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Lincomycin
INTERNATIONAL
518 penicillin
such
as methicillin,
oxacillin,
and naf-
cillin, one of the indications for resorting to parenteral erythromycin such as severe sepsis due to a penicillin-resistant staphylococcus has been removed. In many instances of penicillin hypersensitivity, cephalothin is probably the drug of choice if parenteral therapy is indicated. Thus, parenteral erythromycin is not often indicated. Oleandomycin and triacetyloleandomycin is somewhat indeterminate in pediatric practice. In general, erythromycin is superior.-E. J. Berman. LINCOMYCIN. K. &plan and L. Winstein. Pediat. Clin. N. Amer. 15:131-139 (February) 1968. Lincomycin is therapeutically effective against Staph. aureus, Strep. Pyogenes, and D. pneumoniae. It appears to have special usefulness as an alternative drug in the treatment of penicillin sensitive patients. Lincomycin is ineffective against gram-negative bacteria. More study and experience is necessary before this drug can be fully evaluated.-E. J. Berman. ANTIMICROBIAL THERAPY FOR SURGICAL DISEASES OF THE GASTROINTESTINAL TKACT. R. Spencer, A. M. Cotlar aud I. Cohn, Jr.. Pediat. Clin. N. Amer. 15:243-249 (February) 1968. Indications for antimicrobial therapy for surgical lesions of the gastrointestinal tract include enterotomy, preoperative perforation of the bowel, and questionable viability of a portion of the alimentary tract. Preoperative bowel prep consists of Kanamycin and Nystatin with administration being carried out 72 hours prior to elective surgery. During the same period the patient is given a liquid or low residue diet and at least one daily enema of a 1 per cent solution of the antibiotic. Intraperitoneal therapy for peritoneal contamination is said to be safe and efficacious. Kanamycin can be used in the dosage of 7 mg. per pound instilled into the peritoneal cavity as the abdominal wound is closed. This is a single treatment dosage. For multiple postoperative injections, half this amount is injected twice daily through a plastic tube inserted through the abdominal wall near the interperitoneal source of infection. The dose of the drug is carefully calculated since rapid absorption will occur.-E. J. Berman. THE SILVER SWADDLER. J. D. Scopes. Lancet 1 673, 1968.
Baum
and
J. W.
A new device consisting of a simple swaddling suit of polyester laminated on the inside with a thin layer of aluminium is described (Made by
ABSTRACTS
OF
PEDIATRIC
SURGERY
Lewis Woolf Griptight Ltd., 144 Oakfield Road, Birmingham, 29, England). Two groups of babies were compared. One swaddled in the conventional manner. i.e., a warm dry towel, flannelette, and blanket and the other in the above suit. Rectal temperatures were recorded for 1 hour after birth. The mean temperature fall in the conventionally clothed group was 2.35” F and in the silver swaddler group 1.19” F. -N. V. Freeman. RELATIVE HUM~ITY IN INCUBATORS. Elizabeth Bardell, Jill Freeman, and E. N. Hey. Arch. Dis. Child. 43:172, 1968. This paper is an investigation of the practical application of the effect of humidity on heat loss and heat production in the newborn baby. Tests were undertaken in a temperature controlled room on three empty incubators of different design, an Oxygenaire Series III, a New Oxygenaire Nursing forced convection incubator, and a Standard C/86 Isolette forced convection incubator. Various difficulties in the use of incubators are discussed. In none of the incubators tested could the relative humidity be varied beyond 30 and 85 per cent without the use of an accessory nebulizer; in none of the incubators tested could a relative humidity of 95 per cent be achieved. It is pointed out that a very high inspired air humidity is requiretl when nursing an infant who has tracheal intwbation, but that air fully saturated at 29” C will only be 65 per cent saturated at body temperature. Thus, although the possible range of variation in relative humidity was insufficient to have any significant effect on the infant’s heat loss or energy metabolism, this range fell far short of what is regarded as optimum humidity for a baby with tracheal intubation. When high humidity was obtained by accessory nebulisers condensation on the cold Perspex walls of the incubators obscured visibility; a disadvantage which could be overcome by using a double walled canopy with a sealed cavity.-J. Listcr. EFFECT OF HUMIDITY ON PRODUCTION AND Loss OF HEAT IN THE NEWBORN BABY. E. N. Hey and N. P. Maurice. Arch. Dis. Child. 43:166, 1968. The effect of the relative humidity of the air and total heat production and loss in 48 normal naked newborn babies nursed in a specially constructed metabolic chamber is reported. The oxygen consumption was measured continuously and the thermal environment controlled and altered at will. Each infant was studied at two environmen-
