Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous iron with blood transfusion in post partum women with symptomatic iron deficiency anaemia. Methods: Ninety women were included in the study. The inclusion criteria were: hemoglobin <9g/dl and/or haematocrit <28%, mean corpuscular volume <80fl, ferritin level <15ng/ml, and symptoms of anaemia within 48 hours of delivery. Women with pos...

1. Recent studies in Scotland suggest that the outermost tail feathers of Barn Swallows ( Hirundo rustica Linnaeus) may be around 10–12 mm longer than the aerodynamic optimum, with sexual selection for long tails accounting for this extra length. 2. To test this hypothesis, we shortened the outermost tail feathers in male and female Barn Swallows in southern Spain by cutting 1, 11 or 21 mm from...

Endothelin receptor antagonists have been associated with fluid retention. It has been suggested that, of the two endothelin receptor subtypes, ET B receptors should not be blocked, because of their involvement in natriuresis and diuresis. Surprisingly, clinical data suggest that ET A-selective antagonists pose a greater risk of fluid overload than dual antagonists. The purpose of this study wa...

The relationship between polycythaemia, P50 and SaCO (saturation in carboxyhaemoglobin) has been studied in 50 patients who were hypoxaemic due to chronic respiratory insufficiency. These patients were divided into two groups according to their haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit: 21 polycythaemic patients with haemoglobin greater than or equal to 16 g/dl and haematocrit greater than or e...

Adults with polycythaemia secondary to cyanotic congenital heart disease may be at greater risk from injudicious venesection than from their polycythaemia. Despite an established literature on the subject, patients are frequently put at risk from acute volume depletion and chronic iron deficiency. This article aims to clarify some of the issues surrounding venesection and to set out guidelines ...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common complication after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Previous studies identified high white and red blood cell count as potential risk factors for new onset AF. The objective of this retrospective, nested case-control study was to examine the association of different parameters of...

BACKGROUND This study was performed to evaluate the relationship between serum albumin and plasma concentration of haemostatic factors and the effect of raising serum albumin on haemostatic factors synthesized in the liver in CAPD patients. METHODS We measured blood levels of albumin, fibrinogen, factor II, factor VII, protein C, free protein S, plasminogen, alpha2-antiplasmin and antithrombi...

Several species of terrestrially hibernating frogs, turtles and insects have developed mechanisms, such as increased plasma glucose, anti-freeze proteins and antioxidant enzymes that resist to freezing, for survival at subzero temperatures. In the present study, we assessed the importance of glucose to cryoresistance of two anuran amphibians: the frog Rana catesbeiana and the toad Bufo paracnem...