Clinical and histological evaluation of immediate-loaded posterior implants in nonhuman primates

PURPOSE: To evaluate a square-thread design implant and compare the bone-implant contact percentage between immediate-loaded and nonloaded implants (controls) in nonhuman primates. MATERIALS: Five nonhuman primates each received 3 implants, with a total of 5 control implants and 10 immediate-loaded implants in posterior regions of the mouth. Ninety days after surgery (and function was appropriate), block sections of the implants were removed and sectioned in 200-mum thick pieces. The block sections were stained with modified Masson for evaluation of the bone-implant contact percentage. RESULTS: One of the immediate-loaded implants failed. The bone-implant contact percentage of control implants ranged from 50.34% to 64.13% and averaged 56.3%. The bone-implant contact percentage of immediate-loaded implants ranged from 43.23% to 75.72%, with an average of 62.4%. Two implants had lower bone-implant contact percentage than the others, and when these are not included in the evaluation, the bone-implant contact percentage average increased to 67.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate-loaded implants in the nonhuman primates often have a higher bone-implant contact percentage at 90 days than unloaded implants. The bone remodeling is different for loaded implant-bone interfaces than for unloaded conditions. However, 1 immediate-loaded implant failed, and 2 implants had lower bone-implant contact percentage than controls. Therefore, although there are benefits of immediate loading, there appear to also be some risks.     

Evaluation of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) Spanish Version 4 in South America: Classic Psychometric and Item Response Theory Analyses

Background

The FACT-G has gone through many validation studies. However, little research has been conducted in South American Spanish speaking patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the FACT-G Spanish Version 4 in Uruguayan cancer patients.

Methods

The data analyzed were collected from 309 patients, with various tumor sites, at different stages of disease and receiving different treatments.

Results

Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's coefficient alpha and showed high internal consistency for each of the subscales and its total scale (range = .78 – .91) of the FACT-G. The FACT-G total score also showed significant mean differences among known groups (performance status, in vs. outpatients) when tested by ANOVA and t-test. When the tumor stage (Local and Regional vs. Metastatic disease) was used as a clinical anchor, the FACT-G total score, the Physical Well-being (PWB), and Functional Well-being (FWB) subscale scores showed mean differences, ranging from 5 to 10 points in a scale from 0–108 (effect sizes = 0.30–0.60). Item response theory (IRT)-based evaluation using mean square fit statistics (.60–1.4) criteria showed that only two items misfit: "Estoy satisfecho(a) con mi vida sexual" (I am satisfied with my sex life) and "Estoy satisfecho(a) de cómo estoy enfrentando mi enfermedad" (I am satisfied with how I am coping with my illness).

Conclusion

The results indicated that, using both traditional and IRT approaches, the Spanish FACT-G has good reliability and validity to be used as a QOL instrument among Uruguayan cancer patients.

     

Comparison of wire reinforced tubes with warmed standard tubes to facilitate fiberoptic intubation

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare the ease of insertion of a warmed standard tracheal tube to that of a wire reinforced tracheal tube when placed over a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: 50 patients undergoing elective general anesthesia. INTERVENTIONS: Patients' tracheas were intubated with a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope and had either a standard or wire-reinforced tracheal tube inserted. If resistance was met, the tube was withdrawn, rotated, and readvanced. This was repeated two times. If unsuccessful, the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope was removed, and intubation was attempted with the other type of tracheal tube. MEASUREMENTS: The ability to advance the tracheal tube was determined. MAIN RESULTS: There were no demographic differences between the two groups. There was a similar ease of advancement of the two tracheal tubes. CONCLUSIONS: When performing elective flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy for intubation, we recommend using the less expensive warmed standard tracheal tube.     

Colonic stenoses: use of oral barium when retrograde flow is completely obstructed on barium enema studies

Forty patients with complete obstruction to retrograde barium flow on barium enema examinations, without clinical or radiographic evidence of obstruction, were studied further with orally administered barium in the same session. All patients had undergone aborted double-contrast barium enema studies and had received antispasmodics intramuscularly before the examination. The authors describe the technique, as well as the clinical and radiologic findings, that allows the safe ingestion of oral barium in patients with stenotic lesions of the colon. In all patients, oral barium passed through the small bowel and the stenotic site in an average of 148 minutes, with no complications. In seven patients, there were synchronous lesions in the colon and small bowel, and the findings were determined better with oral barium studies in 19 patients. If a barium enema study is done and retrograde passage of barium is obstructed by a lesion in the left side of the colon, additional diagnostic information can be obtained by giving the patients oral barium. This practice is safe if precise criteria are applied.     

Peribulbar anesthesia. Effect of bicarbonate on mixtures of lidocaine, bupivacaine, and hyaluronidase with or without epinephrine

The pH-adjustment of local anesthetic solutions with sodium bicarbonate may shorten onset time and improve spread of neural blockade. The authors undertook a prospective, double-masked, randomized study to see if a pH-adjusted mixture of lidocaine, bupivacaine, and hyaluronidase had faster and more complete onset of neural blockade, when used for peribulbar anesthesia. Eighty patients were randomly assigned to four groups and received a peribulbar block with one of four mixtures: group 1 (L) = 2% lidocaine, group 2 (LPH) = 2% lidocaine with 0.06 meq/ml sodium bicarbonate, group 3 (LE) = 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine (commercially prepared), or group 4 (LEPH) = 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine with 0.06 meq/ml sodium bicarbonate. To 5 ml of each of the preceding groups, 5 ml of 0.75% bupivacaine and 150 units of hyaluronidase was added. After each block, extraocular muscle movement was followed in each quadrant until akinesia developed. In the event of incomplete akinesia, blocks were supplemented at 20 minutes. The LPH group had the fastest onset to complete akinesia (7.0 +/- 2.0 minutes, mean +/- SEM) when compared with the onset time of all other groups (group 1 = 11.5 +/- 1.9 minutes, group 4 = 13.1 +/- 1.4 minutes, and group 3 = 16.0 +/- 1.8 minutes, significance greater than 95% by analysis of variance). Furthermore, when compared with group 3 by analysis of variance, group 4 had a faster onset time. The authors conclude that pH-adjustment of solutions with bicarbonate of either lidocaine/bupivacaine/hyaluronidase or commercially prepared lidocaine with epinephrine/bupivacaine/hyaluronidase decreases the onset time of peribulbar anesthesia.     

Potential role of raltegravir-based therapy to induce rapid viral decay in highly viraemic HIV-infected neonates

We report safety and tolerability of raltegravir (RAL) as a forth HIV agent in two highly viraemic newborns. Raltegravir (6 mg/kg) was given orally twice daily. The other antiretrovirals were assumed according to standard dose for newborns. The first baby was born at week 36. An antiretroviral therapy consisting of zidovudine, lamivudine, and lopinavir/ritonavir was started 96 hour after delivery. Raltegravir was added at hour 120, being plasma HIV-1 RNA above 10×10⁶ copies/ml. HIV RNA declined to 5·000 copies/ml at day 30. The second baby was born at week 40. He was started on zidovudine, lamivudine, and nevirapine at day 0, while RAL was added at day 3. Plasma HIV-1 RNA declined from 6·6×10⁶ at birth to 52 copies/ml at day 28. RAL tolerability was good in both patients, one with gamma-glutamyltransferase increase, which normalized after RAL discontinuation. Raltegravir-based four drug regimen may be effective and well tolerated in highly viraemic HIV neonates up to 4 weeks.