ABSTRACT
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in Eastern medicine for a variety of conditions and illnesses, including pain. Neonatal intensive care, on the other hand, is a relatively new branch of medicine that has emerged as the pivotal influence in increasing survival of critically ill newborn infants only within the last 50 years. Unfortunately, pain is an inevitable part of treatment in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The control and prevention of pain remains a major issue for clinicians despite recognition and understanding of the myriad of short- and long-term problems that are associated with both pain and its treatment within the NICU environment. In this review, we examine the potential role of acupuncture to decrease and treat pain in babies requiring neonatal intensive care and discuss future therapeutic and research implications for the use of this ancient therapy within the modern environment of the NICU.
Subject(s)
Acupuncture Therapy , Pain Management/methods , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Intensive Care Units, Neonatal , Intensive Care, Neonatal , Randomized Controlled Trials as TopicABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Xerostomia is a frequent and potentially debilitating toxicity of radiotherapy (XRT) for cancers of the head and neck. This report describes the use of acupuncture as palliation for such patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eighteen patients with xerostomia refractory to pilocarpine therapy after XRT for head and neck malignancy were offered acupuncture as palliation. All patients are without evidence of cancer recurrence at the primary site. Acupuncture was provided to three auricular points and one digital point bilaterally, with electrostimulation used variably. The Xerostomia Inventory (XI) was administered retrospectively to provide an objective measure of efficacy. RESULTS: Acupuncture contributed to relief from xerostomia to varying degrees. Palliative effect as measured by the XI varied from nil to robust (pre- minus post- therapy values of over 20 points). Nine patients had benefit of over 10 points on the XI. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture reduces xerostomia in some patients who are otherwise refractory to best current management.
Subject(s)
Acupuncture Therapy , Head and Neck Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Miotics/therapeutic use , Pilocarpine/therapeutic use , Radiation Injuries/therapy , Xerostomia/therapy , Drug Resistance , Humans , Radiation Injuries/drug therapy , Radiation Injuries/etiology , Radiotherapy/adverse effects , Xerostomia/drug therapy , Xerostomia/etiologyABSTRACT
Acupuncture treatment and control group interventions in parallel-group randomised trials of acupuncture are not always precisely reported. In an attempt to improve standards, an international group of experienced acupuncturists and researchers devised a set of recommendations, designating them STRICTA: STandards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture. In a further consensus-building round, the editors of several journals helped redraft the recommendations. These follow the Consolidated Standards for Reporting Trials (CONSORT) format, acting as an extension of the CONSORT guidelines for the specific requirements of acupuncture studies. Participating journals are publishing the STRICTA recommendations and requesting prospective authors to adhere to them when preparing reports for publication. Other journals are invited to adopt these recommendations. The intended outcome is that interventions in controlled trials of acupuncture will be more adequately reported, thereby facilitating an improvement in critical appraisal, analysis and replication of trials.
Subject(s)
Acupuncture Therapy , Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic , Publishing/standards , Guidelines as Topic , Humans , International CooperationABSTRACT
The rescue, treatment, and evacuation of thousands of patients from a natural disaster or armed conflict that is coordinated by the National Disaster Medical System must be performed in accordance to health care standards recognized in this country. Without an effective communication system, morbidity and mortality will needlessly rise. A medical communication protocol that addresses this problem is proposed.
Subject(s)
Disaster Planning , Emergency Medical Service Communication Systems , Radio , Communication , Disasters , Humans , United StatesABSTRACT
Whether loud noise is harmful to the developing fetus and warrants removal of the pregnant woman from exposure remains ambiguous. The role of noise attenuation in utero in determining risk is discussed in this review. Reports in the medical literature have been frequently found to have confounders for human fetal development. Animal noise data are presented and their cautious extrapolation to humans is recommended. In summary, pregnant women should not unnecessarily be removed from the work force, and the Aeromedical Council may wish to establish policy for pregnant workers exposed to hazardous noise.
Subject(s)
Embryonic and Fetal Development/physiology , Noise/adverse effects , Pregnancy/physiology , Animals , Birth Weight , Female , Fetal Diseases/etiology , Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced/etiology , Humans , Noise, Transportation/adverse effects , Risk Factors , Stress, Physiological/etiologyABSTRACT
The electrical properties of the cancer cell are useful parameters associated with neoplastic pathophysiological events. Although transmembrane potentials may not serve as inherent tumour markers in many instances, electrophysiological properties are, indeed, very useful in the investigation of malignant cellular proliferation, the influence of malignant disease on normal cell physiology and chemical carcinogenic events and possibly as an in vivo measurement in the cancer patient.
Subject(s)
Membrane Potentials , Neoplasms/diagnosis , Biomarkers, Tumor , Cell Division , HumansABSTRACT
Peritoneal macrophages were collected from mice at varying periods after transplantation of an allogeneic malignant melanoma in the hind limb. The intracellular electrical potentials of these macrophages were measured and a correlation was found to exist between tumor growth measured by size and pathological examination, and the development of large negative intracellular potentials. We propose that this change in intracellular potential is correlated with changes in the immune system and may be triggered by membrane permeability changes possibly in response to calcium ions.
Subject(s)
Macrophages/physiology , Melanoma/physiopathology , Animals , Cell Division , Male , Membrane Potentials , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Neoplasm Transplantation , Neoplasms, Experimental/physiopathology , Transplantation, HomologousABSTRACT
Intracellular electrical potentials have been measured in nonactivated and immunologically-activated macrophages obtained from the peritoneal cavities of mice. Normal macrophage potentials were established and found to become significantly more electronegative after in vitro exposure for 10 minutes to a lymphokine-containing supernatant which induced macrophage activation. This approach may reflect very early concomitants of such activation and is also useful in the study of other immunologic systems.
Subject(s)
Lymphokines/pharmacology , Macrophages/physiology , Animals , Cell Membrane/drug effects , Cell Membrane/physiology , Macrophages/drug effects , Membrane Potentials/drug effects , Mice , Mice, Inbred StrainsABSTRACT
The intra-cellular potentials of human blood mononuclear cells have been measured using a microelectrode and a modified classical neurophysiological system. The results obtained in vitro suggest that different lymphocyte sub-populations and monocytes have characteristics intra-cellular potentials. We have also shown that a change from negative to positive intra-cellular potential occurs in lymphocytes stimulated by Phytohemaglutinine and Concanavaline A.
