South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
-
Comparative Study
Evaluation of driving skills after brief exposure to nitrous oxide.
The driving skills of 10 dental students were evaluated on three occasions on a driving simulator after exposure to air and 50% and 70% nitrous oxide in oxygen. Errors increased after exposure to nitrous oxide and were statistically significant during the middle of the test period. Driving after short exposure to nitrous oxide appears inadvisable.
-
An outline of the anatomy, physiology, indications, contraindications, complications and technique of lumbar epidural anaesthesia is presented.
-
The effects of ascorbic acid and calcium and sodium ascorbate at a concentration range of 10(-6)M - 10(-1)M on polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) phagocytosis of Candida albicans and post-phagocytic nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction, hexose monophosphate shunt (HMS) activity and myeloperoxidase-mediated iodination of ingested protein were investigated. Phagocytosis of C. albicans was unaffected by ascorbate concentrations of 10(-6)M - 10(-2)M; however, progressive inhibition was observed at concentrations of 10(-2)M upwards. ⋯ The stimulations of HMS activity and NBT reduction was independent of myeloperoxidase iodination of ingested protein and this latter function was strongly inhibited by ascorbate. Concentrations of ascorbic acid and calcium and sodium ascorbate which caused inhibition of phagocytosis and HMS activity were the same as those which mediated stimulation of cell motility, indicating that independent cellular mechanisms may govern motility and phagocytosis.