Interaction of ozone with gold nanoparticles.

Gold nanoparticles interact with aqueous ozone to produce a surface plasmon resonance shift without aggregation of the nanoparticles. Given ozone's destructive nature, the surprising finding was that the gold nanoparticles returned to their original color and were able to cycle between the wavelengths as ozone was introduced and removed. Gold islands were made and tested for a gaseous ozone response. Similarly to the aqueous system, the gold islands show a cycling effect. Potentially, this system would be useful as a sensor that identifies the presence of ozone in gaseous media.

AANA Journal course: update for nurse anesthetists--a comprehensive review of remifentanil: the next generation opioid.

Over the last two decades, profound changes have taken place in the way elective surgery is practiced with the majority of surgical patients now admitted and discharged through ambulatory surgical facilities. After initial hesitation on the part of the surgeons, anesthesia care providers, and patients and their families, this practice is now clearly accepted. A variety of surgical advances (e.g., new endoscopic procedures, laser technology, and extracorporeal shock wave procedures) have allowed surgeons to simplify and abbreviate surgical procedures. Anesthesia care providers now, more than ever, need rapid acting agents to keep apace with these surgical technological advances; the pressure to produce rapid room turnover and rapid recovery from anesthesia is unprecedented. Ideally, the anesthetic care plan and drug selection should precisely match the need of the individual patient and the surgical procedure. Remifentanil, a new member of the fentanyl family, is the first ultra-short-acting opioid that can be rapidly titrated and individualized for various levels of surgical stimuli. Relatively large doses can be administered, permitting rapid extubation and awakening at the end of the procedure. Remifentanil differs from all other opioids, possessing an ester linkage that allows predictable pharmacokinetics. Remifentanil may have potential for clinical exploitation where rapid onset and offset of opioid effects are desirable.

Sevoflurane use in Veterans Affairs medical centers: utility, safety, and cost-effectiveness.

It has long been realized that the Veterans Affairs (VA) patient has a high incidence of multiorgan system diseases, especially diseases of the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. The typical Birmingham VA Medical Center patient presenting for surgery is male, with a national mean age of 60 years. More than one half of these patients have a significant history of current or prior tobacco abuse, and many have cardiovascular impairments. When sevoflurane became available, a careful review of the characteristics of the drug, as well as cost comparisons of inhaled agents, was done by our department of anesthesia. Sevoflurane appears to be an ideal inhaled anesthetic for the veteran patient population. If used appropriately, sevoflurane can be administered safely at a cost comparable to desflurane.