Effective pulmonary blood flow in children with acute asthma attack requiring hospitalization

In children with acute obstructive lung disease gas exchange is affected by ventilation-perfusion mismatch and the degree of bronchoconstriction. Standard lung function measurements do not reflect the impairment in gas exchange. Alternatively, the effective pulmonary blood flow (EPBF), that is, the proportion of the cardiac output that is supplying well-ventilated lung units, can give accurate and noninvasive estimates of ventilation-perfusion mismatch. We measured EPBF with the argon freon ?22 rebreathing technique in children with acute severe asthma to assess their response to nebulized salbutamol and to determine whether induced changes in the EPBF could be predicted from baseline measurements. Twenty-four children admitted with an acute asthma attack had spirometry and triplicate EPBF measurements before and after nebulized salbutamol. Eighteen patients had repeated tests 50 days later when fully recovered; 4 patients were taking methylxanthines on at least one occasion. The mean forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV₁) rose from 55% of predicted to 66% after salbutamol and to 83% with recovery. The mean coefficients of variation for EPBF measurements on the three test occasions were 11.3%, 8.2%, and 9%. Except in children on methylxanthines, the EPBF values were reduced during the acute asthma attack (median, 2.53 L/min/m²; range, 1.99–3.60 L/min/m²) compared with paired values obtained after recovery (median, 2.89 L/min/m²; range, 2.2Eb4.04 L/min/m²) (P = 0.009). Salbutamol caused a highly significant increase in EPBF from 2.88 L/min/m² (range, 1.86–3.80) before treatment to 3.34 L/min/m² (range, 2.264.65) immediately afterwards (P = 0.0003). The spirometric indices did not relate to the changes in the EPBF values. However, when the effective stroke volume index was calculated in 11 patients, the changes induced by nebulized salbutamol had a significant inverse relation with the pretreatment FEV, (P = 0.61; P = 0.02). In conclusion, the argon freon-22 rebreathing technique can be used successfully and reproducibly to measure EPBF in children with an acute asthma attack. Except in children taking methylxanthines, EPBF during the acute attack is reduced and rises significantly after salbutamol. EPBF values after recovery were significantly higher than the presalbutamol values during the attack. Spirometric indices do not relate to the EPBF changes but are inversely related to the effective stroke volume changes. Pediatr Pulmonol. 1994; 17:370–377. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Mesial temporal sclerosis and volumetric investigations

Volumetric MRI data acquisition permits reliable and accurate measurement of mesial temporal lobe structures. In normal subjects, these structures are very symmetric. A high degree of pathological specificity is associated with the finding of even minor volume asymmetries. Definition in this manner allows precise estimation of both absolute and relative volume differences, and precise anatomical localisation of volume loss within the hippocampus. There are good EEG and clinical correlates with the distribution of volume loss defined on MRI studies. Volumetric assessment is fast, reliable, non-invasive, and a relatively inexpensive component of the pre-operative work-up. It is the method of choice when imaging patients with clinical temporal lobe epilepsy undergoing pre-surgical evaluation. The finding of significant hippocampal volume asymmetry in a patient with clinical temporal lobe seizures being evaluated for epilepsy surgery may obviate the need for alternative sophisticated, invasive, or expensive investigative procedures. At our centre, such MRI allows "fast track" cases to proceed to surgery without further invasive investigations, and is likely to have a dramatic effect on pre-operative evaluation in most centres practising epilepsy surgery.     

Analysis of kidney volume growth during the fetal period in humans

Summary The growth of fetal kidney volume was studied in 290 specimens taken from 145 fresh human fetuses (85 males and 60 females) with gestational age ranging from 13 to 36 weeks postconception (WPC). Normative equations and curves of the growth of renal volume were obtained for male and female fetuses and for the whole sample in the second trimester (13–24 WPC) and in the third trimester (25–36 WPC) of gestation. There was no difference between the growth in volume of the right and left kidneys. Fetal kidney volume increases with a more intense rhythm in the early fetal period (13–24 WPC). During the second trimester, there was no difference between the values for renal volume of male and female fetuses. In the third trimester, male fetuses had renal volumes significantly greater than the female fetuses. The normative parameters of renal volume could have practical applications in detection and monitoring of renal anomalies in fetal and perinatal urology.Supported by grants 302, 369/86.4/BM-FV from the National Conucil of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, Brazil) and Grant E.29/170.787/89 from the Rio de Janeiro Foundation for Research Support (FAPERJ).     

有训练者和无训练者的心功能和无氧阈的关系

本文观察了10名游泳运动员和10名实验室工作人员在递增负荷运动中心功能的变化及其与无氧阈的关系.结果为:(1)游泳队员的无氧阈值明显高于无训练的实验室工作人员;(2)运动中每搏量稳定时的强度与无氧阈强度是密切相关的;(3)运动至无氧阈强度以后,心输出量的增加主要靠心率的增加来维持;(4)无训练者在运动一开始就动用心力储备,增加心率和每搏量,而游泳队员则在运动至40W以后才开始增加心率和每搏量.这些结果表明,无氧阈与心功能具有很密切的关系,可用它来反映心功能的好坏.     

