The effect of naloxone on the preoperative gastric volume and pH

The effect of 4 mg oral naloxone on preoperative gastric volume and pH of gastric aspirate was studied in a double-blind, randomized study. Twenty patients received 10 ml of naloxone (4 mg) mixed with 10 ml of orange juice, and 20 patients received 10 ml of isotonic saline mixed with 10 ml of orange juice, 2 h before surgery. Gastric content was obtained immediately after intubation of the trachea. No significant difference in gastric volume and pH of gastric aspirate was found between the two groups. It is concluded that naloxone does not affect gastric emptying and gastric acid secretion to a degree great enough to protect against aspiration of gastric contents into the lungs.     

A study of the arterial blood supply to the penis

Summary Two arterial systems contribute to the blood supply of the penis. The deeper system, responsible for supplying the erectile tissues, arises from the internal pudendal arteries (a. pudendae internae), or sometimes from an accessory internal artery. Four branches, either collateral or terminal, should be considered: the artery to the bulb of the penis, the urethral artery, the deep artery of the penis and the dorsal artery of the penis. Variations are frequently present in the origin, distribution and symmetry of these arteries, but on the whole the blood supply is organised into three planes, inferior or ventral, middle and deep, superior or dorsal. These three planes are complementary: when the blood supply to any one of them is occluded, at whatever level this may be, the blood supply is supplemented by the plane immediately above it. Arteriograms should be interpreted with caution because anatomical variations may at first sight be taken for pathological change.The superficial system, supplying the tissues around the erectile organs, arises from the lateral inferior pudendal arteries. Three types of supply have been described, according to whether the right and left arteries have a symmetrical distribution or whether the arterial network arises in large part or totally from one side.

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Contribution à l'étude de la vascularisation artérielle du pénis

Résumé Deux systèmes artériels participent à la vascularisation du pénis. Le système profond, tenant sous sa dépendance les organes érectiles, a pour origine les artères honteuses internes (a. pudendae internae), parfois une artère interne accessoire. Quatre branches, collatérales ou terminales sont à considérer: l'artère du bulbe du pénis, l'artère urètrale, l'artère profonde du pénis, l'artère dorsale. Il existe de fréquentes variations dans l'origine, la distribution et la symétrie de ces artères mais, dans son ensemble, la vascularisation est organisée selon trois plans, inférieur ou ventral, moyen ou profond, supérieur ou dorsal. Ces trois plans sont complémentaires: lorsque l'un d'eux s'épuise, à quelque niveau que ce soit, le relais est pris par le plan immédiatement supérieur.Le système superficiel, vascularisant les enveloppes provient des artères honteuses externes inférieures. Trois types de vascularisation sont décrits, selon que les deux artères droite et gauche ont une distribution symétrique ou que le réseau artériel provient en majeure partie ou totalement d'un seul côté.

     

Smoking and female infertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The high prevalence of smoking among women in their reproductive years continues to be a matter of concern. The negative effects of smoking on general health are well known, but smoking may also affect fertility. The objective of the present study was to perform a systematic review of the literature to determine whether there is an association between smoking and risk of infertility in women of reproductive age, and to assess the size of this effect. In the 12 studies used for this meta- analysis, the overall value of the odds ratio (OR) for risk of infertility in women smokers versus non-smokers was 1.60 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34-1.91]. Studies of subfertile women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment also show a reduction in fecundity among women smokers. A meta-analysis of nine studies found an OR of 0.66 (95% CI 0.49-0.88) for pregnancies per number of IVF- treated cycles in smokers versus non-smokers. Despite the potential limitations of meta-analyses of observational studies, the evidence presented in this review is compelling because of the consistency of effect across different study designs, sample size and types of outcome. However, continued reassurance is needed that the calculated overall effect is not in fact due to confounding variables.