Reducing epidural catheter infections. Proven techniques to keep your patient safe.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K Brooks.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
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Antipsychotic agents were tested for their ability to antagonize both dopaminergic-induced and non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist-induced behaviors. All of the agents dose-dependently antagonized the apomorphine-induced climbing mouse assay (CMA) and dizocilpine (MK-801)-induced locomotion and falling assay (MK-801-LF) with a CMA/MK-801-LF ratio of less than or equal to 1.6. However, clozapine and its structural analog olanzapine more potently antagonized MK-801-LF (1.1 and 0.05 mg/kg) than the CMA (12.3 and 0.45 mg/kg) and as a result had a CMA/MK-801-LF ratio of 11.2 and 9, respectively. Furthermore, phencyclidine (PCP) (2 mg/kg) can selectively induce social withdrawal in naive rats that were housed in pairs (familiar) for 10 days prior to testing without affecting motor activity. SCH 23390, raclopride, haloperidol, chlorpromazine and risperidone failed to reverse the social withdrawal induced by PCP up to doses which produced significant motor impairment. However, clozapine (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg) and olanzapine (0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) significantly reversed this social withdrawal in rats. Therefore, the non-competitive NMDA antagonists PCP and MK-801 can induce behaviors in Rodents which are selectively antagonized by clozapine and olanzapine. Furthermore, assessment of the effects of antipsychotic agents in the CMA, MK-801-LF and PCP-induced social withdrawal assays may provide a preclinical approach to identify novel agents for negative symptoms and treatment resistant schizophrenia.
Four infections were identified among 4,832 patients receiving epidural analgesia (an attack rate of 0.08%). The infections involved cesarean-section patients and occurred within a 9-month period. Findings suggest that the risk of infection is decreased by maintaining a closed system for the duration of the analgesia course.
We have refined our immunomagnetic bead (IM bead) procedures to isolate pure and viable lymphocyte subpopulation from pre-morteum (PM) blood for cadaver donor HLA typing, preliminary and final crossmatches (XMs). The results of 1220 XMs were compared using T/B lymphocytes isolated either from PM blood or spleen/lymphnode (SPLN) tissue. IM bead technique was used to isolate T/B cells from PM blood and nylon wool column (NWC) technique was used to isolate T/B cells from SPLN. When we compared the outcome of 800 T-cell crossmatches using T cells from PM blood or SPLN of 5 separate cadaver donors, NWC TXMs tended to be more falsenegative for high PRA (> 10%, total 500 XMs) as well as low PRA (< 10%, total 300 XMs) did not reach statistical significance. In contrast, NW BXM (420 B XM) were found to be far more false negative than IM bead BXM regardless of the PRA of the patients. In order to ensure that NWC BXMs were indeed false negative, 23 sera with known anti-DR antibodies were BXMed where antigen-specific B cells were isolated by both the techniques. Our results showed that IM bead BXM identified the DR specificities greater than 90% of the time, the titers of ab specificities were stronger (1:8). In comparison, NWB cell XMs were weak (titers 1:2), and the false negative rate for some ab was as high as 73%. Using IM bead and NWC techniques we compared our turnaround time (TAT) for cadaver donor typing, preliminary and final XMs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The exposure of lymphocyte cultures to vomitoxin was used to determine possible mechanisms by which this naturally occurring toxin induces serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) elevation and IgA nephropathy in the mouse. Vomitoxin exposure within the range of 10 to 1000 ng/ml inhibited DNA synthesis, protein synthesis as well as IgA, IgG and IgM production in lymphocyte cultures prepared from the Peyer's patch (PP) and spleen. When purified B cells were cultured in the presence of vomitoxin, inhibition of IgA, IgG and IgM production was similarly observed. However, on 24-hr pulsed co-exposure to vomitoxin and the mitogen concanavalin A (ConA), CD4+/CD8+ cells were capable of inducing a three- to five-fold increase in production of IgA, but not IgG and IgM by cocultured B cells when compared with B cells cocultured with control T cells exposed to the mitogen only. When pulsed for 48 hr with ConA and toxin, CD4+ cells were similarly capable of causing a significant increase in IgA production by B cells. 48-hr pulsed exposure of CD4+ cells to ConA and vomitoxin resulted in significantly increased production of the T helper cytokines IL-4, IL-5 and IL-6 after 5 additional days of culture, compared with ConA-stimulated CD4+ cells alone. These results suggest that vomitoxin was capable of enhancing CD4(+)-mediated help for IgA production by B cells and that this could possibly be mediated by way of increased cytokine production.
