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Biomedical subjects

A Elena

Publications and source records attributed to A Elena.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Skirts in the lab: Madame Curie and the image of the woman scientist in the feature film.

Recent research has appropriately emphasized the significant role played by feature films in the creation (as well as the reflection) of popular stereotypes of the scientist. However, no particular study has yet been devoted to the depiction of women scientists in the cinema, even though it is quite clear that this presents its own distinctive features. Taking the influential Madame Curie (Mervyn LeRoy, 1943) as a starting point, this paper attempts to give a first overview of the subject.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1996

[Seroepidemiologic study of hepatitis C virus infection in a general population from the region of La Rioja, Spain].

BACKGROUND: To assess the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a general population and to identify risk factors for acquiring infection. POBLATION AND METHODS: A cross section of the general urban population of La Rioja aged between 14 and 65, was studied by choosing a random sample (n = 890). Serum samples were screened for HCV antibodies by second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and recombinant immunoblot assays. We investigated the relationship between HCV serostatus and age, intravenous drug use, tattoos, blood transfusion, history of hepatitis, previous surgical operations, the administration of parenteral treatment and the number of sexual partners. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was 2%. The logistic regression analysis confirmed a statistically significant association between anti-HCV positivity and intravenous drug use (OR = 169.67; CI 95%: 21.1-1,364.75), exposure to a blood transfusion (OR = 10.41; CI 95%: 3.03-35.75); tattoos (OR = 9.04; CI 95%: 1.25-65.36), and male sex (OR = 5.35; CI 95%: 1.34-21.42). However, that 38% of subjects had no risk factors for HCV infection. CONCLUSIONS: These results show a high proportion of people were found to have anti-HCV antibodies. The possible mode of infection in one third of these subjects is not known. In the half of these cases the infection was found have been acquired by an intravenous mechanism: blood transfusion or drug use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

A new device for mechanical ventilation of infants and small children.

A new device for use with adult ventilators to allow neonatal and paediatric mechanical ventilation is described. It met International Standards Organisation standards during in vitro evaluation and gave good results when applied in vivo to ten children undergoing elective surgery. The device provided a safe and cost-effective means of delivering mechanical ventilation by an adult ventilator to neonatal and paediatric patients receiving general anaesthesia.

Anesthesia, Inhalation↗
PubMed1995

[Assisted ventilation: experimental evaluation in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: During assist-control mode ventilation (AMV), patients perform external excess work (Wex) to activate the mechanical ventilator itself. Aim of the study was to quantitate such a Wex and evaluate the best ventilator setting in order to minimize it. SETTING: In vitro study, connecting several commercially available mechanical ventilators, with different settings, to an active model lung, developed in our department. METHODS: Gas flow and volume, and airway pressure were measured and digitally recorded; Wex was computed by pressure-volume loops. The maximum negative pressure attained in the circuit (delta Pmax), before the endotracheal tube, the time necessary to reach such a pressure [t(delta Pmax)], from the start of the model lung inspiration, and the time to return to atmospheric pressure [t(P = 0)] after mechanical ventilator activation were also recorded. Different inspiratory flow waveforms (sinusoidal, square and inverted ramp) were tested. RESULTS: Wex was not different between ventilators. However, it was significantly (F8,24 = 2.697, p < 0.05) affected by different flow waveforms: Wex was markedly higher (p < 0.01) with sinusoidal (16.50 +/- 12.12 mJ) than with either square (1.17 +/- 0.96 mJ) or inverted ramp (0.60 +/- 0.70 mJ) inspiratory flow curve. Furthermore, Wex was significantly correlated (p < 0.001) with delta Pmax, t(delta Pmax) and t(p = 0). Those variables are dependent, although not uniquely, upon the trigger mechanism's sensitivity and the ventilator's response time; thus, Wex can be loosely correlated to them as well. CONCLUSIONS: Since AMV is targeted at farily critical patients, whose oxygen consumption might be marginal, every excess work has to be minimized, in order to avoid respiratory fatigue appearance, and worsening of respiratory failure. Prerequisites of a correct AMV application are thus sensitive trigger mechanism, rapid ventilator response to patient's inspiratory effort, and high initial inspiratory flow (inverted ramp or square waveform).