Changes in CSF pressures during experimental acute arterial subdural bleeding in pig

Summary The effects of acute arterial subdural bleeding on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure and 12 other vital parameters were studied in spontaneously breathing pigs (group 1, n=9) and in mechanically ventilated pigs (group 2, n=18) to analyze quantitatively the bleeding course and the lethal mechanism.Spontaneously breathing animals all succumbed after a mean bleeding volume of 45.6±8.9ml, corresponding to about 50 per cent of the intracranial volume, and a mean bleeding duration of 11.0±2.6 min. Rapid rise in CSF pressures, marked transtentorial pressure gradients, and progressive reductions of cerebral perfusion pressure leading to a permanently iso-electric EEG, apnoea and to a terminal rise in arterial pressure (Cushing response), was the rule in these animals.The mechanically ventilated animals had smaller bleeding volumes (34.3±8.1 ml), but longer bleeding durations (13.8±5.8 min). In this group 7 animals survived. They had no pressure gradients, and only moderate changes in arterial pressure and EEG. The 11 animals that succumbed had marked transtentorial pressure gradients, but smaller increments in arterial pressure than the spontaneously breathing animals.At autopsy, subdurally located blood was found throughout the intracranial and spinal subdural compartments and along the spinal nerve roots in both groups.The results of this study suggest that survival after acute subdural haematoma is influenced by the presence of transtentorial pressure gradients and by the spinal sac acting as a space for expansion. The beneficial effect of artificial ventilation is discussed.This study has been supported by the University of Oslo, The Anders Jahre Foundation for The Advance of Research, and by the Norwegian Society for fighting Cancer.     

心导纳图和心阻抗图测量心脏泵血功能的比较

对12只开胸狗做心导纳图、阻抗图,测量(dy/dt)_(max),(dy/dt)_(max)/T_(R-y),(dz/dt)_(max)和(dz/dt)_(max)/T_(R_z)。然后改变测量电极间距L和基础阻抗Z,发现前者可引起(dy/dt)_(max)、(dy/dt)_(max)/T_(R-y)的显著变化;后者可引起(dz/dt)_(max)、(dz/dt)_(max)/T_(R-z)非常显著的变化。由心导纳图、阻抗图所得心脏每搏量(SV)与电磁流量计所测SV的相关系数分别为0.691和0.678。提示两法测量心脏泵血功能有相同的可靠性,但前者受L影响较大,后者对Z_0的变化敏感。     

Acute volaemic changes modify the gastroduodenal resistance to the flow of saline in anaesthetized dogs

The effect of acute and sequential volaemic changes on the gastroduodenal flow of saline was assessed in 23 anaesthetized dogs following two different experimental protocols. Hypervolaemia, by i. v. infusion of saline, induced a gradual decrease on gastroduodenal flow which amounted to 76% below control values (P < 0.001) when volaemic expansion attained 5% of body weight. This effect was volume dependent (17% increase on gastroduodenal flow per volume of infused saline equivalent to 0.5% of body weight, P < 0.001), lasted for at least 90 minutes after infusion was completed and was also obtained by expanding previously bled animals. Hypovolaemia due to bleeding was followed by an increase on gastroduodenal flow of about 88% above control values (P < 0.05) when haemorrhage was equal to 3% of body weight. This effect was also volume dependent (23 % increase on gastroduodenal flow per volume of blood shed equivalent to a 0.5% of body weight, P < 0.01) and was reversed after blood volume was restored. These modifications in the resistance of the gastroduodenal segment to the flow of liquid due to acute volaemic changes suggest that the extracellular fluid volume modulates the contractile activity of the gastroduodenal portion of the gut possibly to set a gastroduodenal handling of liquid adequate to cope with volaemic imbalances.     

小鼠足容积的活体和离体测量

本实验建立小鼠足容积测量方法学并提供小鼠足容积的生理数值，为进一步研究实验性皮肤癌发生的免疫机制打下基础．根据毛细管放大原理，使用自制的小鼠足容积测量仪测量３５１只昆明种小鼠左右足容积，发现左右足容积几乎相等．另对１５０只小鼠左右足进行３６９次重复测量，发现合格测量超过９７％．不同体重小鼠足生长曲线研究表明，随着体重的增加，小鼠足容积渐趋于一定值，表明生长停止．并且体重２５ｇ以上小鼠活体离体足容积差接近一定值，这提示大龄小鼠足血管张力和容积基本恒定．     

Testicular dislocation

A case of unilateral superficial testicular dislocation following blunt scrotal trauma is described, including CT findings.     

非胰岛素依赖型糖尿病患者肺功能检查的初步探讨

对２５例非胰岛素依赖型糖尿病（ＮＩＤＤＭ）患者及２４例正常人进行全套肺功能检查，并作对比分析，结果表明：ＮＩＤＤＭ组比正常对照组Ｖ２５／ＨＴ减低。差异有高度显著性（Ｐ＜０．０１）；ＤＬＣＯ减低差异有显著性（Ｐ＜０．０５），并认为ＮＩＤＤＭ患者小气道功能、弥散功能减低与糖代谢紊乱，致机体抵抗力降低、免疫功能下降，并与肺胞毛细血管基底膜增厚有关。检查ＮＩＤＤＭ患者小气道功能和肺泡弥散功能，具有一定临床意义。