Fatalities in a stroke unit.

During the first 4 years of the CV unit the mortality rate among 464 patients was 5.2 per cent. The records of the 24 fatalities were reviewed.

[Parotid gland tumors. What not to do].

Patients with a tumour located anterior or inferior to the ear probably have a parotid gland tumour. These patients should be referred without further investigation to an ear, nose and throat specialist. Diagnostic measures that may be performed are fine needle aspiration cytology and ultrasonography.

Photokilling of bacteria by the natural dye curcumin.

Curcumin is a yellow-orange compound derived from the root of Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae family), that has been used as a medicine, spice and coloring agent. Curcumin has proved nontoxic in a number of cell culture and whole animal studies. Curcumin has, however, been reported to have bactericidal effects at very high concentrations.

Pure exogenous singlet oxygen: nonmutagenicity in bacteria.

Singlet oxygen (1 delta gO2) is the lowest energy-excited state of molecular oxygen, and more reactive than the triplet ground-state molecule. Although singlet oxygen has been implicated in a variety of biological effects, including reactions with DNA or some of its components, evidence for mutagenesis by singlet oxygen has remained unclear. We have previously described a system for bacterial exposure to pure exogenous singlet oxygen that eliminates ambiguity regarding the identity of the reactive species responsible for observed results.

Speech rehabilitation in laryngectomees with tracheo-oesophageal fistulas and prostheses.

The Staffieri technique was used in 24 patients, but abandoned due to aspiration. The Blom-Singer or other prostheses were used in 40 cases, 50% achieved fluent speech, 15% spoke partially and 35% were not able to use the prostheses at all. Some complications are always met with in these cases: Dysphagia, leakage around the prostheses and difficulties with the function of the prostheses.

[Speech rehabilitation following laryngectomy with the Blom-Singer prosthesis].

The Blom-Singer prosthesis was used on 18 male patients. 61% of these acquired fluent speech, 11% spoke partially and 28% were not able to use the prosthesis at all. Complications included dysphagia and difficulties with the function of the prosthesis.

Pharmacokinetic evaluation of haemoperfusion in phenobarbital poisoning.

Charcoal haemoperfusion was performed for 5-12 h in three patients with maximal plasma phenobarbital concentrations of 600, 946 and 1044 mumol/l (138, 217 and 240 micrograms/ml). During haemoperfusion with constant blood flow phenobarbital elimination followed first order kinetics with half-lives of 11.1, 10.

Sialography and CT-sialography in the diagnosis of parotid masses.

Parotid masses were evaluated by sialography and CT-sialography in 22 patients. Nineteen were benign tumors and one a metastasis. All were identified by CT.