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Biomedical subjects

S Falsini

Publications and source records attributed to S Falsini.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Light-guided intubation using Trachlight].

BACKGROUND: A new intubating transilluminated device (Trachlight) has been recently proposed as an alternative to tracheal intubation with direct laryngoscopy. OBJECTIVE: 1) To evaluate Trachlight device in orotracheal intubation and to assess its operation and complications. 2) To compare the time consumption of transillumination intubation in respect to direct laryngoscopy on the same patients. METHODS: The first study was performed on 50 patients undergoing elective surgery and submitted to Trachlight intubation alone; speed of intubation, number of attempts and all complications were recorded and related to Mallampati classes. In the second study 16 patients undergoing to elective surgery were enrolled. Each patient was classified according to both the Mallampati classes and the Cormack classes. Each patient was submitted to two tracheal intubations: the first with the Trachlight and the second with conventional direct laryngoscopy performed by the same anesthesiologist. The time to intubation and the number of attempts were recorded and related to the Mallampati and Cormack classes. RESULTS: In the first study time of intubation with Trachlight was 20.93 +/- 13.02s (mean +/- SD) without statistical differences in respect to the Mallampati classes. In the second study the times to intubation were without any statistical difference independently of the technique of intubation and of the Mallampati or Cormack classes. CONCLUSIONS: Orotracheal intubation using Trachlight appears to be an effective and easy to learn technique, being also easy, safe and fast to carry out. The comparison with direct laryngoscopy showed the same speed and effectiveness even on patients with difficult intubation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Reduced glutathione and L-cysteine in endotoxic shock in the rat].

BACKGROUND: Reduced Glutathione (GSH) is a well known physiological antioxidant, that would protect against lethal effects of endotoxin. However, the site of the action of GSH can be intracellular (transmembrane passage of constitutive amino acids) or extracellular (membrane thiols). AIM OF THE WORK: To search if L-cysteine (one of three constitutive amino acids of GSH) protects against endotoxin as GSH and to search if inhibition of transmembrane passage of GSH and L-cysteine by Probenecid affects that protection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats injected (n = 99) with a lethal dose of endotoxin (BACTO, DIFCO lab. 0111:B4 10 mg/kg ip) immediately after received: (a) Saline solution; (b) GSH 500 mg/kg; (c) L-Cysteine 0.25 g/kg; (d) Probenecid 25 mg/kg in 20% Ethanol plus GSH 500 mg/kg; (e) Probenecid 25 mg/kg in 20% Ethanol; (f) 20% Ethanol. The administration of Saline solution, GSH, L-cysteine was repeated two hours later. Injection volume was 0.5 ml ip. Survival rate of each group of rats was evaluated 6, 12 and 24 hours after endotoxin injection. Survival was compared with that of the control group by Fisher test. RESULTS: GSH and L-cysteine significantly increase survival if compared to all other treatments (respectively p < 0.002 and p < 0.001 at 12 hours; p < 0.005 and p < 0.0002 at 24 hours). Probenecid nullifies the survival increase caused by GSH. Probenecid alone or Ethanol alone show a survival rate not significantly different in respect to control group. CONCLUSIONS: Protection exerted by GSH against fatal effects of endotoxin is also provided by one of its constituent amino acids (L-cysteine) and is inhibited by Probenecid. So we can infer that such an antioxidant action happens at an intracellular site. Need of high doses of GSH and L-cysteine can be due to the necessity of a strong concentration gradient between extra and intracellular sites.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Exogenous glutathione increases endurance to muscle effort in mice.

Many data suggest an involvement of toxic oxygen radicals in the termination of endurance to muscle fatigue. Being reduced glutathione (GSH), an efficient intracellular physiological antioxidant, experiments have been performed to discover whether exogenous GSH modifies endurance to exhaustive swimming in mice. GSH was administered to mice as a single dose (250, 500, 750 or 1000 mg/kg i.p.) or as repeated doses (250 mg/kg i.p. once a day during 7 days) 10 min before a swimming test to exhaustion. GSH 500, 750 and 1000 mg/kg, increased endurance to swimming by respectively 102.4%, 120.0% and 140.7%. GSH 250 mg/kg did not affect endurance when injected in a single dose but increased it by 103.7% when injected once a day for 7 days.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Spin-trappers and vitamin E prolong endurance to muscle fatigue in mice.

The involvement of free radicals in endurance to muscle effort is suggested by experimental and clinical data. Therefore, experiments have been performed to observe the effect of trapping free radicals on endurance to swimming in mice. Animals were injected intraperitoneally with each of three spin-trappers [N-tert-Butyl-alpha-Phenyl-Nitrone (PBN),alpha-4-Pyridyil-1-Oxide-N-tert-Butyl-Nitrone (POBN) and 5,5-Dimethyl-1-Pirrolyn-N-Oxide (DMPO): 0.2 ml of 10(-1) molar solution]. Each mouse was submitted to a swimming test to control resistance to exhaustion a) without any treatment, b) after administration of each spin-trapper in a random order c) after saline. Control experiments were performed with saline and with vitamin E. Endurance to swimming was greatly prolonged by pretreatment with all the spin-trappers (DMPO less than 0.0001; POBN less than 0.0001; PBN less than 0.001) and with Vitamin E. Experiments state that compared to treatment with spin-trappers or Vitamin E, administration of saline alone did not enhance time to exhaustion so that the increase in time to exhaustion with the various free radical scavengers was not the effect of training. Therefore, free radicals could be considered as one of the factors terminating muscle effort in mice.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Anesthesia with sevoflurane vs propofol in elective extracavity surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the cardiovascular effects and recovery characteristics of sevoflurane and propofol anesthesia in 80 ASA I and II patients undergoing elective extracavity surgery expected to last at least one hour. DESIGN: A prospective randomized clinical trial. METHODS: After meperidine and atropine premedication, the patients were randomly allocated into two groups: in the sevoflurane group thiopentone was administered for induction of anesthesia and sevoflurane for maintenance; the propofol group received propofol either for induction of anesthesia or maintenance. All patients received N2O, vecuronium, artificial ventilation and fentanyl as needed. Vital parameters were monitored during anesthesia and two hours later. Recovery times were recorded after anesthesia. Statistical analysis was performed with SAS (Statistical Analysis System). RESULTS: In the sevoflurane group, heart rate and diastolic pressure were slightly higher than in the propofol group. Recovery time was faster after sevoflurane anesthesia.

Adolescent↗