Twenty-four consecutive patients undergoing shoulder acromioplasty were given postoperative analgesia with a new method in which a patient-controlled continuous infusion of lidocaine infiltrated the subacromial space. Seventeen of the acromioplasties were done with arthroscopy, whereas 7 were performed with an open procedure. A 2% solution of lidocaine without epinephrine was used for both a continuous dose of 2 cc/h and patient-controlled interval doses of 1 cc administered at 15-minute intervals. The catheter was left in place for 72 hours. We prospectively studied complications, the patient's subjective pain level, the amount of supplementary pain medication used, and serum levels of lidocaine. In addition, we evaluated a control group of 24 patients undergoing acromioplasty by the same surgeon without the use of this method of pain control. No wound complications occurred. No adverse reactions to lidocaine or overdose of lidocaine occurred. Blood levels of lidocaine averaged 0.3 microgram/mL in the 12 patients studied. Subjective pain levels and the amount of supplementary pain medication used were both lower in the group receiving patient-controlled lidocaine analgesia at statistically significant levels (P = .168 measuring subjective pain level, and P = .0212 measuring supplementary pain medication use). Patient-controlled lidocaine analgesia in the subacromial space appears to be a safe method for achieving high levels of pain control in patients undergoing an acromioplasty.

Acromioclavicular Joint↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Outcomes assessment an intervention strategy to improve parental compliance to follow-up evaluations after treatment of early childhood caries using general anesthesia in a Medicaid population.

Young children from low-income families are at risk for the development of early childhood caries (ECC) that can progress to severe oral disease. Treatment of this condition often requires extensive rehabilitation using general anesthesia in an ambulatory care facility. These children, presenting with neglected oral health, frequently face major obstacles to accessing dental care in a timely manner. Recently, several retrospective studies reported poor follow-up compliance (return for recall evaluations) in children treated for ECC using general anesthesia (GA). The purpose of this study was to provide a prospective analysis of an intervention strategy aimed at improving follow-up compliance in this population. Results of the analysis suggested that the insertion of an additional pre-operative consultation appointment failed to improve significantly compliance to follow-up evaluations or change parental dental health knowledge and preventive practices. Patient variables studied also failed to discriminate influences on predicting compliant behavior. Although retreatment (relapse) was prevalent among those patients who complied with follow-up evaluations, a statistically significant improvement in plaque, gingival, and mutans streptococci scores were demonstrated, following the degree of aggressive restorative treatment typically provided using general anesthesia. These findings are contrary to those reported from conventional restorative therapy and might reflect a beneficial outcome of an aggressive restorative approach. Further investigation is required to identify an intervention strategy that improves follow-up compliance and reduces the costly ravages of dental neglect in young children from low-income families.

Anesthesia, Dental↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Homicide among black males, Final observations and summary.

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Black or African American↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Measuring eye movements during locomotion: filtering techniques for obtaining velocity signals from a video-based eye monitor.

Video-based eye-tracking systems are especially suited to studying eye movements during naturally occurring activities such as locomotion, but eye velocity records suffer from broad band noise that is not amenable to conventional filtering methods. We evaluated the effectiveness of combined median and moving-average filters by comparing prefiltered and postfiltered records made synchronously with a video eye-tracker and the magnetic search coil technique, which is relatively noise free. Root-mean-square noise was reduced by half, without distorting the eye velocity signal. To illustrate the practical use of this technique, we studied normal subjects and patients with deficient labyrinthine function and compared their ability to hold gaze on a visual target that moved with their heads (cancellation of the vestibulo-ocular reflex). Patients and normal subjects performed similarly during active head rotation but, during locomotion, patients held their eyes more steadily on the visual target than did subjects.

Adult↗