Bilateral Todd''s Paralysis After Focal Seizures

Transient postictal hemiparesis or monoparesis is not uncommon after partial (focal) seizures. We report 2 patients who complained of severe bilateral limb weakness after generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) beginning focally. Bilateral Todd's paralysis was verified and documented in both patients. EEG and clinical evidence indicate the supplementary motor cortex as the most likely source of the seizures in both cases.     

Rates of intestinal absorption of molybdenum in humans.

The intestinal absorption of molybdenum in healthy human volunteers has been measured by simultaneous oral and intravenous administration of the stable isotopes 95Mo and 96Mo, and the results were analysed using the convolution integral technique. The results showed that molybdenum ingested in liquid form was rapidly and totally absorbed into the circulation under ordinary intake regimes. The rates and extent of absorption were lower for composite meals, and also for increasing levels of administration. This information can be helpful in the application of the new ICRP model of the human alimentary tract.     

Epirubicin as a single agent therapy for the treatment of breast cancer — A pharmacokinetic and clinical study

Sixty women with breast cancer (mean age: 61 years; range 36-78 years) were treated with Epirubicin (4’epi-Dox-orubicin), 60 mg m^-2 , as single drug therapy. The drug was administered as 2 hours’ constant rate infusions. The pharmacokinetics of the drug during the first course of treatment was evaluated by measurements of the plasma concentration of Epirubicin at the end of the infusion period. There was a five-fold inter-individual variation of the dose-normalized maximum plasma concentration, which increased with increasing age of the patients. There was no correlation between this pharmacokinetic parameter and degree of obesity.     

Endothelin-1 in children with chronic renal failure

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) was meansured after extraction from plasma of normal adults (5.9±1.9 pg/ml,n=22), normal children (7.1±1.86 pg/ml,n=29), nonhaemodialysed children with chronic renal failure (CRF) (11.1±1.8 pg/ml),n=10), renal graft recipients (9.5±3.4 pg/ml,n=37), haemodialysed children 24 h after a haemodialysis session (20.02±10.9 pg/ml,n=26) and haemodialysed children before and after a haemodialysis session (15.31±10.6 and 13.8±8.5 respectively,n=14). A sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay was used. ET-1 was significantly higher in non-haemodialysed CRF children and in renal graft recipients than in normal children (P<0.001 andP<0.01, respectively) and significantly higher in haemodialysed children when compared with normal children, non-haemodialysed CRF children and renal graft recipients (P<0.001). ET-1 concentrations were similar in normal children and normal adults. ET-1 was inversely correlated with glomerular filtration rate in non-haemodialysed CRF children (r=–0.39,P<0.01) and positively correlated with extracellular volume in haemodialysed children (r=0.435,P<0.03). After haemodialysis, ET-1 increased in 6 and decreased in 8 of the 14 children studied before and after a haemodialysis session.     

Parents' needs after ultrasound diagnosis of a fetal malformation: an empirical deficit analysis.

We studied 56 pregnant women and 24 partners after ultrasound examination in the 18-24h gestational week revealed a fetal malformation. The subjects were followed through the process of examination, information sharing and counselling about the option of terminating the pregnancy. Regardless of sociodemographic variables or attitude towards the pregnancy, the diagnosis was always traumatic. A detailed critique of the physician's behavior and function emphasized his important role in the process of coming to terms with the malformation and gave clear indications of the positive expectations parents had. The affected patients expected the role of the professionally competent expert to be combined with that of the empathetic approachable counsellor, whose ste-by-step explanation would allow them to decide for themselves whether to terminate the pregnancy. The partner's participant was an essential aid to adjustment. It remains to be seen to what extent the functions of the doctor are realistic and justified.     

Preliminary assessment of the Dex Frame for assisting children with specific learning difficulties

A device called the Dex Frame has recently been marketed as an aid for children with specific learning difficulties. Using a test of reading speed and a test of reading accuracy we have attempted to evaluate the device. Two groups of children with learning difficulties were used, one having sole use of the device and being allowed to carry it with them and a second group who only used the device when attending for remedial tuition and assessment. The results show that no significant improvement occurred in reading performance of the groups with learning difficulties using the Dex Frame as compared with a control group. The teachers of the groups did, however, feel that on an individual basis some children (< 10%) expressed that they felt more comfortable using the device.     

The ED50 and ED95 of Intrathecal Isobaric Bupivacaine with Opioids for Cesarean Delivery

Background: The ideal intrathecal isobaric bupivacaine dose for cesarean delivery anesthesia is uncertain. While small doses (5-9 mg) of bupivacaine may reduce side effects such as hypotension, they potentially increase spinal anesthetic failures. This study determined the ED50 and ED95 of intrathecal isobaric bupivacaine (with adjuvant opioids) for cesarean delivery.

Methods: After institutional review board approval and written informed consent were obtained, 48 parturients undergoing elective cesarean delivery under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia were enrolled in this double-blind, randomized, dose-ranging study. Patients received a 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-, 9-, 10-, 11-, or 12-mg intrathecal isobaric bupivacaine dose with 10 [mu]g fentanyl and 200 [mu]g morphine. Overall anesthetic success was recorded when no intraoperative epidural supplement was required during the cesarean delivery. ED50 and ED95 values for overall anesthetic success were determined using a logistic regression model.

Results: ED50 and ED95 values for overall anesthetic success were 7.25 and 13.0 mg, respectively. No advantages for low doses could be demonstrated with regard to hypotension, nausea, vomiting, pruritus, or maternal satisfaction, although this study was underpowered to detect significant differences in secondary outcome variables.     

Genital infections with Chlamydia trachomatis in pregnant women in New Caledonia]

Chlamydia trachomatis was researched from 400 pregnant women. 76 of them were found infected and 129 carried serological signs of infection. We purpose a detection at the end of pregnancy interesting women with sexually transmitted diseases background and those with serological positive results (greater than 1/64). Then, treatment of the mother will be an useful method of prevention against neonatal infection.