Image distortion and spatial resolution of a commercially available cone-beam computed tomography machine.

Introduction: Our objective was to evaluate images produced by a commercially available cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) machine (i-CAT model 9140-0035-000C, Imaging Sciences International, Hatfield, Pa) for measurement and spatial resolution (ie, the ability to separate 2 objects in close proximity in the image) for all settings and in all dimensions.

Methods: A custom phantom containing 0.3 mm diameter chromium metal markers approximately 5 mm apart in 3 planes of space was developed for analyzing distortion and measurement accuracy.

Accuracy and consistency of respiratory inductive plethysmography for overnight tidal volume measurement.

To validate the accuracy and consistency of respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP) in measuring tidal volume after an overnight sleep, tidal volumes of 18 patients with suspected sleep-disordered breathing and 8 normal volunteers were measured simultaneously with RIP (VTRIP) and with an ultrasonic airflow meter (VTUFM) before and after an unstrained overnight sleep on supine and lateral decubitus. The bias of the VTRIP was expressed as (VTRIP-VTUFM)/ VTUFM.100%, limits of agreement between VTRIP and VTUFM was measured by averaged bias +/- 2 s.

The Dose--Plasma Concentration Relationship of Tranexamic Acid during Surgery.

Plasma specimens from 59 patients undergoing cardiac operations utilizing extracorporeal circulation underwent determination of tranexamic acid concentration to explore the effect of dose administered to plasma concentration. Each patient received one of five doses of tranexamic acid in double-blinded, randomized fashion, ranging from 2.5 to 40 mg kg(minus sign1) for the loading dose and from 0.

Determination of cocaine usage in pregnant women by a urinary EMIT drug screen and GC-MS analyses.

In mothers who had no prenatal care and in their newborns, the presence of cocaine and benzoylecgonine (BE) was determined in urine, hair, and meconium. Samples of urine and hair were obtained from pregnant women who entered the hospital for delivery. Cocaine usage was assessed by a urinary enzyme-multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT) and by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).