The analysis for the causes of surgical cancellations in a Brazilian university hospital.

Background: The aim of our study is to quantify the occurrence of suspension of scheduled surgeries in a Brazilian university hospital, trying to identify the causes of suspension of these operations and meet the medical specialties that most contributed to the cancellation.

Methods: This study takes the form of an exploratory, descriptive, and quantitative enquiry carried out by analyzing the database from 2008 to 2011 of the operating theater.

Results: Of the 29,518 scheduled surgeries, 16.

Empirical mode decomposition to assess cardiovascular autonomic control in rats.

Heart beat rate and blood pressure, together with baroreflex sensitivity, have become important tools in assessing cardiac autonomic system control and in studying sympathovagal balance. These analyses are usually performed thanks to spectral indices computed from standard spectral analysis techniques. However, standard spectral analysis and its corresponding rigid band-pass filter formulation suffer from two major drawbacks.

Cough-induced intercostal lung herniation requiring surgery: Report of a case.

Lung herniation is a rare event defined by protrusion of the lung through an abnormal weakness in the thoracic wall. We report a case of spontaneous intercostal pulmonary herniation, which occurred as a result of vigorous coughing. We repaired the herniation by approximating the ribs with heavy stitches.

Instant centre frequency at anaesthetic induction--a new way to analyse sympathovagal balance.

The instant centre frequency (ICF) of RR interval has been proposed as a global index to analyse the sympathovagal interaction in the heart. The aim of this study was to assess the ICF during anaesthesia to test if it can reliably capture the neural control of the cardiovascular system. Twenty-four ASA II or III patients scheduled for cardiac surgery were included in the study.

Orthostatic tolerance and spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity in men versus women after 7 days of head-down bed rest.

Many factors are involved in the development of orthostatic intolerance after real or simulated weightlessness. The aim of our study was to compare the effects of 7-day head-down bed rest (HDBR) in eight women and eight men on the spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (standard spectral method and new time-frequency algorithm) during lower body negative pressure (LBNP) tests. Results obtained before HDBR have shown in women, compared to men, higher heart rate, lower blood pressure, higher parasympathetic modulation at rest and greater decrease in baroreflex sensitivity with greater increase in sympathetic activity during LBNP.