Aspects of imported malaria at a district general hospital in non-endemic Kuwait,Arabian Gulf

There is no indigenous mosquito-borne transmission of malaria in Kuwait. However, in a five year period at a district general hospital, the number of laboratory-diagnosed cases of malaria increased annually from 25 to 84, a rise of 336%. Except for two induced infections, all were imported, mainly from the Indian subcontinent. Plasmodium vivax was responsible for 87.29% of the cases; P. falciparum (12.05%), a mixed infection of P. vivax and P. falciparum (0.33%) and a case of P. ovale (0.33%) were also identified. Rapid preparation of acetone-fixed, Giemsa-stained thick blood films, a heightened awareness of the infection, examination of multiple samples of blood from patients and the general resurgence of malaria in endemic areas were some of the factors responsible for the high number of cases diagnosed. Most patients were young males and presented with clinical malaria due to P. vivax between May and October each year, an apparent seasonal peak. However, many were already resident in the country for a variable period. Patients with P. falciparum though, presented clinically within two weeks of arrival in the country. Parasite densities were calculated to monitor the progress of treatment and identify quickly any possible chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum strains. A policy of active prophylaxis is suggested to stem the tide of imported malaria.Corresponding author.     

FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOME RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIAN GENERAL PRACTICE: RESULTS FROM THE ANBP2 PILOT STUDY

1. The present study aimed to determine the feasibility of conducting a 5 year cardiovascular outcome trial of the treatment of 6000 elderly hypertensive patients in Australian general practices. 2. General practitioners (GPs) were invited to participate by mail and personal follow-up. Patient records were reviewed to identify subjects for a blood pressure (BP) screening programme. Blood pressure was measured on three occasions and eligible subjects were included if the average BP was 160 mmHg systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic if systolic BP was 140 mmHg. 3. Seven hundred and forty-one GPs were approached and 89 were enrolled in the study (12% of mail invites and 75% of those receiving a personal contact). In 16 practices where screening was completed, 82 000 records were reviewed to identify 4% patients eligible for screening. Twenty-two per cent of eligible subjects attended screening. Of 1938 subjects screened, 180 (9%) had BP 5=160/90 mmHg. Forty-seven percent of subjects (n = 916) were receiving antihypertensive therapy and 184 (20%) were withdrawn from therapy. One hundred and sixteen (63%) of these subjects had BP return to study entry levels within 6 weeks. Fifty-seven newly diagnosed and 81 previously treated subjects were randomized (7% of the screened population). 4. Based on the high participation rate of GPs, the response rate of patients to attend a BP screening programme and the 7% randomization to screening ratio for entry into the study, the ANBP2 pilot study has demonstrated that it is feasible to recruit subjects from Australian general practices to a cardiovascular outcome trial.     

“Helper:” A critical events prompter for unexpected emergencies

Objective. The medical practitioner is faced with an increasing list of protocols and algorithms related to patient care. These recommendations are often difficult to recall, particularly in stressful emergency situations. Using advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) protocols, we built a computer-based system to exhibit precompiled response plans for medical emergencies. To validate the usefulness of this prompting device, we tested application of two of the nine ACLS algorithms, pulseless ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia (Vfib/Vtach) and bradycardia, in a simulated operating room (OR) environment.Methods. The system utilized the software authoring system IconAuthor (Aimtec Inc., Nashua, NH) and a touch-screen monitor (DiamondScan, Microtouch, Methuen, MA). Prior to testing our system, all 39 subjects were given time to familiarize themselves with its operation. Subsequently, all subjects were videotaped while managing a standard simulated anesthetic. During the anesthetic, the subjects were presented with two emergency scenarios, not viewed during the familiarization period. The electrocardiographic (EKG) signals for normal sinus rhythm, ventricular fibrillation, and second-degree heart block were presented. By random selection, the prompter was available to half of the subjects for help with arrhythmia management (experimental group), while to half it was not (control group).Results. A total of 39 subjects completed the exercise. Use of the prompter enabled significantly more subjects to administer correct drugs and dosages during ventricular fibrillation. The correct lidocaine dose was chosen more often by the experimental group than by the control (p=0.015); similarly MgSO₄ was appropriately ordered more often in the experimental group (p=0.003). During second-degree heart block, atropine was correctly followed with a dopamine infusion (p=0.004), and epinephrine infusion was ordered for refractory bradycardia (p=0.002) more often in the experimental than the control group.Conclusions. These data demonstrate the value of a prompting device at the anesthesia workstation. We foresee the use of such prompters in many areas of medicine.This study was made possible by a grant from the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation. Results were presented, in part, at the meeting of the STA/SEA Orlando, Florida, January 1994.     

Cardiovascular collapse during anesthesia in a patient with preoperatively discontinued chronic MAO inhibitor therapy

We describe a patient in whom long-term monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor therapy was discontinued 20 days before surgery with general anesthesia. This patient developed severe perioperative hypotension after administration of 10 mg of bupivacaine through an epidural catheter, which was corrected only after potent vasopressor therapy. We attribute this hemodynamic instability to attenuation of this patient's sympathetic tone based on several mechanisms: (1) residual effect of long-term administration of MAO inhibitor that caused a decrease in the number of β-adrenergic receptors (adrenergic subsensitivity due to receptor down-regulation), (2) recovered MAO activity causing effective degradation of sympathetic amines, and (3) combined attenuating effects of general and epidural anesthesia on sympathetic tone.     

