Stability of oral rehydration solutions in various packing materials

The aim of this research was to provide data to select an ideal packing material to preserve the integrity of oral rehydration salts (ORS), a therapeutic formulation that is essential in developing countries. Previous research had verified that water is the factor that most affects ORS stability. For this research, a pharmaceutical industry prepared an ORS batch that was packed in six different types of packing materials. The humidity determination was made after storage of samples during 36 weeks at room temperature, at room temperature with 76% relative humidity, and at 40 degrees C with 80% relative humidity. The moisture in the samples was measured at pre-determined intervals using methods like loss on drying at 50 degrees C and the Karl Fischer method. The results indicated that the most efficient packing material was composed of 18g polyester, 35 g aluminum, and 50 g polyethylene (packing material no. 6).     

Primary intracranial meningeal and spinal hemangiopericytoma: radiologic manifestations

Meningeal hemangiopericytomas are rare but aggressive tumors. All eight patients in this series developed recurrences, three with distant metastases. In six patients a lytic destructive lesion of bone was evident. CT scans in three patients demonstrated diffusely enhancing lesions. No tumor calcification was present. In five of six patients angiography was characterized by multiple irregular tumor vessels, an intense prolonged blush, and the absence of early draining veins. Differentiation of these tumors from meningiomas is discussed.     

Endomyocardiopathy with eosinophilia

Five patients were seen at the Mayo Clinic over an 8-year period with the following complex of clinical and morphologic features; striking eosinophilia, cardiomyopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and either a rapidly fatal or a prolonged, debilitating illness. In recent years, controversy has raged over the precise designation of this syndrome, with proposals ranging from eosinophilic leukemia to hypereosinophilic syndromes. To focus on the major target organ of the disease, we have favored the term endomyocardiopathy with eosinophilia. Experience with these five patients showed that (1) eosinophilia can persist for many years before symptoms appear; (2) progressive restrictive cardiac disease was the major cause of death and debility; (3) osmiophilic cytoplasmic inclusions are present in eosinophils of these patients and also in cells from other patients with marked eosinophilia; and (4) echocardiography may prove to be a useful noninvasive tool to diagnose and follow the progress of cardiac involvement. Although none of these patients was thought to have leukemia, intensive therapy with steroids or cytotoxic agents, or both, is considered necessary to control the progression of the disease.