Aseptic meningitis associated with chronic sulindac use for osteoarthritis: a case report.

We report a case of aseptic meningitis thought to be associated with chronic sulindac use in a patient with osteoarthritis. The patient was hospitalized with an acute onset of headache, nuchal rigidity, nausea, and blurred vision. Brain imaging was unremarkable and a lumbar puncture revealed a lymphocytic pleocytosis.

Safety and outcomes of balloon catheter sinusotomy: a multicenter 24-week analysis in 115 patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to further evaluate the safety and effectiveness of balloon catheter devices to dilate obstructed sinus ostia/perform sinusotomy.

Methods: Through a prospective, multicenter evaluation, safety was assessed by rate of adverse events, patency was determined by endoscopic examination, and sinus symptoms were determined by the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT 20).

Results: At the conclusion of the 24-week analysis, endoscopy determined that the sinusotomy was patent in 80.

A proposal to clarify the relationship between the thermal index and the corresponding risk to the patient.

The thermal index (TI) displayed on the screens of most modern diagnostic ultrasound machines is linearly proportional to the absorbed power or, equivalently, to the in-situ intensity or temperature rise. Users are instructed to interpret the TI as a "relative indication of bioeffect risk." The thermal dose is a well-known empirical relationship between the temperature T of a biological system and the time t needed for that temperature to induce a deleterious effect.

Evaluation of the threshold for lung hemorrhage by diagnostic ultrasound and a proposed new safety index.

In a recent report (O'Brien et al. (2006b), it was suggested that the current expression for the mechanical index (MI) was not well suited to its function of quantifying the likelihood of an adverse biological effect after exposure of the gas-filled lung to diagnostic ultrasound. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relatively large database of experimental thresholds for the induction of lung hemorrhage to: (i) determine which variable(s) best describe the data and (ii) use the resulting equation to obtain a new formulation for the MI for lung exposures.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome associated with oral minoxidil: a case report.

Minoxidil is frequently used in patients with advanced renal disease who have been unresponsive to other antihypertensive agents. We describe a case of a 50-year-old man with chronic renal failure who was hospitalized complaining of a 2-week history of sore throat that had progressed to severe oral lesions and multiple pustular blisters on many sites of his body. The patient had been placed on oral minoxidil for uncontrolled hypertension one week prior to the onset of symptoms.

Herd management factors that affect duration and variation of adherence of an external teat sealant.

During 1998 and 1999, a purposive sample of Ontario dairy herds was enrolled in a study to examine management factors associated with adherence of an external teat sealant. A total of 74 herds were recruited that had previously complied with a provincial Sentinel Herd mastitis study. All herds were sent a management survey and a commercially available external teat sealant product.

Randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of surface neuromuscular electrical stimulation to the shoulder after acute stroke.

Background And Purpose: Surface neuromuscular electrical stimulation (sNMES) after stroke aims to improve upper limb function and reduce shoulder pain, but current evidence of effectiveness is inconclusive. We have undertaken a randomized controlled trial to evaluate sNMES to the shoulder after acute stroke.

Methods: One hundred seventy-six patients, within 10 days of stroke onset, were randomized to receive sNMES or placebo in addition to stroke unit care.

Plasmodium falciparum malaria associated with mefloquine failure in Gambia.

A 25-year-old Caucasian man developed Plasmodium falciparum malaria after traveling to Gambia, despite having received chemoprophylaxis with mefloquine. The patient was hospitalized after returning to the United States. He received a 3-day course of atovaquone-proguanil and made a complete recovery.

Quantification of risk from fetal exposure to diagnostic ultrasound.

Biomedical ultrasound may induce adverse effects in patients by either thermal or non-thermal means. Temperatures above normal can adversely affect biological systems, but effects also may be produced without significant heating. Thermally induced teratogenesis has been demonstrated in many animal species as well as in a few controlled studies in humans.

A simple viscoelastic model for soft tissues in the frequency range 6-20 MHz.

In this paper, we present measurements of the shear properties of porcine skeletal muscle, liver, and kidney and a novel model describing them. Following a previously used method, shear mechanical impedances are measured, and complex shear moduli are obtained in the frequency range 6-20 MHz. As indicated in previous results, negative storage moduli are obtained in some measurements, which yield negative shear moduli in traditional linear viscoelastic models such as the Maxwell model, the Voigt model, and the Kelvin model.

Dynamic lower extremity alignment in children with achondroplasia.

The purpose of this study is to analyze lower extremity dynamic malalignment during gait using a 3-dimensional kinematics and kinetics in 13 children (3-17 years old) with achondroplasia and to compare measurements of alignment and malrotation between gait, radiographic, and clinical measures. Gait analysis in the coronal plane showed a varus malalignment of the knee (19 +/- 13 degrees) and variable tibial torsion abnormalities (13 [internal] +/- 15.7 degrees).

Biological and environmental factors affecting ultrasound-induced hemolysis in vitro: 5. Temperature.

This research project tested the hypothesis that cold-equilibrated (approximately 0 degrees C) human erythrocytes in vitro in the presence of an ultrasound contrast agent (Albunex) will undergo greater ultrasound-induced hemolysis than physiologically equilibrated (37 degrees C) human erythrocytes in vitro because of a temperature-related transition in membrane fluidity leading to increased fragility. First, it was shown that cold-equilibrated erythrocytes are more susceptible to mechanically induced hemolysis than physiologically equilibrated erythrocytes. Second, when adjustments were made for (1) temperature-dependent efficiencies of a 1-MHz transducer (200 micros pulse length, 20 ms interpulse interval, 30 s exposure duration) such that when cold or physiological temperatures were employed, there were equivalent acoustic outputs in terms of peak negative pressure (MPa P-) and (2) comparable viscosities of the 0 and 37 degrees C blood plasmas, the cold (approximately 0 degrees C) erythrocytes displayed substantially greater amounts of ultrasound-induced hemolysis than the physiological (37 degrees C) erythrocytes.

