[Perioperative sedation and analgesia for complications from arthroscopy and arthrotomy of the knee joint]. / Sedacja i analgezja okolooperacyjna do zabiegów artroskopii i artrotomii stawu kolanowego.

Estimation of the quality of the epidural anaesthesia of the patients sedated with Alprazolam and Midazolam in premedication before arthroscopy or arthrotomy of the knee was the goal of our study. Forty six (34 men and 12 women) ASA physical status 1-2 patients were divided into groups depending on the drugs orally applied in premedication (Alprazolam 0.5 mg, n = 29 or Midazolam 15 mg, n = 17) and of the kind of analgesia. The patients subjected to arthroscopy were treated with a single-shot epidural analgesia (n = 38), while those subjected to arthrotomy--with a continuous epidural analgesia (n = 8). 2% Lignocain with addition of Epinephrine and Fentanyl was used in the perioperative analgesia, while 0.25% Bupivacain with addition of Morphine was used in the postoperative period when continuous epidural analgesia was applied. The ISAS, VAS and Ramsey scales were used and the data were analysed with the Kormogolov test. The perioperative sedation in arthroscopy and arthrotomy of the knee is good without any significant differences associated with a kind of the drugs applied. The single-shot epidural anaesthesia is inadequate only during a prolonged arthroscopy of the knee. The postoperative continuous epidural analgesia, expressed in the VAS scale, was inadequate. A level of general satisfaction of the patients of the sedation and analgesia, expressed in the points of the ISAS scale, was satisfactorily good.

Seasonal and age distribution of rotavirus infection in Porto Alegre--Brazil.

Diarrhea is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in countries with inadequate water sanitation, crowding and poverty. In this study we evaluated the rotavirus infection profile in Porto Alegre, Brazil. We analyzed the results of 603 laboratory tests obtained from patients who attended a private laboratory to investigate gastroenteritis during a 2 year period (from July 1996 to June 1998). Rotavirus was identified as the causative agent in 42/312 (13.4%) of patients during the first year, and in 55/291 (18.9%) during the second year. Coproculture for Salmonella and Shigela was positive in only 6.6% of the patients. The prevalence of rotavirus was significantly higher in the winter season and inversely related to the average temperature. Children 7 months to 18 months of age were the most common group infected with rotavirus. The presence of leukocytes in the feces did not correlate with the occurrence of this disease. These results agree with other studies concerning the age group, season, and overall prevalence of rotavirus. The results confirm the need for new approaches to the prevention, diagnoses and management of this disease.