Acute water intoxication induced by oxytocin

A new case of oxytocin-induced water intoxication is reported in a 30 year old gravid woman. The severe symptoms of this uncommon complication are principally neurological; biological signs are a hyponatraemia with low plasma osmolality. Usually, biological and clinical signs are rapidly cleared up by treatment, but maternal death or neonatal water intoxication may occur. Such accidents must be prevented by clinical monitoring, watching out for alarm signals (oliguria is always found, resulting from the effect of oxytocin on the kidney), minimum fluid and proportional salt intakes, careful monitoring of oxytocin infusion rates, facilitated by the use of a constant flow-rate pump.     

Etude des propriétés électro-optiques de i' adn par biréfringence électrique a faible champ, 2. Mécanismes d'orientation et de relaxation

The electric birefringence of calf thymus DNA is measured at different low electric field strengths with rectangular and bipolar pulses as a function of concentration, ionic strength and molecular weight, and these results are interpreted in terms of orientation and relaxation mechanisms. The orientation of DNA is mainly due to an induced dipole, but the results reveal a slow induced moment, which is saturated, when low field strengths are applied. A well-defined slow relaxation mechanism is demonstrated, which is attributed to the orientation of DNA as a whole. The long relaxation time decreases when high electric fields or high DNA concentrations are used, and the fact that the decay of the birefringence also contains short relaxation times does not reflect the polydispersity of the samples. The comparison between the molecular lengths determined from long relaxation times and the theoretical lengths of rigid cylinders shows an important coiling of DNA, when the fragments are longer than 110 – 120 nm.     

Clinical use in adults of 2 new muscle relaxants: atracurium and vecuronium

115 general and urologic surgery adult patients, ASA class I-II, were divided in four groups according to initial bolus and relaxant used: group A atracurium 0.6 mg X kg-1, group B 0.5 mg X kg-1, group C vecuronium 0.1 mg X kg-1 and group D pancuronium 0.1 mg X kg-1. When the single twitch recovered to 25% of control height (T25), subgroups were individualized depending on whether repeat doses of 1/3 of initial bolus were given or not, and whether reversal was spontaneous or obtained by a standard dose of neostigmine 2.5 mg and atropine 1.25 mg. By ulnar nerve stimulation at the wrist, the force of thumb adduction was recorded on a polygraph; single twitch (tw), train of four (tof) and ratio tof 4/1 (Rtof) were measured. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone and fentanyl without premedication and maintained with fentanyl and N2O in oxygen; the trachea was intubated once the block was at its maximum. The onset time of maximal block was 5 min for groups A, B and C, and 7.9 min for group D. T25 was 39.9 +/- 8.5 min for group A, 34.4 +/- 9.7 min for group B, 28.9 +/- 9.9 min for group C and 70.7 +/- 25.9 min for group D. A Rtof equal to 75% was achieved in less than 65 min with atracurium and vecuronium, but much later with pancuronium. Reversal at T25 was efficient, but not really required, for atracurium and vecuronium, but necessary and useful for pancuronium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Autism and genetics: Clinical approach and association study with two markers of HRAS gene

Twin studies and familial aggregation studies indicate that genetic factors could play a role in infantile autism. In an earlier study, we identified a possible positive association between autism and a c-Harvey-ras (HRAS) oncogene marker at the 3′ end of the coding region. In an attempt to confirm this finding, we studied a larger population, well-characterized clinically and genetically. We report a positive association between autism and two HRAS markers, the 3′ marker used in the initial study and an additional marker in exon 1. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Surgical treatment of acquired massive loss of substance of the roof of the mouth

Surgical treatment of post-traumatic major loss of substance of the palate is reviewed, injuries in the series studied resulting from projectiles. The extensive loss of substance excludes the use of a mucous reservoir and skin grafts have to be employed. Free micro-anastomotic flaps represent a marked progress, as rapid results can be obtained, but these are not always totally effective. Pedicular flaps may have to be used, either of regional origin (cheek, neck, forehead, pectoral region) or from other zones (abdomen, internal surface of the arm). This allows effective, durable obturation of the palatine breach, and the application of the mobilized tissue to associated lesions that, because of the etiology, are almost always present.