Nebraska Space Grant Consortium

In spite of great advances in medicine, serious communicable diseases are a significant threat. Hospitals must be prepared to deal with patients who are infected with pathogens introduced by a bioterrorist act (e.g., smallpox), by a global emerging infectious disease (e.g., avian influenza, viral hemorrhagic fevers), or by a laboratory accident. One approach to hazardous infectious diseases in the hospital setting is a biocontainment patient care unit (BPCU). This article represents the consensus recommendations from a conference of civilian and military professionals involved in the various aspects of BPCUs. The role of these units in overall U.S. preparedness efforts is discussed. Technical issues, including medical care issues (e.g., diagnostic services, unit access); infection control issues (e.g., disinfection, personal protective equipment); facility design, structure, and construction features; and psychosocial and ethical issues, are summarized and addressed in detail in an appendix. The consensus recommendations are presented to standardize the planning, design, construction, and operation of BPCUs as one element of the U.S. preparedness effort.

Compromised blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) is a factor in the outcome following traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent stimulator of angiogenesis and vascular permeability.The role of VEGF in SCI is controversial.Relatively little is known about the spatial and temporal changes in the BSCB permeability following administration of VEGF in experimental SCI.Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) studies were performed to noninvasively follow spatial and temporal changes in the BSCB permeability following acute administration of VEGF in experimental SCI over a post-injury period of 56 days.The DCE-MRI data was analyzed using a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model.Animals were assessed for open field locomotion using the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan score.These studies demonstrate that the BSCB permeability was greater at all time points in the VEGF-treated animals compared to saline controls, most significantly in the epicenter region of injury.Although a significant temporal reduction in the BSCB permeability was observed in the VEGF-treated animals, BSCB permeability remained elevated even during the chronic phase.VEGF treatment resulted in earlier improvement in locomotor ability during the chronic phase of SCI.This study suggests a beneficial role of acutely administered VEGF in hastening neurobehavioral recovery after SCI.