Adding Bupivacaine to High-potassium Cardioplegia Improves Function and Reduces Cellular Damage of Rat Isolated Hearts after Prolonged, Cold Storage

Background: Bupivacaine retards myocardial acidosis during ischemia. The authors measured function of rat isolated hearts after prolonged storage to determine whether bupivacaine improves cardiac protection compared with standard cardioplegia alone.

Methods: After measuring cardiac function on a Langendorff apparatus, hearts were perfused with cardioplegia alone (controls), cardioplegia containing 500 [mu]m bupivacaine, or cardioplegia containing 2 mm lidocaine; were stored at 4[degrees]C for 12 h; and were then reperfused. Heart rate and left ventricular developed pressures were measured for 60 min. Maximum positive rate of change in ventricular pressure, oxygen consumption, and lactate dehydrogenase release were also measured.

Results: All bupivacaine-treated, four of five lidocaine-treated, and no control hearts beat throughout the 60-min recovery period. Mean values of heart rate, left ventricular developed pressure, maximum positive rate of change in ventricular pressure, rate-pressure product, and efficiency in bupivacaine-treated hearts exceeded those of the control group (P < 0.001 at 60 min for all). Mean values of the lidocaine group were intermediate. Oxygen consumption of the control group exceeded the other groups early in recovery, but not at later times. Lactate dehydrogenase release from the bupivacaine group was less than that from the control group (P < 0.001) but did not differ from baseline.     

Chemical composition and cytotoxic activity of the leaf essential oil of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eugenia zuchowskiae</Emphasis> from Monteverde,Costa Rica

The leaf essential oil of Eugenia zuchowskiae from Monteverde, Costa Rica, has been obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC–MS. The principal constituents of E. zuchowskiae leaf oil were α-pinene (28.3%), β-caryophyllene (13.2%), α-humulene (13.1%), and α-copaene (8.1%). The leaf essential oil of E. zuchowskiae showed pronounced in-vitro cytotoxic activity against MCF-7, MDA-MB-468, and UACC-257 human tumor cell lines. The major components showed cytotoxic activities comparable to doxorubicin (LC₅₀ 14–70 μg/ml).     

High risk factors for rehospitalization within six months

Objective. 1. To identify risk factors associated with psychiatric rehospitalization within six months, using global clinical assessments and demographic information and; 2. To determine if risk factors for a hospital in a rural region are similar to those reported for urban hospitals. Method. The setting was a psychiatric unit within a general hospital. All adult admissions for one year were assigned scores on the North Carolina Functional Assessment Scale (NCFAS) and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale. Patients were interviewed six months after discharge to determine if they had been rehospitalized and to assign new NCFAS and GAF scores. Results. Significant risk of rehospitalization was predicted by: 1. NCFAS score >90; 2. history of prior hospitalization; 3. nursing home residence; 4. referral from a small community hospital and; 5. non-compliance with outpatient appointments. Conclusions. Global assessments and demographic information collected during an index admission can generate factors to identify patients at risk for rehospitalization within six months. History of prior admissions and non-compliance with outpatient treatment, reported as risk factors in urban settings, were found also to be risk factors in a rural region.He was formerly Assistant Professor, Center for Health Sciences Statistics, East Carolina University School of Medicine.     

Lymphoma associated bone marrow necrosis with raised anticardiolipin antibody.

A case of high grade B cell lymphoma presented with bone marrow necrosis, followed by development of extensive marrow fibrosis, the evolution of which was documented by serial magnetic resonance imaging and bone marrow trephine histology. A markedly raised anticardiolipin antibody titre at diagnosis suggests that lymphoma associated antiphospholipid syndrome may have contributed to the aetiology of the bone marrow necrosis.     

Puncture wound related pseudomonas infections of the foot in children

Eleven children with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection complicating foot puncture wounds were reviewed. Delay in presentation (mean 2 days) and diagnosis (mean 9 days) due to a paucity of clinical signs of deep infection was characteristic of this condition. Septic arthritis (5 patients) and osteomyelitis (3 patients) were frequent complications. Treatment involved multiple surgical debridements and prolonged intravenous antibiotic therapy. The clinical outcome was good although long-term radiographic changes were common.     

Genotype determining low catechol-O-methyltransferase activity as a risk factor for obsessive-compulsive disorder

In the present study, we address the role of the gene for catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), a key modulator of dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission, in the genetic predisposition to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We show that a common functional allele of this gene, which results in a 3- to 4-fold reduction in enzyme activity, is significantly associated in a recessive manner with susceptibility to OCD, particularly in males. This association is further supported by psychiatric evaluation of patients who carry microdeletions encompassing the comt gene. The mechanism underlying this sex-selective association remains to be defined and may include a sexual dimorphism in COMT activity, although close linkage with a nearby disease susceptibility locus cannot be excluded at this point.     

Endometrial pipelle biopsy compared to conventional dilatation and curettage

Dilatation and curettage (D+C) is the most common operation performed in Britain. The liberal use of D+C has been criticised. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of outpatient endometrial pipelle biopsy and determine its safety in terms of detecting abnormalities. Complications and financial costs were also evaluated. Data were reviewed from an active gynaecological unit from February 1993 to January 1995. A total of 303 D+Cs and 104 endometrial pipelle biopsies were performed in this period. Nine malignancies were detected by D+C and 1 by pipelle biopsy. A total of 24 and 3 benign abnormalities were detected by each method respectively. There was a higher complication rate in the D+C group but the failure rate was higher in the endometrial pipelle biopsy group. The monetary savings over this period is estimated at ￡20,307. There were no missed malignancies to our knowledge over the 8 yr period since endometrial pipelle biopsy was introduced to the hospital.     

Articulation of Asthma and Its Care Among Low-Income Emergency Care Recipients

Low-income minority patients from East St. Louis, Illinois, a depressed midwestern urban city, who had visited acute care settings with asthma symptoms, participated in a focus group. Questions were constructed around the Health Belief Model to characterize participants' experiences in receiving asthma care, their confidence in long-term asthma self-management, barriers they perceived to managing their asthma, and recommendations they would make for improving asthma care in their community. Analysis of comments suggests an appreciable understanding of asthma triggers, limited coping behaviors for asthma symptoms, very limited practice of active asthma management, perception of the health care system as frequently insensitive to their needs or their knowledge of their own care, exchange of well-articulated information regarding how to deal with the system, and an apparent lack of awareness of any potential contribution of patient education or support system.