			Home About us Contact

Alert System (alert + system)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	50%
Earth and Environmental Science	50%

Selected Abstracts

Towards harmonized approaches for mycotoxin analyses: an assessment

QUALITY ASSURANCE & SAFETY OF CROPS & FOOD, Issue 2 2009
Anton J. Alldrick
Abstract Mycotoxins (the poisonous metabolites of certain filamentous fungi) are potential contaminants of staple food commodities and, if uncontrolled, may present a significant public health hazard. In many jurisdictions, questions relating to mycotoxin contamination are addressed at both generic and specific levels by food-safety legislation. Key to the successful management of the mycotoxin question, both in terms of verifying food-safety measures by the agri-food businesses and ensuring compliance with statutory limits by enforcement agencies, is the use of reliable sampling and analytical methodology. Evidence from European Union Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed data suggest that harmonization of methodologies used to determine the mycotoxin content of foods would contribute to improved compliance at both regulatory and commercial levels. [source]

EFAS forecasts for the March,April 2006 flood in the Czech part of the Elbe River Basin,a case study

ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE LETTERS, Issue 2 2008
Jalal Younis
Abstract In spring 2006, the Elbe River Basin was hit by severe snowmelt-driven floods. This article investigates the performance of the European Flood Alert System (EFAS) forecasts for this event in the Czech part of the Elbe River Basin. EFAS runs preoperationally at the European Commission DG Joint Research Centre where it is developed and tested in close collaboration with the National Hydrological Services. The analysis shows that EFAS forecasts were able to detect a signal of probability of flooding up to 8,10 days in advance. The added value of ensemble forecasts to early flood warning is illustrated. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society [source]

Optimization of the detection of microbes in blood from immunocompromised patients with haematological malignancies

CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 7 2009
S. Skovbjerg
Abstract The present study aimed to improve the rate of detection of blood-borne microbes by using PCRs with pan-bacterial and Candida specificity. Seventeen per cent of the blood samples (n = 178) collected from 107 febrile patients with haematological malignancies were positive using standard culture (BacT/Alert system). Candida PCR was positive in 12 patients, only one of whom scored culture-positive. Bacterial PCR using fresh blood samples was often negative, but the detection rate increased when the blood was pre-incubated for 2 days. These data indicate that PCR assays might be a complement for the detection of blood-borne opportunists in immunocompromised haematology patients. [source]

Randomized Trial to Improve Prescribing Safety in Ambulatory Elderly Patients

JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 7 2007
Marsha A. Raebel PharmD
OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a computerized tool that alerted pharmacists when patients aged 65 and older were newly prescribed potentially inappropriate medications was effective in decreasing the proportion of patients dispensed these medications. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized trial. SETTING: U.S. health maintenance organization. PARTICIPANTS: All 59,680 health plan members aged 65 and older were randomized to intervention (n=29,840) or usual care (n=29,840). Pharmacists received alerts on all patients randomized to intervention who were newly prescribed a targeted medication. INTERVENTION: Prescription and age information were linked to alert pharmacists when a patient aged 65 and older was newly prescribed one of 11 medications that are potentially inappropriate in older people. MEASUREMENTS: Physicians and pharmacists collaborated to develop the targeted medication list, indications for medication use for which an intervention should occur, intervention guidelines and scripts, and to implement the intervention. RESULTS: Over the 1-year study, 543 (1.8%) intervention group patients aged 65 and older were newly dispensed prescriptions for targeted medications, compared with 644 (2.2%) usual care group patients (P=.002). For medication use indications in which an intervention should occur, dispensings of amitriptyline (P<.001) and diazepam (P=.02) were reduced. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the effectiveness of a computerized pharmacy alert system plus collaboration between healthcare professionals in decreasing potentially inappropriate medication dispensings in elderly patients. Coupling data available from information systems with the knowledge and skills of physicians and pharmacists can improve prescribing safety in patients aged 65 and older. [source]