Systemic effects of intraocular epinephrine during cataract surgery

This paper examines the effects of intraocular epinephrine on systemic blood pressure and heart rate during cataract surgery. Sixty-two patients were studied, all of whom received an intraocular infusion of approximately 200 to 300 mL of balanced salt solution with 0.5 mL of epinephrine 1:1000. There was no statistically significant change in blood pressure or heart rate during the time of epinephrine administration. Electrocardiogram monitoring during surgery showed no changes. We believe that dilute concentrations of epinephrine administered during extracapsular cataract extraction pose little threat of systemic toxicity.     

Rapid change in height and body proportions of Maya American children

Maya families from Guatemala migrated to the United States in record numbers from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. Births to Maya immigrant women have created a sizable number of Maya American children. The height and sitting height of 5 to 12 years children (n = 431) were measured in 1999 and 2000. Leg length was estimated and the sitting height ratio was calculated. These data were compared with a sample of Maya children living in Guatemala measured in 1998 (n = 1,347). Maya American children are currently 11.54 cm taller and 6.83 cm longer‐legged, on average, than Maya children living in Guatemala. Consequently, the Maya Americans have a significantly lower average sitting height ratio (i.e., relatively longer legs in proportion to length of the head and trunk) than do the Maya in Guatemala. These results add support to the hypothesis that both the height and body proportions of human populations are sensitive indicators of the quality of the environment for growth. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 14:753–761, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Prevention of post-operative infections in urologic surgery. Comparative study of cotrimoxazole and cefazolin

The main point of this study resides in comparing the efficiency and the disadvantages of using cefazoline and cotrimoxazole in the prevention of post-surgery infections of the low urinary tract. 91 patients who were about to undergo urologic surgery were divided in three groups for randomisation. 31 patients received 500 mg of intramuscular cefazoline every eight hours, the day before surgery, the day of surgery and five days following surgery. 30 others received 800 mg of intramuscular sulfametoxazole and 160 mg of trimetoprime every 12 hours during the same lapse of time. The third group of 30 patients did not receive any antibiotics. Age, sex, clinical pathology needing surgery and indwelling catheter were the same in the three groups. The group treated by cefazoline, presented 5 post surgery infections among which 3 transitory fevers and 2 isolated bacteriurias. In the group treated by cotrimoxazole, there were 7 post surgery infections among which 3 fevers and 4 isolated bacteriurias. Tolerance in both cases was similar. In the control group, there were 19 post-surgery infections with 2 cases of sepsis, 14 transitory fevers and 3 isolated bacteriurias. These results show the importance of antibiotic prophylaxy in urologic surgery of the low genital tract whether the patient has a urethral catheter or not and whatever the type of urologic surgery. But, there is no significant difference between cefazoline and cotrimoxazole.     

Aluminiumoxidkeramik in der rekonstruktiven Nasenchirurgie. Histologische Untersuchungen am Kaninchen

Summary In cases where a reconstruction of defects in the larynx, oral cavity, the pharynx or in the ear region has been performed using skin flaps, a temporary fistula is formed at the point of entry.This fistula can be closed later after the flap has taken and the flap pedicle dissected.We would like to demonstrate with some examples that with the use of deepithelisation it is possible to achieve a primary wound closure. This way no temporary fistula results and additional surgery is avoided in many cases.Furthermore flap deepithelisation offers a way to bring good vascularised tissue under the skin and cover subcutaneous defects, for example those after radiotherapy.

