First Aid Treatment of Electric Shock

The mode of death was determined in the 82 electrocutions as being either asphyxial or cardiac in type. Using the information obtained from the electrocutions, the functional response in the 7,724 electrical accidents was determined. From this, the relative success of the first aid treatments was decided.

External cardiac massage with mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration was a failure even when applied to the cases with ventricular fibrillation. Only four cases of recovery from ventricular fibrillation following electric shock are known. Mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration compared very unfavorably with the older manual methods.

It is recommended that the first aid treatment of electric shock be reevaluated. The recommended treatment should consist of two blows on the chest followed by a manual method of artificial respiration. In electric shock, external cardiac massage with mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration should not be recommended for use by first aid personnel.     

Significance of Histological Response to Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer

Background Neoadjuvant (preoperative) chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for pancreatic cancer offers theoretical advantages over the standard approach of surgery followed by adjuvant CRT. We hypothesized that histological responses to CRT would be significant prognostic factors in patients undergoing neoadjuvant CRT followed by resection. Methods Since 1994, 193 patients with biopsy-proven pancreatic adenocarcinoma have completed neoadjuvant CRT, and 70 patients have undergone resection. Specimens were retrospectively examined by an individual pathologist for histological responses (tumor necrosis, tumor fibrosis, and residual tumor load) and immunohistochemical staining for p53 and epidermal growth factor receptor. Factors influencing overall survival were analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier (univariate) and Cox proportional hazards (multivariate) methods.Results The estimated overall survival (median±SE) in the entire group of patients undergoing resection was 23±4.2 months, with an estimated 3-year survival of 37%±6.6% and a median follow-up of 28 months. Complete histological responses occurred in 6% of patients. Overexpression of p53 was more common in patients with large residual tumor loads. Tumor necrosis was an independent negative prognostic factor, as were positive lymph nodes, a large residual tumor load, and poor tumor differentiation.Conclusions Histological response to neoadjuvant CRT—as measured by residual tumor load—may be useful as a surrogate marker for treatment efficacy. Characterization of the tumor cells that survive neoadjuvant CRT may help us to identify new or more appropriate targets for systemic therapy.     

A Comparison of the Intubation Conditions between Mivacurium and Rocuronium during Balanced Anesthesia

Background: Comparisons of the intubation conditions with mivacurium and rocuronium from previous reports are confounded by the use of varied induction regimens. The authors compared intubation conditions of mivacurium, rocuronium, and a placebo at 90 s and their recovery profiles during anesthesia with nitrous oxide, oxygen, and propofol.

Methods: After induction with midazolam, fentanyl, and propofol in a randomized blinded study, 100 patients received one of the following treatments: 0.25 mg/kg mivacurium in divided doses (0.15 mg/kg followed by 0.1 mg/kg 30 s later); 0.45, 0.6, 0.9, or 1.2 mg/kg rocuronium; or placebo. Evoked thumb adduction was measured throughout. Intubation was attempted 90 s after the initial dose of mivacurium and other treatment doses by a "blinded" physician. Intubating conditions were graded as excellent, good, poor, or not possible. Spontaneous recovery was studied until a 25% initial twitch height was reached. Mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate changes between groups were determined before induction through 6 min after administration of the study drugs.

Results: There were no important changes or intergroup differences in mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate. Intubation conditions were good or excellent for both mivacurium and rocuronium at the 0.9 mg/kg dose (93%) and at the 1.2 mg/kg dose (100%). Rocuronium at the 0.6 mg/kg dose was excellent in 27% of patients, whereas rocuronium at the 0.45 mg/kg dose had the least number of excellent conditions and the most poor or not possible assessments. Patients given placebo could not be intubated. Times to maximum blockade for 0.9 and 1.2 mg/kg rocuronium were the shortest. The times to 25% recovery for 0.6 mg/kg rocuronium (mean +/- SD = 27 +/- 8.6 min), 0.9 mg/kg (43.1 +/- 10.8), and 1.2 mg/kg (62.3 +/- 17.4 min) were significantly longer than were those for mivacurium (17.4 +/- 6.2 min).     

