Treatment of hemorrhage of the digestive system with amine alpha-adrenergic stimulants

Noradrenaline was administered through the stomach or peritoneum in thirty patients of the Raza Hospital of the I.M.S.S. in an attempt to control severe gastro-intestinal bleeding as described by Dr. H. H. Le Veen. In 84% of the cases this was accomplished with an average elapsed time of 82 minutes. The method proved to be effective of various etiologies except in those cases in which an important size artery was involved. There were no side effects.     

Intravenous propranolol administration: a method for rapidly achieving and sustaining desired plasma levels

A model for the intravenous administration of propranolol by a bolus-infusion technique designed to rapidly produce, then maintain, predicted plasma drug concentrations was derived from elimination kinetics in single-dose studies. Prospective testing of this model in 6 adult male subjects revealed a close correlation between predicted and observed drug levels; desired plasma concentrations were achieved within 5 min and maintained over the 30-min study period. By subtracting previously given bolus doses from the dose calculated as needed to produce a desired plasma level, progressive increases in predicted propranolol levels could be effected, with apparent maintenance of equilibrium. Correlations between the bolus doses and infusion rates and the plasma drug levels were consistent and significant, and constitute nomograms from which the dose of drug required to produce a desired plasma level may be approximated. The clearance of propranolol declined slightly as the drug plasma level increased, but did not significantly affect the accuracy of the model.     

Failure of LH and/or prolactin to prevent PGF 2alpha-induced luteolysis of ovine corpora lutea

Infusions of phosphate buffered saline, LH (4 microgram/min or 14 microgram/min), prolactin (42 microgram/min) or LH (4 microgram/min) plus prolactin (42 microgram/min) for 12 hr did not prevent luteolysis following intramuscular injections of prostaglandin F2alpha-tham salt two and six hr after beginning the infusion. Likewise, these treatments did not delay luteolysis since a similar rate of decline in peripheral plasma progesterone occurred in all groups. It was concluded that elevation of serum concentrations of LH and prolactin to high levels had no effect on PGF2alpha-induced luteolysis on day 8 following induced ovulation.     

Evaluation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in house dust and residential soil

Two commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and carcinogenic PAH (C-PAH) were evaluated. The testing procedures were refined for application to screening PAH and C-PAH in house dust and soil samples for human exposure studies. The overall method precision expressed as percent relative standard deviation (%RSD) of triplicate real world dust and soil samples was within +/- 29% (12-29%) for PAH ELISA and +/- 21% (5.9-21%) for C-PAH ELISA. Spike recoveries from real world dust/soil samples were 114 +/- 30% for phenanthrene from PAH ELISA and 120 +/- 8.2% for benzo[a]pyrene from C-PAH ELISA. The overall method accuracy for PAH and C-PAH assays cannot be assessed for multiple PAH components in dust/soil samples (which represent real-world samples), because of the assays' cross reactivities with other PAH components. Over 100 dust/soil samples from 13 North Carolina homes and 22 Arizona homes were analyzed by PAH and C-PAH assays, as well as by the conventional gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method. Statistical analysis showed that dust/soil PAH data from ELISA and GC/MS methods are significantly different. In general PAH ELISA responses were higher than PAH GC/MS responses. The regression analysis showed that the linear relationship between ELISA and GC/MS measurements is not strong in the combined data. The relationship became stronger for the data from the same type of dust/soil samples. The screening performance of ELISA was evaluated based on the frequency distribution of ELISA and GC/MS data. The results indicated that the ELISA PAH and C-PAH assays cannot be used as a quantitative analytical tool for determining PAH in real-world dust/soil samples. However, the ELISA is an effective screening tool for ranking PAH concentrations in similar types of real world dust/soil samples.     

Pharmacologic management of patients with diseases of the endocrine system

Endocrine disorders are commonly seen in the general population. This article discusses the physiology, pathogenesis, and the medical and dental management of patients with thyroid, parathyroid, and pituitary gland disorders. In addition, the pharmacologic treatment, common side effects, and dental drug interactions of concern are discussed.     

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome should be told that it is a progressive condition that, if not treated, probably will worsen as time goes on. When release is performed properly, they have an excellent chance for substantial improvement, although some always may have a degree of residual numbness at the fingertips. Initial relief of pain is rapid, with subsequent improvement in numbness and weakness occurring more slowly. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very common problem. Although there may be a distinct cause in some patients, the underlying reason for the increased bulk of synovium is not known in most. Conservative treatment gives temporary relief, but surgical release remains the most effective treatment. Complications are not common, and proper attention to details minimizes them. The results generally are excellent.     

The future of the national laboratories

The end of the Cold War has called into question the activities of the national laboratories and, more generally, the level of support now given to federal intramural research in the United States. This paper seeks to analyze the potential role of the laboratories, with particular attention to the possibility, on the one hand, of integrating private technology development into the laboratory's menu of activities and, on the other hand, of outsourcing traditional mission activities. We review the economic efficiency arguments for intramural research and the political conditions that are likely to constrain the activities of the laboratories, and analyze the early history of programs intended to promote new technology via cooperative agreements between the laboratories and private industry. Our analysis suggests that the laboratories are likely to shrink considerably in size, and that the federal government faces a significant problem in deciding how to organize a downsizing of the federal research establishment.