Clinical aspects of the use of nubain, tramal and moradol in patients in the early postoperative period]

Opioid analgesics were used in 282 patients on the first-third day after heart, lung and abdominal surgery. The main indication for their use was pain syndrome. Adequate analgesia with tramal, nubain and moradol was noted in 73, 76 and 81% of cases. In marked pain syndrome after thoracotomy the most effective agents were moradol and morphine. Computer monitoring of the respiratory function in tramal analgesia has shown a decrease in lung ventilation, esophageal pressure, inhalation volume, O2 production. Tramal, nubain and moradol in analgesic doses did not inhibit respiration. In adequate analgesia there was a decrease in lung ventilation which was not accompanied by shifts in acid-base balance of the arterial blood. The above analgesics had no considerable effect on systemic hemodynamics, though the use of tramal decreased systemic blood pressure and the use of moradol decreased systemic blood pressure and total peripheral vascular resistance. Tramal was most effective for synchronization of spontaneous respiration with a lung ventilation device in prolonged ventilation, as well as for the arrest of muscular tremor in the postoperative period. Tramal was effective in 95% of patients in the early post-anesthesia and postoperative period.     

Patterns of methane production in a Burmese (Myanmar) population

While up to 50% of Western populations produce methane, this is less than that of rural black Africans and there is no information on methane production in populations from Asian developing countries. Females consistently produce methane more commonly than males, and methane production in children under the age of five years, except in Nigeria, is unusual. Breath methane was sampled in 1426 subjects from Myanmar ranging in age from 1 month to 88 years, with a mean age of 26.2 years. Half (49.8%) of the Myanmar population produced methane, this figure comprising 53% of females and 46% of males sampled. Methane production increases with age and reaches adult levels after 10 years of age. A high prevalence of methane production was found in children under 3 years of age (15.8%). Methane production was absent in 13 solely breast-fed children and increased as other food was introduced into the diet. There was an association of methane production within families and with smoking. The prevalence of methane production increased in male and female smokers, with 75% of smokers producing methane. Methane production was not associated with occupation, education, income, water source, latrine type, previous diarrhoea, antibiotic usage or socio-economic status.     

Study of the effect of the parameters of physical exercise on the dynamics of ischemic reaction in patients with stable stenocardia

The intensity and duration of exercise were investigated for their influence on the parameters of myocardial ischemia and its severity in 25 patients with Functional Classes II-IV angina who underwent intermittent, stepwise increasing exercises. It was ascertained that there were basic correlations between the intensity and duration of exercise and conventional myocardial ischemic parameters and there were no such correlations for threshold parameters that allowed the coronary reserve and function to be objectively evaluated in patients with angina. The maximal correlation slope angles between heart rate, ST regiment displacement and exercise intensity of various duration were proposed for individual characterization of the specific features of control of the cardiovascular system and severity of myocardial ischemia.