Transthoracic electrical bioimpedence cardiac output: comparison with multigated equillibrium radionuclide cardiography.

Introduction: Thoracic electrical bioimpedance (TEB) for measuring cardiac output (CO) is being explored increasingly as an alternative to pulmonary artery catheter. The major advantage of this technology is that it is non-invasive and easy to perform. Several studies have compared it to thermodilution cardiac output using PA catheter, with variable correlation.

Non-invasive cardiac output by transthoracic electrical bioimpedence in post-cardiac surgery patients: comparison with thermodilution method.

Objective: Thoracic electrical bioimpedance (TEB) cardiac output (CO) is being explored increasingly as a non-invasive alternative to the pulmonary artery catheter (PAC). This study compared TEB-CO measured using a new instrument--NICOMON (Larsen & Toubro Ltd. India) with thermodilution (Td) CO in post-cardiac surgery patients.

Raised serum IgE levels in chronic inflammatory lung diseases.

Objective: To study the serum IgE response in nonallergic subjects with chronic inflammatory lung diseases.

Setting: Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore.

Subjects: Twenty six patients with bronchiectasis, five with pulmonary mycosis referred from all over India and 30 healthy subjects.

Random plasma glucose and the glucose challenge test in pregnancy.

Background: The oral glucose tolerance test for detecting women with gestational diabetes is too complicated and prolonged for routine use. Similar and less time consuming screening tests have been proposed including random plasma glucose estimation and the glucose challenge test (blood glucose estimation one hour after a 50 g glucose load). However, in practice, correct timing of the blood sample, which is of critical importance in the interpretation of the results of these tests, is difficult to ensure.

Management of patients with mildly dysplastic cervical smears.

The management of patients with mild dysplasia on cervical smears remains controversial. Recent studies have shown that many harbor high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and human papillomavirus (HPV) and warrant further evaluation rather than follow-up. This prospective study dealt with the evaluation of patients with mild dysplastic smears using colposcopy and directed biopsies with view to identifying HSIL/HPV and treating them.