袖珍式野战静脉麻醉控制器的研制

介绍一种采用单片机开发的按药代动力学参数控制注射泵注射给药,从而控制手术患者静脉麻醉深度,适合野战条件下使用的小型化静脉麻醉系统.该系统具有控制精度高、功能扩展能力强以及使用方便等特点,并已在临床推广应用.     

局麻胸腔镜清创术治疗脓胸实用性研究

目的探讨脓胸患者经局麻胸腔镜清创术治疗的实用价值。方法在局麻下用硬质电视胸腔镜行脓胸清创术，介绍操作方法及清创步骤，观察患者的耐受性及疗效。结果总有效率为90．6％，早、中、晚期治疗有效率分别是100．0％、90．9％、50．0％。术中监测患者对操作的反应及血氧饱和度、呼吸、脉搏、心电图改变均无统计学意义。结论局麻胸腔镜清创术在患者清醒状态下操作，除抽净黏稠脓液外尚可取出团块状脓苔及坏死组织，打穿包裹性脓腔，充分冲洗，可迅速控制感染。方法简单，避免全麻气管插管带来的并发症，术后恢复快，适应证广，患者易耐受，是治疗脓胸的实用方法。     

高氧医用液在高位硬膜外麻醉中低张性缺氧的应用

目的　研究高氧医用液在高位硬膜外麻醉中治疗和预防低张性缺氧的效果和安全性。方法　将10 0例胸壁手术患者随机分成高氧液治疗组 (A组 )和同等量细胞外液治疗组 (B组 ) ,均在高位硬膜外麻醉下完成胸壁手术 ,入室后输液速度第 1小时为 10ml (Kg·h) ,以后 6ml (Kg·h) ;A组输入高氧液 ,B组输入林格氏液 ;两组患者出现SPO2 <95 %时面罩给氧 ,氧流量 3～ 5L min ;两组于麻醉前和麻醉后 30、6 0、90min及术毕麻醉平面消失后 5个时点各抽取动脉血 1ml进行血气分析 ,同时观察生命体征和术中不良反应。结果　两组各时点血气结果各项指标均在正常范围内波动 ,组间、组内比较均无显著性差异 (P >0 .0 5 ) ,术中A组无需面罩给氧治疗 ,B组全部需面罩给氧治疗 ;A组生命体征各指标在各时点无显著性差异 (P >0 .0 5 ) ,B组在麻醉后初期呼吸频率增快 ,较麻醉前和A组比较均有显著性差异 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;术中两组患者均无寒战、烦躁、头痛、过敏、气栓等不良反应发生。结论　高氧医用液为术中高位硬膜外麻醉所致的缺氧提供了全新的供氧方法 ,且有使用方便、安全性强、疗效确切等优点。     

肛门病手术应用低浓度小剂量利多卡因局麻的效果

目的观察低浓度小剂量利多卡因在肛门病手术中的应用效果。方法选择接受肛门病手术者100例,手术时用0．25％盐酸利多卡因5-20ml,根据病情和手术需要作局部浸润麻醉。结果通过100例的肛门手术观察,结果显示麻醉满意顺利83例,麻醉良好17例,无1例麻醉无效失败。总有效率100％。此法麻醉效果确切,未发现严重不良反应。结论此法具有易于掌握,效果好而安全的优越性,适于临床应用和推广。     

Gastric contents and pH after oral premedication

Forty women, aged 26-40 years, were investigated with regard to gastric contents and pH before general anaesthesia. The patients were divided into two groups (20 in each). Group 100 received 0.3 mg kg-1 diazepam orally with 100 ml of water 2 h before surgery. Group 50 received 0.3 mg kg-1 diazepam with 50 ml of water 2 h before surgery. The amount of gastric content was significantly greater in Group 100 than in Group 50 (P less than 0.05). There was no statistical difference in pH values between the groups. The number of patients with both gastric pH less than 2.5 and gastric volume greater than 25 ml was significantly higher in Group 100 compared to Group 50 (P less than 0.05). We cannot recommend the use of oral premedication using these amounts of water, considering the increased risk of aspiration of gastric contents.     

脊麻药复合微量芬太尼对防治牵拉反应的探讨

目的 探讨脊麻药中复合微量芬太尼对牵拉反应的防治效果。方法 选择美国麻醉医师协会（american society of anesthesiologists，AsA）Ⅰ-Ⅱ级、足月、初产及单胎而需行剖宫产术的病人60例，随机分成2组，每组30例。2组病人的年龄、性剐、体重、局麻药用量、麻醉方法均无显著性差异，均选用腰硬联合麻醉（combined spinal—epidural anesthesia，CSEA）。A组：等比重0．5％罗哌卡因9-11mg＋芬太尼10μg。B组：等比重0．5％罗哌卡因9-11mg。观察术中牵拉反应和生命体征并记录，进行统计学处理。结果 2组间麻醉前、后相对应的MAP（平均动脉压）、HR（心率）、RR（呼吸频率）和SpO2（血氧饱和度）变化均无显著性差异（JP〉0．05），2组间新生儿Apgar评分均无显著性差异（P〉0．05），比较2组术中的牵拉反应，A组明显优于B组，有显著性差异（P〈0．05）结论 脊麻药中加入微量芬太尼对牵拉反应有良好的防治效果。