Computer telephony in healthcare.

The telephone provides an easy-to-use, reliable and cheap computer interface. We review computer telephony applications for patient care, clinical research and medical education. We describe uses at our academic health sciences centre and discuss strengths and weaknesses of this technology.

Positional treatment vs continuous positive airway pressure in patients with positional obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the relative efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and positional treatment in the management of positional obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), using objective outcome measures.

Design: A prospective, randomized, single blind crossover comparison of CPAP and positional treatment for 2 weeks each.

Setting: A university teaching hospital.

Continuous positive airway pressure requirement during the first month of treatment in patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea.

Objectives: (1) To compare the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) requirement at the time of diagnosis (T0), after 2 weeks (T2), and after 4 weeks (T4) of CPAP treatment, in patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); and (2) to assess whether any alteration in CPAP requirement over the first 4 weeks of CPAP treatment would influence daytime alertness, subjective sleepiness, or mood.

Design: A prospective, controlled, single-blind crossover study.

Setting: University teaching hospital.

Surface tension forces in sleep apnea: the role of a soft tissue lubricant: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Upper airway obstruction in patients with sleep apnea may occur in the absence of a negative intraluminal upper airway pressure. We hypothesized that surface tension forces may play a role in the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and that a topical soft tissue lubricant might reduce the severity of OSA. Ten male patients (age 49 +/- 10 yr [mean +/- SD]; body mass index [BMI] 31 +/- 5 kg/m2) with OSA (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] 17 +/- 9) were studied.

The morphology of the sensory neuron in the cockroach femoral tactile spine.

1. The cockroach femoral tactile spine contains a single bipolar sensory neuron. The mechanosensitive dendrite in the wall of the spine leads through the spine lumen to a cell body, and then to an axon that proceeds proximally along the femur.

Glial swelling in ischemia: a hypothesis.

On the basis of experiments with primary cultures of mouse astrocytes with conventional K(+)-sensitive intracellular microelectrodes involving 'chemical ischemia' (antimycin a and sodium fluoride treatment), a model of ischemia is presented. According to this model, ischemia has no significant direct effect during the first 10 min on astrocytes; neurones, however, lose a major part of their K+ into the ECS. This leads to an astrocytic depolarization, which in turn activates astrocytic anion channels.

[Evaluation of the effectiveness of medical consultation regarding smoking cessation].

Smoking habits were assessed by a questionnaire in workers of a small factory during their prophylactic medical check-up. In all subjects spirometry and CO levels in expired air were determined. In the studied group 43.

[Unusual health improvement in a patient with pulmonary heart disease in kyphosis and scoliosis after home treatment with oxygen].

Male obese patient, aged 35 years with kyphoscoliosis due to poliomyelitis was admitted in respiratory and cardiac failure. Severe desaturations during sleep were found. After successful hospital treatment patient was submitted to the long-term oxygen therapy.

Prospective study of metabolic abnormalities in patient with continent Kock pouch urinary diversion.

Metabolic alterations as a result of bowel being employed in the urinary tract are well documented. To investigate this phenomenon in the continent ileal reservoir urinary diversion, 106 patients who had undergone Kock pouch surgery were followed in a prospective study at the University of Southern California between 1985 and 1987. Serum chemistries and urine osmolality determinations were performed approximately every three months for a year.

[Extremely severe respiratory failure complicated by lactic acidosis].

A case of a 48-year male patient with chronic cor pulmonale is presented. Exacerbation of the chronic respiratory failure was caused by pneumonia. The patient was treated with artificial ventilation for 22 days and stimulating aggressive antibacterial therapy.

Amplitude discriminator for biological impulses.

A simple amplitude discriminator with two ways of triggering DC-level monitoring is described. This system is based on easily available inexpensive integrated circuits.