Visual acuity change after intravitreal triamcinolone in various types of exudative age-related macular degeneration.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the visual acuity change after an intravitreal high-dose injection of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) in various types of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Participants: The interventional comparative case series study included 142 patients (146 eyes) with progressive exudative AMD differentiated into the occult type (n = 78; 53.4%), minimal classic type (n = 45; 30.

Acute respiratory failure after deep cervical plexus block for carotid endarterectomy as a result of bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis.

We report about a case of acute respiratory distress (73-year-old female), which occurred minutes after a deep cervical plexus block (40 ml ropivacaine 0.5%) for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and required immediate endotracheal intubation of the patient's trachea and consecutive mechanical ventilation. Subsequently, CEA was performed under general anaesthesia (TIVA) with continuous monitoring by somatosensory-evoked potentials.

Diffuse diabetic macular oedema treated by intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide: a comparative, non-randomised study.

Aim: To report on visual outcome of patients receiving an intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide for treatment of diffuse diabetic macular oedema.

Methods: Prospective, comparative, non-randomised clinical interventional study included 136 patients with diffuse diabetic macular oedema. Patients of the study group (97 eyes) received an intravitreal injection of 20-25 mg of triamcinolone acetonide and no other retinal treatment.

Hypertonic-hyperoncotic solutions decrease cardiac troponin I concentrations in peripheral blood in a porcine ischemia-reperfusion model.

In this study we addressed the question of whether the measurement of cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) is able to reflect beneficial effects of hypertonic-hyperoncotic solutions after transient cardiac arrest. Ten pigs were anaesthetized and cardiac arrest was induced by electric fibrillation. After 5 minutes of global ischemia, cardiac arrest was reversed by electric defibrillation.

Functional polymorphism within the promotor of the serotonin transporter gene is associated with severe hyperkinetic disorders.

In children and adolescents, hyperkinetic disorder (HD) with conduct disorder (CD) and without CD and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is known to be comorbid with psychiatric disorders (anxiety, depression, aggression), some of which are related to disturbed serotonergic neurotransmission. The efficiency of serotonergic signalling relates to the concentration of the neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft and is controlled by the serotonin transporter (5-HTT), which selectively removes serotonin out of the synaptic cleft.(1)The activity of serotonin transport itself has been shown to be also controlled by a 5-HTT-linked polymorphism in its promotor region with a L/L genotype yielding higher levels of 5-HTT function than do L/S or S/S genotypes.

Treatment of myopia and myopic astigmatism by customized laser in situ keratomileusis based on corneal topography.

Objective: To evaluate the predictability, efficacy, and safety of customized laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) based on corneal topography in myopia and myopic astigmatism.

Design: Prospective, noncomparative interventional case series.

Participants: One hundred fourteen patients (eyes) with myopia of -1 to -6 diopters (D) and astigmatism of 0 to -4 D (low myopia group), and 89 patients (eyes) with myopia of -6.

Cardiac troponin I and cardiac troponin T increases in pigs during ischemia-reperfusion damage.

In this study we addressed the question of whether the measurement of cardiac Troponin T (cTnT) and cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) is able to detect myocardial cell damage in an ischemia-reperfusion model in pigs. To answer the question 3 pigs were anaesthesized and a cardiac arrest was induced by electric fibrillation. After 5 minutes of global ischemia the cardiac arrest was reversed by electric defibrillation until normal perfusion was restored.

A new sensitive cardiac Troponin T rapid test (TROPT) for the detection of experimental acute myocardial damage in rats.

Cardiac Troponin T (cTnT) is a cardiac structural protein which is released in the circulation during myocardial cell damage. In this study we addressed the question of whether beta-sympathomimetic induced myocardial cell damage in rats can be detected in blood by the TROPT sensitive rapid test strip which is primarily manufactured for the detection of acute myocardial infarction in humans. Sixteen male rats and 16 female animals were treated once with orciprenalinesulphate s.

Determination of heparin-induced IgG antibody in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type II.

Background: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is a relatively uncommon but severe side-effect of heparin therapy. Heparin-induced IgG antibody has been elucidated to be the main isotype and the most pathogenic antibody in the pathophysiology. As affected patients are at high risk of developing thrombotic events, confirmation of the clinical diagnosis and avoidance of heparin re-exposure are important and desirable.

Determination of heparin-induced IgG antibody by fluorescence-linked immunofiltration assay (FLIFA).

A fluorescence-linked immunofiltration assay (FLIFA) was developed for the determination of heparin-induced IgG in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) type II patients. Protein A was immobilized on a nitrocellulose membrane to bind heparin-induced IgG of HIT type II patients. Fluorescein-5-isothiocynate (FITC)-heparin was added to platelet factor 4 present in normal serum to form the neo-antigen which was captured by heparin-induced IgG.

Multicentric evaluation of heparinase on aPTT, thrombin clotting time and a new PT reagent based on recombinant human tissue factor.

In a multicentric study the influence of heparinase (Hepzyme) was evaluated on activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin clotting time and prothrombin time using the recombinant human tissue factor and synthetic phospholipid (phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidyl-serine reagent). Hepzyme itself does not have any influence on normal coagulation values of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT) assays whereas thrombin clotting time was prolonged by 10% (n = 60). In patients treated with unfractionated heparin for recent deep vein thrombosis (n = 47), plasma levels of aPTT, PT and thrombin clotting time (TCT) returned to the normal range in 100%, 97% and 91% after treatment with heparinase, respectively.