Ultrastructure of normal and JHA-treated eggs of the soft tick argas persicus [oken]

The ultrastructure of normal development and JHA-treated egg was examined with the transmission electron microscope. In newly oviposited egg, the chorion consists of exo- and endochorion. Between the chorion and plasma membrane lies vitelline [envelope] membrane, a thin non cellular membrane. The periplasm is free of the yolk spheres with contains vesicles of various sizes and lipid inclusions, The endoplasm is rich in yolk spheres, mitochondria, lipid inclusions, dense vesicles and vacuoles. In 48 h-old egg, cleavage nuclei was seen migrating to the periphery of the egg. The ooplasm around the nuclei contains vesicles, endoplasmic reticulum and few mitochondria. The blastoderm cells contain many organelles and inclusions. Secondary vitellophages and pole cells were observed. In 96 h-old egg, the germ band is formed. It consists of two layers, ectoderm and mesoderm. Amnion and serosa were visible. At [0-1 hour] eggs post-treatment with JHA [Admiral], no real effects was observed except for vacuolation of endoplasm; while at 48 h and 96 h-old post-treatment of eggs, great deterioration were seen which ended by degeneration and lysis of cell components leaving cell debris, vacuolation of nuclei, iregular shape of nuclear membrane and dispersed chromatin material

Mivacurium versus rocuronium for patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopy: a controlled, randomized, double blind study

Background: several factors influence the decision of the anesthesiologist on the optimal choice of appropriate neuromuscular blocking agent [NMBa]. The aim of this study was to compare equi-lasting doses of a short-acting [mivacurium] to an intermediate- acting [rocuronium] neuromuscular relaxants, with regard to intubating conditions, efficacy, number of maintenance doses, hemodynamic resporses, and adverse events, in patients undergoing laparoscopic gynecological surgery

Methods: Sixty patients were randomly allocated to receive either 0.2mg/kg mivacurium or 0.5mg/kg rocuronium, under propofol/fentanyl anesthesia. T1, first twitch of the train-of-four [TOF] and TOF ratio [T4:T1] were used to evaluate the neuromuscular block using accelerometry [TOF Guard, Organon, Teknika]. The trachea was intubated when T1 was maximally suppressed. Neuromuscular block was maintained at 25% T1 with equi-lasting closes of 0.07mg/kg mivacurium or 0.1 mg/kg rocuronium

Results: Mean [min]+/-SD mivacurim onset time [1.8+/-0.3] was longer than that of rocuronium [1.25 +/- 0.4]. This did not yield a statistical difference in into- bating conditions between the two groups. Interval 25.75% T1 recovery and time to 0.8 TOF recovery were prolonged following rocuronium [12.1 +/- 4.8, 5 1.9+/- 13.5 respectively] compared to mivacurium [7.1. + 3 2 38.8 +/-7.9 respectively]. More patients 23/30 required mivacurium maintenance close compared to 14/30 patients in rocuronium group. Arterial blood pressure declined and 10 patients manifested erythema following mivacurium administration. Five patients developed PONV in mivacurium group compared to one patient in rocuronium

Conclusion: Equi lasting doses of rocuronium resulted in favourable intubating conditions more rapidly, improved hemodynamic stability, required less frequent administration of maintenance doses and were not associated with crythema, compared to mivacurium

Combined spinal epidural analgesia in labour: ropivacaine and fentanyl versus bupivacaine and fentanyl

Background: Combined spinal epidural [CSE] analgesia, is wildly used to provide pain relief in labour. It provides rapid reliable analgesia with minimal motor blockade. In randomized, double blind study, we compared ropivacaine versus bupivacaine both with fentanyl during labour using CSE technique

Methods: Forty patients were allocated randomly to receive either 2.5 mg ropivacaine in group I or 2.5 mg bupivacaine in group 2 intrathecally, both with fentanyl 25 microg. Epidural top-up were given from premixed solution of 0.125% ropivacaine with 2 jig/mi fentanyi in group I or 0.125% bupivacaine with 2 microg/ ml fentanyl in group 2. Onset, duration of analgesia, level of sensory block, motor power in lower limbs, VAS scores, side effects as well as neonatal Apgar scores were evaluated

Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding the onset, duration, level of sensory block an VAS scones during the study.25% of women [5/20] in bupivacaine group developed detectable motor blockade compared to 5% [1/20] in ropivacaine group. Adverse effects did not differ between the two groups, neontal outcome was similar in both groups

Conclusion: Using combined spinal epidural technique, ropivacaine with fentanyl provides rapid, safe, reliable analgesia for labour as effective as that achieved by bupivacaine with fentanyl. Motor blockade with significantly low with ropivacaine compared to bupivacaine

Epidural ropivacaine versus bupivacaine for cesarean section: effects on maternal and fetal hemodynamics

The aim of this randomized, double blind study was to examine the effect of epidural 0.5% ropivacaine and 0.5% bupivacaine on blood flow velocity waveforms in uteroplacental and fetal arteries with color Doppler ultrasound. Thirty healthy women with singleton, uncomplicated pregnancies were enrolled in the study. The patients were randomly allocated to receive 115-140 mg of either 0.5% ropivacaine [n = 16] or 0.5% bupivacaine [n = 14] in incremental epidural doses. The first ultrasound measurement was performed before injection of the study drug. Pulsatility indices [PI] were derived for the blood flow velocity waveforms of the maternal uterine arteries, the placental arcuate artery, the fetal umbilical and middle cerebral arteries. Ultrasound measurements were repeated five minutes after the injection of local anesthetic and when sensory analgesia reached T6-T4 level. The study concluded that epidural ropivacaine 0.5% for cesarean section did not compromise the maternal or fetal circulation in healthy parturient women. It provided surgical anesthesia that was equally effective as that provided by 0.5% bupivacaine

NMDA Antagonist: ketamine for balanced analgesia in the perioperative period. What is the preferential route?

This study aimed to investigate whether intraoperative sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine could represent an efficient constituent of balanced analgesia and which is the preferential route of administration, either systemic [intravenous] or epidural. Fifty patients scheduled for upper abdominal operations under combined epidural/general anesthesia were included in the study. Before skin incision, all patients received an epidural bolus, followed by an infusion of continuous bupivacaine/fentanyl/clonidine mixture. They were randomly assigned to receive: No ketamine [group 1]; i.v. ketamine at a bolus dose of 0.25 mg/kg, followed by an infusion of 0.125 mg/kg/h [group 2]; i.v. ketamine 0.5 mg/kg and followed by an infusion of 0.25 mg/kg/h [group 3]; epidural ketamine 0.25 mg/kg and 0.125 mg/kg/h [group 4] or 0.5 mg/kg and 0.25 mg/kg/h [group 5]. All i.v. And epidural anesthesia stopped at the end of surgery and the patients were connected to i.v. Morphine patient-controlled analgesia [PCA] device. The study supported the theory that sub-anesthetic doses of i.v. ketamine [0.5 mg/kg bolus, followed by 0.25 mg/kg/h] given during anesthesia are useful adjuvant in perioperative-balanced analgesia. Moreover, they showed that the systemic route is the preferential route

Seasonal abundance of Ornithodoros [O.] Savignyi and prevalence of infection with borrelia spirochetes in Egypt

The seasonal dynamics of Ornithodoros [O.] savignyi and infection with Borrelia sp. in tick, domestic animals and man were investigated. The tick population densities of adults and immatures were high during the period from June to October with maximum levels in August and September, respectively. Adults predominated [58.6% - 80.0%] in October to May with the highest abundance in January, while immatures prevailed [51.3% - 65.8%] during the rest of the year reaching a peak in September. Of 1202 tick examined, the spirochetes were detected in 427. The annual infection rate in adults and immatures varied from 34.4% to 36.9% with no significant difference among larvae, nymphs, males and females. Of 1396 sera from man and 553 sera from host animals tested; 309 and 157, respectively, were reactive for antibody to Borrelia sp. Antigen with the highest infection rate in camel [47.8%], followed by sheep [23.8%], goat [18.0%] and cow [16.0%], then the least in buffalo [10.9%]. Changes in prevalence of Borrelia infection in the tick population correlated positively with changes in antibody prevalence in man and camel and with changes in tick population density