Diphenhydramine as an adjunct to sedation for colonoscopy: a double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled study.

Background: Intravenous benzodiazepines in combination with opiates are used to achieve moderate sedation for colonoscopy. Although effective, these agents have potential adverse effects, such as respiratory depression and hypotension. Diphenhydramine hydrochloride possesses central nervous system depressant effects that theoretically could provide a synergistic effect for sedating patients.

Endoscopic evidence of mucosal injury in patients taking ticlopidine compared with patients taking aspirin/nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and controls.

Background: Ticlopidine is a novel antiplatelet agent used alone or in combination with aspirin and anticoagulants in the treatment and prevention of various vascular diseases. Gastrointestinal side effects, including bleeding, have been reported with use of ticlopidine in most of the vascular prevention trials. We studied the endoscopic evidence of mucosal damage in patients taking ticlopidine compared with patients taking aspirin/nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and matched controls.

Pseudomembranous colitis without diarrhea presenting clinically as acute intestinal pseudo-obstruction.

Pseudomembranous colitis usually presents with diarrhea in a clinical setting of recent antibiotic use. It is uncommon to see it as a cause of obstipation and colonic pseudo-obstruction. We report an unusual case of an elderly woman with hypertension, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic renal insufficiency, and diabetes mellitus, who was admitted with fever, abdominal pain, and distension without diarrhea.

House dust mite, cat, and cockroach allergen concentrations in daycare centers in Tampa, Florida.

Background: Allergen exposure in early childhood is a risk factor for sensitization and the development of asthma. Studies performed in Europe, New Zealand, and Singapore indicated the presence of indoor allergens in childcare centers and schools. However, the importance of indoor allergens in daycare centers in humid and warm regions of the world is not known.