1. The binding of permanently charged benzamides to the D-2 dopamine receptor of striatal membranes was compared with that of tertiary amine benzamides. 2. The permanently charged benzamides were able to inhibit the binding of [3H]-spiperone to striatal membranes but were less potent than the corresponding tertiary amines. 3. Removal of sodium or decreasing the pH from 7.8 to 6.2 decreased the binding of all benzamides tested, but the permanently charged analogs were affected less by these changes than the tertiary amines. 4. These results suggest that while the binding properties of the permanently charged benzamides are similar to those of the tertiary amine benzamides, there are differences in the manner in which these compounds interact with the D-2 receptor.
We compared the induction of endotoxin tolerance with Salmonella minnesota monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL), a nontoxic derivative of lipid A, and S. minnesota endotoxin (LPS) in lethal endotoxemia and peritonitis. Lethal endotoxemia was induced by injecting 750 micrograms/mouse LPS intravenously. Cecal ligation and perforation was used to induce peritonitis. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was measured by immunoassay at 2 hr after lethal endotoxin infusion and 24 hr after peritonitis. A dose of 0.1 micrograms/mouse of MPL or LPS significantly reduced endotoxin mortality from 100% to 50% and 27%, respectively (P < 0.05). The LD50 for a 0.1 micrograms dose of MPL was 750 micrograms of LPS and the LD50 for a 0.1 micrograms dose of LPS was 1150 micrograms of endotoxin (P < 0.05). TNF levels decreased linearly when increasing doses of MPL and LPS were used to induce tolerance. At higher pretreatment doses of LPS, survival benefits were attenuated despite the reduction in TNF levels. A 25 micrograms dose of LPS reduced mortality from peritonitis from 93% to 45% (P < 0.05). Although MPL reduced short-term mortality, overall mortality was not significantly reduced despite using large doses of MPL. TNF levels peaked at 24 hr and were significantly lower than those following lethal endotoxemia. The induction of endotoxin tolerance by LPS and MPL is dose dependent, and LPS is modestly more effective in inducing endotoxin tolerance than MPL. Both LPS and MPL are significantly less effective in protecting against lethality from peritonitis.
There is growing evidence that changes in hormone secretion during aging can alter some functions of the thymus. In order to identify further relationships between changes in endocrine and thymic function during aging we measured the circulating levels of prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH) thyrotropin (TSH) thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), and determined their relation to a number of T lymphocyte functional indices in 20 young (4 months) and 20 old (28-30 months) Long-Evans male rats. Half of the young and old rats were chronically cannulated in order to obtain sequential plasma samples for measuring PRL, GH and TSH by RIA. Total T4 and T3 were measured by RIA in the trunk serum of all animals. Thymus and spleen cell cultures from each rat were established and used to assess the ability of thymocytes to respond to mitogens and lymphokines as well as to measure the levels of IL-2 production by splenic lymphocytes. Mean plasma GH and serum T4 were significantly lower in old as compared to young rats (P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.001 for GH and T4, respectively), while PRL, TSH and T3 did not show significant age changes. Thymic cell number showed a 100-fold decrease in old as compared to young animals (10.6 +/- 3.0) x 10(6) vs. (898 +/- 98) x 10(6) cells, respectively) whereas no age change was detected in spleen cell numbers. The proliferative response of thymocytes exposed to Con A, IL-1, Con A + IL-1 or Con A + IL-2, was consistently higher in young than in old animals while the capacity of splenocytes to release IL-2 in response to Con A was not statistically different in young and old rats. The age changes in serum T4 showed a significant correlation with those in thymocyte count as well as with those in IL-1 + Con A- and IL-2 + Con A-induced thymocyte proliferation. Plasma GH showed a significant inverse correlation with splenocyte IL-2 release. Our results suggest, although do not prove, that the lower T4 and GH secretion that typically develops in old rats may play a causal role in some of the changes that occur in thymic-dependent functions during aging.
