Articles: disease.
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Jun 1994
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial[Inguinal funicular block in vasectomy].
The analgesic efficacy of inguinal funicular block with 10 ml carbocaine 1% as a supplement to local infiltration analgesia of the vas deferens was investigated in patients undergoing vasectomy. Pain/discomfort during vasectomy and on the first and third day postoperatively were investigated using a questionnaire. ⋯ There was significantly less intraoperative pain on the side of the active inguinal funicular block (p < 0.0001), but no significant differences were found at the first and third postoperative day (p = 1.16-1.19). Inguinal funicular block can be recommended as a supplement to the usual use of local infiltration analgesia of the vas deferens.
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We studied the usefulness of serum ferritin for the assessment of iron deficiency (ID) or ID anaemia (IDA) of 186 lactating and 27 non-lactating Zairean women (15-45 years old). Haemoglobin (Hb), serum iron (SI), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and transferrin saturation (TS) were also measured. Participants were recruited in rural Bas-Zaire State in the summers of 1986 and 1989. ⋯ ID defined by TS < 16% was present in 41% of lactating women and 21% of non-lactating women. In the presence as well as absence of inflammation, the use of TS identified a higher percentage of lactating women with either ID or IDA than did the use of serum ferritin. We conclude that, in the studied population, unless inflammation is taken into consideration, serum ferritin has a limited value in the diagnosis of ID.
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The hospital records of 62 Zambian children with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) who died during a 3 year period (January 1987 to December 1989) at the Paediatric Wing of the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia, were reviewed retrospectively. The SCA patients accounted for 2.92 percent of the total admissions and the average case fatality was 6.61 percent of the total SCA admissions. ⋯ The common causes of death were infections (29.54%), vasoocclusive crises (22.72%) and splenic sequestration crises (20.45%). The problems of sub-Saharan Africa, like malaria, malnutrition and now the HIV infection also adde to the mortality (15.90%).
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To improve measles control in Kinshasa, Zaire, a project to increase vaccine coverage was begun in 1988, and in 1989, the city vaccination programme changed measles vaccination policy from Schwartz vaccine at age 9 months to medium titre Edmonston Zagreb (EZ) vaccine at age 6 months. We report the impact of the programme on measles incidence and mortality. ⋯ Measles can be controlled in urban areas, although it is difficult to determine how great a contribution vaccination at age 6 months makes over and above the achievement of high coverage.