Operative splenectomy for treatment of homozygous thalassemia major in Afghan children at a US military hospital.

Afghanistan is a war-ravaged country surrounded by mountainous terrain. Due to the geography and harsh living conditions, people have intermarried among tribes for centuries. The right familial combinations can cause manifestations of genetic linked diseases.

Pollution of ambient air by volatile anesthetics: a comparison of 4 anesthetic management techniques.

Long-term exposure to waste anesthetic gas (WAG) may lead to health problems. The purpose of this study was to compare WAG concentrations resulting from 4 combinations of fresh gas flow (FGF) and vaporizer settings during a simulated intravenous induction in which the anesthetic is deepened using a volatile anesthetic delivered via mask ventilation before intubation. By using a lung model, WAG was sampled 3 times each using 4 combinations and 3 volatile anesthetics: 3% sevoflurane, 2% isoflurane, and 6% desflurane.