Phase II trial of subcutaneous interferon followed by intravenous hybrid bolus/continuous infusion interleukin-2 in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma: final results of Cancer Biotherapy Research Group 95-09.

Objective: We conducted a phase II trial in metastatic renal cell cancer of outpatient subcutaneous (s.c.) interferon-alpha2b (IFN), followed by an inpatient hybrid schedule of bolus and continuous interleukin-2 (IL- 2).

Rofecoxib versus hydrocodone/acetaminophen for postoperative analgesia in functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

Objectives/hypothesis: Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is less invasive and more tissue sparing than extirpative techniques, with an assumed benefit of diminished postoperative pain. Oral opioids are commonly prescribed after sinus surgery but are associated with adverse effects, including gastrointestinal and neurologic symptoms. Nonopioid analgesics have been suggested to offer similar pain control efficacy with fewer adverse effects.

A model for the dynamics of gas bubbles in soft tissue.

Understanding the behavior of cavitation bubbles driven by ultrasonic fields is an important problem in biomedical acoustics. Keller-Miksis equation, which can account for the large amplitude oscillations of bubbles, is rederived in this paper and combined with a viscoelastic model to account for the strain-stress relation. The viscoelastic model used in this study is the Voigt model.

Diabetic ketoacidosis associated with aripiprazole.

Background: Atypical antipsychotics have become the mainstay of management of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders due to low risk of extrapyramidal symptoms. However, postmarketing data has reported atypical antipsychotic agents being associated with hyperglycaemia and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). We believe this to be the first published report of hyperglycaemia and DKA with the newest atypical antipsychotic agent, aripiprazole.

End-of-life care preferences of pediatric patients with cancer.

Purpose: The viewpoint of the terminally ill child at the time of an end-of-life decision has not been formally investigated. We identified the preferences of children and adolescents with advanced cancer about their end-of-life care and the factors that influenced their decisions.

Patients And Methods: Pediatric patients 10 or more years of age were interviewed within 7 days of participating in one of the following three end-of-life decisions: enrollment onto a phase I trial (n = 7), adoption of a do not resuscitate order (n = 5), or initiation of terminal care (n = 8).

Fluoroquinolone-induced arthralgia and myalgia in the treatment of sinusitis.

Background: Because of their broad-spectrum coverage, fluoroquinolone antibiotics are widely used in the treatment of acute sinusitis and acute exacerbations of chronic sinusitis. Generally, they are well tolerated, and adverse effects are usually mild. In our experience with quinolones, patients have frequently complained of arthralgias and/or myalgias.

Porous PLGA microparticles: AI-700, an intravenously administered ultrasound contrast agent for use in echocardiography.

The production and characterization of AI-700, an intravenously administered ultrasound contrast agent under investigation for myocardial perfusion echocardiography, are described. The product consists of small, porous microparticles filled with decafluorobutane gas, and formulated as a dry powder. Small scale spray drying studies demonstrated that porous PLGA microparticles could be produced with varying porosity using ammonium bicarbonate as a volatile pore-forming agent.

Informed consent in pediatric clinical trials.

Purpose Of Review: Clinical research in children is increasing. Concerns have been raised about both the inclusion and the exclusion of children in such research. Corresponding to these concerns, issues in informed consent for pediatric trials have become more pressing.

A role for Pet100p in the assembly of yeast cytochrome c oxidase: interaction with a subassembly that accumulates in a pet100 mutant.

The biogenesis of multimeric protein complexes of the inner mitochondrial membrane in yeast requires a number of nuclear-coded ancillary proteins. One of these, Pet100p, is required for cytochrome c oxidase. Previous studies have shown that Pet100p is not required for the synthesis, processing, or targeting of cytochrome c oxidase subunits to the mitochondrion nor for heme A biosynthesis.

Nonestrogen treatment modalities for vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause.

Objective: To systematically review the literature regarding the efficacy and safety of nonestrogen treatments for menopause-associated vasomotor symptoms not due to cancer or chemotherapy.

Data Sources: Pertinent literature and clinical studies were identified by searching MEDLINE (1966-February 2004) and EMBASE (1959-February 2004) using the key search terms vasomotor symptoms, hot flashes, and menopause. Bibliographies of relevant articles were reviewed for additional references.

Informed consent in functional endoscopic sinus surgery: the patient's perspective.

Objective: Informed consent is essential prior to functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). The content of this discussion is often determined by each surgeon. Many doctors discuss all potential complications.

Measurement of radial artery contrast intensity to assess cardiac microbubble behavior.

Objectives: We sought to determine whether analysis of the contrast signal from the radial artery is better able to reflect changes in left ventricular (LV) microbubble dynamics than the signal from the LV itself.

Background: Assessment of microbubble behavior from images of the LV may be affected by attenuation from overlying microbubbles and nonuniform background signal intensities. The signal intensity from contrast in a peripheral artery is not affected by these artifacts and may, thus, be more accurate.

Pigmented villonodular synovitis of the temporomandibular joint: a report of two cases.

Pigmented villonodular synovitis is a benign but locally destructive disease that originates in the synovial membranes of the joints. It is a proliferative disorder of unknown etiology, and it is usually monarthric. Approximately 80% of cases involve the knee; the hip, ankle, foot, hand, elbow, and shoulder account for most other cases.