[Clinical efficacy of nimesulide compared to diclofenac sodium in the prevention and treatment of postoperative pain-inflammation symptomatology]. / Efficacia clinica della nimesulide in confronto a diclofenac sodico nella prevenzione e nel trattamento della sintomatologia algico-flogistica postchirurgica.

In a double blind, controlled clinical study, 40 patients, 20 of whom were subjected to mastectomy or quadrantectomy and 20 to inguinal hernioplasty, were randomly assigned to two treatment groups of 20 subjects each, balanced by type of operation. Treatment lasted 3 days and involved the administration of 3 suppositories per day of nimesulide or diclofenac sodium. Independently of the type of operation, a significant reduction in pain symptomatology (spontaneous pain, pain on active and passive movements) and in inflammatory symptomatology (hyperaemia and tumefaction) and a good control of body temperature was observed for both treatment groups. No changes in arterial pressure or laboratory examinations were observed in either group, nor there were any noteworthy adverse reactions.

[Internal abdominal hernias. Presentation of 10 treated cases]. / Le ernie interne addominali. Presentazione di 10 casi trattati.

Ten cases of abdominal internal hernia observed at the Niguarda Hospital Emergency Surgery Division, Milan, during the period 1969-1978 are described. Even though it is extremely uncommon, this form must be kept in mind in the course of differential diagnosis when the picture includes: typical and striking symptoms of ileal strangulation, radiographical evidence of marked distension of the ileal loops with hydro-air levels, and a negative history of abdominal surgery.

[Internal abdominal hernia caused by anomaly of the falciform ligament (a case report)]. / Ernia interna addominale da anomalia del legamento falciforme (osservazione di un caso).

The authors describe a truly uncommon case of internal abdominal hernia attributable to malformation of the falciform ligament. The patient, a man aged 26, had complained in the past of cramping pain in the epigastric region, usually occurring after meals and sometimes ending with vomiting of ingested food; but all diagnostic methods and procedures had consistently ruled out any extant pathology of the stomach, duodenum, biliary tract, or pancreas. Present hospitalization was justified by a clinical picture suggesting peritonitis from perforated gastric or duodenal ulcer. At operation the authors found a strangulated loop of small intestine following left-to-right migration through a hole in the falciform ligament of the liver. In the authors' interpretation the background cause of the trouble was incomplete development of the falciform ligament, and the immediate cause of the acute episode was abnormal motility and exaggerated peristalsis of the ileum, possibly due to the presence of a diverticulum; the latter two conditions are invoked as a possible explanation for the repeated episodes of abdominal pain in the patient's history.

Correlation between tracheal pressure and pulmonary artery pressure in healthy dogs.

The relationship between mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and alveolar pressures, at varying tidal volumes and opposing variable pressure to expiratory flow, was studied in 14 healthy dogs at the end of inspiration and at the end of expiration. Pulmonary blood flow was also studied in 4 dogs. Through the analysis of multiple regression, the equations which show the relation between PAP, tracheal pressure and tidal volume during phases of zero flow were obtained. Our study shows that the co-relation between PAP and tracheal pressure is always highly significant and that, in our experimental conditions, the parameter having the greatest influence on PAP is tracheal pressure, while tidal volume is negligible.

A new method for measuring venous blood flow with the aid of an electromagnetic flowmeter.

Using a silicone elastometer sheath, wrapped around the portal vein, with an external probe for electromagnetic flowmetry, and with the aid of an outside depression, the authors succeeded in measuring portal vein blood flow with great precision, both under normal conditions and during vasoconstriction induced by drug administration. The above system allows variations synchronous with respiration and cardiac contractions to be seen. The reproducibility of a "no flow" point further enables registrations to be continued for hours for physiological and pharmacological studies. The sheath probe system described for the registration of portal vein blood flow is applicable to all other veins.