An audit of the safety of an acute pain service

We audited and analysed the adverse effects and safety of postoperative pain management on 2509 consecutive patients under care of the Acute Pain Service at a tertiary referral teaching hospital over a 32-month period. Our standard respiratory monitoring consisted of continuous pulse oximetry, hourly respiratory rate counting, sedation scoring and intermittent arterial blood gas sampling. This protocol was reliable and detected six episodes of bradypnoea, 13 of hypercapnia and 23 of oxygen desaturation occurring in 39 patients (1.8% of all spontaneously breathing patients) . Two patients required naloxone injection and none had long-term sequelae. Hypotension due to epidural bupivacaine 0.0625% and fentanyl 3.3 μg.ml⁻¹ infusion occurred in four patients (1.2%), all with a sensory block higher than T₅. They readily responded to fluid infusion and ephedrine (two patients). Postoperative nausea or vomiting occurred in 723 (28.8%) and 380 (15.1%) patients, respectively. Odds ratio analysis showed that the risk factors for postoperative nausea and vomiting were: female gender, gynaecological operations, nongeriatric patients and systemic analgesia. Postoperative nausea and vomiting decreased analgesic efficacy by discouraging the use of patient-controlled analgesia and was regarded as equally distressing as pain. Other side-effects included: pruritus in 182 patients; dizziness in 333 and lower limb weakness in 73 (21.2% of patients receiving epidural local anaesthetics). It is concluded that a standard monitoring and management protocol, an experienced nursing team and reliable Acute Pain Service coverage is mandatory for the safe use of modern analgesic techniques.     

Gender differences in young adults' beliefs about sunscreen use.

This study employs focus group methodology to explore gender differences in sunscreen use. Guided by the theory of reasoned action, males and females were found to differ on each of the following constructs: behavior, behavioral beliefs, and normative beliefs. Males and females differed in their sunscreen use, with females adopting a more preventive style of sunscreen use and males a more reactive style. Males and females differed in their salient beliefs that motivated their sunscreen use, many of which were related to traditional American gender roles. In addition, although males and females were aware of both positive and negative sources of normative beliefs regarding sunscreen use, females received more encouragement from their mothers and peers than males. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the design of future interventions.     

Cardiac Mitochondrial Abnormalities in a Mouse Model of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Mitochondrial enzymes and respiration were studied in the hearts of mice exposed to ethanol in utero from gestational Day 8 to parturition. This treatment had previously been shown by electron microscopy to result in myofibril loss and mitochondrial abnormalities. Ethanol was administered to pregnant mice by a liquid diet paradigm and pair-fed dams were used as controls. Ethanol exposure in utero reduced the activities of two mitochondrial inner membrane enzymes, cytochrome c oxidase and succinate dehydrogenase, in the hearts of perinatal mice. Secondly, mitochondrial respiration under both State 3 and 4 conditions with a NAD-linked substrate was depressed in the hearts obtained from the ethanol-exposed fetal mice. However, when a flavin-linked substrate was used, State 3 (ADP-stimulated) but not State 4 respiration was depressed. This study illustrates that in utero exposure to ethanol is deleterious to the functioning of cardiac mitochondria in newborn mice, which in turn could contribute to the development of the heart pathologies resent in the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.     

BREAST-FEEDING AND JAUNDICE

Clinically apparent jaundice occurs in up to 60% of newborns in the first week after birth and represents a significant proportion of prolonged infant hospitalization, increased health care costs, and anxiety for new parents. An association between breastfeeding and hyperbilirubinemia has been suggested by various researchers; however, the results of the studies have been inconclusive. The association of breast-feeding and jaundice appears to be the result of incomplete excretion of meconium and a relative low caloric intake by some breast-fed infants. Management strategies that have been proposed include unlimited suckling, temporary discontinuation of breast-feeding, supplementation, and phototherapy.     

Motivation and Maternal Presence during Induction of Anesthesia

Background: The authors developed a measure to determine whether maternal motivation to be present during induction (Motivation for Parental Presence during Induction of Anesthesia [MPPIA]) is related to children's anxiety during the induction process.

Methods: Mothers and children (aged 2-12 yr) undergoing outpatient, elective surgery and general anesthesia were enrolled in this study (n = 289 dyads). Items to assess motivation for parental presence during induction were selected by experts in anesthesiology, psychology, and child development; mothers completed the resulting 14-item measure as well as assessments of anxiety and coping style. Children's anxiety and compliance was assessed during induction of anesthesia. Factor analysis was performed, and maternal motivation was then examined against children's anxiety during induction of anesthesia.

Results: Factor analysis resulted in four scales with a total variance of 72.3%: MPPIA-Desire, MPPIA-Hesitancy, MPPIA-Anxiety, and MPPIA-Preparation. Analysis supported the reliability (0.89-0.94) and validity of the MPPIA. The authors found that mothers with high MPPIA-Desire and low MPPIA-Hesitancy had children with significantly higher anxiety (P < 0.0001) during induction of anesthesia, as compared with mothers with low MPPIA-Desire and MPPIA-Hesitancy. The authors also found that highly motivated mothers reported significantly higher levels of anxiety (P = 0.007).     

Tumor targeting by an aptamer.

Aptamers are small oligonucleotides that are selected to bind tightly and specifically to a target molecule. We sought to determine whether aptamers have potential for in vivo delivery of radioisotopes or cytotoxic agents. METHODS: TTA1, an aptamer to the extracellular matrix protein tenascin-C, was prepared in fluorescent and radiolabeled forms. After in vivo administration, uptake and tumor distribution of Rhodamine Red-X-labeled aptamer was studied by fluorescence microscopy. In glioblastoma (U251) and breast cancer (MDA-MB-435) tumor xenografts, biodistribution and imaging studies were performed using TTA1 radiolabeled with (99m)Tc. Tenascin-C levels and tumor uptake were studied in a variety of additional human tumor xenografts. To assess the effect of radiometal chelate on biodistribution, mercapto-acetyl diglycine (MAG(2)) was compared with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid and with MAG(2)-3,400-molecular-weight PEG (PEG(3,400)). RESULTS: Intravenous injection of fluorescent aptamer TTA1 produced bright perivascular fluorescence in a xenografted human tumor within 10 min. In the ensuing 3 h, fluorescence diffused throughout the tumor. Labeled with (99m)Tc, TTA1 displayed rapid blood clearance, a half-life of less than 2 min, and rapid tumor penetration: 6% injected dose (%ID)/g at 10 min. Tumor retention was durable, with 2.7 %ID/g at 60 min and a long-lived phase that stabilized at 1 %ID/g. Rapid tumor uptake and blood clearance yielded a tumor-to-blood ratio of 50 within 3 h. Both renal and hepatic clearance pathways were observed. Using the (99m)Tc-labeled aptamer, images of glioblastoma and breast tumors were obtained by planar scintigraphy. Aptamer uptake, seen in several different human tumors, required the presence of the target protein, human tenascin-C. Modification of the MAG(2) radiometal chelator dramatically altered the uptake and clearance patterns. CONCLUSION: TTA1 is taken up by a variety of solid tumors including breast, glioblastoma, lung, and colon. Rapid uptake by tumors and rapid clearance from the blood and other nontarget tissues enables clear tumor imaging. As synthetic molecules, aptamers are readily modified in a site-specific manner. A variety of aptamer conjugates accumulate in tumors, suggesting imaging and potentially therapeutic applications.