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Die Veröffentlichung des Manuskripts soll in Laryngol Rhinol Otol (Stuttg) erfolgen     

Current trend in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease

The analysis of three subsequent randomized trials carried out within the frame of the European Organization for Research on Cancer (E.O.R.T.C.) enables to define a strategy for the staging and the treatment of early stages of Hodgkin's disease. Several prognostic factors were identified by multivariate analyses: 1) erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which has a greater impact on relapse-free survival than systemic symptoms but which can be combined with them; the combination of the two is a more powerful prognostic indicator than ESR alone; 2) the number of involved lymphatic areas: patients with one or two lymphatic areas involved (CS I and II2) have a better outcome than stage II patients with 3 or more areas involved (CS II3). Patients with favorable prognostic indicators are submitted to staging laparotomy because for them spleen involvement has a pejorative impact. For patients with unfavorable indicators, the spleen involvement has little prognostic significance and therefore those patients who need, anyway, an aggressive treatment do not undergo staging laparotomy. Patients with favorable prognostic indicators and negative staging laparotomy can be treated by radiotherapy alone, patients with positive laparotomy or patients with unfavorable prognostic indicators are treated by combination of multiple chemotherapy and radiotherapy.     

Protein-calorie malnutrition impairs host defense against Candida albicans.

Protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) impairs immune responsiveness predisposing to Candida albicans sepsis, but mechanisms are unclear. This study examined the effect of PCM on enteric-derived C. albicans intestinal translocation and the ability of in vivo interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) to upregulate macrophage (MO) candidacidal mechanisms in PCM mice. Control (24% casein) and low protein (2.5%) diets were given for 4 weeks. Mice (n = 160) were fed C. albicans in their drinking water for 3 days and C. albicans translocation (mean colony-forming units (CFU)/g tissue +/- SEM) to the GI tract, liver, spleen, and kidney was assessed at 1 and 5 days following endotoxin challenge of 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg body wt. In a separate study (n = 100 mice), IFN-gamma (1000-10,000 U/day ip) vs saline was given for 3 days prior to harvesting peritoneal macrophages for assay of superoxide anion (O2-), percentage macrophage phagocytosis of C. albicans, and percentage killing of C. albicans. On Day 1, fungal translocation to the intestinal wall and systemic organs in the PCM group was significantly higher. On Day 5, mean CFU were significantly higher in the PCM group, indicating impaired organ clearance. Mean O2-, phagocytosis, and killing were significantly impaired in the PCM group (P less than 0.05), but IFN-gamma improved all functions. PCM significantly depressed host responses to C. albicans. IFN-gamma treatment enhanced candidacidal mechanisms, suggesting a therapeutic role in the malnourished host predisposed to C. albicans sepsis.     

Singlet oxygen induced cerebral vasospasm: an experimental study in rats

A new experimental model is described which can be used as an alternative to study the effects of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in rats. Vasospasm of the basilar artery is induced photochemically after transpalatal illumination of intracisternally injected rose bengal in two different rat strains. Singlet oxygen, generated in the subarachnoid space, elicits vasospasm which has been demonstrated angiographically at 90 min and 24 h after photosensitisation. Sprague Dawley rats responded better than Wistar rats. Dilution of rose bengal in water was more vasospastic than dilution of rose bengal in artificial CSF. Since the action of singlet oxygen is similar to that of free radicals, this experiment gives an argument for the hypothesis that free radicals play a leading role in the pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage.     

Measuring behaviour: The tools and the strategies

Animal behaviour can be viewed as a stream of elements, which, once accurately described, can be counted and timed. Data acquisition techniques and tools are reviewed, and some strategies for collection and analysis of data using PC computers are suggested. Automated instruments are not satisfactory for the study of complex behaviour and as such systemic observation remains irreplaceable. IBM PC-type computers, with a wide range of analytical software (e.g., spreadsheets, statistical packages, technical graphics), are practical for data acquisition. Several systems which can satisfy different applications are reviewed. Some systems can communicate with a videorecorder, a facility which remarkably increases the accuracy of measurement; this is essential for meaningful analyses of the internal structure of behavioural streams (sequences, time patterns) or communication processes. The power of new tools enables behavioural measurement with the necessary complexity to allow a whole new set of questions to be addressed. However, it also increases demands for meaningful content and analysis of data.