Preprocedural ultrasound assessment does not improve trainee performance of spinal anesthesia for obstetrical patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Study Objective: This randomized controlled trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy of additional information from preprocedure ultrasound examination to aid anesthesiology trainees performing spinal anesthesia for obstetric patients.

Design: Trainee residents were randomly allocated to landmark technique and anatomy demonstration via ultrasound examination or landmark technique only for spinal anesthetic placement.

Setting: Obstetric delivery suite.

The efficacy of 2 doses of epidural morphine for postcesarean delivery analgesia: a randomized noninferiority trial.

Background: A single dose of epidural morphine is effective in reducing pain after cesarean delivery but is associated with adverse effects. In this study, we sought to establish whether half the traditional dose of epidural morphine, when administered as part of a multimodal analgesia regimen after cesarean delivery, was associated with noninferior analgesia and fewer adverse effects.

Methods: Ninety term parturients undergoing cesarean delivery under epidural anesthesia were enrolled in this randomized, double-blinded, noninferiority study.

A new helper phage and phagemid vector system improves viral display of antibody Fab fragments and avoids propagation of insert-less virions.

Phage display technology (PDT) is a powerful method for isolating functional gene products such as antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). To improve the effectiveness of PDT, we sought to optimize display of Fab-g3p (antibody fragment fused with viral gene 3 protein) on phagemid virions and to optimize the yield of such phage. To do so, we constructed a novel helper phage, Phaberge, having a conditional deficiency in g3p production.