Terminal coma affects messenger RNA detection in post mortem human temporal cortex.

In situ hybridization histochemistry has been used to study the amount of M1 muscarinic receptor mRNA in temporal cortex from subjects with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, where the duration of terminal coma was known. Total polyadenylated mRNA and glutamate decarboxylase activity were also measured. Both muscarinic receptor mRNA and enzyme activity showed a significant decline with increasing duration of terminal coma, but were not related to diagnosis. Polyadenylated mRNA signal did not show an association with coma. These data indicate the need to consider the nature of the terminal illness in post mortem studies of mRNA as well as for neurochemical research.     

Asthma and diving

Medical opinions conflict as to whether the mild, or infrequent, asthmatic should dive. However, even an asymptomatic asthmatic may have small airway obstruction.     

A cluster of cases of streptococcal necrotizing fasciitis in Gloucestershire.

We describe the first cluster of cases of necrotizing fasciitis (NF) in this century in the United Kingdom (UK). Between 1 January and 30 June 1994 there were six cases (five confirmed, one probable) of Streptococcus pyogenes NF in west Gloucestershire, population 320,000. Two cases died. The first two patients probably acquired their infections during the course of elective surgery performed in the same operating theatre, possibly from a nasopharyngeal carrier amongst the theatre staff. The remaining infections were community-acquired. Of 5 S. pyogenes isolates there were 2 M1 strains, 1 M3, 1 M5 and 1 M non-typeable strain. S. pyogenes NF had not been recorded in west Gloucestershire in the preceding 10 years and the incidence of S. pyogenes bacteraemia in England and Wales had not risen in the past 5 years. The two presumably theatre-acquired infections raised several issues. The need for detailed bacteriological investigation of all cases of post-surgical NF was confirmed. Clusters of S. pyogenes infection following surgery should be managed by closure of the operating theatre until all staff have been screened for carriage. Closure of an operating theatre and screening of staff following a sporadic case is probably not justified because of the infrequency of surgical cross-infection with S. pyogenes. Regular, routine screening of theatre staff is neither practical nor necessary.     

Aims and objectives in the infertility clinic: the practical issues.

Aims and objectives of infertility clinic staff and their patients may not coincide. Pregnancy may not always be desired or desirable. Investigations and treatment may enhance the problem rather than alleviate it and cause considerable stress. Coping mechanisms in clients and staff may need specific reinforcement in success and in failure.     

Treatment of chronic sialadenitis by intraductal penicillin or saline.

PURPOSE: We sought to describe the treatment of chronic sialadenitis by intraductal penicillin or saline. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 32 males and 23 females with chronic submandibular sialadenitis aged 12 to 65 years and 16 males and 11 females with chronic parotitis aged 8 to 65 years who were treated by intraductal instillation of penicillin or saline. RESULTS: In the patients with submandibular sialadenitis, 44 patients treated with penicillin and 11 treated with saline became symptom free; symptoms recurred in 3 treated with penicillin, of whom 2 became symptom free after further instillations and 1 after removal of a sialolith at the ductal orifice; and follow-up of 22 patients verified that 18 treated with penicillin and 4 with saline had been symptom free for 1 to 15 years and 1 to 3 years, respectively. In the patients with parotitis, 18 patients treated with penicillin, 8 treated with saline, and 1 treated with both became symptom free; symptoms recurred in 1 treated with penicillin and 1 with saline, both of whom became symptom free after further instillations; and follow-up of 15 patients verified that 11 treated with penicillin, 3 with saline, and 1 with both had been symptom free for 1 to 14 years, 2 to 12 years, and 3 years, respectively. CONCLUSION: The intraductal instillation of penicillin or saline is a simple and surprisingly successful technique for the treatment of chronic sialadenitis.     

Cerebral correlates of varying ages of emotional memories.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the cerebral correlates of varying ages of emotional memories using quantitative electroencephalography. BACKGROUND: Recollection of emotional memories has often been used as a method of inducing emotional arousal in studies seeking to investigate the cerebral correlates of emotional arousal. However, the specific effects of the ages of the memories recalled on resulting changes in cerebral activity have not been investigated. METHOD: A total of 16 female undergraduates were asked to recollect an angry memory while quantitative electroencephalography was recorded. Following recollection, they were further asked to indicate the age of the memory recalled. RESULTS: The results indicated that significant correlations existed between ages of angry memories and changes in the magnitude of low beta (13 to 21 Hz) and high beta (21 to 32 Hz) at the right frontal, left temporal, and bilateral parietal regions of the brain. CONCLUSIONS: The results support an integration of the spreading activation and parallel distributed processing models of memory in predicting the cerebral effects of varying ages of emotional memories. Further, given the present findings, it may be important for investigators to determine the ages of the memories recalled so as to control or otherwise account for the effects of this potentially confounding variable.