Gian Maria Pacifici

[ 1 ] - Clinical Pharmacology of the Antimalarial Artemisinin-Based Combination and other Artemisinins in Children

In 2010, there were estimated 219 million cases of malaria resulting in 666,000 deaths and two-thirds were children. Children are more vulnerable than adults to malaria parasites. In sub-Saharan African countries, maternal malaria is associated with up to 200,000 estimated infant deaths yearly. Malaria is caused by five Plasmodium parasites namely: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasm...

[ 2 ] - Multidrug Resistance in Infants and Children

Bacterial infections may cause disease and death. Infants and children are often subject to bacterial infections. Antimicrobials kill bacteria protecting the infected patients andreducing the risk of morbidity and mortality caused by bacteria. The antibiotics may lose their antibacterial activity when they become resistant to a bacteria. The resistance to different antibiotics in a bacteria is ...

[ 3 ] - Management of Typhoid Fever and Bacterial Meningitis by Chloramphenicol in Infants and Children

Chloramphenicol inhibits protein synthesis in bacteria and is usually bacteriostatic but is bactericidal against Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Neisseria meningitis. Chloramphenicol penetrates all body tissues well. The cerebrospinal fluid concentration averages 60% of the serum level, while brain levels are 9 times higher because of high lipid solubility of this drug. Ch...

[ 4 ] - Clinical Pharmacology of Cefotaxime in Neonates and Infants: Effects and Pharmacokinetics

Cefotaxime is a bactericidal "third generation" cephalosporin has a broad-spectrum activity against gram-positive microorganisms and exceptional activity against most gram-negative microorganisms. Cefotaxime is widely considered to be the antibiotic of choice for the management of neonatal meningitis and sepsis caused by gram-negative bacteria. Cefotaxime is active against Neisseria meningitis,...

[ 5 ] - Clinical Pharmacology of Ciprofloxacin in Neonates: Effects and Pharmacokinetics

Ciprofloxacin is the most commonly used fluoroquinolone. Ciprofloxacin is prescribed for 1 in 44 Americans. Ciprofloxacin is a broad-spectrum bactericidal antibiotic, effective against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, being especially active against the Enterobacteriacae, including many microorganisms resistant to penicillins, cephalosporins and aminoglycosides, and also is effect...

[ 6 ] - Clinical Pharmacokinetics of Amikacin in Neonates

Amikacin is a bactericidal aminoglycoside. Aminoglycosides inhibit bacterial protein synthesis. The antibacterial spectrum of amikacin is the broadest of aminoglycosides. Because of its resistance to many of the aminoglycosides-inactivating enzymes, it has a special role in hospitals where gentamicin- and tobramycin-resistant microorganisms are prevalent. Amikacin is active against the majority...

[ 7 ] - Clinical Pharmacology of Meropenem in Neonates: Effects and Pharmacokinetics

Meropenem, a carbapenem antibiotic, has a broad-spectrum activity and is active against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influencae, Moraxella catarrhalis, gram-negative enteric bacilli as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Serratia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Meropenem has excellent penetration in body tissues and in cerebrospinal fluid (in the presenc...

[ 8 ] - Effects of Iron in Neonates and Young Infants: a Review

Iron is essential to erythrocyte oxygen transport and is a catalyst for oxidative metabolism in all cells. Iron is absorbed by the duodenum and requires an acidic environment for optimal absorption. Iron is found for 70% in erythrocytes, and 30% in storage, and a small amount in myoglobin and cytochromes. Iron supplementation reduces anemia in breastfed infants and increases in significant dose...

[ 9 ] - Effects of Vitamin B12 in Neonates and Young Infants

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is an essential coenzyme for nucleic acid synthesis. Animal protein is the major dietary source of vitamin B12. Deficiency of vitamin B12 leads to megaloblastic anemia, degeneration of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and abnormalities of epithelial tissues. Two factors are necessary for the cure of megaloblastic anemia: one in food (extrinsic factor) and one i...

[ 10 ] - Effects of Vitamin E in Neonates and Young Infants

Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) is a potent and natural antioxidant. Vitamin E is concentrated from soybean oil. The Committee on Fetus and Newborn of the Academy of the American of Pediatrics endorsed 1 to 2 mg/dl as the normal range of serum tocopherol level. Human infants are born with low stores of vitamin E, thus they require an adequate intake of vitamin E soon after birth. The optimum intra...

[ 11 ] - Effects of Vitamins K in Neonates and Young Infants

Vitamin K is required for the hepatic production of blood coagulation factors II, VII, IX and X. The term vitamin K refers to a variety of fat-soluble 2-methyl-1, 4-naphthoquinone derivatives. Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) occurs in green plants, while vitamin K2 (menaquinone) is synthesized by microbial in the gut. The recommended dose of vitamin K in neonates is 1 mg intramuscularly. For infants...

[ 12 ] - Clinical Pharmacology of Fluconazole in Neonates: Effects and Pharmacokinetics

Fluconazole is commonly used both to prevent and to treat invasive neonatal Candida albicans infection. This drug is a potent, selective, triazole inhibitor of the fungal enzymes involved in ergosterol synthesis. It is largely excreted unchanged in the urine. In infants with a birth weight

[ 13 ] - Effects of Vitamin A in Neonates and Young Infants

Vitamin A is the generic name given to a group of fat-soluble compounds including retinol (the alcohol form), retinyl esters, retinaldehyde and retinol acid. Deficiency, first recognized in 1912, can damage the epithelial cells lining the respiratory tract. It can also affect immunocompetence, the reproductive function, growth and vision. The dose of vitamin A for neonates is 5,000 IU given int...

[ 14 ] - Effects of Vitamin D in Neonates and Young Infants

Vitamin D is important for the development, growth, and mineralization of the skeletal in neonates and children. Vitamin D is essential for intestinal absorption of calcium. Vitamin D is metabolized to 25-hydroxyvitamin D and then to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Pregnant women in developed countries often have insufficient serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and a supplementation of vitamin...