Menstrual associated sleep disturbance: a study in an Egyptian sample

To investigate the problem of sleep in relation to menstruation, addressing only women in the childbearing period. The study included 100 women with sleep complaints excluding those above the age of 40, any history of physical or mental disorder and any marked irregular menstrual cycles. A standardized sleep questionnaire was asked and polysomnography done pre- and postmenstrual in addition to assessment for the presence of premenstrual dysphoric disorders. 100 women have been asked to reply to a questionnaire concerning sleep problems in the premenstrual period. 48 reported significant sleep complaints, including insomnia, hypersomnia and excessive daytime somnolence. 9 were found to fulfill DSM-IV criteria of premenstrual dysphoric disorder [PMDD]. 19 females including those with PMDD accepted to be evaluated by polysomnography [PSG] once in the premenstrual phase and another postmenstrual. Comparing results of sleep profile pre- and postmenstrual revealed increased sleep latency, decreased efficiency and increased arousals premenstrual, Comparing patients with PMDD to other females with premenstrual sleep complaint revealed only less SWS in PMDD. Evaluation of sleep profile in women with premenstrual sleep complaints, revealed mainly sleep continuity disturbance manifested by the significant increase in sleep latency. Overall findings are in support of considering premenstrual sleep problems as a separate diagnostic entity, at least for some females, which is still in need of further studies

Total intravenous propofol anaesthesia in geriatric patients with different speeds of induction injection

Thirty patients aged between 56-70 years scheduled for direct laryngoscopic examination not exceeding 20 minutes duration were chosen for this study. The patients were divided into 3 equal groups according to the speed of injection of the induction dose of propofol [2 mg/kg B.W.] either over 80, 40 or 20 seconds. Then anaesthesia was maintained with continuous propofol infusion 9 mg/kg B.w./hour supplemented with nitrous oxide in oxygen through an endotracheal tube all over the procedure. Faster speeds of induction reduced induction time and increased incidence of pain of injection. Respiratory depression was observed in the three studied groups. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure dropped with maximum at two minutes from the start of infusion. Rapid recovery and high recovery room scores were observed in all patients

Modification of the antinociceptive effect of morphine, meperidine and diclofenac by thiopentone sodium and diazepam in rats

Diazepam is frequently administered together with opiates anaesthesia. Narcotic drugs are also used as premedication to anaesthesia with barbiturates. This work was carried out to study the influence of diazepam and thiopentone sodium on the antinociceptive effect of morphine, meperedine and diclofenac. Adult male rats were used in the experiments. Tail flick latency and hot plate reaction time were used to study the antinociceptive effect of analgesics and its modification by thiopentone sodium and diazepam. Diazepam was found to attenuate the analgestic effect of narcotics only in tail flick test while thiopentone sodium had this effect in both tests. Thiopentone sodium when tested alone reduced the hot plate latency of the rats

Some immune response changes to anaesthesia by halothane and isoflurane

Twenty patients of physical status I, II [A S A classification] undergoing middle ear operations were chosen to compare some immune response changes to acute exposure to halothane or isoflurane anaesthesia. Serum immunoglobulin levels [IgG, IgM, IgA] together with complement component [C3[c]] were deterbined by immuno-diffusion plates. Neutrophilic function was tested by Nitroblue tetrazolium [NBT] test. The immunoglobulins and the complement component showed insignificant changes by the use of either halothane or isoflurane conventional anaesthesia. However, the neutrophilic function showed significant reduction only in patients receiving halothane, with insignificant effect in patients receiving isoflurane