[Plasma malondialdehyde in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and in patients with coronary disease]. / Malondialdehído plasmático en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 y en pacientes con enfermedad coronaria.

UNLABELLED: After intracoronary platelet aggregation, malondialdehyde (MDA), a lipid peroxide product is released. MDA renders some lipoproteins more atherogenic. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the sanguineous concentration of MDA in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and patients with coronary disease. We measured methods and material MDA in plasma of 131 consecutive normal subjects, 44 hyperlipidemic, hyperglycemic patients with type 2-diabetes mellitus (DM2), 60 normolipidemic patients with angina, and 62 normolipidemic patients with acute myocardial infarction with and without DM2. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The concentration of MDA was lowest in normal subjects (42.5 +/- 7.2 micrograms per deciliter), intermediate in those with DM2 (62.7 +/- 10.1 micrograms per deciliter, p < 0.002), and highest in those with myocardial infarction (101.6 +/- 31.7 micrograms per deciliter, p < 0.001). The mean MDA concentration of patients with infarction was similar to that of patients with angina (121.8 +/- 51.9 micrograms per deciliter, p < 0.07). Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that MDA was a possible predictor of myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: The increase of plasma MDA might be a biochemical marker of coronary artery disease. We suggest that MDA levels greater than 62.7 micrograms per deciliter could indicate a high risk for myocardial infarction.

[Risk factors for asthenopia among computer terminal operators]. / Factores de riesgo para la astenopía en operadores de terminales de computadoras.

OBJECTIVE: To study the incidence of asthenopia among computer terminal operators as compared to unexposed administrative workers and to identify the risk factors associated with this condition. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A sample of 35 computer terminal operators and 70 unexposed administrative workers from eight computing centers at an educational institution were included in the study. The risk factors studied were: lighting, contrast, type of lighting, screen type, electrostatic field, eye to monitor distance, time and number of hours worked, age, use of corrective lenses, seniority and overtime. Asthenopia was clinically identified as the presence of at least one sign and symptom present in a given workday. RESULTS: Asthenopia was found in 68.5% of the exposed group and in 47.7% of the unexposed group (p < 0.05). Among the risk factors studied, working for more than four hours at the video display terminal was shown to have a significant association with asthenopia (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A recommendation is made to take breaks during the workday at computer terminals in order to avoid visual fatigue. Also, more extensive studies should be carried out in our population to establish safety criteria and to standardize work activities using computer terminals.

Total intravenous anesthesia with propofol vs. propofol/midazolam in oncology patients.

The goal of this study was to determine dose requirements of propofol vs. propofol/midazolam in oncology patients during total intravenous anesthesia. The design of the study was a controlled clinical trial. The setting was the Oncology Hospital, National Medical Center, IMSS, located in Mexico City. Sixty patients were allocated randomly into two groups, patients in control group received propofol and fentanyl to induced and to maintain the anesthesia. Twenty nine patients in the experimental group received propofol and midazolam to induce anesthesia and to maintain propofol and fentanyl. The combination of propofol and midazolam to induce general anesthesia in oncology patients reduced the requirements in propofol and fentanyl in total intravenous anesthesia.