The fetal behavioural states: an ultrasonic study

In order to accurately detect the fetal behavioural state, we simultaneously measured fetal heart rate and multiple fetal activities in 27 healthy pregnant women at 38 to 40 weeks of gestation. We ultrasonically identified gross body movements, breathing movements and micturition. Analysis of fetal heart rate allowed us to distinguish two different patterns of fetal behaviour: active and quiet phases. The frequency distribution of the analysed fetal events was significantly different in these two phases. These data suggest that a complete biophysical profile of the fetus is effective in differentiating behavioural states and may improve the predictive accuracy of fetal heart rate analysis alone.

[Exposure to the risk of lead poisoning in a metal foundry: findings of an electroneuromyographic survey]

The Authors review 13 cases of workers exposed to lead in a foundry. Electrophysiologic findings show a great sensitivity of some index and mainly of the amplitude of the evoked potential. The suggest the opportunity of an enlargement of the employment of this index in epidemiologic researches for an early diagnosis.

[Mesenteric cyst. Presentation of 2 cases, one with secondary intestinal occlusion]

Following a broad review of the rarity and unusual nature of the condition, two cases of mesenteric cysts are reported. The first was seen in a girl in whom onset involved a picture of acute intestinal occlusion secondary to the development of mesenteric cyst. This was treated by demolition surgery because of the cyst's close links with adjacent structures. The second cases was seen in a woman. In this case it was possible to remove the cyst conservatively. In the light of experience also, anatomo-clinical study of the cases forms the basis for some conclusions on the pathogenetic problem of mesenteric on the pathogenetic problem of mesenteric cysts, congenital or acquired expressions of lymphatic flow decompensation.

[Meningoencephalitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes in adults. Description of 2 cases]

Two patients are presented who had Listeria meningo-encephalitis. They were both adults and reduced in defences against infections. The diagnosis was made by isolation of Listeria monocytogenes from cerebrospinal fluid cultures. One of the patients recovered; other died although therapeutic measures were promptly started. The Authors suggest the need for a careful research about Listeria infections in our country.

Trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole in the treatment of cholera. Comparison with tetracycline and chloramphenicol

67 of the bacteriologically proved adult acute cholera patients have been examined in order to evaluate the efficacy of TM-SMX in comparison with tetracycline and chloramphenicol in the eradication of Vibrio cholerae from stools. Our results demonstrated that all three drugs sterilized the stools of all patients within 3 days with the exception of one case of TM-SMX's group, which had negative culture stools after 4 days. On the basis of our experience it can be emphasized that TM-SMX can support chloramphenicol and tetracycline in the antibacterial treatment of cholera with the advantage that the drug is efficacious with daily administrations.

[Researches on antibiotic-resistance in "Shigella sonnei" and "flexneri" and in "Salmonella typhimurium" (author's transl)]

Ampicillin (A), streptomycin (S), aminosidin (K), chloramphenical (C) and tetracycline (T) resistance was investigated in 130 S. typhi murium, 18 Shigella flexneri and 13 Shigella sonnei strains, recovered from enteritis cases in 1970-1973. All Salmonella and 70% Shigella strains (without any appreciable differences between Sh. sonnei and flexneri) were found resistant and most multiresistant. A-S-K-C-T resistance was frequently found: in 48% of the Salmonella and 12% of the Shigella strains. As for resistance transfer by conjugation, it was obtained in more than 90% of the resistant strains. The Authors, after some remarks about transferable resistance factors diffusion, give some advices on antibiogram making technique.

[Haemolysin production in "Escherichia coli" strains isolated from urinary tract infection, infantile enteritis and commensal flora (author's transl)]

A total of 933 strains of Escherichia coli, of which 146 isolated from cystitis cases, 515 from infantile enteritis one and 272 from healthy individuals, have been chicked for haemolytic activity. A good 45.2% of the strains from the urinary tract, but only 7.7% of the enteritogenic and 3.6% of enteric commensal ones were found to be haemolytic. Among the cystitis strains, a high number (30/146 with an incidence of 20.5%) belonged to O6 serogroup. Serotype O4 was also frequently found (9.5%). Among the urinary strains, of which more than half (53.4%) were included in O1 up to O10 serogroups, the haemolytic ones were comprised in O2, O4, O6, O55 and O75 serogroups. Finally, the Authors point out the importance that the haemolytic activity of Escherichia coli may have in the pathogenesis of the renal injury at the light of some late experimental works.