The impact of inherent and environmental factors on surgical performance in laparoscopy: a review.

Training and experience amongst laparoscopic surgeons remain varied. The demands associated with this form of surgery are thought to be greater than those for traditional open surgery. This article examines the surgeon-specific and environmental factors that contribute to performance in laparoscopic surgery.

Assessment of the effect of candidate anti-inflammatory treatments on the interaction between meningococci and inflammatory cells in vitro in a whole blood model.

A wide range of immunomodulating agents are now available which may be of benefit in reducing inflammatory cell activation in meningococcal sepsis. In order to facilitate selection of candidate anti-inflammatory agents for clinical trials, we have used an in vitro whole blood model to evaluate the effects on meningococcal induced neutrophil and monocyte activation, of dexamethasone, prostacyclin, pentoxifylline and a human IgM anti-lipid A monoclonal antibody (HA-1A). Known concentrations of heat and penicillin killed meningococci were added to whole blood and the time course of cellular activation was determined.