518 penicillin
such
as methicillin,
oxacillin,
and naf-
cillin, one of the indications for resorting to parenteral erythromycin such as severe sepsis due to a penicillin-resistant staphylococcus has been removed. In many instances of penicillin hypersensitivity, cephalothin is probably the drug of choice if parenteral therapy is indicated. Thus, parenteral erythromycin is not often indicated. Oleandomycin and triacetyloleandomycin is somewhat indeterminate in pediatric practice. In general, erythromycin is superior.-E. J. Berman. LINCOMYCIN. K. &plan and L. Winstein. Pediat. Clin. N. Amer. 15:131-139 (February) 1968. Lincomycin is therapeutically effective against Staph. aureus, Strep. Pyogenes, and D. pneumoniae. It appears to have special usefulness as an alternative drug in the treatment of penicillin sensitive patients. Lincomycin is ineffective against gram-negative bacteria. More study and experience is necessary before this drug can be fully evaluated.-E. J. Berman. ANTIMICROBIAL THERAPY FOR SURGICAL DISEASES OF THE GASTROINTESTINAL TKACT. R. Spencer, A. M. Cotlar aud I. Cohn, Jr.. Pediat. Clin. N. Amer. 15:243-249 (February) 1968. Indications for antimicrobial therapy for surgical lesions of the gastrointestinal tract include enterotomy, preoperative perforation of the bowel, and questionable viability of a portion of the alimentary tract. Preoperative bowel prep consists of Kanamycin and Nystatin with administration being carried out 72 hours prior to elective surgery. During the same period the patient is given a liquid or low residue diet and at least one daily enema of a 1 per cent solution of the antibiotic. Intraperitoneal therapy for peritoneal contamination is said to be safe and efficacious. Kanamycin can be used in the dosage of 7 mg. per pound instilled into the peritoneal cavity as the abdominal wound is closed. This is a single treatment dosage. For multiple postoperative injections, half this amount is injected twice daily through a plastic tube inserted through the abdominal wall near the interperitoneal source of infection. The dose of the drug is carefully calculated since rapid absorption will occur.-E. J. Berman. THE SILVER SWADDLER. J. D. Scopes. Lancet 1 673, 1968.
Baum
and
J. W.
A new device consisting of a simple swaddling suit of polyester laminated on the inside with a thin layer of aluminium is described (Made by
ABSTRACTS
OF
PEDIATRIC
SURGERY
Lewis Woolf Griptight Ltd., 144 Oakfield Road, Birmingham, 29, England). Two groups of babies were compared. One swaddled in the conventional manner. i.e., a warm dry towel, flannelette, and blanket and the other in the above suit. Rectal temperatures were recorded for 1 hour after birth. The mean temperature fall in the conventionally clothed group was 2.35” F and in the silver swaddler group 1.19” F. -N. V. Freeman. RELATIVE HUM~ITY IN INCUBATORS. Elizabeth Bardell, Jill Freeman, and E. N. Hey. Arch. Dis. Child. 43:172, 1968. This paper is an investigation of the practical application of the effect of humidity on heat loss and heat production in the newborn baby. Tests were undertaken in a temperature controlled room on three empty incubators of different design, an Oxygenaire Series III, a New Oxygenaire Nursing forced convection incubator, and a Standard C/86 Isolette forced convection incubator. Various difficulties in the use of incubators are discussed. In none of the incubators tested could the relative humidity be varied beyond 30 and 85 per cent without the use of an accessory nebulizer; in none of the incubators tested could a relative humidity of 95 per cent be achieved. It is pointed out that a very high inspired air humidity is requiretl when nursing an infant who has tracheal intwbation, but that air fully saturated at 29” C will only be 65 per cent saturated at body temperature. Thus, although the possible range of variation in relative humidity was insufficient to have any significant effect on the infant’s heat loss or energy metabolism, this range fell far short of what is regarded as optimum humidity for a baby with tracheal intubation. When high humidity was obtained by accessory nebulisers condensation on the cold Perspex walls of the incubators obscured visibility; a disadvantage which could be overcome by using a double walled canopy with a sealed cavity.-J. Listcr. EFFECT OF HUMIDITY ON PRODUCTION AND Loss OF HEAT IN THE NEWBORN BABY. E. N. Hey and N. P. Maurice. Arch. Dis. Child. 43:166, 1968. The effect of the relative humidity of the air and total heat production and loss in 48 normal naked newborn babies nursed in a specially constructed metabolic chamber is reported. The oxygen consumption was measured continuously and the thermal environment controlled and altered at will. Each infant was studied at two environmen-