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Objective: Our study was to assess the validity of SAPS II (New Simplified Acute Physiology Score) to predict the probability of in hospital mortality, in a cohort of patient admitted to a medical intensive care unit., Study Design: Prospective study., Patients and Methods: Out of 467 the 525 patients admitted were included. SAPS score and in hospital mortality prediction were calculated for each of them., Results: In this group, SAPS II offered a satisfactory discrimination power with an area under the curve of 0.843. However, calibration showed a lack of fit (chi 2 = 28.5, P < 0.001), with an overall under prediction of mortality (observed versus expected ratio of 1.12)., Conclusion: This SAPS II lower predicting accuracy in a specific population and for individual outcome prediction may reduce its interest in clinical decision-making.

Two successive acid etch biopsies were performed on the permanent maxillary right central incisors of two age groups of children resident in an urban area in Belgium. Lead was determined in the biopsy solutions and the concentrations were related to etch depths, which were calculated from the calcium and phosphorus concentrations in the biopsy solutions. The mean lead concentration in the first enamel biopsy layer was five times higher than in the second biopsy. A strong correlation was observed between the two biopsies. It was shown that calibration of the lead values with respect to etch depths and Ca/P ratio was desirable and that a robust regression analysis approach was needed instead of classical more reliable calibration. In this study no age related increase in the surface enamel lead concentration could be demonstrated. Therefore, it was concluded that for these children the presence of lead in surface enamel had to be attributed primarily to pre-eruptive uptake.