A Monte Carlo dose calculation tool for radiotherapy treatment planning.

A Monte Carlo user code, MCDOSE, has been developed for radiotherapy treatment planning (RTP) dose calculations. MCDOSE is designed as a dose calculation module suitable for adaptation to host RTP systems. MCDOSE can be used for both conventional photon/electron beam calculation and intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) treatment planning.

The effect of prophylactic fentanyl on shivering in elective caesarean section under epidural analgesia.

The aims of this randomised double-blind study were to investigate whether 25 micrograms of fentanyl administered prophylactically by the epidural route would influence the incidence of shivering in parturients who underwent elective Caesarean section under epidural analgesia and whether it would affect the axillary and calf temperatures. There was a 50% reduction (p less than 0.05) in the overall incidence of shivering in patients who received fentanyl and there was some evidence to suggest that low-dose epidural fentanyl might reduce shivering by an influence on thermoregulation.