Development of a reconstructed human skin model for angiogenesis

We have previously shown that reconstructed human skin engineered from autologous keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and sterilized donor allodermis stimulates angiogenesis within 5-7 days when placed on well-vascularized wound beds in nude mice. When this reconstructed skin was used clinically in more demanding wound beds, some grafts were lost, possibly due to delayed vascularization. As this reconstructed skin lacks any endothelial cells, our aim in this study was to develop an angiogenic reconstructed skin model in which to explore strategies to improve angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. We report that culture of small-vessel human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HuDMECs) was achieved using magnetic beads coated with an antibody to platelet cell adhesion molecule as a means of purifying the culture. Keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and HuDMECs could be cultured from the same skin biopsy. Initial studies culturing HuDMECs and other sources of endothelial cells with the tissue-engineered skin showed that these cells were capable of slowly entering the dermis under standard culture conditions in vitro. In conclusion, this provides us with a model in which to explore strategies for improving angiogenesis in vitro and also establishes the culture methodologies for the production of reconstructed skin containing autologous keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells.     

Intravenous lidocaine does not reduce length of hospital stay following abdominal hysterectomy

Purpose

Intravenous lidocaine given both intraoperatively and postoperatively decreases pain scores, reduces opioid consumption, and promotes faster return of bowel function following abdominal surgery. The purpose of this trial was to determine if intravenous lidocaine limited to the intraoperative period reduces length of hospital stay and improves functional recovery following abdominal hysterectomy.

Methods

Following Research Ethics Board approval and informed consent, women of American Society of Anesthesiologists’ class I and II undergoing abdominal hysterectomy were assigned randomly to lidocaine and control groups. Lidocaine subjects received an intravenous bolus of 1.5 mg·kg^?1 followed by an infusion of 3 mg·kg^?1·hr^?1, while control subjects received matching placebo. Patients, anesthesiologists, and study personnel were blinded, and anesthesia and multimodal perioperative analgesia were standardized. The primary outcome of this trial was discharge from hospital on or before the second postoperative day (POD2). Additional criteria were assessed for secondary outcomes, i.e., discharge fitness on POD2, length of hospital stay, opioid use, numeric rating scores for pain, quality of recovery, and recovery of bowel function.

Results

Ninety of the 93 women who were recruited completed the study protocol. The characteristics of the patients in both groups were similar—lidocaine group (n = 44) and control group (n = 46)—and no difference was noted between groups in the numbers of women discharged from hospital on POD2 (10 lidocaine, 15 control; P = 0.295). Days to discharge fitness (P = 0.666) and length of hospital stay (P = 0.456) were also similar. Differences in opioid consumption, pain scores, and recovery were neither clinically nor statistically significant.

Conclusion

Intraoperative administration of intravenous lidocaine did not reduce hospital stay or improve objective measures of analgesia and recovery following abdominal hysterectomy. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00382499).     

Teaching guided fibreoptic nasotracheal intubation

An anaesthetic technique suitable for training in fibreoptic intubation is described. It uses a capped oropharyngeal airway which leaves the nose free for fibreoptic intubation and allows the airway to be maintained and ventilation to be controlled if necessary. An assessment is made of the technique after 50 fibreoptic intubations with the Olympus LF-1 fibrescope. There were no failed intubations and no serious complications.     

Recovery from anaesthesia in children

There are no published comprehensive surveys of paediatric recovery room experience and the incidence of complications. A prospective survey was made of 16,700 consecutive admissions to the recovery room at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital during the years 1985-1988. The incidence of respiratory complications was low, with laryngospasm 0.85%. The incidence of hypotension was higher than that in adult studies; over 50% of children recorded a decrease in blood pressure in the recovery room of more than 20%, compared to values before operation. The incidence of vomiting in the recovery room was also lower than in comparable adult studies. Certain aspects of recovery room practice changed during the 4 years of the study; these included routine oxygen administration, parents in the recovery room, and our approach to postoperative analgesia. The implications of these changes are discussed.