Air Pressure↗
PubMed1993

Performance of a hydrophobic heat and moisture exchanger at different ambient temperatures.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of different room temperatures on hydrophobic heat and moisture exchangers (HME) humidifying capability and efficiency. METHODS: Stock HMEs were tested in vitro using an already described test model, with separation of inspiratory and expiratory gas. Absolute humidity (AH) was measured by means of dry-wet dual thermocouple, and HME efficiency was computed as the ratio between expired to inspired AH, at room temperature of 20 and 26 degrees C. RESULTS: Inspired gas temperature and AH were significantly higher at 26 than at 20 degrees C; since expired AH remained substantially unchanged, HME efficiency was also higher in warmer environment. CONCLUSIONS: Hydrophobic HMEs appear to be affected by room temperature, increasing their humidifying ability and their efficiency with its rise.

Cold Temperature↗
PubMed1993

IgG interference in second generation enzymeimmunoassays for anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies.

The interference of endogenous IgG in the identification of anti-HCV antibodies was studied in three second-generation enzymeimmunoassays. The addition of increasing concentrations of this immunoglobulin led to the appearance of false positives. The results obtained confirm the hypothesis that a non-specific binding of the IgG with the support material used was responsible for this interference.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMed1993

[Practical device to reduce the tidal volume in mechanical ventilation, for neonatal and pediatric anesthesia].

The authors propose a new device for controlled mechanical ventilation during general anaesthesia in pediatric and neonatal patients. This device can reduce TV delivered by an adult ventilator to small values. The device consists of: a small volume box (about 1.3 1); a disposable breathing circuit composed of a bag to put in the box, connecting tubes, a non rebreathing duckbill valve placed at the endotracheal tube; a monitoring system for pressure and expired volume. The authors tested the device according to ISO Standards. Performance during waveform tests and expiratory resistance agree with ISO request. During volume performance tests the device was able to deliver a minimum TV of 10 ml in all ISO Standard requested sets.

Anesthesia, General↗
PubMed1989

[The non-depolarizing myorelaxants in orotracheal intubation. A clinical comparison].

The present study was designed to compare the rapidity of onset of neuromuscular blockade after administration of 5 different neuromuscular relaxants (succinylcholine, d-tubocurarine, pancuronium, atracurium and vecuronium) in 75 patients, randomly allocated in 5 treatment groups. The facilitation for endotracheal intubation was evaluated using a clinical score. The for onset relaxation was shorter when using succinylcholine. Among non-depolarizing relaxants an adequate facilitation for endotracheal intubation was observed, two minutes after administration of atracurium and vecuronium, while endotracheal intubation was difficult when using d-tubocuranine and pancuronium.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cardiac dysrhythmias induced by extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated in 269 consecutive patients the incidence and gravity of dysrhythmic complications during nonsynchronized extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) using an electromagnetic lithotripter. RESULTS: Dysrhythmia occurred during treatment in 22 patients (8.8%) with no previous cardiac dysrhythmia. Ventricular extrasystoles occurred in 14 patients, atrial extrasystoles in 7 patients, and sinus bradycardia in 1 patient. It was not necessary to terminate treatment because of the occurrence of dysrhythmia in any of the patients. For 13 of the 22 patients (59%), it was sufficient to interrupt the treatment momentarily to obtain resumption of the normal rhythm. For 8 patients (36%), treatment was continued after triggering the release of the shockwaves with the refractory phase of the heart cycle. For one case of bradycardia (42 beats/min), it was possible to continue with the treatment after intravenous administration of atropine 0.5 mg. Pretreatment dysrhythmias were revealed by the electrocardiographic examination in 16 of the patients studied (6.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy without ECG triggering has been found to be fast and efficient and not correlated with the occurrence of dysrhythmic episodes of any particular clinical significance. No significant correlation was found between the occurrence of dysrhythmia, the side treated, the number and strength of the shockwaves, or the administration of analgesics. It was found, however, that dysrhythmia occurred almost exclusively in treatments involving the kidneys. The ECG-triggering option was indispensable in some patients in order to complete the lithotripsy without complications.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis C virus antibodies.

The prevalence of antibodies against the hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) in patients seropositive for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and suffering from this disease has been analyzed in comparison to a control group. Our results suggest that the high rate of prevalence found in RA patients is due to IgG interference in the measuring method used.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