We sought to evaluate the ability of a small rural hospital with level 2 trauma capability to provide adequate care to the patient with multiple trauma. Using the TRISS method, we reviewed 163 patients with trauma admitted to our institution over 2 years. An outcome equivalent to those level 1 centers that contributed to the Major Trauma Outcome Study is documented. The clinical commitment and institutional resources necessary are discussed.
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Thallium-201- (201Tl) chloride is known to accumulate in metastatic foci of differentiated thyroid carcinoma, but small and deep-seated lesions are generally not detectable by planar imaging. We have evaluated the use of 201Tl-chloride single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 41 post-thyroidectomy patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma and one with medullary carcinoma; planar imaging alone was done in eight additional patients (total 50). Of 20 patients with known metastatic disease, planar 201Tl images were positive in 12 (60%) but SPECT revealed an additional 5 (25%) who had metastases (total 85%). SPECT revealed foci as small as 1.0 cm in the neck and 1.5 cm in the lungs, and was particularly useful in detection of disseminated micronodular pulmonary metastases, especially in patients whose scans were negative with diagnostic doses of 131I. Some pitfalls in interpretation of the tomographic reconstructions were found. Thallium-201 SPECT is a marked improvement over planar imaging in the detection of metastases of differentiated thyroid cancer.
Bile acid absorption was investigated using 75Se Taurohomocholate (SeHCAT) in controls and patients who had undergone total colectomy with either conventional ileostomy or pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis or adenomatous polyposis. Whole-body retention of SeHCAT after 168 hours was greater in the controls than the patients who had undergone colectomy (P less than .05). Retention of SeHCAT did not differ significantly between patients with an ileostomy and patients with pouch-anal anastomosis, but patients with an ileostomy and ileal resection of more than 20 cm retained less SeHCAT than patients with a pouch-anal anastomosis (P less than .01). Analysis of fecal bile acids from ileostomies and pouches showed that bacterial metabolism of primary conjugated bile acids was greater in patients with a pouch. It was concluded that bile acid absorption was not significantly impaired by construction of a pouch compared with conventional ileostomy, but bacterial metabolism of bile acids was greater in the pouches.
Measurements of changes in reflectance caused by dust deposits on a glossy surface using a standard gloss-meter are described. A microscope slide exposed at a roadside and a rooftop site in central London was used as a convenient collector surface to simulate the soiling by dust of such glossy surfaces as glass, polished metal and plastic, automotive finishes and gloss paint. Measured reductions in gloss made over a number of weeks showed mean values between 1.4% and 1.9% per 6 h. Measurements made at the roadside showed an approximately linear relationship between gloss and percentage area of the slide covered by dust, as measured by a Magiscan II image analyser set up to measure particles greater than 5 microm in diameter. No such relationship was observed for measurements made at the rooftop site.
Uterine visualization was found as a transient finding in the early phases of the biphasic and triphasic bone scans in 29 of 29 postmenarchial adolescent and young adult females studied regardless of phase of the menstrual cycle. This observation differs from reports of uterine uptake in Meckel's scanning where visualization occurred only in the menstrual or secretory phases of the cycle. None of 12 control patients (six males and six premenarchial females) showed intrapelvic activity on the blood-pool images. The accumulation of radiotracer in the uterus should be expected as a normal transient physiologic phenomenon in young women after menarche.
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