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Objective: The present study addressed a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommendation that the outcome of neonates who are treated conventionally for respiratory problems be further investigated before setting up additional extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) centres in Australia. Methodology: The cognitive and behavioural outcome of ECMO eligible infants who received conventional treatment for respiratory problems at birth was assessed in 18 infants aged 1.5–3 years (index group). ECMO was not available at either of the treating hospitals. Index children were compared to a matched control group of children who did not experience any major complications at birth. Children were assessed using either the Bayley or McCarthy scales of infant development and the Child Behavior Checklist. Results: Overall, a mortality rate of 19% and a psychological morbidity rate of 18% suggest that children born with severe respiratory failure, who meet existing ECMO eligibility criteria, have a good prognosis when treated using conventional medical therapy. Conclusions: Improvements to conventional treatments indicate that ECMO eligibility criteria may need to be revised to identify accurately those infants who are at extreme risk of mortality if treated conventionally.

categorical nature were made using Fisher’s exact test. Analysis was Sir, carried out using Unistat® for Windows, version 4.5. The prevalence of atopic eczema in children is between 5% Forty-four patients, 26 males and 18 females, were recruited (mean and 15%, and appears to be increasing (1). Prevalence rates age 3.8 years, range 5 months to 14 years). Mean duration of the vary between countries (2), as well as within countries (3). eczema was 22 months (range 1 month to 14 years) . None of the

Superoxide anion (O 2 − ) plays a key role in the endogenous suppression of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) bioactivity and has been implicated in the development of hypertension. In previous studies, we found that O 2 − is produced predominantly in the adventitia of isolated rabbit aorta and acts as a barrier to NO. In the present studies, we characterize the enzyme responsible for O 2 − production in the adventitia and show that this enzyme is a constitutively active NADPH oxidase with similar composition as the phagocyte NADPH oxidase. Constitutive O 2 − -generating activity was localized to aortic adventitial fibroblasts and was enhanced by the potent vasoconstrictor angiotensin II. Immunohistochemistry of aortic sections demonstrated the presence of p22 phox , gp91 phox , p47 phox , and p67 phox localized exclusively in rabbit aortic adventitia, coincident with the site of staining for O 2 − production. Furthermore, immunodepletion of p67 phox from adventitial fibroblast particulates resulted in the loss of NADPH oxidase activity, which could be restored by the addition of recombinant p67 phox . Further study into the regulation of this adventitial source of O 2 − is important in elucidating the mechanisms regulating the bioactivity of NO and may contribute to our understanding of the pathogenesis of hypertension.