsis within 48 hours of birth (early-onset sepsis) or after this time (late-onset sepsis) in seven Australian neonatal units. Systemic sepsis was defined as clinical sepsis, plus either positive bacterial or fungal culture of blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid, or group B streptococcal antigen detected in the urine. RESULTS: There were 241 episodes of sepsis, affecting 234 babies. One quarter (61) were early-onset, a rate of 2.2 per 1000 live births. Group B streptococcus (GBS) was the commonest cause of early-onset sepsis, with a rate of 1.3 per 1000 live births. The incidence of early-onset GBS sepsis was lower at a hospital which screened for maternal carriage and used intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis for all carriers. The rate of late-onset sepsis was 4.4 per 1000 live births and coagulase-negative staphylococci were the commonest cause. Meningitis occurred in 23% of babies with early-onset and in 10% with late-onset sepsis. The mortality from early-onset sepsis was 15%, and from late-onset sepsis was 9%. There were no major regional variations, other than for GBS. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of and mortality from neonatal sepsis is comparable to other countries, and shows no major regional variation. The use of intrapartum antibiotics may reduce the incidence of neonatal GBS sepsis. There are no previous comparable data on neonatal infections in Australia.

Australia↗
PubMed1995

Neonatal chronic lung disease, oxygen dependency, and a family history of asthma.

We examined the relationship between a family history of asthma (FHA), neonatal chronic lung disease (CLD), and oxygen dependency in an inception cohort study of all 24- to 30-week gestation infants admitted to the sole tertiary perinatal center in Western Australia. One hundred and forty-four infants were admitted during the study period; 116 had data analyzed, 112 of whom survived to discharge. Respiratory morbidity was common and the prevalence increased with decreasing gestation. Hyaline membrane disease (HMD) occurred in 92 (79%) and CLD (oxygen dependency at 28 days) in 62 (53%); 35 (30%) were oxygen dependent at 36 weeks corrected age, and 16 (14%) were oxygen dependent at term. Thirty-two infants had an FHA which was equally distributed between those infants with and without CLD. Infants with an FHA were more likely to be oxygen dependent at term (relative risk 4.4; 95% Cl 1.7,11.1). Thirty-eight percent of mothers smoked; 68% of their infants developed HMD compared to 89% of those whose mothers did not smoke. Logistic regression identified GA<28 weeks (OR 7.3; 95% Cl 1.4,39), severe HMD (OR 4.8; 95% Cl 1.1,22), and FHA (OR 11.0; 95% Cl 2.3,53) as the only factors associated with an increased risk of being oxygen dependent at term. The duration of supplemental oxygen in infants with CLD was significantly related to decreasing gestation, greater degree of barotrauma, presence of HMD, pregnancy-induced hypertension in the mother, duration of patent ductus arteriosus, and an FHA. An FHA may worsen chronic lung disease in the neonate, but is not involved as a causal factor. Clinicians should be aware of its influence on duration of oxygen supplementation when counselling parents of very preterm infants.

Asthma↗
PubMed1995

Neonatal herpes simplex infection: keys to early diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: To highlight the clinical features of neonatal herpes simplex (HSV) infection that might facilitate earlier diagnosis. METHODOLOGY: Fifteen year retrospective review of proven neonatal HSV cases from a regional neonatal referral unit. RESULTS: Fifteen cases reviewed: 10 with central nervous system (CNS) disease, three with skin, eyes or mouth (SEM) disease and two with disseminated disease (DIS). A median 4 day delay occurred between symptom onset and hospital admission. All cases presented after maternity hospital discharge, most commonly with feeding problems and lethargy. Six patients presented with skin lesions; parental genital herpes was reported in three (20%) cases. Seven infants died, four without acyclovir treatment and three of 11 treated cases. Three of five CNS disease survivors and all infants with SEM disease were normal at follow up. CONCLUSIONS: Acyclovir improves outcome in neonatal HSV infection. To improve outcome further earlier recognition of the non-specific presenting features of the disease is required.

Acyclovir↗
PubMed1992

Ellis-van Creveld syndrome in a Western Australian aboriginal community. Postaxial polydactyly as a heterozygous manifestation?

OBJECTIVE: To report two children with Ellis-van Creveld syndrome in an extended kindred of Western Australian Aboriginal descent. Furthermore, to document two family members with isolated postaxial polydactyly of the feet as probable heterozygous manifestations of the Ellis-van Creveld gene. CLINICAL FEATURES: Male and female second cousins with short limbs, postaxial polydactyly and cardiac malformations are described. CONCLUSIONS: It is proposed that founder effect and random genetic drift resulted in a relatively high frequency of the Ellis-van Creveld gene in the Aboriginal people of Western Australia. In addition, further evidence is provided for the postulate that isolated postaxial polydactyly is a heterozygous manifestation of the gene.

Ellis-Van Creveld Syndrome↗
PubMed1991

Neonatal meningitis.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed1989

Hirschsprung's disease and Ondine's curse: further evidence for a distinct syndrome.

Although Hirschsprung's disease is a relatively common congenital malformation, with an estimated incidence of about 1:5000, Primary Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (Ondine's curse) is exceedingly rare, with about 50 reported cases. We describe a patient with total colonic aganglionosis occurring together with failure of automatic control of respiration, specific facial dysmorphology and characteristic CT scan changes to substantiate further the syndromic nature of this association.

Facial Bones↗