Articles: function.
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Critical care medicine · Mar 2014
The Role of Pancreatic Ductal Secretion in Protection Against Acute Pancreatitis in Mice.
A common potentially fatal disease of the pancreas is acute pancreatitis, for which there is no treatment. Most studies of this disorder focus on the damage to acinar cells since they are assumed to be the primary target of multiple stressors affecting the pancreas. However, increasing evidence suggests that the ducts may also have a crucial role in induction of the disease. To test this hypothesis, we sought to determine the specific role of the duct in the induction of acute pancreatitis using well-established disease models and mice with deletion of the Na/H exchanger regulatory factor-1 that have selectively impaired ductal function. ⋯ Our findings provide the first direct evidence for the crucial role of ductal secretion in protecting the pancreas from acute pancreatitis and strongly suggest that improved ductal function should be an important modality in prevention and treatment of the disease.
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Brain imaging studies suggest that loss of consciousness induced by general anesthetics is associated with impairment of thalamic function. There is, however, limited information on the time course of these changes. We recently obtained intracranial electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings from the ventroposterolateral (VPL) nucleus of the thalamus and from the motor cortex during induction of anesthesia in three patients to study the time course of the alterations of cortical and thalamic function. ⋯ We conclude that induction of anesthesia with propofol in these patients was associated with concurrent alterations of cortical and sensory thalamic activity.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Mar 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyA Randomized Comparison of the Efficacy of 2 Techniques for Piriformis Muscle Injection: Ultrasound-Guided Versus Nerve Stimulator With Fluoroscopic Guidance.
Piriformis muscle injections are most often performed using fluoroscopic guidance; however, ultrasound (US) guidance has recently been described extensively in the literature. No direct comparisons between the 2 techniques have been performed. Our objective was to compare the efficacy and efficiency of fluoroscopic- and US-guided techniques. ⋯ Ultrasound-guided piriformis injections provide similar outcomes to fluoroscopically guided injections without differences in imaging, needling, or overall procedural times.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Neurobehavioral Functioning and Survival Following Lung Transplantation.
Neurobehavioral functioning is widely recognized as being an important consideration in lung transplant candidates, but little is known about whether these factors are related to clinical outcomes. The present study examined the relationship of neurobehavioral functioning, including measures of executive function and memory, depression, and anxiety, to long-term survival among lung transplant recipients. ⋯ Neurobehavioral functioning, including persistently elevated depressive symptoms and lower neurocognitive performance, was associated with reduced survival after lung transplantation.
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Pulmonary Vascular Case Report PostersSESSION TYPE: Case Report PosterPRESENTED ON: Sunday, March 23, 2014 at 01:15 PM - 02:15 PMINTRODUCTION: This patient diagnosed in 2005 with Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension was successfully treated with an ERA for 6 years. In October 2011, functional capacity decreased to IV and the patient was started on IV treprostinil by patient's choice. We achieved a dose of 50 ng-kg-min and patient returned to functional class II. Over time the dose was decreased to 34 ng-kg-min due to intolerable side effects resulting in functional III symptoms and worsening hemodynamics. The patient was given the option to transition to IV epoprostenol which we did on August 7, 2013. ⋯ The following authors have nothing to disclose: Carolyn Pugliese, Raylene Matlock, Ross Davies, Lisa Mielniczuk, George Chandy, Duncan Stewart, Vladimir Contreras-DominguezNo Product/Research Disclosure Information.